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| What is Leverage? by Jeremy Wagner, Head Forex Trading Instructor (freeforexexpertadvisor.com) |
Leverage is a financial tool that allows an individual to increase their market exposure to a point that exceeds their actual investment. For example, a trader goes long 10000 units of the USD/JPY, with $1,000 dollars of equity in their account.
The USD/JPY trade is equivalent to controlling $10,000. Because the trade is 10 times larger than the equity in the trader’s account, the account is said to be leveraged 10 times or 10:1.
Had the trader bought 20,000 units of the USD/JPY, which is equivalent to $20,000, their account would have been leveraged 20:1.
Leverage allows an individual to control larger trade sizes. Traders will use this tool as a way to magnify their returns. It’s imperative to stress, that losses are also magnified when leverage is used. Therefore, it is important to understand that leverage needs to be controlled.
FXCM provides flexible leverage to its clients. You can trade with no leverage at all, or you can trade with a significant amount of leverage.
FXCM believes clients have a greater chance of long-term success when a conservative amount of leverage, or even no leverage, is implemented.
Written by Jeremy Wagner, Lead Trading Instructor, DailyFX.com Education
