MARCH SPECIAL: Save 80% Off Nial Fuller's Pro Trading Course (Ends March 31st) -
Nial Fuller

NIAL FULLER Nial Fuller
Professional Trader, Author & Coach

Part 1 – How To Become a Pro Forex Trader: Building the Foundation

Building a Foundation for your Forex Trading Career

trading-roomThis week, I am starting a 4-part blog series on “How to Become a Professional Forex Trader”. It will be laid out in a step-by-step easy-to-follow manner. However, before we get started I must issue a note of caution; simply reading this 4-part series alone is not going to make you a pro trader. You have to actually use the information provided within this series and understand that there is no “quick-fix” to trading the market for a living.

Becoming a pro trader is going to take time and effort on your behalf, and you will probably experience some ups and downs along the way. However, you should not be discouraged, because the sooner you accept this reality, the sooner you can get on the path to becoming a professional currency trader. Now, let’s get cracking…

Step 1: Be honest with yourself

First off, let me clarify something; becoming a professional trader is the result of first being a consistently successful trader and building up your trading account and trading skills over time. Thus, your aim as you begin your Forex trading journey should be to FIRST become a consistently successful Forex trader, but that does not necessarily mean you will become a “professional” or full-time trader right away. As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, becoming a pro trader is probably going to take a good deal of time if you are starting from a small trading account, but that does not mean you can’t make consistent money each month in the meantime.

Consistently successful trading and professional trading might sound like the same thing, but they are not. Your aim should first be set on making consistent money each month relative to your account size, not on becoming a pro trader right out of the gate.

You see, if you have a $1,000 trading account for example, you will not be able to make enough money each month to live off of, and if you try to trade your $1,000 account like it’s a bigger account, you’ll end up blowing it out.

So, if you eventually want to be a full-time professional Forex trader, you have to first aim a little bit lower; you need to aim to make consistent money each month while simultaneously implementing effective Forex money management. This is called being honest with yourself about what is really possible given your current financial situation, and many traders simply don’t do this.

Risk V RewardYou need to think about your trading in terms of dollars risked vs. dollars gained, not in terms of “how much money do I need to make to quit my job and buy a Ferrari”, which is how most beginning traders think. Pretend that you are trading a 1 million dollar account even if your account is only 1 thousand dollars. If you can consistently average a 3R reward each month (meaning a reward of 3 times your overall risk) then that means you are making 3 x 12 = 36R per year. Now, if your per-trade risk on a $1,000 account is $25, that would be $25 x 36 = $900 in a year, or a 90% yearly return; a very very good performance by any professional’s standards. Now, take that 36R and imagine you are trading a $100,000 account; it would equal $90,000 over a year if you risked $2,500 per trade. The return would be $900,000 on a million dollar account if you risked $25,000 per trade.

Do you see my point here? Sure, $900 a year might not seem like a life-changing amount of money, but what you need to understand is that if you are consistently making 36R per year on a $1,000 account for example, the exact same processes and thinking that resulted in that $900 and 90% return WOULD result in a life-changing amount on a $100,000 account. So, the point is that focusing on the actual process and mechanics of trading is far more important than trying to make a lot of money on a small account. If you are pulling a number like 36R or even 15 or 20R a year, you will have no problem finding funding for your account or getting a job with a prop trading firm.

Before you begin learning how to trade or before you open a demo account, you need to sit down with a pen and paper and make a monthly budget. You need to list all the expenses you have each month and then subtract them from your monthly after-tax income, if you have any 100% disposable income left over then it’s OK to use that money to trade with. If you find you don’t have any disposable income left over each month, you’re better off saving your money or finding a different job until you are able to make some money to trade with.

The reason why I am telling you this is because most traders never do this; instead they end up trading with money they really should not be trading with, and also because if you truly trade with only 100% disposable income you will significantly reduce the potential of becoming emotional on any one trade. So, if you really think you have what it takes to become a Forex trader, and you are going to be honest with yourself about what is possible given the amount of starting disposable income you have, then it’s time to move on to the next step of learning the basics of Forex trading…

Step 2: Learn the basics of Forex trading

bulls bears21Next, if you have fully accepted that you need to focus on the process of trading rather than the money, and you know you aren’t going to get rich quick on a small trading account, you should focus on actually learning to trade.

Now, it might seem obvious that you should learn the basics first, but most beginning Forex traders simply have no clue what they are doing as they learn to trade. Many of them ignore the basics of Forex trading and of learning how to trade; this is a big mistake because if you really want to become a professional at something you have to start by understanding and building a foundation on the introductory concepts. You should first get a solid education in the foundational concepts of Forex by taking my free beginners Forex course. After you have done this and you thoroughly understand what the Forex market is, why it exists, and how to make sense of it, then you should move on to learning a real-world trading strategy like price action.

I can assure you that if you take this one extra step of learning the basics before you start buying trading systems and strategies, it will save you a lot of frustration, time and money, as well as put you far ahead of most beginning traders who simply dive-in head first without first building a solid foundation to trade off of.

Step 3: Learning to trade with an effective strategy

After you have completed steps 1 and 2, it’s time to learn some real-world trading strategies and really start getting into the “meat” of Forex trading. Now, there are thousands of different ways to trade the market out there, but if you want to learn how to read the raw and natural price dynamics of a market, I suggest you learn to trade forex price action strategies. By making price action trading your primary trading strategy, you will develop chart-reading skills that will last a lifetime and make any other strategy or system you use even more effective. As you probably know by now, I am a huge proponent of “pure” price action trading, and I really feel that it’s the best way to trade the Forex market.

The price action strategies and methods that I trade with and teach my students have served me well for many years now, and it’s because there is nothing complicated about them. I simply use my ability to read and interpret the overall market structure to find high-probability price action setups, and I watch for these obvious price action setups forming at key chart levels. Thus, there is no confusion or uncleanliness to my trading approach; it’s all about taking advantage of high-probability price action events in the market and knowing how to make sense of and read the ever-changing market conditions.

In Part 2 of this mini series (click here) – I am going to share with you guys the importance of testing your trading strategy as well as how to track your progress and develop a trading plan. These next steps are critical in refining your trading approach and developing an organized and structured trading routine that will guide you when you switch to real money trading and help you avoid becoming an emotional trader. If you want to learn more about my price action trading strategies after finishing steps 1 and 2 in today’s article, check out my Forex price action trading course and members’ community.

Proceed To Part 2

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Nial Fuller

About Nial Fuller

is a Professional Trader, Investor & Author who is considered ‘The Authority’ on Price Action Trading. His blog is read by over 200,000+ followers and he has taught 25,000+ students since 2008. In 2016, Nial won the Million Dollar Trader Competition. Checkout Nial's Professional Trading Course here.
Nial Fuller Professional Trading Course Preferred broker 2020 v1

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Zinnur

    Thanks for article!

    Reply
  2. Emeka Egwim

    I am off to part 2.

    Reply
  3. Md. Saiful

    Nice article

    Reply
  4. pieter

    Thank you Niall, very good education.

    Reply
  5. Isabel

    Thanks !

    Reply
  6. Bimal

    Hi Nial,

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge, experience and writing this blog. I am a member since Jan 13 and I can say that progressed a lot with your course, videos and forums.

    I (we, as my friend become a member too now) and came out with our trading strategy and now doing back testing and we see positive results.

    We are trying to overcome fear of losing and trying to be consistent in following our strategy and I thinking we are getting there.

    Thanks again.

    Bimal

    Reply
  7. Shafiq

    Very useful article for novice 4X traders.

    Reply
  8. SkyObad

    Very nice material. Thanks a lot and have a wonderful weekend.

    Reply
  9. KC

    i should have read this when i started to trade ……great insight!

    Reply
  10. (paul(Learn Relative Strength Index Forex trading system)

    Good lesson. Price action is the best way to trade especially if it involves knowing when the market is going to move based on an understanding of key market elements.
    Thanks,
    Paul

    Reply
  11. deji

    you are spot on nial……if you factor in the compounding aspect even a 3R reward every year adds up to a lot over only 10 years…nice one man…..cheers

    Reply
  12. kim

    thank you.everything you have said is for real true.i am anxiously waiting for the next chapter.

    Reply
  13. raghunath

    Respected Nial,
    Your article with regard to the price as well as the subject matter of risk involved it. How to identify the trend to what extent it will reach either down or up trends, these are previously calculable it, then go on its treading methodology. Really nice article. I am very happy to see it.

    Reply
  14. Yanti

    great article Nial, it always inspire me when i feel down in my trading…..

    Reply
  15. AHMED

    This article is very educative and entertaining.keep it up!

    Reply
  16. fatimah

    Nial you are so so right about getting our trading strategy right is more important than worrying how much we can make… now i am trading on a smaller lot to improvise my trading method.

    cheers fatimah

    Reply
  17. sly

    good job……

    Reply
  18. CaronT

    Hi Nial
    Your explanations are so easy to read and understand. I find your advice useful and it makes sense to me. I look forward to seeing trading results after applying your course material.
    Kind regards

    Reply
  19. Brian

    Your price action stratergies sound great. I’m placing my faith in you.Happy Easter want to be traders.Brian.

    Reply
  20. Paul Samoey-Kenya

    Hi Nial- Good stuff,keep it up.

    Reply
  21. Paul Samoey From Kenya

    Thank Nial This is an eye opener.I hope to be a pro trader in 2 years max.

    Reply
  22. Richard

    you are outstanding teacher,I really approciate what you are doing for us,I haven’t started trading yet,but am learning more from you before I start.you’ve made aware that is good to focus,persistance,dedication will make as achieve our success in trading,and we shouldn’t give up when the ups and downs come.I also understand that patience is our a virtue.thank you.

    Reply
  23. ovosi ayodele

    Great article.Indeed the process is more important than the result.Traders really need to understand the concept here.Forex Trading is a business!

    Reply
  24. jonas

    Yeah, dont focus on the money, dont even focus on wins and losses… focus on sticking to your trade plan! If you can honestly say you stuck strictly to the rules of your trade plan then you have put yourself in the shoes of a professional trader and have dramatically improved your chances of success. Just try it as see the results for yourself. If you are new to trading and are on a demo account then you have nothing to loose and the sooner you develop good trading habits the sooner you will achieve success!

    Reply
  25. SAMUEL

    Nice one.. This topic is very educative..
    I love the part where he says ”By making price action trading your primary trading strategy, you will develop chart-reading skills that will last a lifetime and make any other strategy or system you use even more effective.”

    Reply
  26. Gez

    Superb article, especially Step 1.

    As someone who is only starting the process, it’s particularly important to realise that no-one can become rich overnight without a helluva lot of hard work and study.

    It reminds me of some poker buddies of mine who thought they could turn their $100 starting bankroll into a full-time income within 12 months. They went busto quicksmart… :D

    It’s refreshing to see someone who makes money from a trading course actually telling potential clients this fact BEFORE they proceed any further. Thanks for your honesty.

    Reply
  27. Steve West

    Excellent first installment, makes perfect sense to me !!!

    Reply
  28. Votuan

    Thank you very much Nial, I read almost all your article and it really help me in my trading.

    Reply
  29. Libor

    I´m looking forward to your 5 steps :) Thnx !

    Reply
  30. Nitka

    …:-)) another great lesson and read..:-)…one to treasure and re-read for sure..:-)..and it is sooo true – consistency consistency…it reinforces what Niall said in previouse articles – you need to know your system so well your entries should be automatic WHEN/IF you see your signals to enter and the wins will come…love your website Niall and I re-visit it very often…you dispel delusions of quick/easy money and deal with realities of trading.
    .:-)..thank you

    Reply
  31. ashish

    very knowledgable article thank u

    Reply
  32. Alexey

    Thanks for the great stuff Neil. You really help to learn how to trade in profit. Hello from Russia

    Reply
  33. Paul

    Excellent article. The major problem for the vast majority of people who are attracted to trading is that they have “heard”, “believe” it is a fast way of making a lot of money. For some it is but most it is not. This mindset makes people take crazy risks that have very little true reward if any. When someone starts out with a few hundred dollars they have no patience to build their account and see it as an uphill struggle. If only they would focus on the trading and not the money then success will follow, like nial points out, once you can show solid consistancy in your trading with whatever profits you have then the money will follow, in the form of other investors. So, their is no need to get stressed about trying to turn your small capital into millions. Just aim to be consistant!

    Reply
  34. Varghese Thoppil

    HiNial

    I am waiting for your next part of Learning. Thank you for excellent way of your article.

    Let me learn and make money and I will join as permanent member.

    Regards,

    Reply
  35. Ondrej

    Great article, but I don’t get one thing. What do you mean by making 3 times your OVERALL risk? Let’s say I make 6 trades in a month (risk is 100 per trade), lose 3, and win 3 with 3R, that is -300+900=600. So I make 600, but my overall risk is also 600. So that is 1R, but I would say that is still not a bad result, for me anyways. Regards!

    Reply
  36. Galen

    Hi Nial

    Thank you and I am looking forward to part two.
    I understand part one and apply it about 75% of the time.
    This means there is still room for discipline. This article gives me that incentive to raise that %.

    Galen

    Reply
  37. ifa mantofani

    inspiring article……thanks Nial :)

    Reply
  38. Khairul Azan

    Thanks Nial..a good start

    Reply
  39. A.Goni

    Thank U, Your articles guide me how to trade.

    Reply
  40. Thomas Sebastian

    Hi Neal,
    Fabulous, I have forwarded to my sister your email as she wants to start learning. Perfect timing.
    I want to learn as well. Thank You, Thomas

    Reply
  41. Colin

    Thanks Nial I have traded a few differant stratergies & made some money, but they all stressed me out to the max. Your P/A is so stress free compared to the others. I have been member for 7 months now. I did blow my acc from $2000 to $1400 in 3 months. But no I am slowly getting back on track. Back up to $2100. What I have found is I am trading much less & having more winners. Somtimes I only trade 2 to 3 times a month. Thanks for every thing Nial looking forward to your next lesson

    Reply
  42. sam

    you are indeed helping thanks.God Bless You

    Reply
  43. Andy

    Hi Nial,
    I appreciate the wisdom you constantly share with your readers. It motivates me tremendously to become a professional level trader like you!
    Thanks
    Andy

    Reply
  44. Schulz

    Hi, Nial, Wonderfull Idea Your Today’s Lesson… Thanks

    Reply
  45. Eric Morin

    Thanks for the great article. The foundation, the most important part of every business. Thanks to remind that to start from the beginning is a good step in direction of success.

    Reply
  46. Bob

    Hey Nial,

    cheers for this article. some top tips

    regards

    Reply
  47. irsanbauer

    This article is a must-read for traders, since this article was created by people have a lot of experience. God Bless YOU!

    Reply
  48. Bhupinder

    I love the honesty Nial and appreciate you providing your skills/experience with us.

    Reply
  49. van

    many thanks it really makes sense

    Reply
  50. Tracy

    Always a pleasure reading your lessons for the week. They really do remind me to stay patient and focused on the objective. BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL TRADER…

    Reply
  51. Lionell Dixon

    Thanks Nial!

    Reply
  52. AMIN MALIK

    Hi NIAL ! Thank you for being so generous, to lead us to the path of becoming,eventually, a successful professional Trader.

    THANKS & REGARDS, AMIN

    Reply
  53. cameron

    great article nial as always……..and im pleased to say im conforming to this disipline before i jump into forex fully………

    Reply
  54. suraj chavan

    thank you for this great article…& i am waiting for next article…thnx

    Reply
  55. Henry

    I believe in pure price action tradin. Its very simple and effective. Anybody that aspire to be a pro trader should learn to read and interprete price action. Thanks nial for ur great effort in bringin this knowledge to us.

    Reply
  56. Andrew

    Good article! Hope to understand strategies more by reading than videos cos I am Deaf and won’t understand what is said in the videos.

    Thanks

    Reply
  57. Sheila

    Hi Nial,
    Thanks for the article, it is very helpful! Looking foward to the next steps.

    Reply
  58. onesi John

    thank u so much for all ur educational tips, really, price is the king, and every trading strategy is simply a derivative of price, so it really makes sense to focus on price action formation, not just in the air, but at key levels.trading is not really that difficult, what is difficult about trading is mastering urself and sticking to ur trading plan. any man trading with even a simple 50-50 pure probability strategy will still make more money than a fellow with a sharp edge strategy in his hand,and a sharp edge emotions in his mind!!

    Reply
  59. Tom

    Fantastic article, great useful information. Keep it up:)

    Reply
  60. K.P.P.Murugappa

    Very useful article.

    Thank you

    Reply
  61. RajT

    Excellent article, once again many thanks.
    Look forward to the next one.

    Reply
  62. Karl

    Hello Nial, this trading room in the picture looks really very nice and motivating. Is this the place where you analyze and make your orders? Best regards…

    Reply