Before getting started in the forex market, you should do some extensive reading about it, its origins, general history and facts, as well as some of the more detailed information about how the market mechanism works to determine currency prices and exchange rate values. The forex market is the place where currencies are traded (currencies meaning money that is used as an exchange medium). In other words, it is the place where currencies are being bought and sold.

The forex market is mainly used by large traders for reducing overhead, managing risk and acquiring new trading clients. The forex market is thus not dramatically affected by the types of buying programs that might allow other markets to be easily manipulated. In fact, the forex market offers some of the smoothest trends available. It is an inter-bank or inter-dealer network that was first established in 1971 when many of the world's major currencies moved towards floating exchange rates. It is considered an over-the-counter (OTC) market, meaning that transactions are conducted between two counter parties that agree to trade via telephone or electronic network.

Forex trading is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for those who are easily controlled by their emotions. However, it is certainly an inescapable part of this kind of trading, since it is an emotional thing to engage in an activity of risk and reward with your money. Trading foreign currencies is simply the act of a simultaneous buying of one currency and the selling of another. Currencies are traded through a broker or dealer, and are traded in pairs; for example the Euro and the US dollar (EUR/USD). Forex trading is the purchase and sale of the most popular seven currencies in pairs, so that you may, for example, purchase Euros by selling Australian Dollars. The general principle is to purchase a currency when its price is low and then to sell it once the price rises so that you make a profit.

Currencies are bought and sold through forex brokers or market makers. These market makers and brokers provide the small investor with access to the forex market. These foreign currencies are used in the settlement of international trade between countries. Trading in the foreign exchange market is the means by which values are established for commodities and manufactured goods, which are imported or exported between countries. Currency exchange prices are listed as either a direct quote or an indirect quote. A direct quote uses the domestic currency as the base and the foreign currency as the quote.