Setting up to be a scalper requires that you have very good, reliable access to the market makers with a platform that allows for very fast buying or selling. Usually, the platform will have a buy button and a sell button for each of the currency pairs so that all the trader has to do is hit the appropriate button to either enter or exit a position. In liquid markets, the execution can take place in a fraction of a second.
Picking a Broker
Remember that the forex market is an international market and is largely unregulated, although efforts are being made by governments and the industry to introduce legislation that would regulate over-the-counter (OTC) forex trading to a certain degree.
As a trader, it is up to you to research and understand the broker agreement and just what your responsibilities would be and just what responsibilities the broker has. You must pay attention to how much margin is required and what the broker will do if positions go against you, which might even mean an automatic liquidation of your account if you are too highly leveraged. Ask questions to the broker’s representative and make sure you hold onto the agreement documents. Read the small print.
The Broker’s Platform
As a scalper, you must become very familiar with the trading platform that your broker is offering. Different brokers may offer different platforms, therefore you should always open a practice account and practice with the platform until you are completely comfortable using it. Since you intend to scalp the markets, there is absolutely no room for error in using your platform.
If you press the “Sell” button by mistake, when you meant to hit the buy button, you could get lucky if the market immediately goes south so that you profit from your mistake, but if you are not so lucky you will have just entered a position opposite to what you intended. Mistakes like these can be very costly. Platform mistakes and carelessness can and will cause losses. Practice using the platform before you commit real money to the trade.
(Learn more about how to set each type of stop and limit when trading currencies in How to Place Orders With a Forex Broker.)
Liquidity
As a scalper, you only want to trade the most liquid markets. These markets are usually in the major currency pairs, such as EUR/USD or USD/JPY. Also, depending on the currency pair, certain sessions may be much more liquid than others. Even though the forex markets are trading for 24 hours a day, the volume is not the same at all times of the day.
Usually, when London opens at around 3 AM EST, volume picks up as London is the major trading center for forex trading. At 8 AM EST, New York opens and adds to the volume being traded. Thus, when two of the major forex centers are trading, this is usually the best time for liquidity. The Sydney and Tokyo markets are the other major volume drivers.
Guaranteed Executions
Scalpers need to be sure that their trades will be executed at the levels they intend. Therefore, be sure to understand the trading terms of your broker. Some brokers might limit their execution guarantees to times when the markets are not moving fast. Others may not provide any form of execution guarantee at all.
Placing an order at a certain level and having it executed a few pips away from where you intended, is called “slippage.” As a scalper you cannot afford slippage in addition to the spread, so you must make sure your order can and will be executed at the order level you request.
Redundancy
Redundancy is the practice of insuring yourself against catastrophe. By redundancy in trading jargon, I mean having the ability to enter and exit trades in more than one way. Be sure your internet connection is as fast as possible. Know what you will do if the internet goes down. Do you have a phone number direct to a dealing desk and how fast can you get through and identify yourself? All these factors become really important when you are in a position and need to get out quickly or make a change.
Choosing a Charting Time Frame
In order to execute trades over and over again, you will need to have a system that you can follow almost automatically. Since scalping doesn’t give you time for an in-depth analysis, you must have a system that you can use repeatedly with a fair level of confidence. As a scalper, you will need very short-term charts, such as tick charts, or one- or two-minute charts and perhaps a five-minute chart.