How to Find a Profitable Managed Forex Account

Investing in any market or asset class is a serious business and requires serious consideration and due diligence. Here are some vitally important points you need to take into account when deciding on where to invest in any managed forex fund.

The Company

The company you invest with is perhaps the most critical factor. The company needs to able to provide a good, honest and responsive level of service. They should be able to provide you with a point of contact and be able to address your questions and concerns swiftly and transparently.

Starting Balance Requirements

What is the companies minimum balance requirement? Are you realistically able to find the minimum starting balance affordable without having to borrow funds to do it? Remember that any funds for forex trading should be considered as “risk capital” so that any losses of said funds does not adversely effect the economic well being of you or your family. That is only risk what you are prepared to lose. If you are not prepared to lose these funds, leave them in the bank.

Historical Performance

Perhaps the first thing you are going to look at when considering a managed forex account is their results. People invariably are impressed by big numbers but don’t let this fact alone blind you to the down side of impressive looking statistics. Much like physics, where reactions are equal and opposite so are profits. Big profits equal big risks. Look for consistent and sustainable profits, don’t base your assessment on 2-3 months worth of performance. The market goes through cycles, sometimes these cycles can last sixth months and deliver unusually high returns. For this reason to be realistic you really need to look at 2 years worth of results. If a trader can only offer you 6 months worth of history it probably isn’t enough.

Costs And Commissions

The commissions and performance fees for forex managed account providers varies greatly. There are basically 3 main areas where providers receive payment. Many providers charge an annual account management fee which ranges from .1% to 5%. This fee is usually charged according to the actually account balance. This may be the only fee charged but more typically it is combined with a monthly performance fee or a fee charged on the trade volume. Performance fees vary from 15 to 40 % of new monthly profits. Make sure that you thoroughly understand the type and amount of fees your provider charges and be wary of providers that charge fees on accounts even when no new profits are achieved. Also be wary of “churning” or over trading where a provider gets a rebate per trade simply by placing a trade, this form of compensation is open to abuse.

Control of Funds

One of the most important factors with Forex Managed accounts is being in control of your money at all times. When it comes to the actual funds for trading deal directly with a reputable broker and do not send your funds directly to any money manager, no matter how qualified or honest they appear. Any bona fide managed account provider will provide this functionality and not ask you to send funds directly to them.

Amount of Capital Under Management

By knowing exactly how much a particular money manager has in trade it gives you a fairly reasonable indication as to whether they have a well established business or not. If a fund manager has over $50 million in trade it is a good indication that they have been able to establish a level of trust with some astute investors. Of course this in itself gives no absolute guarantees it does indicate that the company is a serious investment company.

Trading Methodology and Money Management

Give some serious consideration to the trading strategy employed by the forex managed account provider. Satisfy yourself that their trading style and their money management is consistent with your own risk tolerance and make sure that the provider does actually trade according to the guidelines they stipulate. Often you will see providers claiming to risk 1% per trade and actually using 10 or 20% risk per trade whilst trying to recover from losses. This is a very dangerous practice so make sure you are aware of the methodology used and that they comply with it.

Broker

The broker you or your provider chooses is also a critical component in the overall managed account process. Make sure you do your due diligence on the broker in question, and ensure that their spreads and commissions are reasonable and that the broker is able to execute trades and withdrawals in a timely and efficient manner.

For more information regarding Managed Forex Reviews. Brendan is also associated with Managed Forex Reviews. Managed Forex Trader provides information and services to people interested in investing in Forex this can be viewed at Forex Managed Account Services.