How To Trade Forex With $100 – The Easiest Guide

This article was last updated on July 7, 2022

The forex market is one of the cornerstones of today’s global economy. It facilitates the exchange of various currencies and allows international trade to take place so easily. However, because of the way it operates, it has also created a large and highly profitable marketplace where investors can trade and speculate over the prices of various currencies. As a result, many retail investors have also made it their career to buy and sell currency pairs. However, this endeavor often requires significant starting capital. Since not everyone interested might have a lot of funds when starting out, one question is on their minds. How can you start trading forex with as little as $100?

What Is Forex Trading?

While the foreign exchange market is a broad and complex one, when talking about forex trading, people usually refer to the activity of buying and selling different currency pairs. This is most often done in a speculative fashion, with traders profiting from price changes. Over the years, forex has grown to closely resemble the stock market, with even more complex instruments and techniques becoming available.

However, the foreign exchange is also very different from the stock market. For one, there is no central market or authority. Instead, it is decentralized, with multiple points across the globe acting as trading centers. As a result, the forex market operates 24 hours a day, five days a week. It is only closed during the weekend, and even then, large banks and financial institutions are still able to trade with each other.

Since there is no one global authority in the forex market, each country has its own regulatory body that oversees activity within its jurisdiction. As a result, it can sometimes be challenging to navigate the innumerable brokers available out there and avoid scams. To help with this, make sure to check out our complete guide on the Forex market.

Things To Do Before You Can Start Trading Forex

Before you can start trading on the forex market with $100, you will need to go through a couple of steps first. These include setting up an account with a trusted online broker and depositing funds into said account. However, because the forex market is decentralized, there are countless platforms out there that offer brokerage services. Since there is no central authority, it is often hard to discern which ones are trustworthy and which are less so.

Here are some of the most important steps to take before you can start trading on the foreign exchange market properly:

Practice

Before you start trading with real money, it is always a good idea to learn how the market works and train with a free demo account. This will allow you to get the hang of things and get acclimated with your broker’s trading platform. Take advantage of the numerous educational resources available on the internet, like courses and online videos. There are great options for you to choose from, offering both paid and free alternatives.

Even if you are trading forex with $100, it is important to look at things in terms of overall success and not merely how much money you are making or losing. Trading on the forex market should always be a teaching experience, and that means taking it seriously, regardless of the amount of money involved.

Plan Your Strategy

All successful forex traders share one characteristic – they all have a clear strategy that they plan out in advance. This will give you a structure that you can follow as you trade. It will also set clear parameters within which you can operate. If you ever catch yourself deviating from these, you can quickly get back on track and resume trading according to your strategy.

What’s more, a trading strategy dictates how you will be trading on a day-to-day basis and the methods you will employ. Here are several popular trading approaches:

Day trading is a strategy where investors will execute multiple buy and sell orders in the span of a single day. As such, they are able to quickly react to market developments and correct their orders. The main rule here is to close all positions before the end of the day so as not to leave them unattended.

Scalping is very similar to day trading. However, here, traders will open and close multiple orders in rapid succession. As such, they capitalize on the slightest movements in the market. Instead of looking for large profits, traders will execute multiple orders with small profits, which add up to a significant income.

Arbitrage is a strategy that takes advantage of market inefficiencies. Here, traders will buy one pair of currencies and exchange it for another. They will then exchange that for a third one, which is exchanged for the initial one. The profit is accumulated from the price discrepancies along the way. This practice has even made its way into other markets, and crypto arbitrage is now a popular strategy.

Swing trading is a more long-term form of investing that involves holding open positions for longer than a single day. Swing traders will analyze the market and try to make out various trends in its movements. They will then take advantage of these by buying a pair when its price begins to rise and selling it when it begins to fall.

Choose The Right Broker

Arguably the most important step when getting ready to trade forex is picking the right broker for your needs. When doing so, make sure that it is properly licensed and trustworthy. To help you with this, you can take advantage of the great recourses available online, like review websites and videos.

Another characteristic of legitimate brokers are their licenses. Reliable ones will usually hold licenses from several trusted regulators. Look for FTC or NFA licenses in the USA and FCA ones in the UK. Other highly-regarded countries include Australia, Japan, Malta, and Cyprus.

However, that’s not all. Once you have checked its security, you should then look at a broker’s different features to determine if it is right for your particular needs. Important factors here include trading fees, minimum deposit and withdrawal requirements, bid-ask spreads, the number of available pairs, and more.

If, for example, you are looking to actively trade forex with $100, you should look for a platform with tight spreads and low transaction fees. Both are important and can end up eating up your bottom line. Because day traders execute multiple orders on a daily basis, these fees can quickly rack up.

Gather The Necessary Funds

Before you can start trading, you will also need to deposit enough funds into your account. Different brokers have various requirements when it comes to your capital, and this will also affect your choice. Things like minimum deposits and minimum order prices are set as barriers to prevent frivolous transactions.

Of course, there are also platforms that allow you to deposit as little as $1. However, that does not necessarily mean that you should do so. Such practices require high levels of leverage which is a difficult thing to manage. It also makes it much more difficult to withdraw your funds due to associated requirements.

For the purpose of this article, you will need $100. However, you should always make sure that you have enough money so as not to rely on these $100 or any profits you might make. Experts and seasoned traders all agree on one thing – only trade with money you are comfortable losing. It is never a good idea to put money that you need to live on the line.

How To Start Trading Forex With $100

As we mentioned, trading on the forex market all starts with a clear plan and a good strategy. Following these closely will give you a solid structure that you can operate within. However, no strategy is complete without a solid foundation to build on. In this case, the foundation are the steps you need to take in order to start trading. Here is what you need to do in order to start trading:

1. Research The Market
2. Decide On A Strategy
3. Choose A Broker That Suits Your Needs
4. Open An Account
5. Deposit Funds Into Your Account
6. Start Trading By Placing Buy And Sell Orders
7. Monitor Your Capital And Set Up Stop-Loss Orders

Is It Possible To Trade Forex With $100?

While the foreign exchange is similar to other markets in many ways, it is also its own thing. As such, it offers unique opportunities for investors that are not possible anywhere else. One defining characteristic of this market is the prevalence of leveraged trading. This is a practice where the broker will lend money to a trader for use on the platform.

Leverage allows traders to place larger orders than they would normally be able to and increases the potential profit. This, in addition to the pip system of forex trading, make the market much more accessible. Without such mechanics in place, a single trade would have a minimum requirement in the thousands, which is out of reach for most retail investors.

However, leverage is a double-edged sword, as it can also lead to much greater losses. To ensure themselves against losses, brokers will require customers to maintain a predetermined amount of capital on their accounts.

How Does Leverage Work?

Leverage is a financial term that is used to describe the practice of borrowing capital in order to fund an investment. You can find examples of leverage in any field of the financial world. By using borrowed capital, investors can increase the potential gains from a venture. However, leverage also increases any potential losses that may be accrued.

In forex, you can usually get much higher leverage ratios than in any other market. It is not uncommon for brokers to offer margins of up to 50:1. While that is the standard maximum that trusted regulators will allow, many less-regulated brokers will offer higher margins. As a result, you might come across many websites that advertise 500:1 or even 1000:1 leverage. While they are available, it is advisable to refrain from such platforms, as taking on such levels of debt can be dangerous.

Brokers will also require customers to maintain a minimum amount of capital on their accounts. This will usually be between 25 and 40% of their total capital. If your capital falls beneath this threshold, it will trigger a margin call and the broker will require that you deposit more funds. If you fail to do so, the broker can forcibly close your orders and sell some of your assets to recoup the lent capital. This can also include any accrued fees and interest. This is called forced liquidation and can be done without the customer’s consent.

What Are The Implications Of Trading Forex With $100?

Because a $100 account is considered to be on the smaller side, you will be much more limited in terms of the trades you are able to make. While investors with larger capital will be able to make large quantities of trades, those with smaller ones will be able to make fewer trades before they exhaust their resources. As such, traders with smaller accounts have fewer opportunities and fewer chances to practice.

A smaller account also means that you will have less room for error. When you have a smaller account, individual trades will take up a larger portion of your overall capital. As such, even a few mistakes can end up wiping out your account. This also translates into fewer opportunities for practice and less room to grow.

However, you can offset the negatives of a small account by utilizing leverage. If you choose to trade with a leveraged account, your broker will loan you capital to use on trades. This will come in the form of a multiplication ratio that will be applied to your order. While leverage allows you to make more trades by multiplying any potential gains, it also does the same for losses. As such, it also increases the risk you take on.

You can also check our guide on Forex Vs Stocks – Which Is More Profitable?

Best Forex Brokers That Allow You To Start Trading With $100

eToro

Etoro is one of the most popular online trading services in the world. It offers access to a wide range of markets such as the crypto market, the stock exchange, and the forex market. However, most of these are not currently available in the United States, where the platform supports only crypto trading.

Although it has limited support for the US, eToro is still one of the most widespread platforms out there and offers access to the forex market in many other countries. Users from these can easily deposit and trade on the website, thanks to its simple and intuitive design. The platform itself is very user-friendly and allows inexperienced investors to learn as they trade.

Etoro is also known for its extensive copy trading system, which allows you to copy the moves of more experienced or well-known investors. Another selling point are the low fees that Etoro charges. However, while this is attractive, it does mean that the platform charges for various services and might have fees that are not as obvious. These are not problematic for smaller investors; however, if you are planning on making many trades with large sums, you will probably be better off on another platform.

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers is one of the oldest and largest online brokerage services. A pioneer in the field, IB has been around since the late ’70s and is one of the most trusted platforms to invest through. The broker offers a wide range of services and instruments that few competitors can match. As such, it is the go-to choice for many industry professionals.

However, this premium experience does come at a higher price. In order to take advantage of each service, you will need to pay for it. Real-time market data is also paid on a monthly subscription model and requires payment for each individual market. While the platform charged a maintenance fee for smaller accounts until recently, IB has now removed this in a move to become more accessible.

TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade is another great option when it comes to forex trading. However, this one is currently only available in the US and a handful of other countries. The service offers over 73 forex pairs and a variety of other markets.

One of TD Ameritrade’s main selling points is the 0% commission fee on US stock trades. As a result, the platform has other sources of revenue like payment for order flow from third parties. While this may be concerning for some, the broker is highly trusted and holds licenses from several of the established US regulators.

Closing Thoughts On Trading Forex With $100

Trading forex with a small account of $100 is a completely viable option. The practice is especially preferable for newer traders who are still learning the ropes. Since the investment is smaller, they are able to make mistakes with fewer consequences and can more easily move on.

However, a smaller account also means less room for errors, as even a few bad trades can result in a wipeout of the account. As a result, even if the consequences are not so significant, a smaller account does provide fewer opportunities to learn.

Those who choose to offset this by utilizing leverage can make use of borrowed funds to increase their buying power. This allows them to make more trades while maintaining the same small investment. However, before you decide to use leverage, you should always make sure that you are ok with the added risks that come with it.

Regardless of your strategy and choice of capital, the main takeaway here is to make sure that you are only trading with as much money as you are willing to lose. As long as you don’t put any funds that you need to survive on the line, you should be able to do well.