Forex Books
Education is crucial for any successful trader, and forex books are the perfect starting point.
Whether you want to understand more about technical analysis, psychology, or you’re a beginner who just needs the basics, we’ve compiled a list of the 6 best forex trading strategy books on the market. All the books in this review are available to order online from Amazon, and many are for sale on Kindle or downloadable as a PDF too.
Forex Brokers with Education
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Trade 48 currency pairs with low spreads from 0.1 pips and leverage up to 1:30 (EU) and 1:500 (Global). Micro lot trading is also available and new currency traders can make near-instant deposits with no fees.
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FXCC offers leading fees compared to alternatives with spreads as low as 0.0 pips and $0 commission. Over 70 currency pairs are also available, providing more opportunities than most competitors.
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Pepperstone offers ultra-low spreads from 0.0 pips on the Razor account and has an excellent selection of 60+ pairs. You can also trade currency indices, which aren't available at many alternatives. Forex lots start at 0.01.
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XM offers ultra low spreads across a wide range of forex assets with no re-quotes or hidden charges. Forex can be traded 24/5 on desktop, web and mobile. Over 50 currency pairs are available including all majors.
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Trade 50+ major, minor and exotic pairs with an award winning platform. Users get institutional-level prices with spreads from 0.0 pips and low commissions. The VPS will also serve high-volume, active day traders.
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OANDA offers 68 currency pairs, which is above the industry average. You can speculate on majors, minors and exotics, with spreads from 0.8 pips on popular pairs. There are no commissions and leverage is available up to 1:200. Average execution speeds are fast based on tests, at 12 milliseconds.
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IG offers currency trading on its award-winning web platform and mobile app. Comprehensive charts and forex analysis tools are also available through ProRealTime.
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Trade 70+ currency pairs with ultra-fast execution speeds and tight spreads from 0.46 pips on EUR/USD. The range of forex assets outranks many rivals.
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Plus500 offers forex trading via CFDs with tight, floating spreads and an excellent suite of 60+ currency pairs. We got spreads of 0.6 pips on the EUR/USD during testing - lower than many alternatives.
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Markets.com offers major, minor and exotic currency pairs available to trade as contracts for difference (CFDs) or spread betting (UK customers only). Spreads are competitive starting from 0.6 pips on the EUR/USD.
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Axi offers a great selection of 70+ major, minor and exotic currency pairs. There are no restrictions on trading strategies and the broker boasts impressive spreads by connecting to 20 liquidity sources.
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Trade 170+ major, minor and exotic forex pairs with floating spreads and leverage up to 1:30. Forex futures are also available on some currency pairs. However the forex broker has a track record of amending margin requirements without appropriate notice.
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Vantage offers 55+ currency pairs - above the industry average, so experienced traders can explore plenty of opportunities. Vantage's deep liquidity pool provides forex spreads from 0.0 pips in the ECN account, lower than many alternatives. There are also no commissions, deposit fees or hidden charges.
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Trade currencies with 0.0 pip spreads at one of the world's leading forex brokers. IC Markets is a great choice for serious traders with superior execution and low fees.
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AvaTrade offers 50+ currency pairs with competitive spreads from 0.9 pips and zero commissions. You can trade majors, minors and exotics around the clock on industry-leading platforms, including MT4 and MT5. Traders can also access beginner-friendly trading tools and comprehensive forex education.
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Forex.com is a leading FX broker. The brand offers a wide range of currency pairs and some of the lowest fees in the industry. Spreads on the EUR/USD come in as low as 0.0 with a $7 commission per $100k.
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Go long or short on 50 forex pairs including the EUR/USD and GBP/USD with zero commissions. There are plenty of opportunities to buy and sell currencies via margin or copy trading.
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An impressive selection of 52 currencies are tradeable on eToro's proprietary platform and app. Traders can also continuously hone their forex strategies by switching between demo mode and their live account any time.
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FinPros offers 80+ forex pairs, which is one of the more diverse offerings available. Traders benefit from ultra-low latency, MT5 support and very tight spreads and low commissions on the RAW+ account.
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Scope Markets offers MT5 trading for a range of major, minor and exotic currency pairs with high leverage and a low starting deposit. Multilingual 24/5 support is also available to support forex traders.
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Trade 50+ forex pairs, including popular major, minor and exotic pairs. This is a decent selection, but traders will have a choice between the attractive MT4, MT5 or IRESS platforms and regulatory cover from ASIC. The VPS will also suit automated forex trading strategis.
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VT Markets offers 40+ forex pairs including majors, minors and exotics with lightning-fast execution, up to 1:500 leverage and spreads starting from 0 available to ECN account holders.
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Exinity offers 150+ forex pairs to trade on a very competitive ECN pricing model, with spreads from zero and low commissions of $4 per round turn. Traders can access the powerful MT4 and MT5 platforms and trade with no restrictions on popular day trading strategies.
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PU Prime clients can trade 40+ forex pairs via the MT4 and MT5 platforms with dynamic leverage up to 1:500. Spreads start from near zero on Prime accounts, which also charge a $7 commission per lot, and a zero-commission Standard account with wider spreads is also available.
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MultiBank FX offers trading on 50+ major, minor and exotic currency pairs. Spreads are tighter than many competitors and the broker offers higher leverage than most alternatives. Automated trading strategies are also permitted.
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ActivTrades is a great broker for active forex traders with industry-low spreads from 0.5 pips and zero commissions. The forex broker also offers impressive execution quality and speeds, alongside award-winning customer service.
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BlackBull offers 64 forex pairs with very competitive pricing through its ECN accounts, with the standard commission-free spread starting from 0.8 and spreads with commission starting from zero. The broker supports diverse trading platforms including MT4 and MT5, and provides leverage up to 1:500.
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LQDFX offers an extensive list of 70+ currency pairs, more than most alternatives. Spreads are ultra-low and high leverage is available on the market-leading MT4 platform.
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Trade 36 forex pairs, including the EUR/USD with spreads from zero pips. FXChoice offers higher leverage on forex than most competitors, alongside 24/5 support and an accessible $10 starting deposit.
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Fortrade offers 60+ currency pairs including a good selection of majors, minors and exotics. Trading takes place via MT4 or Fortrade's proprietary, low-latency terminal, and spreads on the USD/GBP pair average a reasonable 2 pips.
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FP Markets is a good option for forex traders, with 70+ pairs covering an excellent range of currencies. Spreads are already tight on standard accounts and start from zero on raw spread accounts, and the broker offers high leverage up to 1:500 and top-tier liquidity.
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IronFX offers 80 currency pairs with an excellent selection of minors and exotics as well as majors. Trading takes place on the MT4 or a proprietary platform with spreads from zero available to ECN accounts. IronFX offers more currency assets than virtually all competitors.
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Trade 80+ major, minor and exotic forex pairs. This is a very competitive range of currency pairs with 50+ exotics to choose from, and traders will benefit from fast execution and support from extra features including a pip calculator. The MetaTrader 4 software was also designed for online forex trading.
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Libertex offers CFD trading on 50+ forex pairs, offering long and short opportunities. Its strength comes in its tight spreads – we were offered 0.2 pips for EUR/USD.
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Trade up to 33 major and minor forex pairs. This is a small range of currency pairs compared to competitors, with no exotics, but traders do benefit from tight spreads, low or no commissions and low latency.
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With 60+ currency pairs available, Dukascopy offers enough majors, minors and exotics to keep most forex traders happy. The broker also offers high leverage up to 1:100 – a good amount to see from a reputable and regulated broker. Currency traders have access to excellent software, including MT4 and JForex.
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CMC Markets offers a superb list of 330+ forex pairs with tight spreads and ultra-fast executions. The selection of currencies is significantly wider than rivals.
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FXTM offers 60+ forex pairs plus 6 indices which track a basket of popular currencies. The brand's ECN accounts offers impressive spreads from 0 with low commissions from $0.40 to $2 per lot and commission-free spreads start from 1.5 pips.
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Trade FX pairs with tight spreads & leverage.
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Trade 60+ forex pairs including majors, minors and a selection of exotics and crosspairs with fixed spreads from 1.8 pips or variable spreads from 0.8. FX traders also get advanced trading software in MetaTrader.
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Go long or short on a range of major and minor currency pairs with tight spreads. Powerful trading software is available with a choice of instant and pending orders.
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Capital.com offer a long list of forex CFD pairs for trading. All have competitive spreads. The firm also ensures negative balance protection
Books Every Forex Trader Should Read
1. Currency Trading For Dummies by Kathleen Brooks and Brian Dolan
As a true FX rookie, where best to start learning than with one of the forex books for dummies?
Kathleen Brooks, the Director of Research for Forex.com and Brian Dolan, former Chief Currency Strategist, break down the vast subject of forex trading into simple concepts that all FX buyers and sellers should know.
In particular:
- How the foreign currency exchange market works
- How your risk appetite, investment objectives and experience level should impact your trades
- How to use economic data and psychology to read the market
- How to develop a forex trading strategy
By the end of the book, you’ll have learnt how to develop your very own forex trading system that can turn a real profit.
However, reviews suggest that the terminology used can be complex. For those without a background knowledge of finance, it’s best to start with the ‘economics for dummies’ forex books. These explain the fundamentals of macroeconomics, supply and demand and much more – concepts which are the backbone for any trading strategy.
2. Forex For Beginners by Anna Coulling
Another fantastic read for those new to investing is Anna Coulling’s ‘Forex for Beginners’. Coulling has written 3 forex books, each of which could easily feature in the top 5. Her latest must read focuses on risk management to decipher whether a trade is the right move. Is the risk level of a trade high, medium or low? And, what is the financial risk?
There are images to show patterns in the data using Japanese candlesticks and other fundamental charting instruments. Coulling also offers a unique take on the forex broker and how the choice could impact your trades. Crucially, at the end of the book, there’s an introduction to her heralded ‘Volume Price Analysis’ theory, which many traders tout as their most powerful tool.
With over 20 years experience forex trading in the UK, Anna’s book aims to help you turn exchange rates into profits.
3. Day Trading QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner’s Guide To Winning Trade Plans, Conquering The Markets, And Becoming A Successful Day Trader By Troy Noonan
If you’re looking to read up on day trading strategy, Troy Noonan’s forex books are the best place to start. This is much more than just forex, Noonan helps you to understand how day trading can apply to futures, options and other derivatives. There’s detail on technical indicators, signals, trade plans, and how to avoid expensive mistakes. But fundamentally, Troy will show you how to profit from FX without the risk that overnight positions hold.
4. The Alchemy Of Finance By George Soros
George Soros is one of the most successful traders of all time. He famously beat the Bank of England shorting the pound in one of the biggest forex trades ever – earning a cool $1 billion. But, he’s also executed trades with huge losses too. An overvaluation of Bearn Stearns resulted in the purchase of shares in the company at $54, only for them to be sold off a $2 per share just days later.
In arguably his best book, The Alchemy of Finance, Soros shares the investment strategies that have made him who he is today. Whilst not specific to forex, this is one of the top books that every trader in the business should read.
5. Naked Forex: High-Probability Techniques For Trading Without Indicators By Alex Nekritin
For a unique approach to forex trading, Alex Nekritin’s book ‘Naked Forex’ introduces the concept of trading without indicators. While most forex traders rely upon indicators to plan a trade, Alex’s strategy involves watching price charts closely instead. The book is based on Walter Peters’ money management method and details the 6 trading setups that every good trader should know. There’s a particular focus on how cognitive psychology can influence trading decisions, and how a good trader can make that work to their advantage.
6. Forex Trading: The Bible By Samuel Rees And Ralph L. Rati
If you prefer to listen to audio books, Forex Trading: The Bible comes highly recommended. We like this book primarily for beginners as there’s a lack of advanced explanation. The narration can be over-enthusiastic at times, but for those looking to learn while on-the-move, this will help you cover the basics.
The Forex Trading: The Bible audio books are available for download on Audible both on iPhone and Android (APK). You get five ebooks for the price of one, plus, with the Audible 30-day free trial you can try it out without spending a penny.
Final Word On Forex Books
There are forex trading books out there for almost any strategy and experience level. From those designed to teach beginners the very basics, to those that cover scalping, hedging and other FX strategies for the more advanced. We’ve summarised the most highly-rated to make the decision easy. But, of course, nothing beats testing your knowledge in the real world. Try out your new found skills on a broker’s demo account before executing real life trades.
FAQ
Can I Learn To Trade Using Forex Books?
Books are perfect for learning to trade forex. The best books outline simple trading concepts and strategies, making them easy to understand. Most forex trading books include images of charts to help explain theories. Once you’ve read up, you can test your new found knowledge on a broker’s demo account.
Are Audio Books Useful For Learning To Trade Forex?
Audio books can be useful for those who want to learn forex trading on-the-go. However, we’d recommend books that use volume charts to help explain concepts. That way, when you trade for real, you’ll recognise the patterns in the data.
What Are The Best Forex Trading Books For Beginners?
The top three recommended forex education trading books for beginners are:
- Currency Trading for Dummies by Kathleen Brooks and Brian Dolan
- Forex for Beginners by Anna Coulling
- Naked Forex: High-Probability Techniques for Trading Without Indicators by Alex Nekritin
Can Anyone Start Trading Using Forex Books?
Yes, there’s a breadth of forex trading books available aimed at beginners up to experts. From basic economic concepts to complex risk management systems, books are an excellent tool for FX investors. Look for a book that offers the level of detail you want and focuses on the techniques you’re interested in.
Can Forex Books Provide Profitable Strategies?
Traders around the world profit from trading forex every day. However, profit is not a given. Successful traders use data and analysis to predict whether a trade will make money. An understanding of basic strategy, logic, and macroeconomics is vital, and that’s where forex books can play a part – teaching traders what sit behinds a profitable investing system.