If you’ve only just heard about forex trading or have been planning to become a currency trader for months but still haven’t gotten around to it, here are 5 excuses that you shouldn’t be making:

1. I have no time for trading

A common misconception when it comes to forex trading is that it requires you to spend every waking moment in front of the computer.

While some traders prefer doing this, it’s not the only way to trade.

Swing and position trading are two strategies that you can use. If you have a full-time 9-to-5 job, for instance, you can analyze the markets and trade forex after dinner.

For example, you’d get home at 6 pm, take an hour or two for dinner, then analyze the markets on longer-term time frames (4-hour, daily, weekly, monthly) charts from 8 pm to 10 pm, set limit orders, and then head to sleep.

It won’t be easy, but it is doable.

2. I don’t have enough money

I must admit that this is an understandable excuse. Understandable, but an excuse nonetheless. The great thing about retail forex trading is that it’s so easy to create demo accounts. It won’t even take an hour or cost you a single cent.

Now, if you’re not into demo dollars, you can put up a live account for as little as $25 with no minimum position size. You can trade 1 unit if you want to. Just make sure that you only trade what you can afford to lose.

Starting with a small investment won’t make you a millionaire any time soon, but it can get you started in forex trading and feeling the psychological effects of trading real money.

You gotta start somewhere, right?

3. The risk is too great

Forex trading, as with any endeavor, is truly risky without education and practice. And what many people fail or refuse to understand is that it is not riskier than just about any other investment.

Like with any investment or business venture, there will always be risks involved. The key to profitability is controlling your risk exposure by preparing for as many scenarios as you can and by handling your emotions.

If you’re a total newbie to forex trading, you can start by mastering the concept of risk management (i.e., properly setting stop losses and position sizing).

Risk is present in everything we do; unforeseen events and accidents can happen at any time. Accept it and manage it like with all other endeavors in your life.

4. Currency trading is a scam

Currency trading itself is NOT a scam, but loose industry regulations do present opportunities for a lot of scammers.

Check out the websites of regulatory agencies like the CFTC or the NFA or even hit up your fellow forex traders on the forums before you open an account with a broker.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should avoid buying systems, strategies, and products that guarantee profits. (Clue: nothing is guaranteed in the market except uncertainty!)

As with any industry, scams in the forex trading industry are usually no different from falsehoods in the other investment scenes. You just have to educate yourself and make informed decisions when it comes to investing your money.

5. Currency trading is too complicated

Out of all the excuses I’ve ever heard, this one is probably the silliest of them all.

The Internet has made it so much easier to acquire knowledge than ever before. If you have the time to doomscroll TikTok or watch lifestyle podcasts, then you definitely have the time to catch up on all that there is to know about forex trading for that day.

To make it even sweeter, you don’t need to pay a cent to get the education or access to forex news and tools! There’s so much free, quality stuff out there!

For instance, you can learn everything you need to know by just going through our School of Pipsology.

Forex trading is still a relatively new concept that’s daunting to most people. But if you’re really interested in it, there’s no excuse to not give it a try. Studying and practice offer such an overwhelming potential for success.

The Bottom Line

Forex trading isn’t for everyone. It requires discipline, emotional control, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. But if you’ve read this far, something about the markets calls to you.

Don’t let another year pass wondering “what if.” The best traders didn’t start as experts, they just started. Then kept going.

Your first step isn’t placing a trade. It’s admitting that these excuses are just that…excuses. Your second step is taking action despite them.

What will your first action be?