The Expert Advisor is a very sophisticated trading software tool. Each one is built upon a specific set of rules, sits on your trading platform and executes your trades. Actually, it is a robot.
Most forex traders fail because they succumb to the human emotions of greed and fear. Trading with an Expert Advisor removes these emotions from trading. They are logical.
Many times, in an effort to grab that last pip of profit, a trader will hold on to a trade even when logic dictates an exit. On the other hand, a trade is often exited prematurely due to fear, and profits are left on the table. The Expert Advisor trades with a plan, regardless of outside influences, and does this 24 hours a day when the market is open.
The Expert Advisor monitors the market for the trader and will enter and exit trades based upon its predetermined parameters. It is also capable, unlike a human, of monitoring support and resistance levels, indicators, and a host of other factors in multiple timeframes with lightning speed and making instantaneous decisions.
There are many Expert Advisors on the market today, and the prices run from OK to ouch. One must be sure to do some research and get answers to questions such as; are they timeframe or currency specific? Do they follow trends or attempt to predict them? How do they handle risk management? Do they recommend a 2-4% risk or something lower, such as 1-3%? Do they support stop losses? How do they handle take profit levels? Do they ride downturns and only exit trades once they’re in profit?
As you can see, there are many factors to be considered when purchasing an Expert Advisor. Some other things you’ll need to know are what trading platform(s) the EA will run on, whether or not you can run multiple EA’s on one account, and whether or not it can be used with a mini account.
One more thing you should consider before installing an EA on your trading platform. Remember that when using an EA, it controls your trades. If you have a power failure and your computer shuts down, you have an unmonitored open trade. Once a trade is placed, it’s in the hands of your broker; the trading signals from your EA are on your computer.
If you’re in an area that has frequent power failures, you might want to look into opening a VPS (virtual private server) account. If you run your trading platform on a virtual desktop, you don’t have to worry about power outages or crashing computers. Your trading platform will continue to run wtihout you, and it can be accessed from any location.
More traders are trading with Expert Advisors today than ever before. They can be a very useful tool. If you do your homework and get all your questions answered, you should be well on your way to a profitable trading experience.
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