I want to start real trading with stocks (or forex, or CFD's, or indices), however I am not sure how much money do I need to start. And what is most important? At the moment I have success with online trading demo software…I doubled the 50 000 demo money within 2 weeks by trading gold and indices. And with forex I have made about several hundreds pips monthly. But what is the reality???

Thanks alot

how long have u been demo trading? If i were u i'd trade at least 3 months and demo trade another 3. Then STICK to your trading rules that uve created with real money. The key here is discipline. DO NOT stray away from your rules. If you have zero experience in trading I would suggest to start out in stocks…big boards…. REASON: daily fluctuations are low and they follow technical anaylsis pretty nicely. Then as u get good….u could go into penny stocks….for kicks and giggles….but ultimately i would learn options trading and forex. That's where u make the real doe my man. Lots of stuff to learn….

and i would stay away from futures. The risks are not worth the rewards…imo of course.

I know little about online trading or (investing in general), but I want to learn especially about Forex. All I know is “buy low and sell hi” concept which is self-explanatory and common sense in all trading.

However, do I HAVE to have a broker to trade online? After I learn about Forex trading, can’t I just open an account, do the practice trading for months or even a year, and do the trading myself online? Is this a common practice, or do majority of investors hire a Forex broker to do the trading for them?

The Forex broker is the intermediary who facilitates the currency transaction. In order to make retail(spot) trades on the Forex market, yes, you will have to use a broker of some sort to facilitate your transactions.

However, I believe you may be confusing a Forex broker with a Forex money manager. A Forex money manager is an individual/company that is an experienced Forex trader who is given power of attorney to trade the Forex account you set up at a Forex broker. You do NOT have to use a Forex money manager. You can trade your account yourself, or hire someone to do it for you.