The Forex (Foreign Exchange Market) exists because multi-national corporations and nations need to buy and sell goods/services from outside sources. To do that, they need to exchange their home currency with that of other nations. As you know, not all currencies have the same buying power so nations, banks, and corporations exchange their money with one another just as tourists do when traveling abroad-same concept, just a LOT bigger scale!In fact, the Forex is the single largest financial market in the world and upwards of 1.8 trillion dollars are traded every day-between the hours of 5 p.m. EST Sunday thru 4 p.m. EST Friday. Between those hours, the Forex market is open and there are always brokers out there willing to buy and sell positions. However, unlike the NYSE, there is no centralized exchange but rather an informal network of computers supplied by investment houses, centreal banks, and other large players which help facilitate the trades.The forex market actually trades dozens of different currency pairs. The base currency is the first in the pair and was used to set up the trading account. The counter currency is the second in the pair and is sometimes referred to as the "terms" currency. A typical lot is $100,000 and an investor might be interested in the currency pair USD/CAN for instance. That means that the investor would buy $100,000 worth of Canadian dollars with the base currency (USD) at the current exchange rate in order to open a position.
BY Kent Douglas
World Currencies described and history of each currency as collected is posted for reference to all visitors of my blog. This will be useful for people who move internationally.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The New World Currency
Do you ever consider the possibility that the money you work so hard for could be gone from your pocketbook in the next few years? Quicker then you might think, currency as we know it, is changing. Necessity for efficiency is transforming the flow of cash into a digital form. The use of e-currency is quickly spreading throughout the world. Everyday, more and more people are making purchases online. These purchases are being facilitated by companies like Paypal, E-Bullion, E-Gold and Net Pay. The digital age is definitely upon us, and with the new forms of commerce, comes new forms of opportunity. With the advent of these E-currency companies, trade between different countries is suddenly becoming easier and more profitable. New products and services are quickly filling the need for the flow of money. The one constant still remaining is the ever present, currency exchange rates. To avoid these fluctuations and exchange fees, companies have facilitated their transactions with the global currency of gold. Some online e-currency companies now tout that their holdings are 100% backed by gold. This no longer is true for any of the national currencies now in existence. The United States for example, has not had 100% of their currency backed by gold, since the end of the gold standard in 1914. The value of the U.S dollar continues to decline, as the value of gold rises steadily. Due to national inflation, the cash you hold in your hand will continue to lose value. Unfortunately, there is not nearly enough gold to cover all of the paper money holdings. That money you hold in your hand is basically a loan from the government. The tenet of many governments, when they fall on hard times, is to print more money. This fact has led to the desire for more worldwide corporations to embrace the idea of a worldwide currency.
By Matthew Sherborne
By Matthew Sherborne
Monday, April 23, 2007
CurrencyExchange Basics


Currency Exchange Basics:-If you are planning to travel abroad in the near future, you will probably need some local currency. That is where a currency exchange service comes in. Currency exchange is when you trade currency from one country to the equivalent monetary value in the currency of another country.
A currency exchange service will take your dollars and give you the equivalent value in Euros for example. The value of each currency is governed by what is refered to as the currency exchange rate (or simply the exchange rate). The currency exchange service will take a small fee for making the transaction and this is normally a percentage of the amount you are exchanging.
Finding a Currency ExchangeMost banks and even hotels will provide a currency exchange service for you. Sometimes this is a convenient way to obtain the local currency. Recently, it has become possible to exchange currency online using a number of different currency exchange service websites. Normally, the online rates are more up to date and they tend to change a lower overall fee for the transaction.
If you know how much currency you will need for your trip, making the trade online might be the right approach for you. If you do decide to exchange your currency beforehand, make certain you understand the risks associated with changes in the exchange rate. If the currency you are trading is volatile relative to your local currency, it is possible to lose money in the transaction and the values of the currencies fluctuate.
Typically, experts do recommend that you avoid exchanging currencies at airports or near popular tourist destinations. Compared to banks or hotels, currency exchange are these services main and only business, and as a result they typically will charge a higher fee to exchange currencies. If you need some quick cash, this might not be a big problem, but for anything over a few hundred dollars you will be much better of using a bank or an online currency exchange service to make sure you receive a fair and reasonable exchange rate.
A currency exchange service will take your dollars and give you the equivalent value in Euros for example. The value of each currency is governed by what is refered to as the currency exchange rate (or simply the exchange rate). The currency exchange service will take a small fee for making the transaction and this is normally a percentage of the amount you are exchanging.
Finding a Currency ExchangeMost banks and even hotels will provide a currency exchange service for you. Sometimes this is a convenient way to obtain the local currency. Recently, it has become possible to exchange currency online using a number of different currency exchange service websites. Normally, the online rates are more up to date and they tend to change a lower overall fee for the transaction.
If you know how much currency you will need for your trip, making the trade online might be the right approach for you. If you do decide to exchange your currency beforehand, make certain you understand the risks associated with changes in the exchange rate. If the currency you are trading is volatile relative to your local currency, it is possible to lose money in the transaction and the values of the currencies fluctuate.
Typically, experts do recommend that you avoid exchanging currencies at airports or near popular tourist destinations. Compared to banks or hotels, currency exchange are these services main and only business, and as a result they typically will charge a higher fee to exchange currencies. If you need some quick cash, this might not be a big problem, but for anything over a few hundred dollars you will be much better of using a bank or an online currency exchange service to make sure you receive a fair and reasonable exchange rate.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Libya Currency- Libyan Dinar




The Libyan dinar is the official currency used in Libya. Denoted by LYD, one Libyan dinar can be divided into 1000 Libyan dirhams. During the time Libya was still a part of the Ottoman Empire, the country used the Ottoman Empire currency, piastres. When Italy started taking over, the lira was introduced. The introduction of the lira sparked the trend of using a different currency for different territories. At one point, the lira, Algerian franc and Egyptian pound were used nationwide. When Libya gained its independence in 1951, the Libyan pound was introduced. In 1971, the Central Bank of Libya introduced the nation's existing currency: the Libyan dinar. Today, the Bank supervises the banking system and regulates credit. In 1972, the Libyan Arab Foreign Bank was established to deal with matters pertaining to overseas investments
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Albanian Currency



Albanian:-The national currency is the Lek, and notes are in denominations of Lk5000, 1000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are in denominations of Lk50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1, and currency can be exchanged at bureaux de change and banks. US dollars and Euros are the preferred foreign currencies.
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