forex basics 6 - order types

Basic Concepts VI: Types of Orders

The forex market provides different kinds of orders for trading. The following are some major types of orders that can be found on forex trading stations.
Market orders - A buy or sell order in which the forex firm is to execute the order at the best available current price. It is also called at the market.
Entry orders - A request from a client to a forex firm to buy or sell a specified amount of a particular currency pair at a specific price. The order will be filled once the requested price is hit.
Stop Loss orders - An order placed to close a position when it reaches a specified price. It is designed to limit a trader's loss on a position. If the position is opened with buying a currency pair, the stop loss order would be a request to sell the position when the price fall to the specified level. And vice versa. Traders are strongly recommended to use stop loss orders to limit their losses. It is also important to use stop loss orders when investors may enter a situation where they are unable to monitor their portfolio for an extended period.
Take Profit Orders - An order placed to close a position when it reaches a predetermined profit exit price. It is designed to lock in a position's profit. Once the price surpasses the predefined profit-taking price, the take profit order becomes market order and closes the position.
Good Until Cancelled (GTC) - In online forex trading, most of the orders are GTC, meaning an order will be valid until it is cancelled, regardless of the trading session. The trader must specify that they wish a GTC order to be cancelled before it expires. Generally, the entry orders, stop loss orders and take profit orders in online forex trading are all GTC orders.
The above are the basic orders types available in most of them trading systems. Some trading systems may offer more sophisticated orders. Traders should be familiar with the different orders and make the most of them during trading.