Forex Trading in St. Lucia

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Contributor, Benzinga
October 31, 2022

St. Lucia is an often overlooked but well-performing developing economy with a great deal of upside potential. Its economic freedom score of 68.2 places it well ahead of most countries in the Americas and well above the global average. The environment is considered generally business-friendly with plenty of room for foreign investors. The reputation of the government, however, does suffer from corruption, with regulators unable to fully control the problem primarily due to a lack of funding.

Disclosure: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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Attribution: Rendezvous Resort

The Money Services Business Overview Act No. 11 of 2020 regulates the retail forex market. St. Lucia requires a license to do business in currency exchange within its borders. There is a measure of protection on paper for investors in the country, but the execution of investigations into complaints can be slow and cumbersome. Investors are encouraged to protect their own financial interests when trading forex in St. Lucia.

Get Started with Forex in St. Lucia 

Being able to trade forex safely starts with solid preparation. Here is how to build your digital financial infrastructure so that you can feel secure.

  1. The internet connection: You may need to center yourself in the more developed parts of St. Lucia to get a consistent, fast internet connection. Everything in retail forex hinges on how well you are connected.
  2. The forex broker: There are a high number of forex brokers across the world that accepts clients from St. Lucia. We recommend to prioritize brokers that are in compliance with international financial regulators.
  3. The brokerage account: You will need an ID and your 3rd-party bank information to connect a funding source to your brokerage. Make sure you have protections for your money through regulators and the company’s own policy.
  4. The funding source: Fund your brokerage account using a check, debit card, fintech account or credit card.
  5. The trading platform: The trading interface that you choose will affect the speed and efficiency of your transactions with the market. Choose one that lets you enter your orders quickly but accurately.
  6. The investing: With your research concluded, you can begin safely trading forex from St. Lucia.

St. Lucia Forex Trading Strategies

Trading in the forex market requires a strong plan. Take a look at some of the high level strategies that have been successful for many investors.

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Attribution: BlackWallet.org

Price Action

Price action keeps the attention of the investor focused primarily on short-term chart movements. You honestly don’t need to know much about the individual currency you are trading — you are looking for patterns in charts that you can predict and exploit. The news may affect how these patterns form and where they form, but they do not usually determine how those patterns move over the time period of minutes or seconds. Price action trading involves quick reflexes and a steady setup with no latency.

Swing Trading 

Swing trading involves interpreting chart patterns, but the trades are usually made over the course of hours, days or weeks. The time frame allows for larger price differentials, so swing traders are looking for larger profits per trade than price action traders.

Position Trading

Position traders stay in the market for the longest periods and usually have the lowest frequency of trades. Over the period of months or years, the fundamentals behind a currency become its most important price driver. Daily news cycles and chart patterns take a backseat.

Forex Trading Example in St. Lucia 

You want to trade the Japanese yen (JPY) against the currency of St. Lucia, the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD). In your opinion, the current bid/ask spread of JPY/XCD — 0.0255/0.0275 — is too low. Your broker provides a margin rate on this currency pair of 7.99%. You want to purchase ¥60,000 and wait until it rises to sell. You will need EC$127.04 in your account to control this investment.

After 7 hours, the JPY/XCD price moves up and is now at 0.0295/0.0315. This is a move of 20 points (0.0295 - 0.0275), and your profit is (¥60,000 x 0.0295) - (¥60,000 x 0.0275), or ¥120.

Making Money with Forex in St. Lucia

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Attribution: LIO Global

Here are some of the most commonly known profitable financial vehicles in the forex market. 

  • Carry trading: When you carry trade, you look for your profit from the difference in interest rates of various currencies. This strategy relies on the fact that you gain interest on your forex holdings in the same way that you do when holding money in a commercial bank. 
  • Binary options: A highly speculative investment, binary options seem simpler because of their yes/no choice. Binary options brokers are often the center of controversy in countries with low regulation. Tread carefully.
  • Shorting: You can profit from a currency weakening against another through shorting. You will need margin on your account, because you will borrow money to sell a currency that you don’t own before buying it back later at a lower price.

Best Online Forex Brokers in St. Lucia

The forex broker you choose is a vital part of your forex strategy. Choose your regulated broker wisely.  

  • Forex.com
    Best For:
    U.S. and Global Forex Traders
    securely through Forex.com's website

    CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

    The products and services available to you at FOREX.com will depend on your location and on which of its regulated entities holds your account

  • AvaTrade
    Best For:
    Non U.S. Forex & CFD Traders
    securely through AvaTrade's website
  • eToro Forex
    Best For:
    Copy Trading
    securely through eToro Forex's website

    CFD trading is not available to U.S. users. 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Forex Terminology

Here a few basic terms that you should familiarize yourself with before stepping into the forex market.

Pip: Also known as a “basis point” the percentage in point — pip — is the smallest unit of measurement in forex. It is typically measured to the 4th decimal place and pegged to the USD. 

Lot size: If you don’t specify otherwise, you will normally trade in the standard lot size of 100,000.

Orders: This is how you enter and exit forex trades.

Calls: Buying a call option lets you control a specified amount of currency until a certain date that is specified in the contract. You can also sell call options.

Be Your Own Financial Saint

St. Lucia can be a good place to trade forex. With a currency that is viably pegged to the U.S. dollar and decent infrastructure, investors can feel confident in their chances if they are willing to perform the proper due diligence.

Don’t forget to browse the rest of the website for even more tips about how to win in the forex market.

Q

Is it legal to trade Forex in St. Lucia?

A

Yes, it is legal to trade Forex in St. Lucia.

Q

Is it safe to trade Forex in St. Lucia?

A

On paper, it looks as if it is safe to trade Forex in St. Lucia. But the government suffers from corruption, so it doesn’t always follow up on Forex complaints. Your best bet is to look for an international broker that understands the St. Lucia market.

Q

How can I find an honest Forex broker in St. Lucia?

A

You can find an honest Forex broker by using the list above.

Get a Forex Pro on Your Side

FOREX.com, registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), lets you trade a wide range of forex markets with low pricing and fast, quality execution on every trade. 

You can also tap into:

  • EUR/USD as low as 0.2 with fixed $5 commissions per 100,000
  • Powerful, purpose-built currency trading platforms
  • Monthly cash rebates of up to $9 per million dollars traded with FOREX.com’s Active Trader Program

Learn more about FOREX.com’s low pricing and how you can get started trading with FOREX.com.