Frequently Asked Questions
Trading with OANDA

• Why should I trade with OANDA?
• How much does it cost to trade with OANDA?
• What are OANDA's trading hours?
• What currencies can I trade in?
• What is the difference between a Trade and a Position?
• How do I manage risk?
• What is the minimum & maximum trade size?
• What is the margin ratio?
• Do I have to trade on margin?
• How does FXTrade manage my position versus my margin limits ?
• What is a margin "call" as it relates to OANDA's FXTrade Platform?
• Where do the FXTrade rates come from?
• How often are the prices updated?
• Do you have real-time graphs?
• Why is there a space on the graph between the chart lines?
• Can I use the graph to do any studies?
• What do I do if there is a problem - how do I contact help?
• I lost my password, how can I retrieve it?
• Can I make a trade over the phone?
• What additional services will I receive as a client of OANDA?

OANDA will expand coverage over time.

What is the difference between a Trade and a Position?

Trade- the buying and selling of a currency pair. (Multiple trades = a position)
Position- the aggregate value of all trades within a given currency pair.

How do I manage risk?

The most common risk management tool in FX trading is the stop-loss order. A stop-loss order ensures a particular position is automatically closed at a pre-specified price in order to limit potential losses should the market move against an investor's position. The liquidity of the FX market ensures that stop-loss orders can be easily executed.

What is the minimum & maximum trade size?

There is NO minimum or maximum trade size.

What is the margin ratio?

20:1, which means you take a position that is 20 times greater than your margin availability.

Do I have to trade on margin?

All trades are conducted on margin as to protect customers from losing more than the current value of their accounts.

How does FXTrade manage my position versus my margin limits?

FXTrade automatically checks margin requirements every time you issue a trade and every time there is a price movement in a currency pair. An Account Summary posting the Margin Used and Margin Available will be present on the trading screen at all times. When/if your margin availability declines to 4%, a warning will be issued via a pop-up window (only if you are logged in). You will receive a similar warning at 3%. If your open positions continue to decline below the 2.5% margin availability, FXTrade will automatically close out all positions. This will protect you from losing more than your margin deposit.

What is a margin "call" as it relates to OANDA's FXTrade Platform?

OANDA's margin call occurs when a trader's available margin drops below 2.5%. At this threshold, FXTrade will automatically close the trader out of all open positions. A warning notice, however, will be displayed if/when a trader's available margin hits or drops below 4.0%. A similar notice will again be displayed at 3.0%.

Where do the FXTrade rates come from?

OANDA uses advanced market making technologies that utilize proprietary forecasting and risk management engines to provide a real-time transparent market.

How often are the prices updated?

The prices are updated in real-time, which means when the market (or price) for a currency changes it will be reflected on the front-end simultaneously.

Do you have real-time graphs?

Yes. The graphing feature in the FXTrade user interface provides real-time graphs tracking price movements in the following granularities: 5 sec., 10 sec., 30 sec., 1 min., 5 min., 30 min., and 1 day. You can view multiple graphs simultaneously by clicking on the desired currency pair identifiers in the Current Rates Table.

Why is there a space on the graph between the chart lines?

The bottom line represents the bid prices, the top line represents the ask prices and the space between the lines represents the spread.

Can I use the graph to do any studies?

For specific questions regarding the features and functionalities of the FXTrade, please refer to FXTrade User Interface.

What do I do if there is a problem - how do I contact help?

OANDA has a client services line dedicated to trading and account related issues that can be reached by dialing +1 212-618-1435.

For OIS-related questions/problems, email OIS-help@olsen.ch.
For questions/problems regarding other trading tools accessible via the platform (FXDaily, Fxgraph), contact us using our contact form.

I lost my password, how can I retrieve it?

Under FXTrade's Help and Customer Service section you can use the to 'Forgot/Retrieve Password' link to retrieve your password. Upon completing the necessary fields, your password and username will be emailed to your given email address.

Can I make a trade over the phone?

As a 100% automated platform, FXTrade does not offer a phone trading option. The trading platform does, however, allow users to place stop-loss, take-profit and upper and lower bound limits to facilitate trades. These orders will automatically be honored/executed regardless of system failures or the customer's inability to gain access to the system.

What additional services will I receive as a client of OANDA?

The Olsen Information System analytical tools, and the OANDA currency conversion and localization tools which include, FXDaily, FXHistory, FXTrends, FXGraph, and FXMap.