so does an armoured truck deliver the currency to your house after you buy it

One of the most annoying things about Forex trading is trying to describe your job to people. I cannot recall how many times I have tried to explain how Forex works to people I meet. Even some of my close friends simply do not understand what Forex is all about. And it doesn’t help that Forex has a reputation for being a shady business akin to online poker.

A few nights ago, I was having a conversation with a girl I met. The conversation went a little like this.

Her: So what do you do for a living?
Me: I trade the Forex market.
Her: Oh what’s that?
Me: It is basically foreign currency exchange. I invest in Foreign currencies and earn money as they move up or down.
Her: Oh, so you sit at the airport and change money at the currency exchange kiosk as the rates change?
Me: No I trade on-line. I buy and sell currencies on-line.
Her: Right, so does an armoured truck deliver the currency to your house after you buy it?
Me: No, no. Think about it as the stock market but instead of investing in stocks you invest in currencies.
Her: Ohh ok I heard about that. Isn’t that a work from home scam? I didn’t think it was a real job.

This might seem like a rare conversation but it isn’t. I get this kind of stuff all the time. Even from family and friends. Some of them think I make my money gambling. I almost feel like an idiot for not being able to properly explain what Forex is and how it all works.

I used to think trading was tough. It is much tougher trying to explain what trading is to people you meet. This is a lonely business. (May I just go back to writing code!)