Currency traders must exercise caution since leverage ratios ranging from 1000 to 1.8 are common in FX operations. While this ratio has a high profit potential, it also carries the risk of an investor losing their whole investment in a single transaction. According to a Citibank research, only about 30% of retail forex traders break even or profit. Surprisingly, 84 percent of those polled believed that the currency market would benefit them. 9 The most important lesson is that new forex traders should open accounts with companies that provide demo platforms, which allow users to conduct currency transactions and calculate hypothetical earnings and losses. After learning the ropes and acquiring enough experience, investors will feel secure enough to begin making real-world transactions.