Penpot’s Flex Layout: Building CSS Layouts In A Design Tool

 As modern web layouts are typically built with CSS, it’s surprising how little control designers used to have over this process. Penpot is revolutionizing this with Flex Layout, enabling designers to craft layouts visually using CSS Flexbox and seamlessly convert them into code. In this article, we’re going to explore how to use Flex Layout and see how it empowers designers with greater control over their work while saving everyone’s time.

Among design tools, Penpot holds a special place. It is an open-source design tool, meant for designers and developers to work together and help them speak the same language. It’s also the first design tool out there to be fully open-source and based on open web standards.

That’s a perfect choice for designers and developers working closely together as Penpot’s approach can help to radically improve design to development processes and effortlessly make them seamless and faster.

As open-source software, Penpot also evolves blazingly fast, fueled by the support of the community. When I was first writing about Penpot a few months ago, I shared my excitement about the app’s layout features that finally bring parity between design and code and follow the same rules as CSS does. Since then, the team behind Penpot has made creating layouts even better, so they deserve another look. I really enjoyed playing with the new Penpot’s features, and I believe you might want to give them a try too.

Designing Layouts Done Right

If you ever wrote or read CSS code, there are high chances you have already stumbled upon Flexbox. It’s a cornerstone of building layouts for the modern web, and quite likely, every single website you visit on an everyday basis uses it.

Flexbox is the bread and butter of creating simple, flexible layouts. It’s the most common way of positioning elements: stacking them in rows and columns and deciding how they are supposed to be aligned and distributed.

Therefore, creating Flexbox layouts is a vital part of most web hand-off processes. And not rarely time-consuming and causing friction between design and development. Usually, developers try to translate static mockups into code by rebuilding layouts made by designers from scratch. As most designers don’t write CSS code and most design tools follow a different logic than CSS does, lots can go wrong or get lost in translation.

This is where Penpot’s Flex Layout comes into play. Layouts built-in Penpot don’t need tedious translating into code. Even though designers can build them using a familiar visual interface, they come as production-ready code out-of-the-box. And even if they need tweaking, they can still save developers plenty of time and guesswork as they follow a logic that is already familiar and understandable to them.

So at the bottom line, it benefits everyone. It’s less work for developers as they get the code they need straight away. It’s better for designers as they have finer control over the final effect and a better understanding of the technologies they are designing for. And finally, it’s good for business as it saves everyone’s time.

All of that without making the designer’s job an inch harder or forcing them to write a single line of code. Now, let’s take a look at what building designs with Flex Layout look like in practice!

Getting Started With Flex Layout

As mentioned before, Flexbox can be understood as a toolkit for building layout and positioning elements.

Each Flex Layout is generally an array, a list of elements. This list can be sorted from left to write, right to left, top to bottom, or bottom to top.

Flex Layout allows you to control how elements in these lists are aligned against each other.

You can also control how elements are laid out within containers.

Flex layouts can wrap into multiple lines too. You can also nest them indefinitely to create as complex layouts as you wish.

And that’s just the beginning. There are many more options to explore. As you can see, Flex layout gives you much more possibilities and precision than most design tools do. Creating with it is not only a better process but a more powerful one.

To explore all the possible features of Flex Layout, Penpot’s team created a comprehensive Playground template for you to try. If you don’t have a Penpot account yet, go ahead and create one now. Then, duplicate the file and try to play with it yourself! The file will take you on a journey through each and every Flex layout feature, with clear examples and definitions, so you can start building complex, robust layouts in no time.

Building An Example Together

To give you an even better understanding of what working with Flex Layout is in practice, let’s look at a practical example. In the next few steps, we will dig into the structure of this little mockup and rebuild each and every part of it with Flex Layout.

For the first elements, we can use Flex Layout for our buttons. With a few clicks, we can make sure they are responsive to the size of the icon and the label inside, and set paddings and distances between the children elements.

We can also use Flex Layout for the avatars stack. To make the images overlap, a negative gap between the elements does the trick. We also have full control over the order of elements. We can lay out the stack in any direction. We can also control the stack order of each element individually. That’s thanks to Penpot’s support for z-index, another useful CSS property.

Flex layouts can be nested, creating more complex layouts and dependencies. In this case, we’ll create a separate Flex Layout for the navbar and another for the tiles grid below.

Remember that elements in Flex layouts can be wrapped? Let’s see this in action. In this case, we can create a flexible multi-dimensional layout of elements that’s responsive to the parent container and fill it with blocks both vertically and horizontally, just as CSS would do.

But what if some of the elements don’t belong to the grid? Alongside Flexbox, Penpot provides support for absolute positioning. This means that any element can be picked up from the Flex Layout to still leave in the same container but ignore the layout rules. That’s exactly what we need for the ‘Edit’ button.

Eventually, we can transform the whole board into a Flex Layout. Now, we have a design that is not only easy to work with and edit but is also fully flexible. Wondering how your design would perform on a smaller or bigger screen? All you have to do is to resize the board.

Next Steps

If you’d like to take a look at the source file of the layout we’ve just built, go ahead and duplicate this file.

To dig deeper and learn more about how to use Flex Layout, don’t forget to try the Flex Layout template.

In case you get stuck or have some questions, Penpot Community would be the best place to look for help.

There is also a great video tutorial that explains how designers and developers can work together using Flex Layout.

Summary

As you can see, with Flex Layout, the possibilities for structuring your designs are endless. I believe that features like this are a welcome change in the design tools scene and a shift in the right direction. Helping designers to take more control over their work and helping developers to work as efficiently as possible.

Coming Soon: Support For CSS Grid

Maybe you’re now thinking the same as I am: CSS layouts are not only Flexbox, are they? If you work with CSS, you probably know that Flexbox alone is not enough. More complex layouts are often better built using CSS Grid. Flexbox and Grid work best when combined together — combined to create precise yet complex and fully responsive websites.

Penpot doesn’t support CSS Grid just yet, but that is about to change! You can learn more about it at the upcoming Penpot Fest. During the event, Penpot’s team will share their plan and a demo of the upcoming Grid Layout feature. Don’t hesitate to join (virtually or in person), if you’d like to learn more about the next steps for Penpot.

 

 

Difference between broker and trader: what does each do?

 

It is common for these two terms to be confused and used indistinctly as if they were the same person with the same functions, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The lack of knowledge of the anglicisms used is often the cause of this confusion between broker and trader. It is natural that when you start to get interested in Forex investments and observe all these new terms, doubts arise.

However, we want to help you clarify this entanglement and consider that these two terms are not the same, although they may have meeting points. Let’s get to the heart of the matter and see what distinguishes them so that all is clear.

Difference between broker and trader: What is a broker?

So that you never forget again, visualize the Broker as a company dedicated body and soul to execute purchase and sale operations for the clients linked to their firm.

What does this company receive in return? Since it is an intermediary in the purchase and sale orders it carries out, it receives commissions for such transactions. Another aspect that will make this term stick in your mind is that brokers are known in this market as stockbrokers.

The following defining characteristic is that they are the only ones licensed to execute transactions in the securities markets. Therefore, if someone wants to venture into Forex, they must do it through a broker.

If you plan to start your own business as a broker, you will know that the investment is considerable; therefore, we present you with an alternative. We are talking about our Branded Solution, an attractive option as a start-up broker. We give you a hint to avoid any doubts; they are turnkey companies that can begin to operate shortly. If you want to get started with the best 24/7 support, SBS has all the keys.

Continuing with what concerns us, which is the difference between broker and trader, the broker, as an accredited entity to carry out these transactions, will provide its clients (traders) with the platform so that they can operate and carry out their investments in the stock market.

What is a trader?

Focusing on their work, traders buy and sell stocks, bonds, currencies, and indices, financial assets on which they intend to profit.

One of its fundamental characteristics, and one for which they must prepare themselves, is that their job is to study and follow the fluctuations of stock prices during execution; this is not easy, but with the right experience, the benefits can be substantial.

One thing that sets traders apart is that they can focus and specialize in one or several markets at a time, including Forex, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and stocks. They can also work on their own by investing their own money or have the possibility to trade with capital provided by other entities or companies.

One of these modalities is Prop Trading. In this, traders, through a trading contest, can have the possibility to operate; this takes place on accounts with virtual capital. The traders trade with the entity’s equity, and the best ones, those who pass the criteria, will manage a real trading account, participating in the distribution of profits.

What is the difference between a broker and a trader?

Once you know what each one is, as we explained above, you will be able to realize some elements that make them distinct. However, there are several differences that we can highlight between brokers and traders. The main one is that the broker provides the trader with the platform to operate in the stock markets.

Let’s learn more about these differences. The idea is that whether you start your own brokerage company or opt for the role of a trader, you know what your skills are and what is best for you:

● The trader will be the one to decide whether to buy or sell

Whether stocks or any other financial product, the broker is the one who will execute that order. The difference is that the broker only acts as an intermediary; it does not assume the risks of such a decision.

The trader assumes the risk. The broker charges a commission for the intermediation and never loses money by operating.

● Brokers provide the platform

Traders trade through it. There is no other possibility, the trader is obliged to use the broker platform to make the purchases and sales in the market of their preference, but they cannot make these transactions directly.

● The trader performs the operations at their own risk

Another difference is that the trader will only win if the buy price of the executed order is lower than the selling price at which the market closes; otherwise, they lose money.

● The broker must keep the platform up to date

Doing so is essential to be able to execute the operations that your clients decide. On the other hand, the trader will choose the broker that satisfies them best in terms of the conditions to carry out his operation, the speed without delays and his connection to the market, access to liquidity and a long etcetera. That is why it is also vitally important to maintain a CRM platform with state-of-the-art technology.

What points do they have in common?

The broker and the trader need each other to carry out an investment process and for everything to run smoothly in this volatile market. Although the difference between broker and trader is well-marked, their meeting points are also well-defined.

For example, the two operate in fluctuating markets and invest differently. The trader executes orders, and the broker spends on licenses, platform maintenance, employees, etc.

As you can see, it is simple to understand, and as always we want to offer you the solutions you need to provide your customers with the best alternatives to achieve success.

What is the best CRM to create a broker?

 

As a broker, you probably already know the benefits you get from a CRM; however, you should know the keys to considering the best CRM to create a broker.

With over ten years of experience, we know what you need in the trading industry. Our advice comes from our expertise, so if you want to create your broker with a proven CRM and advanced technology, you have to keep reading to find out.

Best CRM to create a broker, keys to success

CRM software is the most suitable platform to manage the relationship between the broker and its customers; hence its name “Customer Relationship Management.”

The best Forex CRM platforms contemplate specific applications to boost new clients, in addition to streamlining:

• Interaction with customers.
• The management of the information generated in your broker.
• Expeditious handling of the accounts managed by the users.

All this is detailed in specific characteristics that we will refer to in this article and that are elements that conform the best CRM to create a broker, even if it is an IB that wants to start with a White Label Broker.

We are talking about three sections to highlight that encompass the most optimal configuration of a CRM. The registration area, the client area, and the administrative area.

Registration area

All incoming information and customer registration is controlled from this area. The following actions are performed from here:

●        Record business and personal data

Your client has the option to register as a company or as a personal account. The CRM system has automatic checks. For example, one of the security features of this area is that it can detect the user’s country of origin and automatically enter the corresponding prefix.

●        Email confirmation

In CRM platforms for brokers, the email authenticity is checked by sending a message with a code. This code is placed on the registration form.

●        Legal conditions and terms

Clients who want to continue and complete the registration must agree with the legal conditions required by the Broker. Therefore, it must be indicated and given access to the relevant reading to accept these conditions and continue the registration.

Client Area – Traders Room

The client area, or the traders’ room, comprises an area characterized by investment account management, access to financial history, and the fluid communication that the client has with you as a Broker.

●        Deposits and withdrawals

You will be able to provide all your customers with the management of their accounts through credit cards or bank transfers. They can also use electronic wallets and cryptocurrencies. The best CRM to create a broker allows you to manage operations centrally.

●        Open accounts

You will be able to open a demo or live account on the MT4/MT5 platforms. At the same time, you will be able to change your leverage very quickly and with a single click.

●        Social Trading

With this option, your customers can perform copy-trading, emulating the transactions and financial strategies that seem most profitable. The client chooses the investment, selects the amount to place and can trade with a few clicks.

●        Portal IB

The best CRM to create a broker must have an effective marketing tool with multiple levels and clear payment rules; this gives your clients possibilities for promotion and business expansion.

●        Know Your Customer (KYC)

Identity verification is performed through the documents provided by the users. With this validation, you will be able to optimize the options that your client will have available.

●        Support

If our customers need any assistance, the best CRM keeps you in touch with your customers through the support tickets generated by the system. In addition, this software relies on centralization and automation to manage emails.

Administrative Area

This platform area allows you a customizable control of all your customers’ movements through early warnings and with very few actions to perform.

The objective is not to waste time on tasks that you can automate. In addition, the duplication of movements, erroneous transactions, or outdated responses is avoided.

●        Clients

You can approve or reject the generation of new user accounts from here, managing the entire process that your KYC will carry out.

●        Lead Manager

From the best CRM to creating a broker, the sales team you are in charge of will be able to access, in a restricted way, your platform to manage customer lists.

●        Deposits and withdrawals

The software allows you to manage your customers’ deposits and withdrawals before executing them; you can control the deposit channels where the transactions are made.

●        Customer Support

The support will be generated individually, a response will be given to each particular case and possible inconveniences will be resolved effectively.

●        Automatic sending of emails

In the administrative area, automated responses to specific requests from your customers are generated. The best CRM to create a broker has fully adaptable email templates.

●        Alerts

The alerts to the changes that are generated in the platform are a way to always be up to date with what is happening and be able to respond in time, make decisions with sufficient margin and make the necessary corrections at the right time.

Our recommendation…

As you can see, there is a lot that you get and give to your portfolio of investors, I do it through a CRM that meets all these requirements that we have mentioned in this article. We recommend CRM platforms with a complete development that have been created by and for brokers as the CRMReal.online platform.  Through this platform you can perform all these operations with guaranteed assistance.

How to get started in Forex as an IB Broker or Money Manager

 

If you’re a money manager or IB broker, we’re sure this topic won’t take you by surprise. By this point in your career, you’ve probably wondered how to get started in Forex independently, either with your broker from scratch or with a turnkey White Label solution like the one we offer at Smart Broker Solutions.

We know that when you start on your own, there are certain doubts or fears that arise. At here we understand how you can take the first step on the right foot from your job as a Money Manager or as an IB since we have been at the same point where you are right now. This article will show you the best options if you have decided to scale your Forex business to another level.

Is Forex a lucrative market? How to get started?

It is the most liquid trading space in the world. It is called by most traders “the market that never sleeps.”

With a transaction volume of around $6 billion per day, it is a space of opportunities you have to know how to work to benefit from it.

The currency pair that moves the most is the USD/EUR, and the US dollar is the currency by excellence. What does all this tell you? It says you have a very profitable business ahead of you, in which people invest a lot of money.

You can find many recommendations and business models that may interest you, but deciding how to get started in Forex can be a complex task. Avoid improvisations and uncertain maneuvers that are costly. Therefore, you should know certain elements to make this path safer and more bearable.

Get started from your FX Broker with real opportunities

The first thing to keep in mind is to work hard. The easy ways are not the common denominator; they are not real.

It is essential to know how to manage Forex operations, have a solid client portfolio, and understand that there is always a risk when investing. Below, we will tell you the main things you need to know to start with Forex.

Select a Business Plan for your FX Broker

Business plans will always be present in investments; it will be a process that is carried out several times throughout the financial career.

As a Forex broker, you will have to analyze, among other elements: operational start-up costs, risk analysis, how you will process the operations, sources of financing, management of the money invested, a study of the competition, and benefits and the term in which you aspire to receive them.

As you move forward in the foreign exchange market and get to know your customers, their needs, and where they are, your plan and subsequent adjustments will hit the mark.

If you are starting, have a specific niche, and do not try to cover several types of clients, focus on a single pattern and strive to know it to dominate it completely.

Establish your brokerage company

The legal framework of your company is one of the most cumbersome but necessary characteristics that you will have to address. Similarly, you will need to establish corporate banking relationships and manage a company workflow and processes.

Initially, you will need to obtain a Forex license and registration. For this, the most appropriate thing is to consider several alternative regulation options that fit the trading conditions that you offer.

We  offer you multiple alternatives that meet the highest international standards.

While doing paperwork and errands, don’t forget that you’ll most likely need to hire staff, depending on the volume of transactions you have and the client base you handle.

We recommend that while you analyze the contracts, you acquire a CRM platform; in the following section, we will explain why.

Finally, and within the parameters for Forex trading, you will need to open bank accounts for client deposits and company operations. Keep in mind that there may be problems with banks when creating a broker; for this, there are some solutions.

Technological platform

To have a competitive company today, you must have a flexible and powerful technological engine that supports your transactions. The tech solution you choose must adapt to the pace and needs of your broker.

The CRM Platforms are an excellent alternative and the CRMReal Platform is the definitive solution. As a new Forex broker, this system offers you various benefits of internal operations both for the trader and for you as a broker, which will make your work lighter, meeting the expectations of your clients and offering them a space for communication in both addresses.
The recommendation arises from the need of you and your staff to monitor all transactions in real time.

What do you gain with it? First, control your employees’ access, remember that good information management at these levels is essential, and second, monitor the entire process carried out by your clients and affiliates.

In addition to these benefits, to learn Forex, you will be able to:

• Manage new affiliations by verifying and contrasting the required information.
• Manage accounts in real-time, generating and customizing early warning tickets that guarantee an immediate response to any inconvenience.
• Open accounts in Metatrader 4 or Metatrader 5 .
• Obtain and manage Traders Rooms, with all the advantages that this implies.

In short, many options will be within your reach by simply contacting and contracting with us.

What else can we tell you?

we know what we are talking about because we have been in the business for more than ten years and continue accumulating experience in the Forex field with everything that goes with it.

These recommendations are just an appetizer of a world of possibilities with Forex. By being cautious and responsible with your work in finance, and counting on our close and committed advice, you will have a more than a safe path to success.

What are Forex and binary options? All important aspects

 

Forex and binary options seem a complicated subject, it is very common that you do not know its characteristics, especially if you are starting.

Therefore, we want to make it simpler for you by explaining in a very easy way everything related to this topic. Then, when you invest as a trader or create a broker, you will be well informed, you will be able to use the best options and build a profitable portfolio.

Know your technology provider in binary options and Forex. Become an expert, don’t be misinformed. Our recommendations will guide you and will open your options in this exciting world of risks and at the same time of huge profits.

Forex and Binary Options

Investing in Forex is not the same as investing in binary options, they have similarities, but each has its characteristics. Let’s review them one by one, and then you can draw your conclusions.

Binary options, what are they?

Binary options are a high-risk investment method in which you place your money on commodities, underlying assets (e.g., currencies), or indices to match the rise or fall of that asset. As the name suggests, you have two options: you win, or you lose.

How are binary options classified?

Among what differentiates binary options and Forex, certain elements characterize each one, such as:

According to the expiration time

• Binary options High – Low: refers to the prediction of the behavior of assets, i.e., whether they will have an upward or downward closing price.
• Binary options (Call – Put) or 60 seconds: is a binary option in which you must make your forecast in only 60 seconds; you must be very fast and have done a previous study.
• Limit and Range Options: this form of investment refers to whether the asset will remain within the range established by the trader in the stipulated time.

Most used options

There is the option “asset-or-nothing” in which you acquire an asset and if your investment is close to the projection of the amount that will have that investment, whether it is above or below, you will have the benefit of it in a physical form or, in the opposite case, you get nothing.

In the case of the “cash-or-nothing” option, the investment is made by calculating what could be the amount of the asset in which you have invested. You would have two options, either it could become higher or stay at the price or it could be lower or stay at the price, all this in a given time.

For both cases, asset or nothing and cash or nothing, if the prediction remains in the range you stipulated, then the transaction ends “In – the – Money” receiving a percentage of the money or physical asset as the case may be. If the final value is not within your parameter, then your binary option is “Out-the-Money” and therefore you receive nothing.

It is becoming more and more common for Forex binary options brokers to give a minimum percentage of the invested amount if the transaction ends “Out-the-Money.”

Elements that define binary options

· Underlying assets

It is any type of good for which the prediction is made. These underlying can be currencies, commodities, indices, stocks, etc.

· Expiration

It refers to the day on which the binary transaction takes place. These have a short term that can take 1 minute, 15 minutes, and up to 24 hours; in Forex there are other terms.

· Movement of the underlying acquired

It is the type of variation concerning the cost that the asset will have, this determines whether you should use a put or sale option or a call or purchase option.

· Profitability

It is the return that you will have depending on whether the prediction you have made is correct. It is between 70% and 80%.

· Exercise amount

It is the price that the trader estimates that a specific asset will have at the moment of the closing of the stock market activity.

Forex Market

Unlike binary options, Forex has the particularity that its bids are executed immediately, so the trader pays the exact amount of the asset to be acquired according to the market at the time of the transaction.

Another difference is that it is operated through market studies and the assets in which the capital will be invested, controlling the risk and deciding the moment in which the trader will close the operation, as opposed to the term that binary options have.

Some brokers choose to operate under Forex Licenses, others, on the other hand, have discovered that not everything is so clear-cut in this financial world and have opted to learn all about Forex licenses before obtaining one.

Among other differences is the risk we take. Although in any stock transaction there will always be risks, in Forex the risk is lower, since we will be investing in stocks that usually have a less volatile movement than investing by projecting the behavior of an underlying asset. If your projection fails you lose all the invested capital.

As you can see, Forex binary options have their nuances, some trade on their own, others through brokers, and some prefer White Label Solutions, especially if they are starting out and need to have the security provided by a technology provider such as Smart Broker Solutions.

Final recommendations

Remember that binary options and Forex are not the same, you must take into account how to invest and the conditions offered by each market

Different types of Forex brokers

 

Whether you are interested in obtaining a license to operate as a broker, or even if you are just getting started in trading, one of the most important things to know is that there are different types of Forex brokers. The difference between each broker lies basically in how your clients’ transactions will be executed.

If you are a broker in training, deciding on one type or another is essential, but also if you are interested in building confidence as a Money Manager, because the conditions under which you can trade on Forex depend on it. The profitability of your activity derives from making the right choice, and that is why we are here.

In another post we have already explained what a broker Forex is. Now we will specifically address the two main types of Forex brokers that fall into the category of broker: Dealing Desk (DD) also called Market Makers and Non-Dealing Desk (NDD) such as DMA, SPT or ECN brokers. But first, you should know some details about trading desks and interbank liquidity.

Learn about the types of Forex brokers:

Trading desk and interbank liquidity

The trading or dealing desk refers to the physical space where the broker’s foreign exchange transactions take place. Depending on the size of the company or financial entity, it may even have hundreds of traders who control and perform transactions. It is also mentioned that they make their own market, and are called Market Makers.

Liquidity, on the other hand, refers to the possibility of quickly converting assets into money. This means that the wider and more dynamic the market of a currency, the greater the liquidity of that market. In another article we have developed the subject in more depth.

But liquidity, in the aspect that concerns us with NDD Brokers, refers to the fact that traders’ operations are executed in the interbank liquidity, i.e., in the real market.  

The Forex market is based on this continuous buying and selling, which is required by banks to establish a decentralized market and obtain the best prices from competition. In the case of brokers, this allows them to generate profits from spreads between banks, currencies and specific time periods, in addition to transaction fees.

DD Forex Brokers

You have probably already heard of large companies that have a trading desk. They are known as Market Maker or DD broker (dealing desk), and they actually build an internal market, so they do not depend on interbank liquidity.

This allows them to coordinate and establish bid/ask prices, thus generating a kind of internal market. As a result, they have extensive control over transactions and can offer traders an in-depth view of the market.

NDD Forex Brokers

Those that do not have a dealing desk are known as NDD (Non-Dealing Desk). This category includes ECN, SPT and DMA Forex brokers. They execute their clients’ transactions based on actual prices, between individuals, companies or institutions. They are therefore ultimately dependent on interbank liquidity.

One of the consequences of this is that as an NDD broker, you will always work with variable spreads and transactions will be quite transparent. NDD brokers establish contracts and relationships with liquidity providers, mostly banks, through an external technology platform.

This means that you should carefully choose a provider that is suitable for your operations. Also keep in mind that the speed of connection and price volatility in the market may cause some discrepancy when displaying the results.

On the other hand, this type of Forex broker accepts various trading strategies such as scalping and swing, so it is the most popular type of broker in Social Trading. Traders will have the possibility to perform their operations with access to the market order book and will have an overview of the market and its movement in real time.  

Hybrid Brokers

In the broker world, not everything is black and white. There are many brokers that use combined DD and NDD platforms, whether regulated or not. This allows the advantages of one or the other system to compensate for market weaknesses and to adapt to different business strategies.

For some, this option is very interesting, but it requires a very clear operating policy. That is why you should carefully analyze the types of Forex brokers and what you are interested in building or using, always evaluating your real possibilities and the direction of your business.

Everything you need to know before obtaining a Forex License

 

The fascinating world of finance, stock investments, commodities and more, offers you a way to invest through brokers that have a Forex license issued by some recognized entity capable of monitoring these companies.

Although you will see that most of the companies and brokers have a Forex license, you can also find unregulated Forex brokers that are fully active and working. This indicates that not everything in this sector is black or white, and we would like to talk to you today about these nuances.

This topic can be confusing, especially if you want to start on the right foot in the world of trading and don’t have much of an idea of how to invest or how to set up your broker. Learn what a Forex license is all about, what you need to do to get one, and how to get a good start.

What is a Forex License and how do I get one?

The FX license is a permit granted to an applicant company or broker to trade in certain markets and with some regulations that must be complied with depending on the location from where the permit is issued.

These licenses can require from the applicant sums of up to 6 figures, which implies high amounts that, in the beginning, are difficult to afford and require a lot of time as well.

A very common alternative used by broker startups, when they do not meet these requirements, is to implement white label licenses which are different from Forex licenses.

These licenses consist of acquiring the Metaquotes MT4 or MT5 to be able to trade.

Through a consolidated company like Smart Broker Solutions, an official Metaqotes provider, you will have the opportunity to start trading in record time and with everything you need.

Returning to the subject of FX licenses, we can tell you that the regulatory bodies that issue them are not responsible for the protection of clients or traders since the criminal nature of any action is handled through the judicial authorities of the country of location.

If your goal is to obtain a Forex license, you must meet all the requirements to prove that your financials and identification documentation are accurate. In addition to the outlay for the regulatory service and the endorsement that this entails, you must comply with, among others, the annual license fees, payment deadlines, and taxes.

If you are just starting, you can consult expert companies, like us. If you need licenses to become a Forex broker, we at smartbrokersolutions.com can help you. It will be easier for you to opt for the regulation you require, if it is really necessary, and to have the solution that best suits your needs, time, and budget.

As you can see, you have options for accessing these regulations, and you can also review the features of each of them.

What are the regulatory authorities that issue Forex licenses?

Several entities issue and control Forex licenses for each broker that wishes to be regulated. It is a question of tranquility to invest what justifies its acquisition since in counterpart to this tranquility the conditions that they impose are very restrictive and unfavorable for those who want to invest less conservatively.

For this reason, there are companies in charge of these regulations that will make periodic and random audits to any broker to verify the good operation and transparency of the transactions in the market.

The differences between these entities, which issue Forex licenses, are based on the level and place of issuance, as well as the number of regulations and control protocols they work with.

Among the most prestigious ones, we have CySEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission) which is a regulatory corporation that, with very high standards and strict rules, has made its mark a prestigious endorsement for Forex trading transactions in the stock market.

The MiFID (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive) has focused on introducing a system of standard regulations in the European market. Especially about financial products in the EU member states, to provide investor protection.

Other regulatory bodies we can name are the UK’s FCA, the US CFTC, Malta’s MFSA, Italy’s CONSOB, Australia’s ASIC, and others.

Why do unregulated brokers exist in the stock market?

Some brokers work in the Forex market without any regulatory entity to guide or audit them, and yet they are successful in their transactions without incurring fraud or scams. The fact of being regulated is not what determines the good or bad practice of the Broker.

There can be brokers that have all the existing regulations and have bad practices. Or, on the contrary, there may be brokers without any regulation and with the most accurate and legal practices in the world.

The reason for the existence of these brokers is most likely because the world currency market does not have a global coverage regulator.

Just as there are territories where an entity is in charge of regulating and auditing financial transactions, there are also those that do not have such organisms, which means that some brokers start their investments legally in these areas, but without the supervision of the regulatory entity.

This reality makes investment more attractive, especially for new traders who benefit from lower taxes and less demanding rules, which allows them to invest more actively.

If you find yourself in the situation of wanting to start investing or you prefer to trade and you do not have enough leverage, you could opt for an unregulated broker while you consolidate in the market. It is also important to know why each money manager should create its broker, which, although it is a subject with other considerations, is very important to take into account.

Conclusions

In the stock market, it is a risk to trade with both regulated and unregulated entities, however, many of these unregulated brokers can provide you with better-structured programs and services than those that are regulated.

It all depends on the meticulous study and research you do on the broker you choose, keep in mind that unregulated brokers are not malicious, nor do they lack professionalism, their working method allows them to finance better services, as well as to offer bonuses to their clients.

On the other hand, if you are starting, it is advisable to study the possibilities offered. They have more than 10 years of experience and can accompany you in your beginnings as a new investor.

We have structured a complete package of solutions for Startups that go beyond the Forex license, consult us for free, and move forward in the Forex market without any restriction.

Market Makers: What they are and how they work

 

In the Forex market, different types of Forex brokers adjust to a specific client profile and offer different instruments and trading terms. Among them, you will find the Non-Dealing Desk (NDD), the Market Makers (MM) or Dealing Desk (DD), and the hybrid brokers.

All of them have characteristics that differentiate them, but their objective, which they share, is to offer you the investment options that best suit your particular situation. Their job is to mediate between your capital and the investment or dealing desk.

The intermediation of a broker to carry out your transactions is something daily and elementary. That is why it is interesting for you to know how to create your broker and thus start trading in this dynamic market with all the necessary knowledge.

Let’s learn, in this opportunity, everything related to Market Makers, their functions, advantages, and disadvantages, among other elements that characterize them.

Market Makers, who are they?

Market maker brokers carry out transactions of buying and selling, of currencies, commodities, stocks, indexes, among other instruments, in their trading desks, which is why they are also called Dealing Desk DD brokers.

But what does this mean? To be clear, this means that DD brokers create a market for their clients to buy and sell. Another advantage is that, it is not necessary to wait for another investor to buy or sell the instrument.

Market makers are always ready to make available to traders a selling price, called “ask,” and a buying price, called “bid,” of the instrument to be traded.

In this case, market makers always take on the role of counterparties to all operations carried out by traders; they do not negotiate with liquidity providers.

NDD or non-dealing desk brokers must send their transactions to the market, also known as liquidity. They are brokers that obtain the counterparty from Forex liquidity providers,  which may seem quite simple and an almost secure transaction due to the large size of the market.

Functions and Profits of Market Makers

When a client or a trader requests a purchase or sale transaction, the broker assumes the transaction as a counterparty, which ensures the liquidity of the operation. This may represent for the Market Maker broker a risk that turns into a profit or a loss.

This risk is offset when the Market Maker uses a spread, which is the increment applied to the bid or ask price. This spread compensates for the risks of covering such transactions.

The spreads offered by market makers are varied, and you can choose to quote above or below the actual market price. This increase would be the payment they receive, although they are small sums, they are compensated for the volumes handled.

It is also the case that Market Makers trade against their clients before backing as opposed to liquidity providers, this practice is not illegal, but there may be conflicts of interest between the traders and the broker, which is more critical when the broker is not only an intermediary but also the counterparty to the transactions.

In these cases, we recommend you to work with reliable, authorized brokers or brokers that have a reliable track record. White Label solutions are also available which not only allow you to get a trading platform from a MetaQuotes authorized provider but also offer you everything you need to start trading immediately.

Advantages of Market Makers

The main advantage of the Market Maker is that it incorporates to the Forex world a very agile way of investing, ensuring the execution of the investment transactions of the financial instrument you wish to trade. Other advantages are the following:

• Market Makers offer the possibility to open an account with small deposits.
• They offer the possibility of leverage higher than 1:100, which is the usual one.
• Bid and Ask costs are usually more stable than those offered by Non-Dealing Desk brokers.
• Thanks to Market Makers, it is possible for retail investors to access markets that were only available to large consortiums, financial institutions, industries, among others.
• Thanks to market makers, mini lots and micro lots are available, which are smaller lots than those usually offered in the Forex market.

Disadvantages of Market Maker

The main disadvantages of this type of broker are:

• The cost may change slightly concerning the interbank market.
• There may be a conflict when they cannot assume the counterparty of the transaction.
• When dealing desks are not properly managed, there may be a risk of bankruptcy declaration by the Market Maker.
• There may be a conflict of interest in the loss of their client’s operations.

In any case, Market Maker Brokers may offer more advantages than NDD Brokers, but there may be a conflict of interest, so your choice should be based on their reputation.

How To Build A Magazine Layout With CSS Grid Areas

 Web development, especially what you can do with CSS, has become increasingly complex. With the added capabilities of CSS Grid, it is now possible to achieve layouts that look like they were laid out by hand. Let’s tackle a practical example of how to do something like that.

In this article, I want to talk about the amazing possibilities of a CSS grid and how it allows for complex layouts that are closer to a print design. The design we’ll discuss is actually one I got to work on for a client (modified slightly to a demo case). It will cover two big use cases of a CSS grid:

1. Having a static grid where we define the specified start and end points for each element;
2. Using CSS grid template areas to reorder a simple HTML layout easily without updating the HTML.

As a bonus, we will also touch on object-fit and aspect-ratio, which come in handy as well.

(Large preview)

Here you can see the design we will be implementing: desktop on the left and a cropped version for mobile on the right (imagine the mobile view to continue with sections 3 and 4). There is quite a lot going on here, and nothing really fits into neat rows and columns. The images are laid out on an uneven grid, sometimes even overlapping, and we have some narrow text and a numbering element that double as a design element.

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Artisanal Image Layouts #

Let us first look at the image grid elements inside each colored component. While we have four colored components, there are only two variants that get repeated. For easier comparison, I have cut the desktop version in half and put the two halves next to one another — this makes it easier to compare. As you can see, the first and third are the same, as are the second and fourth. If we compare just the first and second variants, they differ, but the basic building blocks are very similar (a full-sized background color, a big image block, a column with a number, and some text). Due to this, we can consider it the same component, just with two alternatives.

(Large preview)

In the olden days, we would have had to do the image grid in Photoshop and then add it as one image to the page. Obviously, we could still do this, but that solution has never been particularly good for responsive websites, and using the picture element would work, but we would have to do several layouts in Photoshop and redo everything if we want to change a picture. We would need to do this every time this element gets added with different pictures.

But we wouldn’t be at this part in this article if there wasn’t an alternative! For a while now, it has been safe to use CSS grid, and it is able to solve this layout quite neatly with only a few lines of CSS.

CSS Grid allows us to define a formal grid definition — columns and rows — on the parent element and specify for the children where they should go within the grid. We also get the same justify and align capabilities that flex offers. This removes a lot of the need for wrapping divs and also makes the CSS slimmer.

One thing to note: As a result, your graphical layout can be different from the document structure in HTML.

Screen readers will still rely on the HTML structure, though, so put the most important information first and try to keep everything in a sensible order.

Now let’s get to our images. What is it that we need at a minimum? A container for the images and the images themselves. And you know what? With CSS Grid, that is actually enough — say goodbye to five layers of wrapping divs!

<div class="grid image-grid-3-m4">
   <img class="image-0 " src="" /> 
   <img class="image-1 " src="" />
   <img class="image-2 " src="" />
   <img class="image-3 " src="" />
</div>

A bit more on the markup. To make the styling easier, I added an index to each image (since we want to re-use them, it has to be a class, not an ID) and two classes on the surrounding div, which we will use to define the base styling: a grid utility class and a second one used for identifying the variant. For the variant with three images on the left and a fourth on the right in desktop view, I spent some time thinking about how to best solve the fourth image’s problem: do we add it to the container with the other images and try and move it to the other side, or do we move it on mobile, and so on. In the end, I decided to add the fourth image in the container for the images but hide it on the desktop via CSS and have a separate div in a second location with the same image for displaying in the desktop version. Using display:none will also hide that version from screen readers.

Now that we have the basic HTML and our images in place, it is time to focus on the CSS. If you are completely new to a CSS grid, this helpful article goes into the full syntax and explains it in detail. Unfortunately, I cannot describe the full syntax in this article.

First off, we need to define our grid. Since I had a design to work with, I used a tool that allowed me to put lines on top of the image, position one line at each edge of the image, and see the pixel dimensions in between. It would have been great if the designer had already used a formal grid and told me about it, but unfortunately, that was not the case, so I used the proportionate dimensions as an approximation of what I should use in the grid. Basically, I asked myself what the smallest common divisible number was for each — with some wiggle room — and used that. (Welcome to math class.) My goal was to have the same size for all grid columns and rows while being flexible on the number of columns or rows.

(Large preview)

With this method, I determined that I wanted to have 14 columns on mobile and 7 rows plus some uniform gaps. This allowed me to approximate the distribution in the layout while keeping the aspect ratios close to what they had envisioned. Based on that, we get the following CSS:

.grid {
  display: grid;
}

.image-grid-3-m4 {
  grid-template-rows: repeat(7, 1fr);
  grid-template-columns: repeat(14, 1fr);
    gap: 0.5rem;
}

With these four lines of CSS, we have a grid that is ready to be filled. If you follow along, you will notice that the images are now filling one grid cell each in the first row. This is the automatic layout mechanism that the browser uses, and depending on what you want to do, it can be ideal for defining an evenly laid-out design in seconds.

See the Pen Basic CSS for the grid [forked] by Pfenya.

But obviously, we want to get fancy, so no even layouts for us. To achieve this, we need a few more CSS rules: grid-column and grid-row to be precise. These allow us to specify how an element should position itself within the grid. Add to that my trusty lines and crooked math, and I could place each image. For example, the first image begins at the top left corner, so we start on grid column line 1 and row 1, and it shall span 6 of our 14 columns and 4 rows. Instead of telling an element how many cells to span, you can also specify the end value. Personally, I prefer the span since it is easier to keep track of and read.

.image-0 {
  grid-column: 1 / span 6;
  grid-row: 1 / span 4;
}

In addition to the information on where the images will be placed, there are three more rules that do a lot of very heavy lifting here:

img {
  object-fit:cover;
  height: 100%;
  width: 100%;
}

With these, we tell the browser to have the images always span their full container, the size of which is determined by the grid. Then we use object-fit to make sure all the space will be taken up by the image with the overflow hidden (if you want to find out more about object-fit, here is a great primer). Obviously, this means that parts of the images will not be displayed — and you need to keep that in mind when deciding on the images to use for this — especially if their aspect ratio does not match perfectly.

Speaking of aspect ratios, the top right image sure looks square. Wouldn’t it be neat if we could tell it to be square, regardless of how the image itself is sized? We can actually do that now. There is a CSS property by the name of aspect-ratio that does just that, and in this case, it allows us to tell the image that it should be square (which is hip, as we all know). (Backward compatibility is an issue, though, especially on iOS. So in some use cases, you may want to use a polyfill.) But the aspect-ratio property is something that will be very useful in the future, and you can read in more detail about it in this article by Stephanie Eckles.

With all of that in place, we can now have a first look at how it looks with all four images:

See the Pen Untitled [forked] by Pfenya.

For the desktop version, all we really want to do is shift where the images start and end. To do so, we need a media query where we redefine the grid and positionings. Again I calculated the rows and columns I would need and where to position each element and added information for each to my CSS.

See the Pen Untitled [forked] by Pfenya.

Now we have an image grid that changes its layout based on the viewport, and once we put it into an element with a flexible width, the images will update their display size accordingly.

The hardest thing here is understanding the syntax and getting to grips with explicitly positioning elements. But once you have done so, a whole world of possibilities opens up. Obviously, this is not something you can always do, especially when you have reusable components, but for specific use cases, it can add something special or solve a hard case.

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Shifting Blocks In The Main Component #

Now that we have the most difficult part of the images done, it is time to have a look at the component itself. Once again, we are staying with CSS Grid, and this time we will be working with grid-template-areas. Personally, I am absolutely enamored with this functionality because it gives us a ton of flexibility for the main structural layout between desktop and mobile without having to add a lot of encapsulating divs or duplicated information. This component is a great showcase, so let’s get on it.

If we turn to the design again, there are only a handful of elements. We have several images, which in larger viewports may be divided into two sections: the number in a white box and all text elements.

(Large preview)

What is the minimum HTML for that? Again we do not need a lot of extras; a surrounding div and then one for each part is all that we need:

<div class="container">
  <div class="images"></div>
  <div class="numbering"></div>
  <div class="text"></div>
  <div class="single-image"></div>
</div>

For our example, all areas have a class name that identifies what they will hold later. If we look at the mobile layout, though, the number is on top of the images! The cool thing about a CSS grid is that you can layer elements. We already used that for the images above. As you can see, two of them overlap, and we can also do that for whole areas. The layering will be controlled by our old friend, the z-index. Same rules as always: the higher z-index wins and comes to the front.

With that in mind, let’s create two areas: one at the top with the images filling the area and the number as a top layer with most of it transparent to show the images, and the second area below for the text. We could use the grid columns and rows syntax we used earlier, but in this case, we can make our lives even easier with grid-template-areas. With this, you can add names to parts of your grid and then decide for each element which grid area it should appear in. Especially for the page or component frame, this is a much easier and faster way to work and be able to read it all again later than using all of the non-descript numbers.

I think this will be easier to understand with an example.

.container {  
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr;
  grid-template-rows: repeat(2, 1fr);
  gap: 1.2rem;
  grid-auto-flow: row;
  grid-template-areas:
    "numerology"
    "text";
}

.images { grid-area: numerology; }

.numbering { grid-area: numerology; }

.text { grid-area: text; }
.single-image {display:none}

We define the container as a grid once again, add two rows to it, and then use ‘grid-template-areas’ to give these rows a name. The syntax for this is very unusual for CSS, but it gives you a mini-view of your layout: Numerology is the name of the cell in the first row and Text in the second.

With those rows now having names, we can easily position our elements. Both the images and the container for the number go into the first row, and the text will go to the second row. So in the example above, we add the grid-area to the CSS for the class we applied to the div in the HTML. With those few lines, we have defined the layout.

To achieve the overlay effect for the number, the white box will be in its container and gets a fixed width and height. We can then use flex to center it in the container.

But how do we get from this to the desktop version, you may ask? Pretty easily, actually! For the overall design of the website, we are already using a 14-column grid on the desktop for all elements. If we overlay the design with some grid markers, we see the widths everything should take approximately.

(Large preview)

Obviously, our named areas from the mobile view will not really help us for this version, but we can simply update them in a media query for our desktop view and also define different area names:

.container {  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(14, minmax(0, 1fr));
  grid-template-rows: repeat(2, 1fr);
  gap: 1.2rem;
  grid-auto-flow: row;
  grid-template-areas:
    "images images images images images . numbering numbering numbering single-image single-image single-image single-image single-image"
    "images images images images images . text text text single-image single-image single-image single-image single-image";
}

.images { grid-area: images; }

.numbering { grid-area: numbering; }

.text { grid-area: text; }

.single-image { grid-area: single-image; }

Let me be the first one to say that, yes, this is really not a pretty way of defining this, but unfortunately, the template-areas syntax does not include the repeat keyword as the column definition does.

But take a moment and have a closer look. What you can see is that we define the first five columns to belong to the images name in both rows, then we have a period, which means nothing goes here, then we have three columns for the numbering in row one and three for the text in row two, and at the end, five columns for single-image. Personally, I like to use an online generator that allows me to visually define these areas and copy the needed CSS.

Now with just under 20 lines of code, we have completely changed the layout without having touched the very simple HTML structure at all! But what about the alternative version for 2 and 4? They only use a slightly different layout, so why not add some classes for .version-a and .version-b on the container and have the grid-template-areas defined by that on the desktop? It is that simple. Look at the following:

  .version-1 {
      grid-template-areas:
    "images images images images images . numbering numbering numbering single-image single-image single-image single-image single-image"
    "images images images images images . text text text single-image single-image single-image single-image single-image";
  }
.version-1 .single-image {
  grid-area: single-image;
  display:block;
 }  
  .version-2 {
        grid-template-areas:
    ". numbering numbering numbering . . images images images images images images images images"
    ". text text text . . images images images images images images images images";
  }

To me, this is still pretty crazy, to be honest. For the longest time, a layout like this would have been completely out of reach or very complicated to make and having shared HTML between versions 1 and 2 would have been near impossible, at least for the complete HTML. Now we can just wave a magic wand and update where it should show up. Pretty heady stuff.

Another practical example where this helped me a lot was defining areas for a product detail page on an e-commerce website. Being able to move elements around to where they make sense in different contexts is amazing, but it also means that you need to adjust your mental model a bit to how HTML and CSS are connected. And this is even just the beginning. With container queries and layers, there is much on the horizon that will open up a lot more possibilities in the future, and I am totally here for it!

Money management vs. social trading: main differences

 

In capital investments, there are models that provide the best investment possibilities. Among them, there are two forms of management, money management vs. social trading. Both systems have their own features and advantages, which brokers use to obtain the best benefit for their business.

It is clear that these tools help manage assets and risk for different clients, and have traders with enough experience to earn dividends. In addition to offering multiple benefits, they provide security to investors who are not comfortable making their own trades without guidance.

Let’s learn the differences between money management vs. social trading, what each of these tools is about, and what they have to offer in the fascinating world of capital investments.

What is social trading?

With the growth of online connections and the emergence of numerous trends in the digital world, you may notice an increase in communities revolving around topics such as money management vs. social trading and everything that involves investing in the stock market, even without being an expert on the subject.

These tactics may be interesting for you, and it is good that you know in depth what is social trading as a financial strategy that unites the best of social networks and financial operations and investments.

Simply put, social trading is an investment trend that in recent times has gained a lot of strength, and that can offer you a lot of profitability. Mainly what you will do is to invest in financial assets following the advice of experts and their investment tactics, all through a social network, traders’ rooms or communities specialized in certain topics.

In this community or social network, you will have the opportunity to learn investment techniques and ways of investing by following the operations of an expert, you will have access to market analysis and charts, as well as to discuss any other related topic.

What is Money Management?

This strategy refers to the management of both the available capital and the risk assumed by investing such capital. The main objective of this practice is that one person or a group of professionals manage the investments.

There are investors who, for a variety of reasons, prefer to have a third party, in this case a money manager, to take care of their operations.

What is a money manager and why is it more profitable for them to create their own broker? These are recurring questions, whose answers you should take into account when opting for this alternative. Knowing this, you can easily observe that one of the distinguishing characteristics between money management vs. social trading, is the way in which your investment is managed.

One of the main recommendations when starting with a Money Management, is to recognize and admit your maximum amount of loss both in the total of the negotiations, as in each one of them in particular. Expert managers focus on keeping these limits clear when managing your wealth.

Main differences between Money management vs. social trading

A fact to highlight in these two systems is that both allow access to a whole new market of investors and professionals, which provide growth and profitability. The most important thing when comparing money management vs. social trading, is that both options present different forms of investment advice.

Among its differences is the fact that in money management it is a third party who manages your business, applies strategies and adheres to the established limits when making operations. Fundamentally, it is based on the trust you place in the investment manager you choose.

Social trading is also a way to invest financial capital, but through an online platform or traders’ rooms. You manage your capital separately and do the work of investing and replicating the chosen strategy yourself.

In these rooms you get market reports, know the most relevant movements and the strategies of the experts. All this valuable information is applied to your operations with the aim of achieving dividends.

Money management vs. social trading: which one to choose and why

It should be noted that the use of money management vs. social trading will depend on what you are looking to obtain and the method you prefer to work with. In that sense, investors who prefer to manage their capital separately use the tool of social trading, which requires personalized work and research by each investor.

One of the possibilities to perform your work remotely is to use your mobile trader. Basically, from a mobile device you can monitor the market, your investments and set up trades, which is very easy to do from anywhere.

The PAMM “Percentage Allocation Management Module” model, which uses money management to manage capital, exempts investors from the work, therefore, they place their trust in a specialist trader, who will use their own strategies or algorithms and fast executions to obtain the results.

Why is it good to have a broker that offers tools for social trading and money managers?

The tools of money management vs. social trading, as you may have seen, are very necessary today for all those who want to work and earn profits through the stock market.

Considering this reality, if you decide to create your broker, you must make sure that it has these tools.

If you have any doubts about which of these two tools, money management vs. social trading best suits your needs, do not hesitate to contact us for free so that you can start making your financial operations from a specialized platform and with a team of experts.