What Is A Forward Contract

If you regularly utilise the services of a bank or foreign exchange broker, it is important for your personal or business finances to try to get the best deal on your foreign currency exchange rate. What happens if you find yourself keeping an eye on the markets and the exchange rate for the currency pair you generally trade, is looking favourable now? Wouldn`t it be great if you could ask you bank or broker to give you that exchange rate at some point in the future? Well you can and this is where a 'Forward Contract' comes into play.

How does this work in practice? In effect you are asking your bank or broker to honour the exchange rate at that particular point in time and to save it for you to use at some point in the future.When you advise your bank or broker that you wish to enter into a forward contract, you must stipulate a date when you want to complete the transaction. The benefit to entering into a forward contract is you know exactly what exchange rate you will get on a particular day. If the rate is favourable then this could mean making some significant savings. However, it is important to remember that the markets may fluctuate against you and that you are entering into a financial agreement. If you decide to pull out of the contract then you will be expected to meet the costs to the bank or broker. Furthermore, your bank or broker may ask for a deposit upon agreeing the contract and there may be a limit as to how far in the future the contract can be held open for.

A further type of forward contract is a 'drawdown forward contract'. With a forward draw down contract you can take a portion of funds at intervals throughout the contract. Each withdrawal is termed a 'forward drawdown'. With a forward drawdown you can take as small or large a portion of the funds as you require, however each withdrawal may be subject to a fee. As with the forward contract, there may be a deposit required upon set up.

Many institutions are now developing their own style of forward contracts with various features, however, they are generally variations on the aforementioned forward contract types. The most appropriate type of contract for the individual or business will depend upon their personal requirements.

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