Interview with CryptoTrading Forex Article Contest Winner – Summer 2014

FXOpen would like to congratulate all of the winners and participants of the recently held Forex Article Contest. The topic of this summer tournament—CryptoTrading—was a real challenge. The organizers were pleased to see that it drew a response from the trading community despite the fact that it is a relatively new trend in Forex. There were numerous interesting articles submitted but only the top 7 were awarded money prizes. 

An article by Rina Kustina won the 1^st prize. The leader has already participated in the Forex Article Contest before but “CryptoTrading” has become her lucky topic.      

FXOpen: Could you tell us a few words about yourself?

Winner: My name is Rina Kustina. I am 30 years old and I am married with 2 boys. I work as a pharmacist's assistant in a hospital and live in Tasikmalaya Indonesia.

FXOpen: Participation in the Forex Article Contest does not require trading actively in the market. You just have to be well-informed of its mechanisms and be skilled enough to tell about them correctly. Are you an active trader or more of a casual observer?

Winner: As an employee, I certainly do not have much free time to trade actively. I am a part-time trader, so I just took a few days a week for long-term trading. As a trader, I have a lot to observe. So it’s a must to be an observer. In other words, it is a consequence. Answering your question, I am both a trader and an observer.

FXOpen: Can you explain the choice of your article topic?

Winner: My choice was based on personal experience. I am really interested in cryptocurrency and I’ve already had a year’s experience in cryptotrading. I was especially active in exploring this new trend at the end of last year.

FXOpen: Could you please describe your “way in Forex”, i.e. how you started trading, developed your trading strategy, made your first profitable trade?

Winner: Hmm... it has been a long trip. My husband turned to Forex in 2007 but he got a lot of failures. He decided to give up this business in 2008. In 2010, he decided to come back and focus on Forex more. It was his decision to become a full-time trader and I always tried to support him. Unfortunately, he was far from success. In late 2011, I decided to follow my husband in this business. I was a total disaster at the beginning of my trading career. Our life collapsed in 2012; we had huge financial problems. We lost everything that we had. But I still had a monthly salary as an employee. So we were able to survive in Forex somehow. At the end of 2012, the situation changed – Forex turned into a regular source of income. And compared to my husband, I felt more confident and competent in Forex trading.

FXOpen: Have you made any significant progress in trading with a ‘live’ account?

Winner: Of course, I’ve made a good progress in the real account; I will give up Forex if I never get progress. But thank God, every month I achieve new highs. I have a long-term plan to increase my assets in Forex. I am only 30 years old, so I have big dreams for my future.

FXOpen: What is Forex trading for you - your main source of income or more of a hobby that provides you with some extra money?

Winner: Forex is not the main source of income for us. I am an employee, and we have some other business. My husband is an entrepreneur. But we are equally interested in investing in Forex in the long term.

FXOpen: How did you learn about the Forex Article Contest? We know that it’s not the first time you’ve taken part in this competition. What makes you try again and again?

Winner: My hobby is to write articles, but I do not have my own blog or website. I’ve been participating in the Forex Article Contest since I first found the information about this competition. I am always happy to share my ideas and experiences regardless of the quality of my writing. It is purely the result of my work.

FXOpen: Have you ever taken part in other Forex contests? If so, please, tell us a few words about them.

Winner: I’ve taken part in the ForexCup contests only. As I do not have much time, I always take high risk in the first-day trading. One shot and you win or die. I think that ForexCup is a very good contest. You ask me why? Well, I’ve come across tons of Forex contest with a similar concept – to determine the winner based on the amount of profit made during the competition. But ForexCup offers a different concept: besides awarding the championship, all of the contestants can get a bonus if they reach the required profit targets that have been set. This condition allows traders to apply money management techniques and build their own strategies and not only pursue the position of a champion. What about the other contests? The winner is determined based on the amount of profit made. And there is no chance to get a bonus in addition to the main prizes.

FXOpen: What distinguishes our Forex Article Contest from other competitions in your opinion? What would you change or improve?

Winner: Are there any faults about Forex Article Contest? I don’t think so. I mean, I am totally satisfied with this competition. For me, it’s a real catch as I enjoy writing articles about Forex. I think there should be a special website for the Forex Article Contest. Currently, all the materials are published in the FXOpen blog. This is just my suggestion, maybe a ridiculous one.

FXOpen:  Did you watch your competitors and voting results unfolding?

Winner: No, not at all. So I was surprised with the results. I could hardly believe in my victory.

FXOpen: Was your victory a dream come true? Or were you sure of your success from the beginning?

Winner: Of course, I’ve always dreamed of the victory. Sometimes, I was sure about it, but sometimes I really doubted it.

FXOpen: What did you feel when the contest was over and you won in the “Forex Theory” category? What became the biggest reward for you - the prestigious winner’s title, or the US$400 prize?

Winner: I was surprised to find an email notification that I am the contest winner. Today is actually the happiest day I will never forget. I am more impressed with the prestigious title. I will always keep it in my memory.

FXOpen: There will be another round of the Forex Article Contest in the near future. Are you going to participate again?

Winner: Why not? As I've said before, I love writing articles. I love this kind of contests. It will be hard for me not to participate again.

FXOpen: Not everyone feels enthusiastic about such Forex competitions for various reasons, and yet you were not discouraged and decided to try. As we see, your efforts and optimism were rewarded. What would be your advice to all those who did not believe in their success and stayed aside? Can you share any secrets of writing the contest article? What was the most important thing during the preparation? 

Winner: Failure is not a reason for being pessimistic. We can always learn from our mistakes. As for the competition, I’ve just taken a lesson from the previous contest. It’s not the complex materials that helped me become a success, but a unique and interesting topic. Surely, the most important thing is your determination. Take every opportunity and make an attempt!

FXOpen would like to thank all the participants of the summer Forex Article Contest and wish them every success in their future trading.

Follow the discussion on the FXOpen Forum.

Best regards,
FXOpen NZ Limited