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Spot rates settle today; forward rates lock in tomorrow's exchange rate now. Learn how the difference is priced, when forwards make sense, and why the points move with interest rates.
A spot exchange rate is the price quoted for an immediate currency exchange β though in practice 'spot' typically settles two business days later (T+2). This is the rate you see on currency converters, news tickers, and trading platforms. It reflects current supply and demand and is the reference point against which all other FX prices are quoted.
A forward rate is an exchange rate agreed today for a transaction that will settle on a specific future date β typically one month, three months, six months, or one year. Forwards are widely used by importers, exporters, and travelers with known future foreign-currency expenses to remove exchange-rate uncertainty.
Forward rates are not predictions of where spot will move. They are derived mathematically from the interest-rate differential between the two currencies β a principle called covered interest rate parity. If the US dollar pays 5% and the euro pays 3%, the one-year EUR/USD forward will price the euro about 2% higher than the spot rate. This eliminates risk-free arbitrage between holding cash in different currencies.
Forwards make sense when you have a known foreign-currency obligation in the future: a UK importer who must pay a Chinese supplier in three months, a US student paying European tuition next semester, or a company paying overseas salaries quarterly. Locking in the rate removes the risk of an adverse move β at the cost of also forgoing any favorable move.
Retail customers traditionally could not access forwards, but several modern providers (Wise Business, Convera, and certain bank corporate accounts) now offer forward contracts with minimums as low as a few thousand units. Always compare the all-in forward rate to the current spot plus a fair interest-rate adjustment β some providers bundle excess spread into the forward price.
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