Learning the ins and outs of investing and trading can be a lengthy, difficult process if you don’t have many hours a week to devote to it.

As notable author Jim Cramer states in his books and TV shows, you should be able to spend 1 hour per stock per week to really know all you need to know about that stock. There is also a fundamental difference between a trader and an investor but if you are just starting out it’s difficult to tell the difference.

This is where Online Trading Academy comes in.

Online Training Academy is the leading training school in the world for stock market training. Classes are aimed at all investors, novice to expert alike.

We offer a spectrum of trading styles and instruments, from Short Term Trading, Swing Trading, Position Trading, and Investment Theory for Stocks, Exchange Traded Funds, Options, Futures (Eminis & Commodities) and Currencies. We are committed to offering you the best in Financial Education!

The Good

What is good about this site at first glance is the sheer amount of information available at the click of a mouse. First of all the technical layout is well thought out and not overly complex. A simple system of drop down menus across the top lead you easily to the sections of the site you want to get to.

1. The site also loads quickly which is nice because they don’t rely heavily on web 2.0 technologies to get their information across. I also find the videos helpful and plentiful.
2. Beginning with the history of Online Trading Academy, users can get a good idea of how the company started and what their purpose and vision is. Interviews with the President, CIO and others provide a good backdrop of information about the beginnings of the company.
3. the FAQ is also comprehensive and answers many of the most basic questions users might have not only about Online Trading Academy but about investing and stock trading in general. It’s here you find information about how tuition and reimbursement work as well.
4. There are 55 instructors that all teach their own unique style of trading/investing so students have a variety of viewpoints and strategies to cull from.
5. Testimonial videos are included which allow potential students to hear from others that have been successful using the techniques learned here.
6. There are also 5 countries around the world where students can attend classes in person as well as virtually. Or if one prefers, there is a home-study option using DVDs and self paced information.
7. All instructors are also live-traders meaning they actively trade and work in the industry so you know you aren’t getting stale information and information that isn’t reliable.

Trading instruction is based on the 7 pillars of trading:

1. Fundamental Analysis / Macro Picture
2. Technical Analysis
3. Speed of Execution
4. Live Data Feeds
5. Risk Management
6. The Psychology of Trading
7. Trading Plan

Basing instruction around these 7 principles means students get a well-rounded education without bogging down in specifics until they are ready to do so.

The Bad

Ever heard the phrase, “It takes money to make money”? Online Trading Academy isn’t cheap but it’s not terribly expensive and tuition is reimbursed through discounts on trades at affiliated brokerage houses.

The Forex Trading Course is $1995 so be prepared to treat this just like you would any other university education. Be prepared to spend a few thousand dollars on your trading eduction if you want to cover all the facets of trading including stocks and forex.

Cost is about the only downside I see here. Even the DVD set is nearly as much as the in-person training and from my experience, DVDs are never quite as good as being there.

Summary

Online Trading Academy appears to be one of the best stock market educational companies around and from what I can see their reputation speaks for itself. If you have the financial backing to learn from the ground up about trading and investing from professionals that work in the field, I’d say that Online Trading Academy is a good fit.

However, for those of you that are interested in learning about the stock market but don’t have the bankroll for full blown schooling, there are other options out there that are cheaper, though may not provide the same depth and experience as this kind of comprehensive training.

*FTC requires me to disclose that this is a paid review. Although the opinion here is solely my own based on what I have researched on the website mentioned in this post, i have been compensated for the information disseminated here.*

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