Key takeaways
- Walk away from any course that promises income, shows account balances as proof or uses luxury lifestyle marketing.
- Look for a structured curriculum, live teaching you can see, feedback on your work and risk management taught first.
- Pure education does not need FCA authorisation, but anyone managing your money or giving you personal recommendations generally does.
- Check the full price, what is included, the refund terms and your 14-day cancellation rights before you buy.
The ten questions
1. Does it promise you'll make money?
If the marketing talks about income, quitting your job or "passive profits", walk away. Nobody honest can promise trading results, and most retail traders lose money.
2. Is it education or signals?
Some "courses" are really signal groups with a few videos attached. Ask directly: will I learn to make my own decisions, or will I be told what to trade? (More on this in trading signals vs education.)
3. Who teaches it, and can you see them teach?
Look for a named person you can watch explaining their thinking, on YouTube, in a free guide or on a call. Be cautious of anonymous brands and teachers who only post results.
4. Is there a structured curriculum?
A real course has an order: basics, then analysis, then risk, then strategy and psychology. Ask to see the module list. A folder of unsorted videos is not a curriculum.
5. How is progress checked?
Tests, practical tasks or reviews of your trades show someone is checking that you've actually learned each stage before you move on.
6. How much live contact is there?
Live calls and one-to-one time are where most learning happens, because you can ask about your own decisions. Ask how often, how long and with whom.
7. Is risk management taught first?
If position sizing and loss limits come after the "secret setup", the priorities are wrong.
8. Does it cover fundamentals as well as charts?
Knowing what moves markets, and when, prevents a large share of avoidable losses. See fundamental vs technical analysis.
9. What is the real price, and the refund policy?
Ask for the full price, what's included, whether there are upsells, and the refund terms in writing. In the UK, if you buy at a distance you usually have 14 days to change your mind, minus a fair amount for anything you've already used if you asked to start straight away.
10. What do independent reviews say?
Look at independent review sites rather than screenshots on the seller's own pages, and read the critical reviews as well as the good ones.
Do trading courses need to be FCA regulated?
Pure education, teaching how markets and strategies work, doesn't generally require FCA authorisation. Services that manage your money, give you personal recommendations or arrange trades for you generally do. If a "course" starts telling you what to buy or sell, or offers to trade for you, check the firm on the FCA Register.
How GRIT answers these
For transparency: GRIT is an education provider and isn't authorised by the FCA, because it doesn't give advice or manage money. It's a one-year structured course with nine modules, a test at each stage, live calls Monday to Thursday and 1-to-1 time with me, and the prices are published on the pricing page. If you'd like to put these ten questions to me directly, book a free call.
Sound like you?
I'm starting from zero, and every video assumes I already know the basics. Talk it through with me on a free 60-minute call.
Quick answers
Are trading courses worth it?
A good course can save you a lot of time and avoidable losses by giving you structure, feedback and risk management from the start. A bad one sells a lifestyle. Use the ten questions above, and remember no course can guarantee results.
Do trading courses need to be FCA regulated?
Courses that only teach generally don't need FCA authorisation. Anyone who manages your money, gives you personal recommendations or arranges trades for you generally does, so check them on the FCA Register.
How much does a trading course cost in the UK?
Prices range from free content to several thousand pounds for mentorship programmes. What matters is what's included: live teaching, feedback, one-to-one time and how long you get access.
Education only. This guide is general education, not financial advice or a recommendation to trade. Trading carries a high risk of losing money and most retail traders lose money. Examples are illustrations, not trade ideas.