Many beginners may consider joining trading courses but hesitate due to doubts about their value. In this blog post, we will discuss whether day trading courses are worth the investment from a third-person perspective (without selling you unnecessary courses).
Let’s cut short and dive in!
Learning day-trading in your way could take years (maybe more than 10 years) and money to master the skills because the only way to learn well in day trading is to learn from mistakes.
However, that requires a great deal of effort, time, and capital to lose.
On top of that, you would need a determined growth mindset to understand what you are learning, like designing a system to record your mental state, your trading rationale, backtesting the strategies, and some self-pep talk when you are ready to give up…and more.
(Personally, I faced failures and moments of despair. Once, I became frustrated and cried after losing over $20,000 by following trading advice from different "gurus.”)
Nevertheless, if you join a trading course, you can easily learn from other’s experiences and avoid the mistakes that they have already made, saving you time in learning day trading and speeding up your learning curve.
A study conducted by the University of California found that only 13% of independent retail day traders consistently profited over six months of trading. Another survey revealed that only 1% of independent retail day traders consistently made money over five years or more. While these results suggest that trading is a challenging career, the music beneath the words is that a beginner trader should find the 1% of profitable, seasoned individuals who have demonstrated consistency and success in the markets and seek guidance and mentorship from them.
Types of Day Traders Percentage Consistent profit over 6 months 13% Consistent profit over 5 years or more 1%Besides, trading is such an individual thing. When new traders are learning and trying to figure out trading all by themselves, emotions, pressure, and self-doubt come naturally. For this reason, having educational and mental support from a trading community that shares similar experiences with you would be crucial.
Nowadays, new traders can definitely start learning with free online resources and great teachers on YouTube. However, just imagine this: How often can you get your trading questions answered in the comment sections or via emails sent to a mailbox designed for general inquiries?
My own experience, as someone who started trading by learning through DVDs, speaks heavily to the importance of having a trading pod. I thought I was a very introspective person with a decent self-reflection capacity. However, the mistakes leading to my trading losses were mostly blind spots and polishing your trading skills.
And most importantly, the biggest perk of trading with other experienced traders is that you can easily learn from other’s perspectives or strategies from the discussion, and even learning from the mistakes that they made so that you can avoid it yourself. To me, a good trading community was a gold mine of day trading knowledge when I first started as a beginner trader!
A solid trading course should emphasize the following concepts; if they are missing one or two elements of these, they may not be comprehensive enough for a day trading beginner.
Trading psychology should be one of the core elements of any trading course. If you ask any professional day traders what the most important thing to learn for day trading is, you can always expect to hear about trader’s psychology.
Learning hard skills like reading the chart, drawing lines, or using more indicators is not that difficult. As long as you put time into it, you can learn quickly.
However, trading psychology is a habit of how you react to different emotions. How can you be calm to execute the plan when you are winning 10x from your stock or losing 50% of your portfolio?
A good day trading course should have sufficient knowledge to help you build your psychological strength.
Before learning how to make profits, you should know how to lose. Risk management is another big topic in day trading. You should expect to learn how to manage your risk in each trade, covering concepts like risk exposure, position sizing, and risk-reward ratio.
Technical analysis is finding the proper lens to see the trading world. A good trading course should provide basic technical analysis information for you to understand what’s going on in the market. You can expect the following topics to be covered:
Price action: understanding and interpreting price movements, momentum shifts, volume, and candlestick patterns.
Breakout and breakdown chart patterns: identifying levels for entering or exiting trades.
Support and resistance levels: identifying key levels for potential entry and exit points.
Technical indicators: introducing different types of indicators like Volume-Weighted-Average-Price (VWAP), Relative Strength Index (RSI), and moving averages.
Volume analysis: Understanding the significance of trading volume in confirming price movements.
Fibonacci retracements and extensions: Using Fibonacci ratios to identify support, resistance, and price targets.
Trend lines: drawing and using trend lines to identify trends in price movements.
Market breadth analysis: assessing market health and turning points by analyzing market breadth, including level 2 data.
To find the most suitable day trading course, you may want to consider the following factors:
Consider the cost of the course in relation to the value it offers. While price shouldn't be the only thing you consider, it's important to make sure that the course provides enough value and return on investment for the knowledge and skills you'll gain.
What is the general price range for a trading course?
If you search for any day-trading course, you will find tons of options available. The general price range for a trading course lies between US$29.99 and US$20,000. Different packages have different offerings. Don’t forget to compare a few more to find your best fit!
Review the course curriculum and content to ensure they cover the topics and areas of trading that interest you. (You may take a look again at the above-mentioned references on what a comprehensive trading course looks like.)
Look for comprehensive and well-structured programs that include both theoretical concepts and practical applications. It would be nice to check if they give you real-time examples or if the pre-recorded videos are already outdated and might not be suitable for now.
Consider whether the course provides ongoing support or access to a community of traders for further learning and networking. That is quite essential for a beginner trader to have because it might be difficult to work on the problems if you don’t know what to look into.
Some courses provide 1-on-1 sessions, so you can ask questions regarding your questions.
Also, having a trading community can speed up your learning when you have peers to learn from and share your day trading strategies for review.
When you're researching an instructor, it's a good idea to check out their background, experience, and expertise. Take a look at their trading experience and track record to make sure they have practical knowledge and have been successful in the markets. It's also worth seeing if they have any relevant certifications or qualifications that add credibility to their teaching.
Look for trustworthy providers or educational institutions that offer courses taught by experienced traders or instructors with a strong track record. Take a moment to read reviews and testimonials from previous students to get an idea of the course's quality and effectiveness.
Seek recommendations and testimonials if needed. Reach out to fellow traders or professionals in the industry for their recommendations. Ask for their insights on reliable trading courses or seek testimonials from individuals who have previously taken the course you're considering.
If you have decided to join a day trading course, what should you prepare before joining a day trading course? Here are a few things to prepare before joining a day trading course.
Determine what you hope to achieve by taking a trading course. Are you looking to learn the basics of trading, develop advanced strategies, or specialize in a specific market or asset class? Having clear goals will help you choose the right course that aligns with them.
Also, the goal should be SMART. You can also use the SMART framework to set up the learning goal.
Description Example Specific A goal should be specific and clearly defined. It answers the questions: What do you want to accomplish? Why is it important? Who is involved? What resources or constraints are relevant? The more specific the goal, the better. I want to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to consistently execute profitable day trades in the stock market. Measurable A goal should have measurable criteria that allow you to track progress and determine when you have achieved it. It involves quantifying or qualifying the goal so that you can objectively evaluate your performance. I will aim to achieve a minimum average daily profit of $100 within three months of actively trading. Achievable A goal should be realistic and attainable, considering your skills, resources, and circumstances. It should stretch your abilities but still be within the realm of possibility. Setting goals that are too ambitious or unattainable can lead to frustration and demotivation. Given my current schedule and commitment, I will dedicate at least two hours each day to studying and practicing day trading strategies. I will also allocate sufficient funds for trading and ensure I have access to a reliable trading platform. Relevant A goal should be relevant and aligned with your broader objectives and aspirations. It should be meaningful and contribute to your overall growth and success. Consider how the goal fits into your long-term trading plans and whether it aligns with your values and priorities. Becoming a successful day trader aligns with my long-term financial goals of generating income from trading and achieving financial independence. Time-bound A goal should have a specific timeframe or deadline for completion. This adds a sense of urgency and helps you stay focused and motivated. It also allows you to track progress and make necessary adjustments along the way. Within the next three months, I will consistently execute trades and work towards achieving a minimum average daily profit of $100.Of course, you may start with a 3-month goal with something very simple. It could be reading 10 charts a day for 3 months and not starting to trade with real money. The biggest mistake in trading is having the illusion that you can get rich overnight. (That’s not day trading, but gambling!)
Learning day trading can be a big task to accomplish. Be prepared to devote at least 1-2 hours per day to studying. Otherwise, you are not getting enough time to turn the knowledge into a habit and forget the knowledge over time.
The best mindset is to treat day trading as a life-long project. You polish your skill sets every day, bit by bit. And you find it fun and enjoy the process. That’s a trick to becoming successful in day trading.
There is no guarantee of winning, and neither is the trading course. Be prepared that after joining some courses, you might not get what you want to achieve, and that’s the consequence that you should consider. (Risk management once again, my friends!)
Even if the day trading courses are useful, bear in mind that trading always involves risk. There’s no way that you are guaranteed to win money without any risk. Just ensure that the course emphasizes risk management principles and a realistic approach to trading.
And most importantly, you follow the risk management principles!
Here are some of the misconceptions in trading, and you should try at all costs to remember them:
You can get rich overnight
Trading is such a long-term game that requires grinding efforts. So, don’t expect that after learning one trading course, you can get rich overnight. The reality is that day trading is challenging and doesn't guarantee quick riches.
I have a good feeling
When you say you have a good feeling, that could be the moment that you start losing money because emotion is your biggest enemy in trading. You would need to master your greed and fear to become a good trader.
Good traders don’t lose money
Not all trading days need to be green, but good traders have green days that far outnumber their red days.
Let’s get down to the core. Is the Humbled Trader Day Trading Course worth it?
Shay
Hey, I'm Shay, the creator of Humbled Trader. I started Humbled Trader because I was just sick and tired of all the show-off and fancy-rich stuff (Lamborghinis everywhere!) in those online day trading tutorials. I want to share trading knowledge from my own experience with those who aspire to become traders.
I began my day trading journey in 2014 after grinding it out in the film and VFX industry. I faced many failures and had numerous days where I felt like giving up. I'll never forget the time I got so frustrated that I slammed my computer and burst into tears after losing over $20,000 following chat room alerts from different "trading gurus."
But after six long years of hard work in the markets, I now trade full-time from home and spend my free time doing the things I love. I also create fun and educational YouTube videos to share my trading journey. I'm proud to say that I now have over 800,000 dedicated subscribers, and I also run my very own trading community of over 800+ members.
Adam
Adam is a derivatives and options trader and trading coach known for his straightforward teaching process. He specializes in the back-side long strategy and has degrees in Business Administration and Finance. During college, he was selected to join the Wildcat Investment Value Fund, where he helped grow a portion of the university's endowment. Over the past six years, he has collaborated with many Financial Advisors and Portfolio Managers.
Orane
He is a part-time trader, marketing and business expert, entrepreneur, and private equity investor. Originally from the Caribbean, Orane manages a financial education company that has positively impacted over 1000 lives, creating millionaires and enabling many to retire. He is currently a partner at Humbled Trader Inc.
Hank
Hank is an experienced cyber security professional who is now a full-time day trader, applying his geekiness from his IT career to his endeavors.
Hank specializes in identifying overbought or oversold equities. He finds shorting overbought trades very profitable, but it requires continuous learning and patience for the right entry. Previously, Hank only focused on long trades due to the perceived risks associated with shorting. However, he later realized that the market fluctuates significantly and operates within those fluctuations as a trader.
So, what could you expect after joining Humbled Trader? Here is an overview!
A comprehensive, self-paced course designed to teach you the foundations of day trading stocks. Here is an overview of the course:
Unit 1 and 2: What to Expect and Shay’s Story
Unit 3: HT Roadmap for Beginner Traders
Unit 4: Stock Market Lingo for Beginners
Unit 5 Brokers and Platform Set Up
Unit 6: Introduction to Candlestick Charts
Unit 7: Technical Analysis
Unit 8: Risk Management
Unit 9: Trade Journal and Tracking
Unit 10: Trade Planning: Small Caps
Unit 11: Trade Planning: Large Cap Stocks
Unit 12-14: Long Strategies
Unit 15-16: Short Strategies
Unit 17: Trader Psychology and Longevity in The Market
Join our traders as they generously share their daily trading plans and offer valuable insights to help you enhance your skills. You can get access to real-time views or opinions about the market.
Receive personalized attention and guidance from our team of experts, who are here to assist you in navigating the program and ensuring you make the most of your experience.
Explore advanced trading techniques, delve deeper into the latest market trends, and have your questions answered by our friendly team of experienced trading coaches.
Access a wide range of educational content, including live trade recaps, comprehensive tutorials, and exclusive interviews with industry experts.
Connect with traders who share your interests from all over the world. Share your ideas and strategies, and receive valuable support from our vibrant community.
Humbled Trader costs US$1870 per year. I have to admit that is quite some money, considering all the materials and support. I wish I could bring you the best knowledge and experience in day trading so you can thrive in your trading journey!
“It actually feels like I have my own personal trading coach just because my questions have always been answered and I always have a game plan moving forward.”
– Amiel N. (Las Vegas, USA)
“Before joining the Community, I was learning day trading through endless Youtube videos…I had no consistency in my trading…The HT community has taught me the foundations…”
– Kevin C. (Coquitlam, Canada)
Find out more feedback from our community here.
I'll leave the answer up to you, but I'm excited to hear more from you to tell me if this is worth it! If you are interested, join the Humbled Trader Community today!
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