Trading College FAQs
General FAQs
Here are some often asked general enquires. If need further assistance please contact us.
I’ve heard trading profits are tax-free, is that right?
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Yes all spread-betting profits are tax-free. Profits from the trading of CFDs are not and must therefore be declared. However, most of our students trade in spread-betting accounts to maximise profits.
I'm new to trading, will this be for me?
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We have courses for everyone, from complete beginners to those who are more experienced in trading. Some programmes can be personalised.
If you’re not sure that trading is for you, please come into the office to meet our team, give us a call for a chat, or please come to one of our low-cost courses to dip a toe in the water to find out the basics. Our regular ‘Learn to Trade Live’ courses are designed to give initial access to our team, our services and our programme so that you can make a fully informed decision about whether this is right for you.
Please click here to book.
I wish to trade with a partner / wife / husband, are there any special offers for us?
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You are certainly able to bring a guest for every place booked at a ‘Learn To Trade Live’ course. Please call the office and explain your situation. We’ll certainly help if we can.
What sort of people usually do well at trading?
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We teach all sorts of people. Teachers, business owners, engineers, builders, sales managers, drivers, parents, office workers, nurses and more. The characteristics that they have in common is a passion to learn the skills necessary to trade the markets successfully. If you can work to a plan with discipline and follow rules, have decent IT skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure, then you give yourself the best chance of success.
I am an experienced trader, but I am not yet consistently profitable. Can you help?
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Yes, we offer courses for traders of all levels, including experienced traders. We offer trader education, plus a live trading room, software, support and guidance. Call the office to speak to one of our traders / coaches, as we’d love to help you get consistently profitable.
When is your office open?
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The office is open Monday to Friday (excluding UK bank holidays) from 9am to 5.30pm.
Some courses run on Saturdays.
Live trading room and evening webinars run outside of regular office hours.
Where are you located?
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Our offices are based in Teddington, South West London. You’re welcome to come down and visit us if you wish, but we do ask that you make an appointment prior to doing so.
How do I make contact?
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You can contact us by calling 0203 005 4905, or email info@tradingcollege.co.uk.
There is a live chat option on the website, and we regularly monitor our social media channels.
When are the markets open?
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The forex markets, for example, are open 24 hours a day, but closed at weekends.
Can I trade around my day job?
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Yes, the majority of our students are in work. There are numerous ways to trade around the day job. Our online courses provide flexible learning, our webinars are recorded and posted promptly for you to watch at your leisure.
As well as courses, what else do you offer?
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Trading College offers online education, face to face courses, membership services, mentoring, indicators, and software, The Pro Trading System, Live Trading Room, technical assistance – and support.
We are developing material and new products all the time.
What do I need to get started?
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Please see our blog called, “What you need to get started…” posted on the website.
In brief, you’ll need:
- A laptop /PC with no less than 8GB RAM, I5 Intel processor & a Nvidia graphics card
- A brokerage account, to include a demo facility whilst you learn
- Good internet access of a speed no less than 17 mb/s, (and you should consider a back up internet connection)
- Adequate funds to trade with
- A chart package such as Pro Real Time, MT4 or Tradestation;
- Mobile phone to participate in online support groups
What will I be trading?
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You can trade almost anything from gold, oil, soya beans, and foreign exchange. If you’d like to trade something in particular, please get in touch and we can discuss your options.
How do I spot scams?
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Trader education is not regulated by the FCA. If you have any concerns about scams you should seek advice immediately through your bank, from Action Fraud or by contacting the police.
Some common sense advice includes:
- If it sounds too good to be true it usually is
- Do not invest in an organisation that contacted you first, without proper investigation on your part
- Be wary of overseas brokers claiming to trade for you. If they say that they are FCA regulated, ask yourself why the UK’s FCA would be covering an overseas business
- Avoid paying by bank transfer into a bank account. It’s usually safer to use a credit card, but please note that there may be a deadline for your application to retrieve lost funds.
- Keep an eye on the current scams doing the rounds
- Always check for online reviews, and do plenty of independent research
- If you have been scammed, be careful if you are contacted by a debt recovery agency shortly after, as this may be a route into getting scammed a second time.
- If in any doubts, seek independent financial advice
Our advice, move slowly. Don’t rush your decisions. Nothing beats learning this industry and how to trade for yourself, on your own terms, in control of your own fund.
How do I get set up with the right broker?
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You can use any broker you wish, or if you need some assistance in choosing you can see our trusted brokers page for more information. We recommend starting in a demo account whilst you’re learning and transferring to a live account when you feel you’re ready and seeing consistent results.
Do you run a course near me?
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We run courses weekly and monthly, and move around the UK regularly. Most often we can be found in London, Leeds, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Sheffield. Please call the office to register your interest – and we’ll keep you informed of dates near you.
What if I live outside of the UK?
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We offer online courses, making learning accessible from further afield. For those students signing up to one-to-one sessions with coaches, these sessions are frequently run online. Webinars are recorded, and recordings made available for those unable to work with our timetable. Please note that for those living outside of the UK, with no UK address there may be tax and VAT implications to consider.
Is everything online?
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We do offer courses that are fully online. However there are also alternative options for those who like to learn face-to-face. From our experience, the best option may be a mix of both, enabling some classroom-based learning, whilst also retaining access to an online portal with its 100s of online videos.
If you sign up to one-to-one mentoring sessions with a coach, these too can be provided online. Technical set up and any trouble shooting can be managed remotely too.
I prefer face-to-face learning, what’s available?
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Our Pro Trader Programme can be purchased with added Group Days. You’d get four days of face-to-face trader education per year, and these are Group Meetings for tuition at a business hotel or conference centre.
Our Mentorship Programme offers one-to-one sessions twice a month with your trading coach, which can be held at our offices if you wish, as well as monthly Group Meetings.
Is my laptop or PC suitable for trading?
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You will need:
- no less than 8GB RAM
- I5 Intel processor
- Nvidia (or similar) graphics card
- good internet access of a speed no less than 17 mb/s
- a back up internet connection
Although the choice of laptop or PC is your personal choice, we can certainly make some recommendations if you wish. Equally, before you buy, we’re happy to look at the specification and to offer a professional opinion. You should be able to buy a decent laptop, suitable for trading from approx. £400 to 600, although some laptops can be as much as £1,000 at the top end. You may wish to consider a decent brand, such as HP, Dell or Lenovo.
How do I get set up?
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To trade, you will need to set up a brokerage account, plus your charts and indicators. If you’ve signed up to an online course, you’ll need access to your learning portal.
This is easily done, and you’ll be guided through a few steps. However, if you prefer we can do this with you either at our offices or via webinar.
What if my computer skills are poor?
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To get the most from your programme you’ll need a certain level of IT skill. For example, the ability to join a webinar, the ability to watch an online video, to download software or send messages in social media. If you have any concerns, please chat to us.
Do you provide the trading software?
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Yes, when joining our Pro-Trader Programme or Mentorship you’ll receive our Pro-Trading System and Indicators along with your 12 month course. We also offer an installation session to get you all set up initially, as well as ongoing technical support.
Do I need a mobile phone?
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Yes this is helpful for receiving messages. You might also wish to sign into social media accounts for updates and videos.
Which chart packages can I use?
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Our software is compatible with ProRealTime, MetaTrader4, TradingView and TradeStation. You can choose whichever package you prefer, however in our experience there are some key differences between the packages that can contribute to your trading experience. Please see our Chart Packages page for more information.
How do I access the right charts?
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We’ll provide full instruction on how to access the most useful charts and data for your trading as part of your course.
Do you trade for me?
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No, we do not trade for you. We believe that the best way for you to achieve financial freedom is to learn how to effectively manage your own accounts. A skill that you can practice for life.
Certification and CPD – Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
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All of our courses, including the Mentorship Programme, are certified by the CPD Certification Service. You can request a certificate upon completion of your course.
Waiting lists – Why is there a waiting list to join the Mentorship Programme?
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Our Mentorship Programme is tailored to each individual student in order to provide the best education possible to achieve their trading goals. We only take on a few students per coach per year to ensure all students spend enough time with their coach. If you’d like to find out when the next places will be available please get in touch with our course adviser, Chris, on 020 3005 4905 or chris@tradingcollege.co.uk.
Can I choose my trading mentor?
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Please contact Trading College if you are interested in having a specific trading mentor.
Can I trust Trading College?
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Our coaches are all certified by the Society of Technical Analysis, so you can be sure they know what they’re talking about! Our courses are CPD certified, meaning you can request a CPD certificate upon completion of your course.
Do I need to attend classes?
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No, the majority of our classes are provided fully online. Our only classroom course is our Learn to Trade Live event, which occurs monthly and is either in London, or a regional location (check our page to see upcoming dates). Providing courses online means you can learn from anywhere in the world!
Are Trading College a broker?
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No, we are not a broker. You may use any broker you like, or see our trusted brokers page for more information.
What if I wish to pay in instalments?
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This is not a problem, as we offer 0% repayment plans for our longer courses. We require an initial deposit to get started, then you can spread the remainder of the cost of your programme across the next 12 months. This makes the cost of the programme easier to manage and allows you to have more money in your trading account to start making profits.
What if I am under 18?
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Unfortunately, if you’re under 18 you won’t be able to open a brokerage account, and that makes it difficult to trade. We do our best to cater to everyone’s needs, however we’re unable to teach anyone under 18.