Online Trading Academy Review: Cost, FTC Case, New Owner

Online Trading Academy is one of the oldest trading schools in the US, and it now operates as Trading Academy under a new owner. Its past matters to anyone considering it. In 2020 the school and its leaders settled FTC charges over earnings claims, with a $362 million judgment that was partially suspended.

We did not attend a class and we are not customers. We reviewed the Trading Academy website, its risk disclosure, the FTC’s published case documents, the company’s own statement and Trustpilot on 6 November 2026. We could not review an enrollment contract. We have no business relationship with the school.

Online Trading Academy in 30 seconds

• Who: founded in 1997, now owned and operated by TradingEDU, LLC, according to its FAQ.
• Offer: a free intro class, a 3-day orientation and paid programs built on its Core Strategy.
• Cost: no price list on the pages we checked. The FAQ says pricing varies by location, course and delivery method.
• FTC case: a 2020 settlement over alleged false earnings claims. The company said it disagreed with many allegations.
• Reviews: 4.8 on Trustpilot from 4,860 reviews, plus the school’s own in-house ratings.

What is Online Trading Academy?

Online Trading Academy is a US trading education company, founded in 1997 and now branded Trading Academy, that teaches a proprietary market timing method in classes and online.

The ownership has changed since the FTC case. The FAQ says TradingEDU, LLC, a Nevada company, owns and operates the school under a “refreshed” leadership team. A 2025 press release names Kevin Young as owner. We could not establish the terms of the sale, so we cannot say which obligations moved with it.

Students deal with local centers. The disclosure says centers are independently owned and operated, and that each may set its own fees. So the person selling you a program may be a local operator.

Item	Details
Current brand	Trading Academy
Owner named in FAQ	TradingEDU, LLC (Nevada)
Address on website	2445 McCabe Way Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92614
Founded	1997, according to the FAQ
Students	“more than 95,000” in the FAQ, “more than 85,000” on the homepage
Certificates	no degrees or accredited certificates, according to the FAQ

What Trading Academy teaches

The path starts with a free class and leads to a 3-day orientation with an enrollment meeting. The education page describes a free intro class, then a 3-day Market Timing Orientation. There you can meet privately with an enrollment specialist about the education tracks.

The Core Strategy is the foundation. The page describes key terms, order types, a decision matrix, proprietary odds enhancers and position sizing. A live program called the eXtended Learning Track then applies the concepts during market hours. Further tracks cover other markets, including digital assets.

We cannot judge how well it works. We did not attend, and the school calls the method proprietary. Compare its teaching with neutral guides on support and resistance and risk management, then test any rule on a simulator first.

Online Trading Academy cost

We found no public price list. The FAQ says pricing depends on location, course selection and delivery method, and points you to the free class or your local center. Most students, it says, buy bundled programs.

The only figure we can source is historical. In 2021 the FTC said the training programs cost as much as $50,000. That does not tell you what the school charges today, so ask for the exact total in writing and compare it with our trading courses checklist before the enrollment meeting.

Treat financing as a separate decision. The FTC’s 2021 action against the funder of past payment plans described them as short-term, high-interest contracts. We do not know what financing is offered now. Read any loan terms and ask about your cancellation rights before signing.

The FTC case: what happened

The FTC sued in February 2020 and the case settled in September 2020. The case page lists Civil Action No. 8:20-cv-00287 in the Central District of California. The defendants included OTA Franchise Corporation, related companies, founder Eyal Shachar, Samuel Seiden and Darren Kimoto.

These were allegations, settled without a trial finding in the sources we reviewed. According to the FTC’s release, the agency alleged the school had no evidence that buyers were likely to earn the advertised profits. It also alleged that surveys and trading data showed most made little or no money, and that form contracts discouraged complaints.

The company disputed the case. Its September 2020 statement called the matter primarily a dispute over marketing and said it disagreed with many allegations. It described settling as the most prudent option.

Item	As published by the FTC
Monetary judgment	$362 million, partially suspended over inability to pay
Individual payments	$5 million to $9.1 million in total, plus surrendered assets
Earnings claims	barred unless non-misleading and backed by written substantiation
Review clauses	contract terms limiting reviews or contact with law enforcement barred
Refunds, August 2021	more than $5.4 million to 31,144 consumers, averaging $175
Debt forgiven	over $13.3 million

The payment plan funder settled separately in 2021. Universal Guardian Acceptance agreed to offer debt forgiveness to buyers whose contracts it held, and to screen and monitor its clients more closely. That case involved the funder, not a new action against the school.

What has changed, and what we cannot tell

The current website is more cautious in some places, but it still sells confidence. The disclosure warns that active trading is speculative and that losses can exceed 100% of an investment. It says neither the school nor its representatives are licensed to give investment advice.

The FAQ’s answer to “Is Trading Academy legit?” does not mention the FTC case. It cites its history, awards and an average post-class rating. We found no current data on students’ trading results on the pages we checked, so satisfaction scores should not be read as evidence of profitability.

Ask the school about the order directly. Ask who your contract is with, whether the local center is an independent operator, and what evidence supports any statement about income. Keep the answers in writing.

Trading Academy reviews

Trustpilot showed 4.8 out of 5 from 4,860 reviews on 6 November 2026. The profile is claimed, the company has a paid subscription and it invites customers to review. Invited reviews can skew positive, so read the recent negative ones too.

The school’s own rating is a different measure. Its homepage shows 4.72 out of 5 from 224,526 reviews, which the FAQ calls post-class ratings. These are collected by the school and rate the class experience, not trading results.

The homepage quotes a former regulator whom the school engaged for a review. It says it engaged Dr. Jeff Harris, a former chief economist of the SEC and CFTC, to review its education in 2019. The quote predates both the FTC’s 2020 complaint and the change of owner.

Strengths and limits

Strengths

• Format: classroom and live sessions
• Trial step: a free intro class before any payment
• Scope: several markets built on one rule set
• History: in business since 1997, according to the school

Limits

• Price: no public price list; fees may differ by center
• FTC history: a 2020 settlement over alleged false earnings claims
• Results: no current student results data found on the pages we checked
• Sales process: the path includes private meetings with enrollment staff
• Credentials: no degree or accredited certificate

Who is Trading Academy for?

It may suit people who strongly prefer classroom teaching, can afford it and can judge a sales meeting calmly. Beginners on a budget can start for free with our learning sequence and compare formats in our trading education guide. For context: Kagels Trading also sells trading education, so we have a commercial interest in this market.

Frequently asked questions about Online Trading Academy

Is Online Trading Academy the same as Trading Academy?

The website uses the name Trading Academy and continues the history that began in 1997. Its FAQ names TradingEDU, LLC as owner and operator. The FTC’s 2020 case named OTA Franchise Corporation and related companies.

How much does Online Trading Academy cost?

We found no current price list on 6 November 2026. The FAQ says pricing varies by location, courses and delivery method. The FTC said in 2021 that programs had cost as much as $50,000, which is a historical figure.

Is Online Trading Academy a scam?

We cannot answer that with a label, so here is what the record shows. The FTC alleged false earnings claims, and the 2020 case ended in a settlement, with the company disputing many allegations. Ownership has since changed, and we did not test the current courses.

Did Online Trading Academy give refunds?

The FTC sent more than $5.4 million to 31,144 consumers in 2021. That was an FTC refund program with an average check of $175. For a new purchase today, get the cancellation terms in writing.

Does Trading Academy offer a certificate?

No, its FAQ says it offers no degrees or accredited certificates. It says the courses are for people trading their own accounts, and its disclosure says they will not lead to a job.