To be honest, I was worried at the beginning because I thought I was too young to be part of Online Trading Academy. Furthermore, I felt limited when people started sharing in my class how they were building their 500K or more retirement accounts. Just to give you a little background of my current situation, I am in my late 20s and working full time while supporting my wife who’s going through grad school, with no formal financial education prior joining OTA. I remember the first day feeling a little off place when people started talking about stocks/bonds and how Wall-Street was currently moving. Although confusing at first with all the new terminology, I noticed that to join OTA you don’t need a MBA but, rather, a coachable mind that is humble and willing to learn. Furthermore, the simple language used to walk you through the basics is relatable and easy to comprehend and retain. Perhaps what I like the most about OTA is the welcoming atmosphere, and that sense of family that holds OTA’s staff together. Even though I was the youngest person in the classroom, I never felt unwelcome. Furthermore, another great feature about OTA is that each student is paired with a mentor with plenty of financial experience that takes the time to get to know you at a personal level. So far I have taken the free hour lecture, the 3-day introduction class and the core-strategy course. And from what I can tell, I am still hungry for more knowledge and for more ways to better understand the market. The main pros about OTA are the very well-structured training programs that walk from the basics to more complex concepts. Added to this, there are multiple student resources and, as I previously mentioned, the opportunity to contact your mentor when you need to if you have any questions. Even though the pricing may be intimidating at first, it is a fair value when you get to see all the benefits and knowledge you can get. It is very important to highlight that OTA will not give you the secret key to all your financial goals. However, OTA will teach you how to minimize your risks and increase your chances for success. At the end of the day the greatest challenge is not all the academic content or the fees for them, but rather, finding the purpose and the “whys” of your financial goals. Once you get them straight, OTA can help you become part of the 1% that achieves his or her dreams.

Benjamin Manzano (Baltimore, MD)