Home › Market News › Trading Coaches: Do They Work?
I think if there’s one thing all traders can agree on, it’s that the trader education space is flooded with noise. The global trading education market was worth about $2.34 billion in 2024, and when that much money is on the table, there’s going to be a bunch of people chasing a piece of the pie. Scroll through the socials and you might see flashy screenshots of massive gains, Lambos parked in front of generic mansions, and promises that sound too good to be true.
Maybe you’ve even dropped serious cash on trading courses, coaching programs, and “exclusive” Discord groups, all chasing that “secret sauce” in the markets. And if you’re reading this, chances are you’re wondering: do trading coaches actually work, or are you just funding someone else’s lifestyle?
Truth is, you’re asking the right question, but the answer isn’t black and white. The problem isn’t that trading coaches don’t work—it’s that most of what’s being sold as “coaching” isn’t coaching at all.
Most trading gurus have mastered one thing better than trading: marketing. We’re talking about an industry where individual “trading gurus” can rake in millions annually selling courses. These aren’t proven traders who happened to stumble into teaching, these are marketers who figured out that selling the dream of trading riches is more profitable than actually trading.
If you’ve been in the trading game for a while, you’ve probably seen the price tags. Premium coaching programs range from $5,000 to $15,000, with some “elite” mentorships pushing $35,000 per year. Not to mention, trading Discord groups charge anywhere from $100 to $500 monthly. One-on-one coaching sessions can run $300-500 per hour.
That’s money that could be in your trading account instead.
Not all trading education is created equal. There are a few things to be on the lookout for when searching for a coach.
Watch Out for These Red Flags:
Imagine paying thousands to a “coach” who tells you they made $20k off one trade while conveniently forgetting to mention the ten trades before it that lost $2k each.
Here’s what hurts most: when you’re just following someone else’s calls, you’re not learning, you’re dependent. You might catch a few winners, but what happens when the market changes? What happens when that guru isn’t around? If you’re entering trades without understanding the thinking behind them, you’re setting yourself up to lose.
Real coaches are different. Here are some green flags to consider.
Great Trading Coaches:
The best coaches understand something gurus don’t: their job isn’t to make you money today. It’s to help you develop the skills to make money consistently over time. It’s not about giving you a fish, it’s about teaching you how to fish.
Want to spot a real coach? Look for transparency. Professional coaches trade live, show their losses, and explain their thought process in real-time. They don’t hide behind highlight reels or cherry-picked performance stats. They show you the full picture: the losses, the mistakes, the grinding days where nothing seems to click.
| Category | Guru Trading Coach Red Flags 🚩 | Real Trading Coaching Green Flags ✅ |
| Teaching Style | Blast out entry and exit signals for you to copy | Focus on developing your individual trading skills |
| Promises | Make outrageous claims like “Turn $1,000 into $100,000 in 30 days” | Emphasize skill growth and consistency over quick profits |
| Focus | Highlight only big wins and ignore losses | Show both wins and losses to teach real decision-making |
| Motivation | Make money selling courses, not trading | Earn their income primarily through actual trading success |
| Transparency | Use outdated screenshots or unverifiable results | Trade live and stay open about performance and process |
| Marketing Angle | Promote luxury lifestyles instead of real education | Focus on strategy, psychology, and process-driven growth |
| Outcome for Traders | Creates dependency—you rely on their signals | Builds independence—you learn to trade confidently on your own |
At Topstep, transparency is not just a marketing buzzword. It is how we operate. That is why we created TopstepTV, our live-streaming and on-demand hub where traders never trade alone. It’s where education meets entertainment with daily shows, expert insights, live coaching, and an active chat of traders helping each other grow.
Our trading coaches are in the trenches every single day, trading live during market hours. You’ll see them nail trades, and you’ll see them get stopped out. You’ll watch them adapt when the market shifts, and you’ll learn from their real-time decision-making, not just because they’re on screen, but because they walk you through it.
Take Coach Dakota, for example. He took a six-figure payout, and you can watch him trade daily on TopstepTV, completely for free. No paywalls, no exclusive memberships, just real trading education from someone succeeding in the markets.
What makes TopstepTV different? We know there isn’t one “right” way to trade. That is why we do not limit you to a single coaching style.
Some connect with Coach Hoag’s 35+ years of floor trading experience and systematic approach. Others vibe with Coach Jay’s basketball coach mentality and style of planning. Maybe you need Coach Ray’s order flow expertise or Coach Dakota’s overnight trading strategies.
While we’re talking transparency, at any given time, you can tune into TopstepTV and see our coaches disagree. One coach will be long while another is short. You’ll watch different approaches to the same market condition. That’s not a bug, it’s a feature. Markets are complex, and there are multiple ways to be profitable. Real coaches understand this and aren’t threatened by different strategies.
The best coaching happens in community, not in isolation. When you watch live trading, you’re not just learning from the coach; you’re learning from other traders’ questions and market reactions in real-time.
TopstepTV creates this environment daily, streaming live from market open to close. It’s free group coaching at the highest level, with some of the most experienced traders in the industry. No expensive monthly fees, no dreams sold, no upsells to get you to shell out for “premium” content.
And while we’re talking community, don’t even get us started on our Discord. Over 170k strong with free coaching throughout the day, but that’s for another article. Bottom line? This is the kind of accessible, worthwhile coaching that actually moves the needle for people.
The Benefits of Topstep TV Community:
The real question isn’t whether trading coaches work, it’s whether you’re working with the right kind of coach.
Remember the “secret sauce” we mentioned earlier? Notice how we never expanded on that? Because it doesn’t exist. Real coaches are focused on skill development, transparency, and building better trading habits. This approach definitely works, but only if you’re ready to do the work too.
The difference is simple: one sells you dependency, the other builds your development. One promises quick riches, the other teaches sustainable skills. One hides behind marketing, the other trades live every day.
If you’re ready to learn from real professionals who are actually trading and winning in today’s markets, TopstepTV is streaming live right now. No cost, no catch, just real education from traders who are doing exactly what they’re teaching.
Because at the end of the day, the best coaches don’t just talk about trading, they show you how it’s done.
Ready to sharpen your trading skills? Explore Topstep’s free Emotional Trading Journal to master your mindset, check out the Daily Levels for key market insights, stay disciplined with the Trading Checklist, and expand your knowledge with the Reading List trusted by Topstep coaches.
