# Trading Academy

> Trading Academy is an Irvine-based consumer financial-education company that teaches individual investors and aspiring traders through in-person classes, live online instruction, on-demand lessons, practice environments and community memberships. Founded as a trading floor in 1997 and renamed from Online Trading Academy in 2023, it organizes education around a proprietary Core Strategy and now pairs that curriculum with OTA Trade, broker integrations and simulation. Its scale and hands-on model distinguish it from low-cost video libraries, while its 2020 FTC settlement makes substantiated marketing, transparent pricing and risk disclosure central to any fair assessment of the business.

- **Founded:** 1997
- **Headquarters:** Irvine, United States
- **Founders:** Eyal Shahar (Founder and former CEO)
- **Team size:** Nearly 100 employees in October 2025, according to the company, after more than doubling from 46 under new ownership; a supplied third-party record lists 860 employees, likely reflecting a different reporting period or network scope.
- **Products:** Free Introductory Class, Market Timing Orientation, Core Strategy, Asset-class programs, eXtended Learning Track
- **Notable:** Reached 25 years in business in 2022., Reported serving more than 90,000 students worldwide by December 2023., CliK won a 2021 People's Choice Stevie Award for Favorite Fintech Solution, according to the company.

## Products & services

- **Free Introductory Class** — A no-cost entry class introducing the company's step-by-step approach, common novice errors and risk management.
- **Market Timing Orientation** — A three-day orientation to the proprietary Core Strategy and available education tracks.
- **Core Strategy** — The foundational curriculum covering trade planning, trend analysis, a decision matrix, position sizing and risk controls.
- **Asset-class programs** — Applied courses in stocks, options, futures, forex, strategic investing and digital assets, delivered through on-demand, live online and classroom formats.
- **eXtended Learning Track** — Recorded live sessions in which instructors and students apply concepts during market hours.
- **OTA Trade** — An education-centered charting and execution interface with proprietary analysis tools and connections to supported brokerages.
- **The Sandbox** — A brokerage-less simulated account inside OTA Trade for practicing entries, exits, sizing and risk management without funding a live account.
- **Mastermind Community** — A premium membership with live multi-asset programs, peer community and proprietary opportunity-screening tools; the public education page lists an unlimited-access tuition of $24,995.

## Achievements

- Reached 25 years in business in 2022.
- Reported serving more than 90,000 students worldwide by December 2023.
- CliK won a 2021 People's Choice Stevie Award for Favorite Fintech Solution, according to the company.
- Opened new centers in Dallas, Kansas City, Boston, Fort Lauderdale and New Jersey during the first year under new ownership.
- Renewed the Dubai location agreement for 10 years, announced in 2025.
- Earned BBB accreditation across corporate-owned centers, announced in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Published new market education on IPO risk as part of its ongoing Perspectives program.
- **2026-02** — Announced a four-day, in-person Digital Assets & Cryptocurrency Immersion at select locations.
- **2026-01** — Added The Sandbox, a brokerage-less simulated account for OTA Trade practice.
- **2025-10** — Reported expansion under new owner Kevin Young, including five new centers, an expanded options curriculum and a team approaching 100 employees.
- **2025-05** — Added trend-drawing tools plus TradeStation and tastytrade broker support to OTA Trade.

## Links

- Website: https://www.tradingacademy.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/online-trading-academy
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/TradingAcademy
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tradingacademy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnlineTradingAcademy

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/trading-academy
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-14