I enrolled in Online Trading Academy's Mastermind program based on how the program was presented during the sales process. The enrollment discussions emphasized structured guidance, ongoing support, strategy development, and a learning environment designed to help students apply rules consistently with disciplined risk management. While instructional components were provided, my experience did not fully align with the expectations set at enrollment. Certain tools and community features that were described as meaningful parts of the learning ecosystem were either unavailable or did not function in the way I understood they would. Although alternatives were mentioned, the overall structure and accessibility felt different from what I anticipated when making the enrollment decision. I understand that OTA identifies itself strictly as an educational institution and not as an investment advisory or signal service. However, the way trade examples, success narratives, and consistency concepts were framed during marketing and class discussions contributed to expectations that, in my personal experience, were difficult to reconcile with real-world results. This review is not about individual instructors or staff professionalism. My interactions were generally professional. My concerns relate to program value relative to enrollment representations and the overall experience compared to the expectations created during the sales process. Prospective students should conduct thorough independent research, review the curriculum carefully, ask detailed questions about how support systems function in practice, and fully understand refund and contract terms before enrolling. It may also be helpful for consumers to be aware that the company has previously been subject to a Federal Trade Commission enforcement action resulting in a court-ordered injunction governing certain advertising and sales practices. That information is publicly available and may be relevant context when evaluating the program. This reflects my personal experience and perspective so others can make informed decisions. read more

Core Strategy was a very good course. It is challenging but the support I received was great. Spencer Lewis is a great instructor, he is super knowledgeable and keeps the content relatable. The whole team has been great. read more

They are so very kind and professional They have the resources and highly qualified staff to help you reach your goals The facility is magnificent the staff are all good people and will help you reach for your goals read more

Trading Academy - Minneapolis - Vocational & Technical School Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Started here as a student in 2017 where I learned how to professionally trade the Stock, Options, & Futures market. OTA eventually brought me on their team as an employee! Working here and seeing the success of our students is something I love deeply. The overall financial market is a very intimidating concept but having OTA push you through the roadblocks is truly inspiring. I would highly recommend OTA, as there is no better place in the world to grow your financial education. There is a reason they've been in business for 25+ years!!! read more

See all

Attending the Free Investing Class provided me with the financial knowledge that no college course taught me. The team is incredibly supportive and there to help you reach your goals. I recommend OTA Minneapolis! read more

The Minneapolis OTA center is the best. Starting with the Leadership, customer support, facilities, staff, process, and especially the Instructors. The education is a journey but the results are exceptional. read more

Attended the Core strategy class last week as a novice who just graduated from college. Wow what an eye opening experience on how the markets work. Knowledge I can use my entire life. I'm so glad I took the class so I can use this my entire life. The instructor was amazing explaining things so I can even understand them and the center staff was amazing. Special thanks to Spencer in student support being patient and understanding during the learning process. I love the knowledge and now I will focus on building the skill of trading and investing. Thanks OTA Minneapolis for a wonderful experience! read more

This school is the best place to learn how to generate income and make smart investments. Instructors there are very professional and happy to share their experience. I am a student of OTA and my home town is Chicago. I've taken a class in Minneapolis and was impressed with how responsive, caring and supportive the staff is. Highly recommend this place! read more

When I was first contacted by OTA in July 2014 I was very skeptical of getting involved with yet another "expert" on the markets. I have been trading since 1996 and have had many, many companies approach me over the years. Some I have become involved with but most I have dismissed. I started with a free half day seminar just to see what they had to offer. I was impressed and moved forward to a 3 day seminar and then became a customer. They call us students and the term is completely appropriate. OTA has a company philosophy of being there for its students with a goal of educating them in the OTA method of trading and of how the markets work so that they can be successful traders. OTA has an amazingly full suite of education available for every type of trader whether you trade daily, swing trade or long term and all markets - stocks, futures, forex, options. When you sign up to take a course with OTA you get lifetime retakes on the course as well as 3 to 5 two hour online live classes in the markets. They also have a ton of supplementary educational support tools such as a weekly newsletter, email support to ask any question you want, review of your individual trades, a daily internet radio show, student and instructor blogging, weekly specialty training, weekly core strategy review and more. This is all included as being a student at OTA and having taken one course with them. All of that is from the corporate OTA office. We also have an amazing local office in Minnesota where every student has an education counselor you can discuss your trading with, special student support staff, monthly review sessions, special training from time to time. All of this is free as part of being a student of OTA. So with all this training and all this support and all these extra educational materials am I a successful trader? The simple answer is yes. I am consistently profitable in my trading. This is because I have put in the time and effort to learn from a great organization who's goal is to offer the best possible education. I am completely happy with my experiences with both corporate and local OTA. So much so that I have recently joined their Master Mind Club and that has been even more enlightening and beneficial than I expected. I recommend OTA to anyone who wants to truly learn how to trade in any financial market. If you do the work you will be rewarded. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

I am very impressed with the depth of knowledge and expertise of the instructors and support services staff at OTA MN.

In a word, Woohoo! The best community and environment for learning. Great experienced instructors teaching what they love. Using real hands-on trading and traditional classwork to get you everything you need. read more

I am not sure about you but I do not answer calls on my phone that i do not recognize. I get a little wary of phone calls that don't show an ID or leave a message. I wish that whoever called a half dozen times would have left a message prior to, rather than after the class time. I contacted them again today after hearing their show. I started by letting them know that I was irritated by their approach on the phone and that they didn't leave any messages. To me, validating a serious concern, as most scam telemarketers don't leave messages either. I was then asked if i wanted to register for a class? No concern for my issue. When i said no they hung up. Hmmm. Nice. Hopefully we both learn something from this. read more

I have taken two classes at OTA so far, and have two more scheduled. They have taken me from an amateur trader to a professional very quickly. Their core training program teaches a very solid and successful method. The instructors are very knowledgeable. The two I've had so far both have over 25 years of experience. There is good student support beyond the classroom, both with support people and additional online training and webinars. read more

Such a supportive learning environment. Clean venue and friendly staff!

I just finished the beginning class at OTA and I have had a wonderful experience so far. The facility and location is wonderful. A quality and professional environment. I am not even close to being a pro yet, but I feel very confident and comfortable approaching them with any struggle I have and they promise to hold my hand along the way if I wish. The class was tough and there was a ton of content, but having no prior financial or stock experience, the instructor met each of us where we were at and encouraged us the whole time. They really did welcome me into the family right away and the sense of community is very real. I have a lot of work to do, but I am excited for my future in trading as well as being a part of this supportive community. read more

Online Trading Academy provides a great educational opportunity with excellent student support. Spencer & Monica are always available to answer questions and get me whatever help I need to accomplish my goals! The student support sessions promote community and networking opportunities. The team at OTA will work as hard as you will for your success!! read more

Online Trading Academy showed me I can on average beat the market. It shows me when to place buy orders and sell orders. The goal is always to have a 3 to 1 reward to risk or better. Lots to learn, but doable. Now I'll be able to invest opn my own with confidence and the ability to sleep at night without worrying about the market dropping past my tolerance level. Excellent training and super supportive staff and follow-up. Spendy, but worth it! read more

OTA has been an enlightening experience. The staff are friendly & professional. The instructors are knowledgeable, experienced & excellent at presenting the course material. The level of ongoing support is amazing. I strongly recommend taking a look at this program. read more

I went to a free seminar at Online Trading Academy in Minneapolis after calling in on a radio show where they promised me some free investing DVDs just for showing up to a free seminar. At that free seminar, they sold me a $299 3 day class (they really wanted me to sign up on the spot and not wait). They shared all kinds of information that they would be teaching us during this 3 day class which I was really looking forward to. Than I attended this 3 day class, what they called a market timing course. They led us to believe they would teach us market timing (and why else would you call the class market timing?). Boy was I surprised to find out it was basically nothing more than a 3 day informercial to sell us their real classes that cost between $21,000 & $50,000. This 3 day class covered general, feel good information (they did get our blood pressure going good about how the markets & Jim Kraemer are ripping us off) but there was nothing specific that taught us how to invest our own money. When I told my sales rep I might be interested to start with their 7 day $7000 class instead of their $21,000 class, my sales rep told me the $7000 class didn't include their continuos education program and without that I likely wouldn't learn enough in the $7000 class to make money on my own. When I asked how much for the continuos education program, I was told $14,000 but than I was told I would need at least $25,000 in my investment account to make any money. When I asked what about all their hype during their free seminar where they said a person could make good money off an account with just $2000 in it, my sales rep said I would need at least their $21,000 class to be able to make money with just a $2000 account. What? You tell me during your free seminar people can realistically make money on accounts as small as $2000 only to tell me after I sign up and pay you $299 for a class, that I can only do that if I spend at least ANOTHER $21,000 with you to learn this? This is like a fraud, a scam, a ripoff, a bait & switch. My sales rep seemed young, confusing & wet behind the ears. It was confusing why we met so much but than I figured it out he was just trying to butter me up to sell me expensive classes. I got the feeling the workers there, except the out of town teachers who they fly in for this 3 day informercial, are all sales reps and not actually investing themselves but just trying to sell us these expensive classes. Everyone that worked there would tell us how well they were doing investing but no one would prove it. And if it's so good, why do you still work there? I should have read the online reviews I found after I attended the class, before I signed up for their class, because it would have saved me a bunch of time & money (I wouldn't have signed up). (Do google searching around and you can find all kinds of complaints on bbb, ripoffreport, complaintboard, Yelp in other cities (Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, Irvine, San Jose), etc. I have now reread all the above complaints and it got my blood boiling (I feel so stupid now that I signed up for their $299 class) so I felt I had to write this complaint. While I was looking up what others wrote about this company, I found the below recent job posting where they say they pay their sales reps $150,000 a year to sell us their high priced classes (they call them "Education Counselor" but that's their name for their sales reps who talk to people. Google Search: "Online Trading Academy, Education Counselor, Minneapolis, $150k" I was surprised there was nothing in that write up that made them have investing experience but just sales experience. Again, it proves their just sales reps. I don't mind spending money on classes but was thinking it'd be maybe $3000 to $5000 which is still a lot of money but I'd be okay with. But to be told I wouldn't really learn enough to invest my own money if I spent $7000 with them, and I really needed to spend at $21,000 or more with them is crazy. If you don't want to spend $21,000 to $50,000 on their education, and don't want to be pressured by sales reps when you attend their $299 3 day informercial, I would recommend you not even waste time on their free seminar or their 3 day $299 class as it is nothing more than bait & switch and a high pressured sales pitch. read more

The professionals who work at Online Trading Academy - Minneapolis are so helpful and beneficial in teaching what some might consider the greatest (unknown) investment opportunity available to all: trading the FOREX, Futures, and Stocks/Options markets! There is so much opportunity available and unknown to so many, and OTA Minneapolis, led by Kevin Young & Tom Tagtmeyer, additionally assisted by such wonderful professionals as Stephanie, Shelby, Tara, Spencer, Al, Ray, Monica, and many other unnamed experts, will help guide you to profits and a part-time or full-time career like no other trading the right way successfully - read more

There is no better place to go if you want to learn how to trade. OTA makes it a fun, welcoming environment for everyone who comes in hoping to learn, regardless of their knowledge/skill level. I learned more in one week than I ever have in years of schooling. The student support is incredible and OTA wants everyone to succeed and they work very hard to make that possible. I would highly recommend! read more

Education taught by experienced traders. Valuable financial education you can't get anywhere else. You do have to put the time in to learn and apply (like any other skill). read more

Thanks to all the teachers, education counselors, staff, student services and Kevin Young(owner) for all the help in discovering the best decision and best education I have ever received/experienced. The curriculum is simple to follow and I have learned how to make serious money in Forex which is a great place to start. It has taken 6 weeks from graduation to start making good money from the knowledge and wisdom gained and I am grateful as it is changing my life for the better. I have two degrees from universities and I have had a difficult time finding a great opportunity. So I decided to use the savings and earnings I do have to go to OTA and it was the best decision. I want to earn enough in my lifetime to take care of my family well, help those who may need help, and support those in need. This is the road to success that I have been searching for. I do not mean to sound cliche as I have done okay in my career prior to coming OTA, but now I can work the market from anywhere anytime and continue to do my current job which is ideal as it massively increases my earnings potential. OTA has a great student support set-up to assist the recent grads in their journey to success in trading, investing, and most of all retirement planning. If it wasn't for the efforts by the school to help the students grow after graduation, I would be earlier in the learning curve and probably not earning daily profits like I have been. Thanks so much to the school and if you decide to go here for market/trading/investment education, Online Trading Academy in Bloomington, MN, is the best choice from my experience. Thanks. read more

I attended the market timing course this past weekend and I was very impressed. The OTA staff is outstanding and their methods are professional and honest. I am excited to begin taking additional courses at OTA-Minneapolis. read more

What stands out in this location is the dedication of the staff to the students for the success. As of today, I have taken all three asset classes: the options, futures, and forex. The caliber of each instructor has been unbelievable. Having taken some of them retakes, the last asset class (forex) was a blast. What I mean is that I not only seamlessly followed the instructor's content, but also I knew exactly what to put on the trading plan by the time the class ended. Yeah!!!! As each person learns differently, mine is that I needed to know the forest before climbing a tree, and the Online Trading Academy delivered beyond all of my expectation. Until you come to the class and see the actions, it doesn't do a justice to write any review in this space because you can't compare a donut shop experience to an arduous journey to the financial freedom in life. In short, coming to the Online Trading Academy was one of the best decisions in my life. In fact, I kick myself every now and then: why on earth I didn't think about checking this place out sooner?! Fortunately for those in Minneapolis area, we continue to hear from the instructors that this location is one of the best centers if not the best. Get to know the owner, Kevin, if you would. He always puts the students first at his expense in every practical aspect - i.e. offering free evening sessions whenever famous instructors come to this center. Those who understand know its value and appreciate it deeply. We appreciate the tasty non-stop coffee to keep us staying awake and the occasional lunches, but the best part of OTA MN is the jaw-dropping professional trader instructors, dedicated facility/staff, and the student network (both local & global via online). read more

I went to OTA after hearing them advertise on the radio (AM1130). They were offering a free half day Power Trading workshop and education materials. They were very welcoming when I arrived and were very prompt on beginning the workshop on time at 10am, this was a Saturday. It was made clear right up front that it would be a sales pitch to sign up for their 7 day Pro Trader class for $6,990.00. The pitch was informative, entertaining, and made sense, they essentially explained how they are successful traders by examining industrial supply/demand, but did not give away how they do the examining. They were also very straight forward about risk: loss prevention is an essential part of their strategy. After lunch (complimentary and tasty) we were invited by a staff member into their office for the decision point. The gentleman who I spoke with was very understanding of my uncertainty and willing to work with me. He reduced the class price to $5990.00, allowed me 2 days to consider by putting $200.00 down, and offered six month same as cash financing. That night I went home and found some negative reviews of OTA online, which concerned me, since I had already signed an agreement and given them money. Come to find out a friend of mine knows the owner, and he stated the owner is a good person. It is very pricey, however, my ultimate reason for not signing up. The reason for the 4 star rating is not because of the class, but when I called the sales rep and told him I decided not to sign up (too expensive for me), he held true to his word, did not put up a big fight or guilt trip, and refunded my money within 2 business days. From what I read online the night after the class, I was very concerned I was going to have a fight on my hands getting a refund, especially since I had signed one of their agreements. This was not the case. While their products and services may not be for everyone, they are good, honest people who are trying to help people control their finances. read more

Thanks, OTA! After years of struggling and barely breaking even in the markets, finally, now I know how to trade in all types of market conditions. The Minneapolis OTA division has won numerous national awards and is considered one of the very best in the country. The support you get is the absolute best. The instructors and support staff truly want you to be successful, and there is no end to what they will do to make that happen. read more

Caught their ads on KFAN in Minneapolis. They predicted doom and gloom for years starting in 2011. They have pulled their ads (good idea). They were as wrong as the day is long. Many were, but if you're going to tout your knowledge about the market, you better be able to back it up. Glad I ignored them. read more