Knowledge is Power - Alpari US Launches Educational Division

Opinions vary tremendously on trading academies, and there is a proliferation of small, privately owned educational businesses which have sprung up worldwide. The vast majority of them are operated by individuals who often hold classroom based seminars with the intent of either providing an audience to whom to market their trading signals or Forex software, or to sell their trading room subscriptions.

Others are IBs and use their training center or trade room as a means of introducing new clients to forex brokers for which they will receive a commission.

The cost of such courses varies, but can be between $1000 and $3000 on average for courses ranging from two days to one week.

In contrast to this approach by independent businesses, forex brokers which have gone down the educational route have opted to do so by offering online services such as webinars, trading signals ebooks or technical analysis rather than to operate physical seminars.

Alpari is one broker which has taken the decision to offer actual site-based training courses by launching its own educational division in North America, following on from the company's success with this concept in Russia where 3,650 courses and seminars were run between January and November 2012.

Alpari Academy offers comprehensive and unbiased introductory education to traders wishing to make informed decisions when considering entering the forex, futures, and options markets.

This new division is headed by Senior Vice President of Education, Christopher Paoletti. He oversees Senior Futures and Options Instructor, Curt Wagaman, Senior Forex Instructor, Steven Nurre and Enrollment Coordinator, Terry Narloch.

The group formerly comprised the PFGBEST Education Division and bring over 40 years of combined experience training forex and futures traders to Alpari.

One of the most unique aspects of this division and its courses is pure focus on education.

Alpari Academy offers flexible, no-cost and non-solicitory courses covering a period of six weeks and consisting of 12 live online classroom-style lessons, featuring special guest lecturers and visits from industry experts.

Topics include:

• Introduction to Forex Trading

• Introduction to Futures Trading

• Introduction to Options Trading

The courses utilize sophisticated technology such as video streams, live trading examples, and case studies. All courses are complemented by workbooks, recommended readings, homework assignments, quizzes and a final exam. Course graduates will receive certificates of completion.

Jermaine Harmon, CEO of Alpari (US), affirms, “In addition to providing an optimal customer service experience for our clients, we believe that education is the cornerstone of success in trading."

"The courses now offered through Alpari Academy are unlike anything in the industry today. Led by passionate and renowned instructors, they lay the foundation for new traders to achieve a longer and more satisfactory experience in the markets.”

It will be of interest to observe the dynamic in terms of take up of the direct course by Alpari, compared with those of independents such as Learn To Trade, Knowledge to Action and Online Trading Academy, all of whom have a presence in North America and act as IBs for numerous brokerages, especially when bearing in mind that the Alpari course is free of charge and is conducted over a six week period.