Came across this post and I would like to share my 2 cents.

I have been an options trader since 2015 and I come from a background of 0 knowledge on Options & US stock market. Paying a course fee of few thousands may sound absurd considering you have free access to plenty of online resources for free or by buying books. But here is the difference, even when you buy books & read it, you only gain theoretically knowledge. You still have to do alot of research online or books to further expand your horizons. Bear in mind there is no one there to guide you on this journey. Imagine a whole lot of time used up for this tasks prior to trading itself.

On the other hand by paying a course fee (which usually includes hiring a mentor), you are able learn the background & understand the concept during the course itself. What's more, usually the trainer (or mentor) shares his trade secrets/formula based on his past experiences (failures & success). Moreover, the mentor is suppose to guide you based on his option trading methodology.

So in the end, you are not wasting $$$. You are paying to get a potential life mentor, a proven trading methodology, a deep understanding on options trading, etc. Think of it as paying for your degree while you were at university (just that there is no certifications this time). Have you ever seen any famous athletes without any mentors? If you want to be good at what you at, hire a mentor.

As for me, I joined the IMP Course by Terrence Tan (A singaporean trader & mentor) & I paid SGD 3k for it. I was able to earn all the course fee within 8 months & have continuously gain profits till now. Even during the recent market. This is all due to Terrence (my mentor's) trading methodology in stock picking & Risk management strategies. There is a growing community in SG, MY, Vietnam and Thailand following his methodology. And what is most important is he is providing life-long mentor-ship.

Some may think that RM4k is expensive for a course. But no one ever questions how expensive is tertiary education is. Food for thought

Disclaimer : I am not promoting any courses here, but just sharing my thoughts.