What is MDC Trading Academy?
MDC Trading Academy is a trader training school founded by Manny Cabrera, who, after teaching at Day Trading Academy (DTA) , decided to create his own team and intraday trading program to compete with his former school. Manny is no longer part of the academy, which is now run by his former partners, Dany Perez and Sebastian Zuluaga.
I'm telling you right now, this trading course is as bad as the one offered by DTA (or even worse).
MDC Trading Academy reviews:
They don't understand the student's problems, they think all cases are the same, and they make you believe that if you fail it's because of your emotions and not the strategy. I don't recommend them at all. I feel terrible knowing I was deceived, and I completely regret the time and money I wasted.
Joshua
Is it possible to profit in the stock market with the MDC Trading Academy system?
Let's start with the basics. This trading course will teach you how to set up your NinjaTrader platform , you'll learn about tick charts and bar charts , you'll understand the difference between the various order types, and you'll be helped to install each indicator you'll be using.
So far, the best part of the course (of course, you can get all of this for free on the internet).
Then will come the time to operate applying the school's strategy, a strategy that differs almost nothing from the one I have already analyzed in the Day Trading Academy.
MDC Trading Academy – TRAINING PLAN and Strategy:
MDC Trading Academy offers a scalping where the goal is to wait for a strong price surge and then see a pullback to the middle of the Keltner Channel to enter a trade in the direction of the current trend. I'm simplifying, but that's essentially it.
Nothing new under the sun, a poor strategy and nothing more
Essentially, the strategy boils down to: impulse, pullback to the moving average, and confirmation with the MACD. Nothing we haven't seen before (and that you won't find on YouTube).
The course says nothing about trading withOrder Flow, Market/Volume profile, Wyckoff, or algorithmic trading. Much less about building a stock portfolio, combining day trading with swing trading, orlong-term investing via ETFs.
Everything is restricted to a set of indicators and some scalping. The course's limitations are more than obvious , and the school knows it.
Keltner's Channel and the most pathetic trading strategy I've ever seen
Trading and emotions, a bad combination
With a target of 2 points (8 ticks) and a stop of 1.25 points (5 ticks), this strategy can easily fall into emotional trading. This is very difficult to avoid on these short timeframes, where trades last between 3 and 4 minutes on average, and there are so many opportunities to enter the market.
And although a kind of contextualization or analysis of the market (or pre-market) via price action is advocated , the truth is that with all the indicators used by the school, it is unlikely that this analysis will prevail when trading.
As with Day Trading Academy (DTA), the system used does not take volume into account, because according to the authors of this trading course, volume is contained in the price movement, which is totally ridiculous.
You only need to Google 'what is absorption in trading' and understand this concept a little to realize that the mere analysis of Japanese candlesticks only tells us half the story.
MDC and the marketing of stock market courses
When it comes to attracting MDC, it resorts to the same marketing strategies that I have often criticized on this website.
They sell aspirational stories, unlimited profits, and infinite time. On the academy's social media, you'll see the best of trading: happy people who have achieved consistency just a few months after taking the course.
They'll make you believe that trading is easy and that with a simple scalping strategy anyone can be their own boss. Trading on the beach? You got it. Making a living from trading? You got that too. Trading with real money after just two months of study? And of course, there's a video.
In-person seminars, they even hand out ridiculous certificates that have no use or value. The intimate, almost mystical-religious, or even self-help tone of many of these videosis quite cringeworthy and embarrassing.
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It doesn't take much to figure out who MDC's target customer is with its message and stock market courses. MDC offers quick and easy money. But of course, they don't put it that way.
The advertising and marketing strategies of this trading academy are much more subtle.
On the one hand, they'll tell you that trading takes time, but then they'll spare no expense in creating and promoting hundreds of videos that suggest the exact opposite. The prevailing message is that of easy money within everyone's reach.
An easy-to-sell scalping strategy
The reality of trading, however, is very different from how it is portrayed on academic social media.
And while it is true that the course covers both psychology and capital management, the problem is that you are taught to manage a very poor strategy (same problem as with DTA), which is useless.
I don't think that with this trading system you'll ever pass a funding test, much less gain consistency in the long term.
Don't be fooled. The scalping method proposed by MDC Trading Academy won't suit the vast majority of traders (there are correct ways to scalp, and the one proposed by MDC isn't one of them).
I still remember Manny Cabrera, in one of his ridiculous videos (one of many), saying that he was content earning one tick per trade, but since one tick per trade wasn't enough to live on, he opened the trade with 10 contracts.
I have rarely heard such a ridiculous thing.
Opening a position with 10 futures contracts is a surefire path to ruin. Beware of these trolls.
Simple trading students addicted to advertorials
The academy's founders claim to be successful traders with significant careers on Wall Street and decades of experience.
The truth is that none of this is verifiable. What we do know about its founders is that they were all simply trading students with almost no experience in the markets shortly before setting up a trading school.
But these bizarre stories with 'decades of success in the stock market and personal growth' don't end there, because like many other trading schools (e.g., Eurekers, Trading and Stock Market for Dummies, etc.), MDC Trading Academy often uses 'advertisements' to solidify this past success that they sell us.
This is an advertorial, and so is this one here, and this one, and even this other one. This last advertorial goes so far as to claim that one of the founders of MDC (S. Zuluaga) has been a 'senior trader' since 2012, when we've all seen him in a DTA video as a student in 2017.It seems anything goes when it comes to selling trading courses. Truly deplorable.
Reviews of very dubious authorship
This trading school has also succumbed to the temptation of relying on spurious websites that publish 'reviews of very dubious authorship'.
These reviews have the sole purpose of speaking very favorably about the stock market course offered by MDC Trading Academy.
These are trading websites with almost no content and no legal notice. I assure you that the people writing on these websites are not traders; they are content writers doing part of the school's marketing work (unfortunately, I must tell you that the people at MDC Trading Academy are not the only ones resorting to this type of 'marketing strategy').
This is a common practice among companies (or schools) that seek to 'make invisible' the negative opinions that their actions, or products, generate (it is part of the online reputation of companies).
The truth is, if you search for "MDC trading reviews" on Google, you'll most likely find this same review you're reading now, as well as many videos and 'fake websites' set up to defend the school's interests.
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Traders who don't trade
The stock market course business is a multi-million dollar industry, and MDC doesn't want to give up its share of the pie. If only they knew how much easier it is to offer a good stock market course.
Of course, to do that, you first have to be a true trading professional.
I recommend you be very cautious when researching this trading academy. The blatant lack of ethics the school displays when selling its stock market courses should be the first of many red flags to consider.
A plagiarized stock market course?
The second major alarm will be to learn that they have completely appropriated the trading system proposed by DTA (it's not that I like what DTA does, but that doesn't justify them 'plagiarizing' the course offered, however bad it may be).
Price of courses at MDC Trading Academy:
The school offers 3 types of training: the Face-to-Face Seminar, the Virtual Training, and the VIP Training (the latter is a One on One with one of the institution's traders).
The in-person seminar is usually offered for around $2,497 (reduced from $9,000... haha, no joke. This school's marketing is always laughable). Meanwhile, the online trainingranges from $1,500 to $2,500 (these prices depend on the country you're contacting them from, so use them as a reference only).
What do the students think?
✅ The best according to students
- Practical approach and live sessions: Some students value the opportunity to participate in live trading sessions, which allows them to apply the knowledge acquired directly in the market.
- Accessibility for beginners: The course is designed to be accessible to people with no prior experience, offering a clear structure that facilitates progressive learning.
- Supportive community: Students mention feeling supported by an active community and the team of instructors, which contributes to a positive learning environment.
⚠️ The worst, according to the students
- Outdated strategy: Several former students criticize the strategy taught as an adaptation of old methodologies that are no longer effective in today's markets.
- Lack of transparency and dubious results: The real profitability of the instructors is questioned, since the live sessions do not show operations in real accounts, which raises doubts about the effectiveness of the method.
- Aggressive commercial approach: Some users point out that the academy prioritizes selling courses over effectively training traders, using intensive marketing tactics.
- High cost in relation to the content: There are opinions that consider the price of the course to be high compared to the quality and depth of the content offered.
Conclusions about the stock market course offered by MDC Trading Academy:
One of the worst trading courses I've ever had the opportunity to analyze, and this is not surprising given that Manny Cabrera are ex-DTAs, you can see it here and here (now they call themselves 'Senior Traders' in a clear example of 'self-perception').
What you will learn in this trading academy can be summarized as: buying or selling on a price pullback that reaches the midline of the Keltner Channel.
Clearly, this simple strategy does not justify the cost of the course.
The proposed strategy leaves much to be desired, and this isn't just because it's prone to emotional trading. In my opinion, the most disappointing aspect is that they don't consider trading volume.
An inflexible course and ineffective trading
Limiting everything to trading futures doesn't help either. Every trader is unique, and perhaps your strength lies in stocks, or forex, or long-term investing with ETFs.
So why reduce the entire course to a simple scalping strategy? What if scalping isn't for you? Or do all football players play defense?
With MDC you'll have some winning trades (even flipping a coin), including the occasional brief period when the market is on your side and you can show positive numbers; but, in the long run, the strategy will fail in most cases.
The trader is always to blame
When failures pile up, they will give you millions of excuses, and they will tell you that the problem is psychology (in other words, they will make it clear that the problem is you).
But the truth is, just like with DTA, the problem lies in the strategy (working on the psychology of a mediocre strategy isn't the answer). As I said, this trading system isn't suitable for the vast majority of traders.
My recommendation is that you save yourself future frustrations and look for another option if you really intend to start trading on the right foot.
Far from consistent
In short, this trading course will teach you the basics of trading (how to set up NinjaTrader, a little about the Futures market, a bit of Price Action, and not much else), while also providing you with a strategy for day trading; but you'll never achieve consistency with it. Sooner or later, your account will suffer, believe me.
Alternatives to MDC Trading Academy
As an alternative to what MDC Trading Academy offers , I suggest you check out Ferran Font 's course . In Ferran's course, you'll find a true understanding of the market, and you'll even learn how to use Order Flow .
🛡️ Legal notice
This article is for informational purposes only and reflects personal opinions, user experiences shared on social media, and critical analysis of an educational product offered to the public. It is not intended to defame, spread misinformation, or damage the reputation of any person or company mentioned.
The images used in this article are illustrative, either public screenshots or images taken for critical analysis from freely accessible websites. Their use falls within the legitimate interest of informing and providing context.
We recommend that our readers research and compare various sources before making decisions related to financial products or services.
My name is Norberto. I've been investing and trading for over a decade. I'm also the author of the trading course Experiencia Topstep. If you want to learn how to invest and have any questions, feel free to contact me.
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What do you think of Alejandro Cardona's "Creating Wealth" seminar? I'd like to hear your opinions, thank you
Hi Lucy,
There's an article published on the website where I talk about the seminar and user reviews -> https://experienciatopstep.com/vida-de-trader/seminario-creando-riqueza-de-alejandro-cardona/
Greetings
I took the course with them; I didn't expect to become a millionaire, but I did want a higher source of income than a regular job. After a very long time, being completely methodical with the content they provide, doing assignments, reading a lot, etc., I was able to confirm that it was better to work to support myself because trading was an illusion.
I knew the strategy was free, but I wanted to see how they operated, and what tools they provided as support based on their experience.
They don't understand the student's problems, they think all cases are the same, and they make you believe that if you fail it's because of your emotions and not because of the strategy.
I don't recommend it at all. I feel bad knowing I was scammed, and I totally regret the time and money I wasted.
Good day Experiencia Topstep, what is your opinion of an academy called Academia United, it is run by a woman from Guatemala, it teaches Nasda futures trading.
Hi Edwin,
I'm not familiar with the course you're referring to (nor do I know of any colleagues who have taken it). Unfortunately, I can't help you this time, I'm sorry.
Greetings
Hey, what do you know about Lion Mode Academy?
Hi Marvin,
To be honest, I'm not familiar with the academy you mentioned. Its website isn't very helpful either; in fact, it seems rather neglected. I'm sorry I can't be of more help this time.
Greetings
Thank you for these kinds of reviews. I've been interested in training/educating myself on this topic, but everywhere I look, "everyone's an expert," everyone has "the latest strategies," "everyone's profitable," and so on, and honestly, it's hard to know what to think. Does anyone have any recommendations for academies that are truly genuine in the sense of helping people learn and not just taking advantage of them by ripping them off? I'd appreciate any comments.
Hi Manny Cabrera 🙂
You're right about much of what you say. However, I believe there are many good trading academies. Nevertheless, this is often not enough. What I mean by this is that not all traders are the same. The best scalping course will be of little use if your personality and lifestyle don't suit scalping. Unfortunately, we can't know what kind of trader we are before trying it. The truth is that a course like MDC's, which only focuses on scalping with futures, offers few options if this type of trading isn't for you (and I'm not saying that the way this school teaches scalping is good; in fact, it's very bad). What if swing trading is more your style? Or stock trading? Well, you'll never find out by taking MDC's course.
Good academies offer flexibility, not a single strategy for everyone. The latter is ridiculous (as ridiculous as assuming all soccer players have the same skills or should play in the same position). At least, that's what I've observed after all these years of trading. I have an article where I try to elaborate on this idea; I recommend you read it, as I think it will be very helpful when deciding on a stock market course -> https://experienciatopstep.com/vida-de-trader/que-es-el-trading-que-curso-de-trading-hacer/
Tell me about it later 😉
Greetings
From my point of view, I'm taking the course with MDC after trying many others. I have to say that for me, it's good. Now, you don't need 50 indicators; they all predict the same thing. They're all indicators that give you probability. I wish they were fortune tellers! I don't think all the criticism is fair, and often it's us, or rather, it's us, who don't put in the effort to study and learn properly. I came here looking for information after buying the course, and it made me feel rejected. I called them to say I didn't want to take the course and gave them a ton of excuses. I promise you, psychology played a part, but for the better. Today, after two months, I'm improving my real trading. Today is when I'm seeing results. Two months of losses; now I'm holding and then making profits. This is a long process, at least that's what they're teaching me. Put your heart into it! It doesn't matter who you take the course with; everyone will tell you they're good. I'M NOT SAYING THEY AREN'T, BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE EFFORT YOU PUT IN
Hi Fabi,
Two months isn't enough time for you to properly evaluate the training. I encourage you to come back here in a year; you'll realize that not everything is the same, and that a bad strategy, no matter how much effort you put in, rarely yields results. The MDC strategy is available for free on YouTube. If it were as good as the school claims, everyone would be using it, but the truth is, no serious trader is interested in it. But regardless of what I tell you, you should gain experience for yourself. Over time, you'll learn many things.
Greetings
MDC is full of liars, starting with Many, who claims in his classes to be the father of the strategy they sell when this isn't true, since DTA sells the same strategy and both of them bought it from a third party who designed it. Sebas is a smooth talker, but he's a compulsive liar about living off his trading, when the truth is he lives off what they sell at the academy. Dany is a snake oil salesman who doesn't show his trading charts when he trades in class; he doesn't dare let anyone see that he's not profitable, not by a long shot. They all live off selling the course; the strategy itself is seriously lacking
Probably one of the worst trading schools out there. I've never met anyone who's made a profit there. I wouldn't be surprised if the few positive comments are from the school's own instructors. Don't be fooled.
I don't see anything bad about it. So far, things are going well for me. I don't deny that everything is perfect; there are always bad days, but with consistency, there are always good days. I like their strategy
Hello
Can someone send me the documents that prove it's not profitable, or post them here? I'm about to sign up
I'd like to know your opinion of IM Academy.
Hello Pedro,
I think I've also replied to you by email without realizing it. The truth is, I didn't take the IM Academy course, but there's been a lot of talk about this school online, and it hasn't been very positive -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr4VB82EooQ&t=994s
I suggest you watch the videos and draw your own conclusions.
Greetings