Legal · Risk disclosure
Trading carries real risk.
Please read this before you trade anything you learn at MarksFX Academy. It explains the risks of the markets we teach, and what our education is and is not.
Last updated
The short version
- Trading can lose you money, and it can happen fast. You can lose some or all of the money you trade. With leverage, you can sometimes lose more than you deposit.
- Everything we share is education. It is not financial, investment or trading advice, and it is not tailored to you.
- Trade ideas show Mark's reasoning. They are not instructions to buy or sell. You are responsible for every trade you take.
- Past performance, example charts and member reviews do not predict your results.
Education only, not advice
MarksFX Academy is a trading education business. Our courses, guides, live sessions, Zoom classes, recordings, community chats, Telegram alerts, emails, social media posts, this website and any 1-on-1 session (together, "our content") are for education and general information only.
Nothing in our content is financial, investment, tax, legal or trading advice. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any currency, commodity, index, stock, option, contract or other instrument. It does not take into account your goals, your finances, your experience or how much risk you can handle.
1-on-1 sessions with Mark are educational too. Mark can review your journal, your charts and your routine. He does not manage money, and he does not tell you what to trade in your own account.
Not a registered adviser
Unless we say otherwise in writing, neither MarksFX Academy nor Mark Bechara is registered or licensed as an investment adviser, broker-dealer, commodity trading advisor (CTA), commodity pool operator, introducing broker or financial planner. That includes registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the National Futures Association (NFA), FINRA, any state securities regulator, or any financial regulator in another country.
If you want advice that fits your personal situation, speak to a licensed financial professional where you live.
Trade ideas and live sessions
Mark shares trade ideas during live sessions, in the community and through Telegram alerts. They show how he reads a chart and why he would take, manage or skip a setup. They are shared to teach that reasoning.
- They are not personalized. A trade idea is not an instruction to follow and not a promise of any outcome.
- They can be wrong. Many setups fail. A setup that worked before can fail the next time.
- Prices move fast. By the time you hear a live comment or see a chat message or alert, the price may have moved. Streams and alerts can be delayed or interrupted.
- Levels are examples of a method. Any entries, stops or targets mentioned illustrate how the framework is applied. Your broker's prices, spreads and fills may be different.
- Mark may hold positions. He may have positions in the instruments he discusses, and he may enter or exit them at different times or prices than he mentions.
- You decide. Whether to trade, how much to risk and how to manage a position are your decisions. You are solely responsible for them and for their results.
Trading involves substantial risk of loss
Trading forex, gold, indices, stocks and options is risky and is not suitable for everyone. You can lose some or all of the money you trade. Losses can happen quickly, including on a single trade or during a news release.
Only trade with money you can afford to lose. Do not trade with money you need for rent, bills, debt payments, savings or emergencies. Never borrow money to trade.
Trading also takes time, study and emotional discipline. Losing streaks are normal and can be stressful. If trading starts to affect your finances, your sleep or your wellbeing, stop and get support.
Leverage and margin
Most forex, gold and index products are traded with leverage. Leverage lets you control a large position with a small deposit, called margin. It makes losses bigger in exactly the same way it makes gains bigger.
- A small move against you can wipe out a large part of your account.
- Your broker can close your positions automatically if your margin runs low (a margin call or stop-out), often at the worst possible price.
- Depending on your broker, account type and country, you may lose more than you deposited.
- Leverage limits differ by country and broker. More leverage means more risk.
Learn exactly how margin works at your broker before you place a trade.
Risks by market
Forex
Currency prices react to interest rates, economic data, central bank decisions and politics, often within seconds. Spreads can widen sharply around news and when markets open or close. Prices can gap over the weekend, so a stop loss may fill at a much worse price than you set. Forex is traded over the counter, so the price and execution you get depend on your broker.
Gold (XAUUSD)
Gold can be very volatile. It can move sharply on U.S. economic data, interest rate expectations, the U.S. dollar and world events, and large moves can happen within minutes. Spreads and slippage often increase around news and in quiet market hours. Most retail gold trading uses leveraged spot, CFD or futures products, which carry all the leverage risks above.
Indices (NAS100, SPX500) and CFDs
NAS100 and SPX500 track the Nasdaq-100 and S&P 500 stock indices. Retail traders usually trade them through CFDs or futures. Index prices can gap at the open and move fast on company earnings, economic data and news.
A CFD (contract for difference) is a leveraged contract with your broker. You do not own the underlying asset. CFDs carry broker risk, overnight financing costs and the leverage risks above. Regulators in several regions require CFD brokers to publish the share of their retail client accounts that lose money, and that share is usually a majority. Check your broker's disclosure. CFDs are not available to retail traders in some countries, including the United States.
Stocks and small caps
Small cap and low-priced stocks can be extremely volatile and thinly traded. Spreads can be wide, and it can be hard to exit at the price you want. These stocks are more exposed to share dilution, trading halts, sudden news and pump-and-dump schemes. Pre-market and after-hours trading adds the risk of low liquidity and large price swings. Pattern day trader rules and margin rules may also apply to your account.
Options
Options are complex and are not suitable for many people. If you buy options, you can lose the full premium you paid, and many options expire worthless. If you sell (write) options, you can face large losses, and in some cases unlimited losses. Option prices depend on time decay, volatility and the price of the underlying stock, so you can be right about direction and still lose money. Before you trade options in the U.S., your broker must give you the options disclosure document, Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Read it.
Past performance
Past performance does not guarantee future results. That applies to Mark's trading, to any trade idea or setup we discuss, to any member's experience and to any market's history. A method that worked in one market or period can stop working. Markets change.
We do not publish win rates, profit figures or account results. Be careful with anyone in trading education who promises them.
Example and hypothetical charts
Many charts on this website, in our ads and in our lessons are illustrations. Some are drawn or simplified to teach one idea, like the example markup on our home page. They are not live charts, real trades or trade recommendations.
When we review past charts or walk through a setup in hindsight, remember that hypothetical or simulated results have real limits. They are prepared with the benefit of hindsight. No real money is at risk, so they cannot reflect the effect of fear, hesitation, slippage, spreads, commissions or missed fills. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. Results on a demo account often look better than results with real money for the same reasons.
Reviews and testimonials
MarksFX Academy has a 4.9★ average from 1,619 reviews on Whop. Members write those reviews on Whop. Each one describes that person's own experience of the education and the community. Reviews are not a measure of trading results, not typical of what any member will experience and not a promise of any outcome.
Trading results vary widely from person to person, and many people lose money trading. If we ever feature a member's story, we will label it as one member's experience and keep profit figures out of it.
Prop firms and funded accounts
We sometimes discuss proprietary trading firms ("prop firms") and their funded-account evaluations, because many traders use them. Know this before you take part:
- They are independent companies. MarksFX Academy does not own or control any prop firm. We do not guarantee any firm's conduct, rules or payouts.
- Evaluations cost money and many people fail them. Firms usually charge a fee to attempt an evaluation, and the fee is usually not refunded if you fail.
- Each firm sets its own rules. Daily loss limits, maximum drawdown, news restrictions and payout conditions differ by firm. Breaking a rule can end your account, even when it is in profit.
- Payouts are not guaranteed. Many funded accounts are simulated. Any payout depends on the firm's terms and on the firm's ability and willingness to pay. Firms can change their rules, refuse payouts or close.
- Prizes follow the same rules. If a funded account is ever offered as a prize, it is subject to that firm's rules like any other account. It is not cash and not a promise of income.
- We may earn a commission. We may have affiliate relationships with some prop firms. If so, we may earn a commission when you buy through our link, and we will disclose it. A mention is not an endorsement of any outcome.
Copy trading
MarksFX Copy is a separate subscription that mirrors Mark's live MT5 trades to your own broker account through a third-party trade-copying platform (Social Trader Tools). Because real orders are placed in your account automatically, it carries additional risks:
- You can lose money, including all of the money in the account you connect, and with leverage possibly more.
- Your results can differ from Mark's. Broker pricing, spreads, slippage, execution speed, account size, your risk settings and connection delays all affect what happens in your account.
- Technology can fail. The copying platform, your broker or the internet connection can be delayed or interrupted, so trades may copy late, partially or not at all.
- Past performance does not guarantee future results. No one can promise how copied trades will perform.
- You stay responsible. You choose your risk settings, you can disconnect at any time, and you remain responsible for your account and for every trade placed in it.
- A signed waiver is required first. The combined waiver sets out the risks, the legal terms and the subscription and refund policy. Read it in full before you subscribe.
Brokers, platforms and tools
We are not a broker and we never hold your money. Your trading account, deposits and withdrawals are between you and your broker. Choose a broker that is regulated where you live, and read its terms, fees and risk disclosures.
The third-party tools we use or mention, including charting platforms, economic calendars, Telegram, Zoom and Whop, can have errors, delays and outages. We are not responsible for them.
Your responsibility
- You are solely responsible for your trading decisions, your risk management and your results.
- Make sure trading the products you choose is legal and suitable for you where you live. Follow your local laws and tax rules.
- Practice on a demo account first, and use a defined risk on every trade.
- If you are unsure whether trading is right for you, speak to a licensed financial adviser before you start.
By using this website or joining any MarksFX Academy membership, you confirm that you have read and understood this risk disclosure and that you accept these risks.
Questions
If anything here is unclear, ask us before you trade. You can reach us using the details on our Terms of Use page. Please also read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.