What to Look For in a Futures Trading Mentor (and 7 Red Flags)

The trading education world is full of people who are better at marketing than trading. Before you hand over your money, here is how to tell the difference.

What a good mentor looks like

1. They trade the market they teach. If they teach NQ, they should be trading NQ, not just posting about it.
2. They show losses. Every real trader has losing days, weeks and months. Someone who only shows wins is hiding something.
3. They have clear rules. You should be able to write their strategy on one page.
4. They talk about risk first. Position size, stop losses and drawdown limits should come up early and often.
5. They are reachable. In a small group you should be able to get an answer to a question the same day.

7 red flags

1. Guaranteed income claims. Nobody can guarantee trading profits. Anyone who does is either lying or does not understand risk.

2. Lifestyle before strategy. Cars, watches and beach videos tell you about their marketing budget, not their trading.

3. Win rates of 90% or more. It sounds great, but very high win rates usually come with tiny wins and huge losses. Ask about average win against average loss instead.

4. No losing trades anywhere. If you cannot find a single loss in their content, the content is curated.

5. Pressure to pay today. Countdown timers and "last three spots" banners are sales tactics, not education.

6. Copy my trades. If the whole offer is copying their entries, you are buying signals, not mentorship. Prop firms may also restrict accounts that copy other traders.

7. No way to cancel. A mentor confident in their teaching will let you leave monthly.

Questions to ask before you join

1. Which market do you trade, and when?
2. Can I see a full period of results, including the losing weeks?
3. What is your maximum risk per trade?
4. How do you help someone who has never traded?
5. Can I cancel if it is not for me?

How I answer those questions

I trade NQ futures around the London and New York opens. My homepage shows twelve months of Wave Rider strategy results, every week included, red ones too. Every trade risks a maximum of $300. Beginners start with setup and simulator practice before any live trade, and the mentorship is monthly with no lock in.

Meet me and see the full results

Trading futures carries a substantial risk of loss. Education only, not financial advice.