Pillar 1
Macro
The top-down view. Rates, inflation, growth, liquidity, currencies and commodities, translated into which sectors should lead over the next three to four months.
- Rates and inflation
- Liquidity
- Sector rotation
Independent Review Resource
Can 4 Pillar Trading Transform the Way You Trade?
An independent, inside review of the mentors, education, live sessions and community, including what the programme teaches, who it suits and whether it can help you build a more professional trading process.
Affiliate link. We may receive a commission if you join through it, at no additional cost to you.
A 45 second look at what the programme covers
Four pillars, one process. I'll show you what's inside before you pay for it, and how I got the best out of it for my trading.
The review covers
- 01 Educational content
- 02 Mentors & weekly sessions
- 03 Community
- 04 Overall value for money
Most retail traders learn trading backwards
They find a stock, look at the chart, choose a position and only then think about the economy, company fundamentals or portfolio risk.
That often leads to:
- Trade ideas without a complete thesis
- Positions that are too large for the account
- Options selected without considering volatility or time
- Several trades carrying the same hidden risk
- No clear response when the original thesis breaks
- Constant dependence on alerts, opinions and trade signals
4 Pillar Trading is designed to connect these separate decisions into one repeatable process.
What is 4 Pillar Trading?
4 Pillar Trading is a mentor-led trading education programme built around four connected areas of professional trading: macro analysis, fundamental analysis, options and strategy selection, and portfolio and risk management.
Members take part in live, mentor-led sessions, with every session recorded for later viewing. The programme also includes a private community where trading ideas can be shared, reviewed and openly challenged.
It is not a signal service. The focus is on helping retail traders develop the knowledge, process and risk discipline needed to make better-informed trading decisions independently.
Every one of the 20 live sessions is recorded, so missing one costs you nothing but the chance to ask a question.
The 4 Pillar Trading process
The 4 Pillar Trading education connects macro analysis, fundamental research, options strategy and risk management into one complete process. It is designed to help you move beyond isolated trade setups and become a more informed, independent and disciplined trader.
Pillar 2
Fundamentals
Company and industry research aimed at timing trades, not building a ten-year hold. Statements, margins, valuation, catalysts and long and short idea generation.
- Financial statements
- Valuation
- Long and short ideas
Pillar 3
Options and Strategies
Turning a view into a position. Options mechanics, implied volatility, expiry and strike selection, spreads, and matching the structure to the thesis.
- Implied volatility
- Spreads
- Trade construction
Pillar 4
Portfolio and Risk Management
The pillar that decides whether the other three ever compound. Sizing, exposure, correlation, concentration, drawdown control and pre-set invalidation.
- Position sizing
- Correlation
- Drawdown control
Latest on YouTube
Why the Internet Bubble Burst: Lessons from 2000-2002
What investors got right about the internet, what they paid for it anyway, and the three lessons from 2000 to 2002 that matter for the AI boom: the idea versus the investment, the macro backdrop, and risk management when the story is convincing.
The mentors
4 Pillar Trading is run by five experienced traders with more than 120 years of combined experience across institutions including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Bank of America, Commerzbank, Redwheel and Tantallon Capital. The programme draws on the knowledge and processes they developed on professional trading desks, bringing an institutional perspective to trading education.
Career details are drawn from the mentors' published professional profiles.
Over 25 years across global equity and equity derivatives markets.
- Goldman Sachs
- Cazenove
- JP Morgan
Long/short portfolio ranked in the top 5% at UBS.
- JPMorgan
- UBS
- Tantallon Capital
34 years trading long/short equity and equity options.
- Oxford University
- Commerzbank
- Lehman Brothers
Managing Director at Bank of America before 30.
- Bank of America
- Wharton
- Nomura
Over 25 years investing in global equities, with a focus on technology.
- Goldman Sachs
- J.P. Morgan
- Redwheel
Who is writing this review
I'm Michael, a retail trader from Melbourne. I started trading in 2022 with very little experience before finding the Institute of Trading and Portfolio Management (ITPM), where I completed their courses and a mentoring programme with Anthony Iser.
Since then, I've spent years developing my knowledge, refining my approach and building a systematic long/short trading process that I can follow with consistency.
Getting to this point hasn't been straightforward. It's taken years of practical experience, plenty of mistakes, ongoing education and a commitment to continually improving my process. Along the way, I've discovered frameworks, tools and resources that have made a genuine difference to how I approach the markets.
I created this website to share that journey, the lessons I've learnt and the resources and frameworks that have helped me become a more consistent trader. My aim is to connect with a community of like-minded retail traders who are serious about improving their trading, developing their own processes and achieving long-term consistency.
One thing I've learnt is that completing a trading course is only the beginning. The real development comes when you start applying what you've learnt with your own money, navigating different market conditions, managing losses and learning to trust a process you've built for yourself.
4 Pillar Trading, where I'm both a member and an affiliate, is one of the resources that has contributed to my ongoing development. I share my personal experience with it, including what I believe it does well, its limitations and where I think it can provide genuine value to other retail traders.
What you gain and what it takes
4 Pillar Trading is designed to improve how you analyse opportunities, structure trades and manage risk. It provides the education, mentorship and framework, but developing as a trader still requires active participation.
What you gain
- A connected trading process Learn how macro, fundamentals, trade construction and portfolio risk work together, rather than treating them as separate subjects.
- Direct access to experienced mentors Ask questions, test your reasoning and have weaknesses in your thesis challenged by traders with institutional experience.
- More structured trade decisions Develop a repeatable process for researching an opportunity, selecting a strategy, sizing the position and defining when the thesis has failed.
- Live education with recorded access Attend sessions live or watch every recording in your own time when work, family or other commitments get in the way.
- A stronger understanding of options and risk Learn how to select an appropriate structure, strike and expiry while considering position size, correlation and total portfolio exposure.
- A community built around learning See trade ideas discussed and challenged openly, helping you understand how other traders think before committing capital.
What it takes
- Consistent participation You will need to make time for the sessions, recordings and ongoing application of what you learn.
- Patience and practice Knowledge can be taught quickly, but developing sound judgement and discipline takes time.
- Personal responsibility The mentors can challenge your thinking, but you remain responsible for every trade and investment decision.
- Some foundational knowledge Parts of the programme may feel advanced if you are completely new to markets, options or basic trading terminology.
- An ongoing commitment This is a recurring membership designed around continued education, rather than a one-off course.
- Acceptance of trading risk Education can improve your process and risk management, but it cannot guarantee profits or remove the possibility of losses.
Who is it for?
The most useful thing a review can do is help you rule it out. Read the right-hand column first.
4 Pillar Trading may suit you if:
- You trade US stocks or options
- You understand basic trading terminology
- You want a structured process
- You value experienced mentor access
- You want to improve your portfolio construction
- You are prepared to study and review your decisions
- You want education rather than guaranteed trade signals
It may not suit you if:
- You want guaranteed profits
- You only want buy and sell alerts
- You expect somebody else to manage your money
- You have no time to attend or review sessions
- You want a completely passive service
- You are looking for immediate results
- You are unwilling to accept trading risk
The verdict
4 Pillar Trading is for retail traders who want to build a more complete and repeatable trading process across macro, company fundamentals, options, trade construction and portfolio risk management. Its value is not a library of disconnected pre-recorded courses. It is ongoing access to experienced mentors, live education and a community working through the market in real time.
- Best suited to
- Retail traders in US stocks and options
- Main limitation
- Only works if you turn up. Not a signal service.
Try Established for 30 days
The founding offer takes you straight into 4 Pillar Trading's Established membership, skipping the Foundation pathway it normally requires. Terms are set by 4 Pillar Trading and can change, so check them at checkout.
Start the 30-Day Established Trial (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) opens 4pillartrading.com
Affiliate link. We may receive a commission if you join through it, at no additional cost to you.
See the founding route against the public route, line by line →
Common questions
What is 4 Pillar Trading?
What is 4 Pillar Trading?
4 Pillar Trading is a mentor-led trading education membership built around four connected areas of professional trading: macro analysis, fundamentals, options and strategies, and portfolio and risk management. Members receive regular live educational sessions, access to recordings, and participation in a members-only trading community. It launched on 12 August 2026.
Is 4 Pillar Trading legitimate?
Is 4 Pillar Trading legitimate?
It is a real, publicly launched education programme with named mentors, a published curriculum, transparent pricing and one-click Stripe cancellation. It states that its content is educational only and offers no guarantee of results.
Who are the mentors?
Who are the mentors?
The published mentor line-up is Ed Shek, Anthony Iser, Jason McDonald, Raj Malhotra and Anil Tewari. Their backgrounds include roles at JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Bank of America, Commerzbank, Tantallon Capital and Redwheel.
Which mentor teaches which pillar?
Which mentor teaches which pillar?
All five mentors teach across all four pillars. Nobody is assigned to a single pillar, so you are not choosing between them and you cannot lose access to a subject by joining at a particular point.
Where can I see the full subject list?
Where can I see the full subject list?
Every subject area is set out on the what members learn page, with a plain-English description, why it matters, its difficulty level and a practical application. That page also marks which subjects 4 Pillar Trading names in its own published scope and which are our reading of what the discipline requires.
Is 4 Pillar Trading suitable for beginners?
Is 4 Pillar Trading suitable for beginners?
Partly. The four-pillar structure is a reasonable place to start because it teaches process rather than setups. But options pricing, financial statement interpretation and portfolio construction are not beginner topics, and the sessions are pitched at people who already understand basic trading terminology. A complete beginner will not be lost, but will have to work harder than an experienced trader to keep up.
Weekly newsletter
Macro and theme rotation, every week
The short weekly note: what changed in the macro picture, which themes are gaining or losing, and what to research next. No trade calls. Plus subscriber-only offers as they come.
What each issue covers → Between issues, follow @4pillartrader on X →