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Why I looked at High Capital Group
Disclosure: I may receive a referral reward from High Capital Group if you become a client through my link. It costs you nothing extra.
I looked at High Capital Group because [your reason, for example: readers asked me about it, or you copy-traded elsewhere before]. It is a forex copy trading service, formerly known as Oak Valley Investments, and I wanted to see what it offers and where its limits are. This review covers what I found on the company's site, and I say clearly where it does not give detail.
What it is
High Capital Group offers forex copy trading. Head trader Norman Hart places the trades, and they are mirrored automatically on your own account with a regulated forex broker. The company was founded by Dan Leman, a former full time investor, and Norman, who has an honours degree in economics. Its stated mission is to bring otherwise unavailable, high return investment opportunities to the retail investor. Their story is on the About page ({{LINK_ABOUT}}).
Who it may suit, and who it does not
The company says it may suit high net worth individuals looking to diversify, professional investors, financial planners and new investors who want to enter the market.
It does not suit people who cannot afford to lose the money they would put in, because this is an investment and it can lose money. It does not suit anyone who needs a promised result, because no forex service can give one. And it does not suit people who want to place their own trades, because with copy trading the lead trader makes the decisions.
How it works, step by step
- You pick your region on the Get Started page ({{LINK_START}}), which shows the broker available to you.
- You open your own account with that highly reputable, regulated forex broker.
- You deposit your money with the broker. High Capital Group does not hold client funds and has no access to withdraw them.
- You set up the copy software so the head trader's trades are mirrored on your account automatically.
- You choose a personalised risk level, so your account trades more or less aggressively, and you can change it later.
- You can access your money at any time through the broker.
The numbers, with the legacy note
The company publishes a target of a 10% average monthly return after fees and a target of keeping maximum drawdown below 15.0%. It reports one losing quarter out of 33 and a profit factor of 4.99. All results before 2018 came from the old legacy system, and the current system's record begins in 2018.
The results are verified in real time by a third party, FX Blue, and you can check them on the Past Performance page ({{LINK_PERFORMANCE}}). Past performance is not a guarantee of future results, and a target is not a promise.
What it costs
The fee is 30% of profits, payable only after you make money and calculated on a high water mark, with no upfront fees. As the company's example shows: invest US$5,000, make US$1,000 and pay US$300; lose US$200 the next month and pay nothing; make US$1,000 the month after, and the fee applies to US$800, which is US$240. The copy software normally costs US$19 a month, and the recommended broker covers that for life if you sign up through the company's link. The minimum investment is US$1,000.
What I like
- Your money is held by a regulated broker in your own account, and the company cannot withdraw it.
- The fee is charged only on profit, above a high water mark, and there is nothing upfront.
- The record is verified by a third party and you can look at it yourself.
- You can set your own risk level and access your money at any time.
- The company states that it does not use martingale, grid or hedging techniques.
The honest limitations
- It is still an investment, and you can lose money. The company says so in its own FAQ.
- The minimum is US$1,000, which is a real amount of money for many people.
- The account needs leverage of at least 30:1, which can magnify losses as well as gains.
- You do not choose the trades, so you rely on someone else's decisions.
- Return figures are targets. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
- Results before 2018 came from the old legacy system, so the current system's history is shorter than the full record.
- The company publishes few details beyond its own site, so if you have a question the site does not answer, email support@highcapitalgroup.com and ask before you invest.
How to check the record yourself
Do not take my word or anyone else's. Open the verified account from the Past Performance page ({{LINK_PERFORMANCE}}) and look at four things: the maximum drawdown compared with the 15.0% target, the profit factor, the losing quarters, and which period came from the legacy system and which from the current one. Turn the drawdown into money for the amount you would deposit, and ask yourself whether you could watch that fall without panicking.
My verdict
[Your verdict in two or three sentences, for example: I think High Capital Group is worth a closer look for readers who ...]
[Say who you would suggest reads the FAQ first and who should probably leave it alone.]
[State plainly whether you are a client, and how long you have been one, if that is true.]
If you want to look further, the FAQ page ({{LINK_FAQ}}) answers most questions, and you can start from the home page ({{LINK}}).
Disclosure and risk
Disclosure: I may receive a referral reward from High Capital Group if you become a client through my link. It costs you nothing extra.
Risk warning: past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Forex trading carries risk and you can lose money. Only invest money you can afford to lose. Client money is held by a regulated broker in the client's own account.