Trend Following course
Essentials
Michael’s complete trend following systems, the money management that makes them work, and six months of custom coaching while you put them to use.
- Every core system and module
- 6 months of custom coaching
- Lifetime platform access
One-time payment
$2,997
No subscription. Lifetime access to the course platform.
Buy EssentialsSecure checkout. Guarantee · FAQs · Compare with Mastery ($3,997)Ninety percent of financial stress lives in a handful of persistent, unanswered questions. Solving even one of them can shift your entire trajectory. And when we finally clear it, the relief—and the returns—are usually life-changing.Michael Covel
Why trend following
Markets are not enemies to conquer. They are waves to ride, and uncertainty is where the biggest opportunities come from.
Paul Tudor Jones, one of the greatest macro traders alive, put it plainly:
“If there was a strategy that I would want to employ right now, if someone put a gun to my head, I’d say simple trend following strategies. They are not too popular today… They will probably do very well in the next 5 to 10 years.”Paul Tudor Jones
Trend following is a philosophy as much as a strategy. Most traders chase predictions, forecasts and hot tips, and end up stressed, broke and chained to their screens. Trend followers react to price instead. Black swans destroy the unprepared; trend followers are positioned to profit from them.
This is not about getting rich quick. It is a system that removes emotion, simplifies decisions and lets wealth compound through discipline, in bull markets, bear markets and crashes. Less time trading, more time living.
Who it’s for
Builders, not gamblers.
Lifelong learners. DIY investors tired of buy-and-hold drawdowns. Professionals, from advisers and fund managers to brokers, who want an edge that scales. Students starting out, and retirees protecting their savings from inflation. If you have tried candlesticks, Elliott waves or mean reversion and come away exhausted, this is the alternative.
You don’t need a PhD or a Wall Street pedigree. You need the willingness to model the masters: Ed Seykota, who turned $5,000 into $15 million; Larry Hite, who built a billion-dollar firm; David Harding, who built Winton Capital. They didn’t predict. They reacted, with rules.
What it asks of you: discipline over dopamine, and probability over certainty.
Why most traders fail
Your brain is wired to lose money in markets. A system fixes that.
Daniel Kahneman’s Nobel Prize-winning work shows how. Loss aversion makes us hold losers too long. Confirmation bias hides the trend in front of us. Fear of missing out drives impulsive buys.
Trend following overrides those instincts by measuring one thing: price. Not news, earnings or tweets. You enter when a trend emerges and exit when it bends, risking a small fixed share of your capital on each trade, never more than 1 to 2%. Small losses keep you in the game. The big wins carry the results.
Think like Babe Ruth, Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani. You will strike out often, and more than half your trades may lose. The home runs, the 20 to 50 times moves in markets like oil or Bitcoin, make the difference. That is expected value, not gambling.
One legendary trend follower summed it up: “I’m very uncomfortable with black box trading where I’m dealing with algorithms I don’t understand. Everything we do we could do on the back of an envelope with a pencil.”
What’s inside Essentials
More than 25 years of research and interviews with billion-dollar traders, distilled into rules you could write on a napkin. No black boxes, no secrets.
Classic Trend Following Systems I–III
Timeless entry and exit rules, adjustable to your own risk tolerance.
Weekly Trend System
Check once a day or once a week, act, and get on with your life. Built to catch multi-month trends without the daily noise.
Money Management Module
The part most traders skip. Position sizing, volatility adjustment and diversification: how to add to winners and cut losers. Includes a risk plan template you can customize.
ETF and LEAPS Options Modules
Apply the rules to S&P 500 ETFs for broad exposure, or to LEAPS for leveraged upside with limited downside.
Three additional trading systems
More rule sets to diversify how you trade.
Case Studies Module
The strategy at work across eras, so you see the same patterns repeat.
Alternate Entries Module
Filters for choppy markets that help you avoid whipsaws.
Wizard Video Series 1–4
Psychology, from surviving drawdowns to modeling legendary traders.
Trading Coach Video 5
How to fit the systems into the rhythm of your life.
6 months of custom coaching
Email Michael directly. Unlimited questions, replies in 24 to 48 hours, no upsells.
The full course, in detail
Clients often ask how much is in the course. It is voluminous, by design. You don’t need every detail to trade trend following: the core rules are compact. The rest is the free foundation that keeps you trading those rules through every market and every drawdown.
| Module | Format | Length | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trend Following Manifesto | 163 pages | Core trend following system, rules and philosophy | |
| Portfolio Selection Module | 302 pages | Building and diversifying a portfolio | |
| Money Management Module | 97 pages | ATR, position sizing and risk control | |
| Weekly Trend System | 3 pages | Weekly breakout system rules | |
| Donchian Trading System | 6 pages | Donchian 5 & 20 system rules | |
| Trade Walkthrough Module | 7 pages | One trade, step by step | |
| Alternate Entries Module | 51 pages | Four alternative entry methods with examples | |
| Single Stock Futures Module | 191 pages | Trading single stock futures | |
| ETF and LEAPS Options Modules | 385 pages | Trend following with ETFs and LEAPS options | |
| Wizard Video Series 1–4 | Video | 1 hr 56 min | Interviews with legendary traders |
| Trading Coach Video 5 | Video | 36 min | Charles Faulkner on trader psychology |
| Training Audio Series | Audio | 5 hr 13 min | Six-part audio training program |
| Basics Module | PDF + Excel | 121 pages + 16 spreadsheets | Orders, futures basics, quizzes and calculators |
| CFD Resources | 60 pages | Introduction to CFDs | |
| Broker Options | Links | — | Recommended broker |
| Research Files | 422 pages (18 lessons) | Research on trend following, momentum, drawdowns and correlation | |
| Behavioral Files | 241 pages (5 lessons) | Behavioral finance, biases and trader psychology |
Course content inventory as of October 2026.
What you’ll learn
- What to trade.
- How much to trade.
- When to enter.
- When to exit a loser.
- When to exit a winner.
- How to balance long and short trades.
- How to scale up winning positions.
- How to adjust for volatility.
- How to stay out of bad markets and trade the best markets.
- How to survive losing streaks and maximize winning streaks.
Markets you can trade
- Stocks
- S&P 500, Nikkei 225, DAX, Apple, Tesla
- Interest rates
- Eurodollar, 10-Year T-Note, Bund
- Currencies
- USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CHF, CNY
- Crypto
- Bitcoin, Ethereum
- Metals
- Gold, silver, copper
- Energies
- Oil, natural gas
- Agriculturals
- Wheat, corn, soybeans
- Softs and meats
- Coffee, sugar, cotton, lean hogs, feeder cattle
- Instruments
- Futures, ETFs, LEAPS options
No expertise needed. Price tells the story.
Mastery or Essentials
Both courses →| Included | Mastery · $3,997 | Essentials · $2,997 |
|---|---|---|
| Custom coaching | 12 months | 6 months |
| Proprietary library | Yes | — |
| Core systems trading module | Yes | Yes |
| Exchange traded funds (ETF) module | Yes | Yes |
| LEAPS options module | Yes | Yes |
| Money management module | Yes | Yes |
| Case study module | Yes | Yes |
| Three additional trading systems | Yes | Yes |
| Alternate entries module | Yes | Yes |
| Wizard videos one to four | Yes | Yes |
| Trading coach video five | Yes | Yes |
| Lifetime platform access | Yes | Yes |
| Buy Mastery | Buy Essentials |
What clients say
More testimonials →“The way I see it, you have two choices—you can do what I did and work for 30-plus years, cobbling together scraps of information, seeking to create a money-making strategy, or you can spend a few days reading Covel’s book [Trend Following] and skip that three-decade learning curve.”
“I was on the right track at the time, but definitely had a few ‘ah-ha!’ moments upon going through his course. I’m guessing that some of his material probably saved me a year or two. Not to mention the many dozens (literally) of testing ideas generated from all of his subsequent books.”
“I have to thank Mike for his in-depth research on this subject and a proven way for traders to make money – simply by following the trends. Mike’s trading system course has made positive contributions to my success in trading and managing my clients’ money.”
“Trend Following” has changed my life, not only with trading, but also the way I view the world and live my life. If there is anyone who thinks trend following doesn’t work, I am a living, breathing example that it does.”
“What really convinced me to follow this path is I recently met a trader that has been successfully trend trading for over five years using your methods. Thank you for making me aware of the ultimate retirement plan.”
“I consider Mike to be the “Best of the Best”. Mike truly cares about his students and wants us to succeed.”
“In his now numerous books, courses and programs, [Michael] solidly demonstrates trend following is a viable trading and investment strategy; moreover, one that can be learned and mastered.”
“I have been asked many times for advice about how to attempt to be a successful trader. My answer: read and apply Covel.”
“Michael Covel is a rare breed. He is the only author I have come across who really understands how traders can make money, regularly and consistently over a long period of time. [He] shines a light in this world and is indeed a rare breed. I cannot recommend his work enough.”
“Would-be winners will ensure that they study Mike’s teachings and books before stepping onto the playing field. His books ARE required reading here for all our traders, marketers and interns.”
“I decided to contact Mike and work with him one on one … I would recommend any trader who is not where they want to be to start with Mike.”
Trend Following Essentials · $2,997
One-time payment. Lifetime access. 6 months of custom coaching.
Questions? Email us.
Risk disclaimers
Trend Following™ and TurtleTrader® can’t promise you will earn the returns of traders, charts or examples (real or hypothetical) stated. All past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Data presented is for educational purposes. Trend Following™ products are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized investment advice. All data on this site is direct from the CFTC, SEC, Yahoo Finance, Google and disclosure documents by managers mentioned herein. Trend Following™ assumes all data to be accurate, but assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or clerical errors made by sources. Our testimonials are the words of real customers received in real correspondence that have not been paid for their testimonials. Testimonials are sometimes printed under aliases to protect privacy, and edited for length. Claims have not been independently verified or audited for accuracy. We do not know how much money was risked, what portion of their total portfolio was allocated, or their exact positions. We do not claim that the results experienced by such customers are typical and you will likely have different results. Trend Following™ is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser. This information is not designed to be used as an invitation for investment with any adviser profiled. No information herein is intended as securities brokerage, investment, tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any company, security or fund. Further, Trend Following™ cannot and does not assess, verify or guarantee the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, the suitability or profitability of any particular investment, or the potential value of any investment or informational source. The reader bears responsibility for his/her own investment research and decisions, should seek the advice of a qualified securities professional before making any investment, and investigate and fully understand any and all risks before investing. Additionally, Trend Following™ in no way warrants the solvency, financial condition, or investment advisability of any security or instrument. In addition, Trend Following™ accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this information. This information is not intended to be used as a basis of any investment decision, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the investment needs of any particular investor. HYPOTHETICAL OR SIMULATED PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS. UNLIKE AN ACTUAL PERFORMANCE RECORD, SIMULATED RESULTS DO NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL TRADING. ALSO, SINCE THE TRADES HAVE NOT BEEN EXECUTED, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE UNDER-OR-OVER COMPENSATED FOR THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF CERTAIN MARKET FACTORS, SUCH AS LACK OF LIQUIDITY. SIMULATED TRADING PROGRAMS IN GENERAL ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFIT OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN.