Sunday 12 February In a small conference room in a Marriott hotel, adjacent to Canary Wharf in London's Docklands, 11 aspiring currency traders sit engrossed, listening to a man who claims to possess the secret of obtaining unlimited riches. It's very difficult not to make money," says the presenter, Gurdas Singh, of a coaching firm called Knowledge to Action. At the end of the day, banks are giving you nothing.

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Don't put anything into an Isa — it's a waste of time. Singh's pitch is enhanced by the impressive claim that Prince William plays for the company's polo team plus a glitzy promotional video featuring a booming voiceover akin to those on Hollywood movie trailers. The film's narrator introduces Knowledge to Action's owner, "internationally acclaimed wealth creation expert" Greg Secker, before floating a stunning opportunity: But outside the meeting room, a more intriguing story emerges.

Knowledge to Action Holdings is controlled by Secker, whom the company's website introduces as "a keen polo player, father to Santiago, philanthropist and founder of the Knowledge to Action foundation [who] lives in London with his gorgeous girlfriend Katherine Scott".

The marketing materials continue in a familiarly confident vein: Already a wealthy man, Greg retired as a vice-president of Mellon Financial Corporation at the age of 27 to set up a trading floor from home. That picture is enhanced by the website's "in the press" section, where links to articles about Secker and his company include one interview in which he tells a financial website about his time "running" trading floors.

It combines to create an impression that might lead some to assume that Secker was a trader at Mellon now Bank of New York Mellon.

After repeated unanswered questions asking who Secker had traded for, Knowledge to Action issued a statement. Still, Secker did work for Mellon, so it is conceivable that he learned from traders and used the lessons to teach others.

Knowledge to Action's website boasts numerous glowing testimonials, including one from Leslie Leung or Lang — two spellings are given on the site , a former interior designer.

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It's a fantastic learning environment. There are plenty more along similar lines and there appear to be situations where traders risk Knowledge to Action funds. The most recent accounts at Companies House show Live Trading Floor is wholly owned by Secker's Knowledge to Action Holdings.

Furthermore, the holding company's accounts for the year ending 31 December , which were approved in September , state: That does not quite chime with Singh's pitch to potential clients at the seminar: Despite a response from Knowledge to Action, it is still not clear how Live Trading Floor is classed as "highest performing".

This apparent reticence to discuss specifics about Secker's trading credentials rings a bell with some ex-employees, who suggest that his true talent is in selling.

One told the Observer: That disappointment has led to numerous negative reviews of the courses being posted online. However, other ex-employees insist the taught content is good, but that presenters occasionally hugely exaggerate the ease with which delegates will be able to make large profits. On the forums, my sense was that the source of much of the negative criticism was mostly disgruntled get-rich-quick types who had attended the course looking for the holy grail of trading.

The truth is that there is no holy grail.

And you did get the sense that some of the claims made with regards to capital growth, sports cars and so on may be over-exaggerated". Knowledge to Action did provide a long list of customer testimonials, giving weight to its point that there are many people who have found the courses valuable and claim to be trading profitably, while it said it "neither promises nor guarantees success".

The vast majority have enjoyed the courses and found them to be highly professional, informative and good value for money.

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We have had a small number of attendees who discovered that trading was not for them and therefore subsequently criticised the training. International edition switch to the UK edition switch to the US edition switch to the Australia edition. The Guardian - Back to home. Greg Secker's company, Knowledge To Action, makes grand claims about its forex trading courses — too grand for some.

This article is 5 years old. Topics Financial sector The Observer. The Guardian back to top.