As Co-CEO of marketGOATS, I have greatly enjoyed reaching out to investment-minded students over the past few months to tell them about our platform. While they are typically really excited about our unique offering and how it can help them launch their finance careers, they have a few questions. I’ve collected the most common Q’s and our answers below. 

How does marketGOATS differ from other paper (simulated) trading platforms?

While we offer cash and prizes similar to other paper trading platforms, the big difference is that our GOATS (aka top performers) have the opportunity to manage real money. You can begin your investment career and show the world your talent and seriousness about this field just by playing. Once the GOATS rise to the top, mG will open up to investors. Everyone has an equal opportunity to compete against the world to see if you’ve got what it takes to ultimately end up managing real investor money. 

Not only that, the platform has different capabilities from other trading simulations. On marketGOATS you can build multiple portfolios, each with a different strategy, and see how they perform in different market conditions. mG’s focus is on portfolio construction, asset allocation, and long term viability – not daily trading.

Do I have to be good at investing to participate?

You’re probably more likely to become a GOAT if you are an experienced and talented investor. But here’s the thing: you get good at something by doing it. The marketGOATS competition is a great place to learn and experiment with no risk because it’s a simulation. Additionally, there is no education, pedigree, or job requirements, so if you are great, there is nothing that can stand in your way toward becoming a GOAT.

What does “marketGOATS” mean or represent?

GOAT is a well-known acronym for “greatest of all time,” often used to describe athletes or others at the top of their profession (think Serena Williams, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan). So, marketGOATS will be the top-performing money managers on our platform. 

Why do you focus on ETFs and currencies?

While the marketGOATS platform supports the trading of stocks and crypto, we also offer a wide selection of ETFs. Why ETFs? Let’s start with the reality that people are most worried about how to manage their entire portfolio across all asset classes. They know they can’t put it all into equities, but are not sure where and how much to put in other assets. A portfolio of ETFs run by a top performer allows investors to get diversity AND transparency. And, don’t think of ETFs as limiting. There are nearly 3,000 ETF choices, covering every global market, industry, sector, country, commodity, and so forth.

How does marketGOATS make money?

marketGOATS will not charge you to play on our platform. Instead, we will take a percent of our investor assets under management (AUM). This is a typical way that investment platforms make money. One thing that’s cool about mG is that we don’t sell any particular financial products such as mutual funds, so we have no “horse in this race.” We’re just here to find the top investing performers.

I hope you’ll join us today on marketGOATS. We are building a dynamic community of students and investment pros alike, and we can always use more talent like you!