It's obvious from the tone of her voice that BetterTrades coach Darlene Powell (formerly Darlene Nelson) takes her coaching personally. That's because she chooses not to forget that many years ago, when she started to learn to trade, she was in the position that many of her students are in today.

She had financial problems and didn't know anything about trading in the market at all. Darlene believes that trading is a learned skill that can improve with practice. "It's work, but it's potentially rewarding work. If people use the tools and techniques that are taught at BetterTrades, they can also trade the market." It's a message she voices again and again.

"I try to make sure that students understand that I was just like many of them," Darlene said. "I will never forget what it was like to be in a situation where I didn't understand the market at all."

She reluctantly attended a stock market education class. "I sat in the back row with my arms folded," she said. "I couldn't wait for the two days to end."

But the stock market message began to sink into Darlene's analytical mind. She discovered how it's possible to read a stock chart and learn the importance of drawing support and resistance lines. The light went on inside her head: "Hey, I can do this. This makes sense."

Darlene likes to emphasize that trading doesn't necessarily require a six-figure trading account or the taking of risks beyond one's own risk tolerance. This belief eventually led her to develop her "40 Cents to Financial Freedom" distance learning program.