Copyright (c) 2010 John Howell

If you want to learn how to make the best out of your portfolio or you've found yourself stalling in the market and need to find some new strategies, a trading workshop can be a great place to begin.

A good trading workshop should leave you feeling pumped-up about investing and ready to tackle the next chapter of your financial goals. A bad one might leave you confused, bewildered, and worse yet, just a little bit poorer.

Here's how to find a good trading workshop.

Don't expect free advice - While a trading workshop might get you in the door with the promise of a free seminar, know that the real advice is waiting behind a not-so-free door. If you're new to investing or you don't have much to spend, this can be daunting, but keep in mind that investors who really know what they're doing should be paid for sharing their time and ideas with you.

It will be up to you to decide if the seminar fee is worth your money. If it's out of your price range, see if you can sit in on just one of the sessions instead of the entire course or wait until you've got some cash set aside to spend on a trading workshop.

Decide what kind of workshop is right for you - Just like there are dozens of ways to invest your money, there are dozens upon dozens of investing strategies to go along with it. That's why there are so many trading workshops out there - for every instructor, there's a different approach. You may prefer a slow and careful strategy while your trading workshop is all about upping your risk tolerance.

Decide whether you want a trading workshop that teaches you more of the same or teaches you something new before you commit.

Ask around - After that initial "free" seminar, many trading workshops focus on high-pressure sales to get you to sign on the dotted line. But with many of these courses costing thousands of dollars, it's best to take a step back and think about it before you commit.

Don't be afraid to tell seminar staff you need a day to think about it. Use the time to ask other investor friends what they've heard about the course or to check online reviews. Just like you wouldn't buy a stock you're not familiar with, don't commit your heard-earned (or hard traded) money to something you don't fully feel comfortable with.