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Stage Nine
Fees, Scams & Protecting Your Money
Playbook
Stage 9 · Act 3

Fees, Scams & Protecting Your Money.

The defensive half of Act 3. See what fees really cost over 10 years. Learn to spot an Instagram scam in 10 seconds. Tell a phishing email from a real one. Know exactly what's protected if your broker fails. Eight lessons that can save you tens of thousands over your investing lifetime.

Lessons
8
Coins available
192
Badge
Coin Defender

Table of contents

Eight lessons. Ends with your protection playbook.
  1. 01

    The Real Cost of Trading

    Five invisible fees that turn 8% gross into 5% net. See them stacked.

  2. 02

    Hidden Fees on Your Statement

    The charges your broker doesn't highlight. They're not hidden — they're just not shouted.

  3. 03

    The Anatomy of Investment Scams

    Every scam uses the same 5–6 moves. Learn the pattern and you spot them in seconds.

  4. 04

    Spotting Phishing Attempts

    Phishing uses lookalike domains, urgency, and generic greetings. Learn the 5 tells.

  5. 05

    If Your Broker Fails

    What's actually insured — and what's not. The numbers that matter when things go wrong.

  6. 06

    Social Engineering Beyond Email

    Phishing phone calls, DMs, even romance scams. The attacker is always trust, never tech.

  7. 07

    The Five-Minute Trust Check

    Before you deposit anywhere, run the same 5-minute check. Every time.

  8. 08

    Your Protection Playbook (Capstone)

    The final artifact. Your protection plan, signed and kept for reference.

    Capstone
Ready?

Start with the real cost of a trade.

Four minutes. You'll leave knowing which fees are big, which are hidden, and why an 8% return can quietly become a 5% return.

Start Lesson 1 →

Key terms

Plain-English definitions for every concept in this stage.