Copy trading: An increasingly popular form of investing - is it worth the risk?

Copy trading: An increasingly popular form of investing - is it worth the risk?

From Which? by Which?

June 4, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

This episode explores the risks and mechanics of copy trading as a growing investment trend.

Copy trading is a fast-growing trend, where investors discuss portfolios and markets, potentially influencing investment decisions. Copy trading takes this a step further, as investors mirror the portfolio and trades of another user of the platform. In this episode of Which? Money, senior researcher Megan Thomas explains how copy trading works, how risky it can be, and how certain trading platforms are becoming destinations for those who think it’s an easy way to increase the value of an investment portfolio. Megan shares the result of her experiment, which saw novice investors try out social trading and copy trading platforms for the first time, to track how drawn users were to investors who already had tens of thousands of other investors following their every move. Plus, Simon Weidenholzer, professor of economics at the University of Essex, talks us through the history of the trend, and describes how giving people the option to directly copy others can lead to a significant increase in risk taking. Read more about investing on our website & sign up for our free weekly Money newsletter Get in touch with us via email - podcasts@which.co.uk Podcast listeners can get 50% off…

People in this episode

Host: Which? Money

Guests: Megan Thomas, Simon Weidenholzer

Topics covered

  • copy trading
  • investing
  • risk management
  • social trading
  • financial trends

Keywords

  • copy trading
  • investing
  • risk
  • social trading
  • investment portfolio

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Essex

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