Your course is real. The content is real. Your students learn something. And one line on the sales page about what they'll earn can still be what takes it down.
Last updated: October 2026 · By Gen X Still Standing
You can talk about results, but the FTC expects you to be able to back up what a typical customer can reasonably expect. A small "results not typical" line doesn't fix a big claim. The Course Creator's Legal Minefield puts it plainly: "If you can't prove it, don't promise it."
In the Matter of Publishing.com, finalized July 2026: the FTC settled with the self-publishing course company for $1.5 million over claims that students could earn "$1k to $3k a month in passive income." Most customers never came close. Some testimonials were also incentivized without disclosure.
FTC v. Lurn, Inc. (2023): the online business coaching company agreed to turn over $2.5 million after it kept making deceptive earnings claims, even after the FTC sent it an official Notice of Penalty Offenses spelling out that the practices were illegal.
Both companies had real courses with real content. They got hit because of how they described the results those courses could produce.
The FTC looks at the net impression of your marketing, not just the fine print. If the headline says "Double your income in 30 days" and the disclaimer sits in small gray text at the bottom, the FTC's position is that the disclaimer alone is unlikely to offset the misleading impression.
The book says individual course creators and coaches are on the radar, especially in financial education, business coaching, and online course niches. Many states also have their own consumer protection laws, often called "mini-FTC Acts," that can be stricter than federal rules.
If the answer is no, that claim is the problem, not the disclaimer under it. How to rewrite it honestly, and the full marketing checklist, are in the book.
Big income numbers already in your ads? Talk to an attorney before your next promotion. One hour with a small-business attorney commonly runs $150 to $500.
I had to close my company down and start over from zero. So at 53, off YouTube videos, I taught myself AI. I wasn't a tech guy. You don't need to be one either.
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Can I put income claims on my course sales page?
The FTC expects you to be able to back up what a typical customer can reasonably expect. If you can't prove it, don't promise it.
Does "results not typical" protect me?
Not on its own. Slapping "results not typical" on an exceptional earnings claim doesn't automatically make it compliant.
What does "net impression" mean?
The FTC looks at the overall impression your marketing creates, not just the fine print. A small disclaimer is unlikely to offset a misleading headline.
Do small course creators really get in trouble?
The book says individual course creators and coaches are on the radar, especially in financial education, business coaching, and online course niches.
What did Publishing.com and Lurn pay?
The FTC settled with Publishing.com for $1.5 million over passive-income claims. Lurn agreed to turn over $2.5 million.
Educational only, not legal advice. The author is not a lawyer. For your situation, talk to a licensed attorney. Written from US law; laws vary by state and country. Built by a Gen Xer with AI, for Gen Xers.
