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Covered Call Writing: The Case For 1-Month Options

I sell predominantly 1-month options when selling covered calls. This decision was NOT based on anything I read or was told, but rather on experience and common sense. Most stocks with options have at least four expiration cycles affiliated with them at any point in time…the current month, the next month and two more months further […]

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Calculating covered call returns

Sample Covered Call Portfolio Using The Current Premium Watch List

Several of our Premium Members have requested we provide sample portfolios based on the CURRENT Premium Watch List as a guide to assist in mastering the strategy of covered call writing. In today’s article I will use the watch list dated 3-8-13 (stats taken on Wednesday, 3-13-13). The stocks we select in general are based […]

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Covered call writing profits

Setting Up Your Covered Call Portfolio Using The Ellman Calculator

Covered call writing involves options calculations…there’s no getting around it!  It’s been a while since we talked math. What’s with all the frowns? Mastering and understanding the calculations (The Ellman Calculator will do all the work) will enhance our bottom lines…more cash in our pockets. With that in mind, let’s set up a hypothetical portfolio of […]

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Covered call writing and mini options

Mini Options- A New Product For Retail Investors

There is a new options product that will begin trading on March 18th which has the potential to add great flexibility to our covered call writing strategy. They are called mini options and I’m excited to present this information to you because the product is geared to average retail investors (aka Blue Collar Investors) like […]

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The 10 Most Common Mistakes Made By Covered Call Writers And How To Avoid Them

Your neighbor bursts into your house and exclaims “I just read this article…You buy a stock and sell an option and cash flows into your account instantly. It’s a miracle! I’m getting started tomorrow”  If you are a good neighbor and knowledgeable about covered call writing you will immediately tie him to a chair, put tape over […]

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Implied volatility over different strikes

Volatility Skew- Understanding Option Premiums Over Different Time Frames and Strikes

In covered call writing, our option premiums are influenced by the volatility of the underlying security. Using the Black Scholes option pricing model, we can calculate the volatility of the underlying by entering the market prices for the options. Common sense would seem to dictate that for options with the same expiration date, we expect the implied volatility […]

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Calculating strike selection returns

Selecting The Best Strike Price

In last week’s article concerning option trading basics I highlighted the in-the-money strike in our covered call writing strategy. In this article I will expand our options calculations to all three types of strike prices. First, let’s review each of these categories: Out-Of-The-Money-Strike Prices: There is a reason why these are  popular strikes for many investors. […]

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EBAY chart showing a mixed technical picturene

In-The-Money Strikes and Covered Call Writing

Option trading basics incorporates fundamental, technical and common sense decisions. One of these, as it relates to covered call writing, is selecting a strike price for the short options position. In bearish and volatile markets I tend to favor the in-the-money strike. Before I address this matter, let’s review the pros and cons of each […]

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Calculate option capital gains and losses

Covered Call Writing: The Elite Calculator and the Schedule D

Options calculations are critical to maximizing covered call returns. The Elite version of the Ellman Calculator is an important tool in guiding us to making the best possible investment decisions. The Basic Ellman Calculator contains the following tabs: Intro Single tab Multiple tab “What now” tab The Elite version contains these four tabs plus two […]

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