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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Margin Accounts and Covered Call Writing
Can covered call writing profits be leveraged to even higher levels using margin accounts? In real estate investing, the concept of leveraged investing is well known and documented in such best-sellers as Robert G. Allen’s Nothing Down for the 2000s and Michael A. Lechter’s OPM (Other People’s Money). The idea of generating profit while using […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Podcast
- 104. Special 1 Time Dividends and Contract Adjustments
- 103. The Collar Strategy Using Long-Term Put Expirations
- 102. Analyzing Market Assessment Based on Portfolio Setup
- 101. Covered Call Writing: "Hitting a Double" on the Last day of a Contract
- 100. Analyzing LEAPS for The Poor Man's Covered call Strategy (PMCC)
- 99. Anatomy of a Reverse Stock Split
- 98. Analyzing LEAPS Options for the Poor Man's Covered Call
- 97. Managing Our Poor Man's Covered Call Trades When Share Price Drops Substantially
- 96. Protecting Our Covered Call Trades: Protective Puts and In-the-Money Strikes
- 95. Covered Call Writing to Generate Premium and Dividend Income
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