Strike price selection should be a focus when selling call and put options. With the stock market bearish and volatile at the start of 2016, this article will highlight how such choices will offer significant protection while still allowing for compelling returns. The stock I selected to demonstrate the main points is Adobe Systems, Inc., […]

Using Out-Of-The-Money Puts and In-The-Money Calls to Manage Bear Markets
Posted on January 16, 2016 by Alan Ellman in Covered Call Exit Strategies, Exit Strategies, Investment Basics, Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Put-selling, Stock Option Strategies

Using a Zero-Dollar Collar to Protect Low Cost Basis Stocks
Posted on December 19, 2015 by Alan Ellman in Investment Basics, Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Put-selling, Stock Option Strategies
Using covered calls and puts in a conservative manner can benefit us in so many ways. In this article I will present a method to protect stocks in our portfolio that have increased in value substantially since they were purchased. We will utilize both covered call writing and protective puts which is known as the […]

Can We Use Deep-In-The-Money Puts to Buy a Stock at a Discount?
Posted on December 5, 2015 by Alan Ellman in Investment Basics, Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Put-selling, Stock Option Strategies
One of the practical applications of selling cash-secured puts is to buy shares “at a discount” In my books and DVDs I use out-of-the-money puts in lieu of setting limit orders in order to accomplish this goal. Some of our members have inquired about using deep in-the-money puts (strike well above current market value) instead […]

Using Puts and SelectSector SPDRs to Create an Ultra-Conservative Option-Selling Strategy
Posted on September 5, 2015 by Alan Ellman in Covered Call Exit Strategies, Exchange-Traded Funds, Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Put-selling, Stock Option Strategies
Selling out-of-the-money puts and using top-performing SelectSector SPDRs can be combined to design an extremely defensive option-selling strategy in a volatile market environment like we are currently experiencing. Using Inverse Exchange-traded Funds is another approach. In this article, we will discuss the former strategy,. When we sell an out-of-the-money cash-secured put we are agreeing to […]

Selling Cash-Secured Puts On An Index
Posted on August 8, 2015 by Alan Ellman in Investment Basics, Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Put-selling, Stock Option Strategies
The index short put strategy is a form of selling cash-secured puts. It is a bullish strategy with the goal of generating premiums selling put options that expire worthless. Traditionally, at-the-money strikes are sold. As opposed to using stocks and exchange-traded funds as the underlying securities, index options are cash-settled at a profit if the strikes […]

How to Generate 10% Per Year in Bear Markets by Selling Stock Options
Posted on July 11, 2015 by Alan Ellman in Investment Basics, Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Put-selling, Stock Option Strategies
Covered call writing and put-selling generate monthly cash flow with the inherent risk of share depreciation. One of the major advantages of these conservative strategies is that they can be tailored to all market environments. In today’s article I will address one way to “stay in the game” even when market conditions are working against […]

ASHR: Exchange-Traded Fund in the Spotlight
Posted on June 13, 2015 by Alan Ellman in Exchange-Traded Funds, Investment Basics, Put-selling, Stock Investing, Stock Option Strategies
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer covered call writers and put-sellers the advantage of instant diversification and generally have a lower implied volatility associated with them compared to individual stocks. Whether we are dealing with stocks or ETFs each security must be evaluated on its own merit before using it as the underlying security. In this article, […]

Why Are Call Premiums Larger Than Put premiums For Near-The-Money Strikes?
Posted on June 6, 2015 by Alan Ellman in Investment Basics, Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Put-selling, Stock Option Strategies
When studying covered call and put-selling option prices we learn that the market will correct any potential arbitrage opportunities. Arbitrage is the simultaneous purchase and sale of an option in order to profit from a difference in the price. It exploits price differences of similar financial instruments. This would not be fair and rarely exists […]
Podcast
- 50. Exit strategies Must Be Timed Properly
- 49. Analyzing a Multi Leg Covered Call Rolling Down Series of Trades
- 48. Rolling Deep OTM Cash Secured Puts
- 47. Rolling Up in the Same Contract Month
- 46. Should Delta Be the Sole Criteria for Covered Call Writing Strike Selection
- 45. Implied Volatility and Expected price Movement During the Life of Option Contracts
- 44. Can We Use ITM Strikes to Create a No Risk Covered Call Strategy?
- 43. Converting a Covered Call Trade to a Collar Trade
- 42. Why Was My OTM Put Exercised?
- 41. Collar Trades When Call Strikes Move Deep In The Money
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