Covered call writing, when combined with protective puts, is known as the collar strategy. The maximum gain is established by the short call strike while the maximum loss is defined by the long put strike. For example, if a stock is purchased for $48.00 per share and the $50.00 call is sold while the $45.00 […]
The Collar Strategy from a Delta Perspective
When covered call writing is combined with protective puts the strategy is known as the collar strategy. The short call places a ceiling on gains and the long put represents a floor protecting losses. The two option positions should result in a net credit. Typically, out-of-the-money calls and puts are selected. Covered call writing and […]
Using Delta to Determine the Amount of Risk in Our Option-Selling Positions
Covered call writing and selling cash-secured puts are low-risk option-selling strategies used to generate monthly cash flow. Low-risk does not mean no risk so how can we measure the degree of risk we are undertaking? Let’s first all agree that any strategy that aspires to generate higher than a risk-free return (Treasuries, for example) will incur […]
Protective Puts: Selecting the Best Strike Price
Covered call writing involves buying a stock and selling a call option. When a put is also purchased to avoid significant downside loss, it is referred to as a protective put and the strategy as a whole is referred to as a collar. When a put option is purchased on the same day that a stock is purchased, […]
What Do Bernie Madoff and Covered Call Writing Have In Common?
Covered call writing is my favorite stock investment strategy and Bernie Madoff is one of the world’s most infamous sociopaths. How can they exist in the same article title? This week, ABC-TV is showing a mini-series documenting the rise and fall of Bernie Madoff and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme. Madoff never actually ever invested the […]
Using a Zero-Dollar Collar to Protect Low Cost Basis Stocks
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 […]
Covered Call Writing With Protective Puts: A Proposed Strategy
When protective puts are integrated into our covered call writing strategy it is known as the collar strategy. The covered call aspect of the trade generates cash flow and the protective put leg serves as an insurance policy against catastrophic share depreciation. Recently, one of our members, Gary, shared with me a related strategy he had […]
Emergency Management Report: Dealing with Volatile and Bearish Markets
With the stock market declining over 5% in the past month as a result of geo-political and global concerns exacerbated by the fears of an Ebola epidemic we find ourselves in a position that may lead to “panic” in our investment decisions. The stock market seemed to stabilize a bit on Friday but we are […]
Covered Call Writing When There Is Overall Market Concern
Covered call writing is a stock option strategy with primary goals of income generation and capital preservation. Most of us are conservative investors who use the power of education to master an investment strategy better than most everyone else using the same strategy. That is what the Blue Collar Investor is all about. In the […]
Calculating Protective Puts: The Collar Strategy
Covered call exit strategies plays a major role in mitigating losses in our BCI methodology. In most cases, we can keep losses to a minimum, turn losses into gains and enhance profits as well. Some covered call writers want the security of protecting against a catastrophic gap-down which can occur rarely. This can be accomplished […]
