Today's counter culture states that "Rules are meant to be broken."  In trading, this couldn't be farther from the truth, especially as it relates to money management.

In some short term swing trading systems where the average time in trade ranges from one to five days,...

Butterfly's are my favorite options strategy as of late.

I spend several hours a day doing R&D around various strategies and had an "aha" moment a few weeks ago while looking at the effects of Implied Volatility (IV).   Some options strategies are positively affected by...

I am an options trader. 

When I first started trading options I was hooked by their complexity.  Yet that complexity was almost my undoing.  In my first blog post, I mentioned that my number one lesson learned over the past ten years was:

"If you don’t understand th...

I previously described how rather than force a trade on GLD, I would be patient and let my set up come to me.  This resulted in entering 8 x GLD Oct27 $120 calls on Friday, October 6th for $1.30 each (total investment of $1,043.11 including commission).  I subsequently...

I spend more time planning than actually trading.  My previous blog post on GLD was part of my standard R&D.  It was also a set up waiting for a trigger.

A common expression in the trading industry is "Plan your trade, trade your plan."  I follow thi...

One of the most fatal mistakes in trading options is forcing a trade.  Many traders are so eager to "place their bets" that placing their bets (gamble) is exactly what they do - they force a trade when the prognosis really states "wait, be patient."

When I get the itch...

I try my best to pass the foundations of my trading habit to my boys.  This is sometimes done by asking their help in developing teaching material.  My next class with OptionsPlayers.com will be a four session course on money management in options trading.

To...