The Most Liquid Covered Call Vehicle on the Planet If you’re going to sell covered calls on one thing, it should probably be SPY. I’ve traded options for over 40 years, and SPY remains the single most liquid options instrument in existence. Penny-wide spreads, expirations three times a week, and the full diversification of the… Continue reading SPY Covered Calls: How to Generate Consistent Income From the S&P 500
Most People Overcomplicate Covered Calls — Here’s the Simple Truth I’ve been selling covered calls for over 40 years, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: the strategy itself is straightforward. You own shares, you sell a call option against them, and you collect income. That’s the core of it. Yet most beginners… Continue reading Selling Covered Calls for Beginners: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
If You’re Not Tracking Every Dollar of Premium, You’re Flying Blind Here’s something I’ve observed across 40-plus years in the markets: the income investors who succeed long-term all share one habit. It’s not a particular stock they buy or a specific strike price they choose. It’s this — they track everything. Every premium collected. Every… Continue reading How to Track Your Covered Call Income: The Simple System for Consistent Results
Gold Doesn’t Pay Dividends — But There’s a Way to Collect Monthly Income From It Anyway Gold has been one of the most remarkable asset stories of the past two years. From around $190 per share on the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD) in early 2024 to over $435 in April 2026, the yellow metal… Continue reading GLD Covered Calls: How to Generate Monthly Income From Gold
The Strategy Isn’t What Separates Successful Income Investors From Everyone Else — It’s the Mindset I’ve taught the Cash Flow Machine system to over 1,400 students. And here’s something that took me years to fully understand: the students who succeed aren’t necessarily the ones who pick the best stocks or time the market perfectly. They’re… Continue reading The Covered Call Mindset: Why Systematic Income Investing Beats Emotional Trading
Earnings Season Can Be the Most Profitable Time for Covered Call Writers — Or the Most Dangerous Every quarter, like clockwork, the market enters a six-week window where nearly every major stock reports its earnings. And every quarter, I get the same question from students: “Mark, should I keep my covered calls open through earnings,… Continue reading How to Trade Covered Calls During Earnings Season (The Right Way)
You Can Build the Best Income Machine in the World — But If You Don’t Protect It, One Event Can Shut It Down I’ve spent 40-plus years in the markets, and I’ve seen incredibly smart investors lose staggering amounts of money — not because they picked bad stocks or wrote poor covered calls, but because… Continue reading Asset Protection for Income Investors: 5 Layers to Shield Your Covered Call Portfolio
The Profit Is Right There in Front of You — The Question Is Whether You Take It One of the most common questions I get from students — and one that separates disciplined income investors from emotional traders — is this: “Mark, my covered call is profitable but it hasn’t expired yet. Should I close… Continue reading When to Close a Covered Call Early: Exit Rules Every Income Investor Needs
Most People Learn Covered Calls on One Stock — Here’s Why That’s Just the Beginning I remember the first time a student came back to me after their initial covered call trade and said, “Mark, it worked. I collected the premium and the stock stayed below the strike. What do I do now?” My answer:… Continue reading How to Build a Covered Call Portfolio From Scratch (Step-by-Step)
The Retirement Formula Wall Street Has Been Selling You for 30 Years — And Why It May Not Be Enough Picture this: you’ve spent 35 years building a $750,000 retirement portfolio. You’ve done everything right. You listened to the conventional wisdom. And now your financial planner hands you a simple guideline — withdraw 4% per… Continue reading Covered Calls vs. the 4% Rule: Why Income Investors Are Abandoning the Old Retirement Formula
