Learn how the collar strategy combines covered calls with protective puts to limit your downside risk. Includes real trade examples, zero-cost collar setups, and when to use collars vs. standard covered calls.
Learn how the collar strategy combines covered calls with protective puts to limit your downside risk. Includes real trade examples, zero-cost collar setups, and when to use collars vs. standard covered calls.
Compare the top 3 ETFs for selling covered calls — SPY, QQQ, and IWM — with real premium examples, yield comparisons, and guidance on which ETF fits your income strategy.
Learn 5 proven covered call tax strategies to reduce your tax bill and keep more of your premium income. From IRA advantages to qualified covered calls and tax-loss harvesting, discover how to be tax-smart with your options income.
5 Options Income Strategies That Actually Work for Conservative Investors After 40+ years in the markets, I’ve tested every options income strategy you can name. Some work brilliantly. Others sound great on paper but fall apart the moment volatility spikes or a position moves against you. The question I get most often from my students… Continue reading 5 Options Income Strategies That Actually Work for Conservative Investors
My Risk Management Rules for Covered Calls (After 40+ Years in the Markets) Here’s something most people won’t tell you about covered calls: the entry is the easy part. You buy 100 shares, sell a call, collect premium. Done. The hard part — the part that separates consistent income earners from everyone else — is… Continue reading The Complete Guide to Covered Call Risk Management: Protect Your Portfolio While Collecting Income
Why I Stopped Chasing Dividends — and Started Selling Covered Calls Instead I spent decades in the markets — started at 12, founded a Wall Street software company, retired at 39. I’ve tried every income strategy out there. And for years, I thought dividend investing was the gold standard for building passive income. Then I… Continue reading Covered Calls vs Dividend Investing: Why I Switched to Selling Premium for Income
“My Shares Got Called Away!” — Why Assignment Isn’t the Disaster You Think It’s the phone call every new covered call seller dreads. You check your brokerage account one morning and see: Assignment Notice — 100 shares sold at strike price. Your first reaction? Panic. “Did I lose money? What do I do now? Is… Continue reading Covered Call Assignment: What Happens When Your Shares Get Called Away (And Why It’s Usually a Good Thing)
The #1 Question Every New Options Investor Asks Me “Mark, how much money do I actually need to start selling covered calls?” I hear this more than any other question. And I get it — when you see me talk about generating $10,000 a month in premium income, it’s natural to wonder whether you need… Continue reading How Much Money Do You Need to Sell Covered Calls? The Complete Capital Guide
The Market Just Dropped 1.7% in a Day. Here’s Why I Wasn’t Worried. Yesterday, the S&P 500 fell 1.74% on Iran tensions and rising oil prices. The Nasdaq dropped 2.38%. My phone was buzzing with messages from panicked investors. Meanwhile, I was collecting premium. Look, I’ve been through multiple bear markets in my 40+ years… Continue reading Covered Calls in a Bear Market: My 5-Step Playbook for Collecting Income When Stocks Drop
Covered Call ETFs Sound Great — Until You See What They Actually Cost You I get this question at least once a week: “Mark, why should I bother selling my own covered calls when I can just buy JEPI or QYLD and collect the dividend?” It’s a fair question. Covered call ETFs have exploded in… Continue reading Covered Call ETF vs Selling Covered Calls: Why DIY Wins for Serious Income Investors
