The Option Alpha Podcast

In this session of The Option Alpha Podcast I had a chance to interview Henrick Santander, the guy behind http://www.the-lazy-trader.com who currently works a full-time job but is passionate about creating a trading system that fits his lifestyle.You'll hear how this long time Cuban (of 26 years) moved to Canada and is now trading very successfully each year making smart bets in the major indexes like SPX and RUT. Plus, we'll talk through his most recent SPX iron condor trade including his complete logic behind the entry, strike selection, risk management, etc.

Ever wonder how often going back in history the stock market "crashes"? I mean we know that cyclical markets means another one will eventually happen (it's just a matter of time) but when? Or how often?We did the research for you and analyzed the market data going back to 1928 (as far as we could get it). In this podcast we'll take a look back in time for you and present our case study findings. You'll finally have a clear understanding of how often stocks "crash" and also how bad we are as investors at predicting the next possible move.

This podcast challenges the belief that stop-loss orders help manage risk, showing how they actually create more losing trades. The speaker introduces the Lazy Trader Program and discusses the psychology behind stop-loss orders. They analyze trading opportunities in GoPro and GLD stocks, emphasizing the importance of probabilities and holding trades through expiration. A new strategy for exiting trades based on waiting for profits is introduced.

When you start to trade more often and with more positions, remaining as neutral as possible will help smooth out your returns over time. This doesn't mean that you can't get directional (betting on a move up or down in something) but it does mean that you have to know how to re-balance your portfolio. We've shown before that using SPY beta weighting is a great start and in today's show we'll continue that discussion with additional underlying asset correlations. Know how these work will help if you ever start building targeted strategies in a particular sector/industry - like Oil, Technology, Social Media, etc.

In this session of The Option Alpha Podcast I'm going to change the way you think about buying stock forever. Because just buying shares isn't effective anymore and with the help of options you can both increase your probability of success and reduce risk (and net cost basis). But first I'll need your help with my "Financial Planner Challenge." If we are going to change the way people invest we have to educate the so-called market experts because I guarantee that 99% of financial planners have no clue how to use options to increase returns and reduce risk for their clients. Plus, I'll show you a current example using NFLX with hard numbers of how you could reduce the cost of buying stock by 1.5% each month and still keep an 11% upside potential. Sound awesome? Let's go. . .

Discover how to simplify your options trading with a 3-step elimination process. Learn why strategy selection should focus on narrowing down choices rather than forcing a favorite. Kirk shares insightful analogies, like a carpenter choosing tools, to illustrate effective decision-making. Explore how directional assumptions and implied volatility drastically reduce viable strategies. Plus, see practical applications through case studies with OIH, Yahoo, and MasterCard, underscoring that sometimes, waiting for the right opportunity is the best approach.

Learn the top 7 things to check before making a trade, including portfolio fit, liquidity, IV percentile, strategy, strikes and timeline, and position size. Discover the importance of managing position size, having a plan B, and thinking strategically in trading. Explore options trading strategies based on current market conditions, such as the profitable GLD straddle trade.

Discover the 14 emotional stages investors go through, from optimism to herd mentality. Learn how to navigate emotions and avoid common pitfalls in trading. Explore contrarian strategies and the importance of market sentiment. Dive into opportunities with beaten-down stocks and master the psychology of successful trading.

In this session of The Option Alpha Podcast I'll answer one of the biggest questions I get when it comes to trading options with probabilities. You see with probability trading there can be this misconception that it's all a "Zero-Sum" game. But today I'll show you how you can break this cycle and start making more money with non-traditional thinking about how you close winning or losing trades. This show will make you think hard about how you trade.

The podcast delves into understanding implied volatility in options trading and how it can be crucial to gaining an edge in the market. Using examples like YHOO and HAL, it highlights the importance of trading stocks differently based on their implied volatility percentiles. Buckle up for this intense discussion!