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Question from a reader: What is your opinion on a short strangle vs a short straddle? I understand the same unlimited risk will be there because you are trading naked options. I found that one strategy I have had some success with in paper trading is using short strangles around earnings to take advantage of large drops in volatility.

Many traders prefer to trade Iron Condors with very low deltas and low premiums, allowing them to trade with very high winning ratio. Is this the right way to trade Iron Condors? The following article by Mark Wolfinger discusses the pros and cons of this high probability strategy.

The CBOE PUT write index has caught a lot of attention in recent years, as it historically has produced higher risk-adjusted and absolute returns than the underlying S&P 500 index. Risk adjusted returns take into account both returns and volatility. CBOE describes the index as following:

Unless buying or selling options with a distant expiration date (LEAPS), each trader understands that the value of an option portfolio becomes increasingly volatile as the time to options expiration decreases. It is important to be aware of specific situations that may crush (or expand) the value of your positions. 

When you sell options, expiration is an anticipated event. When you own options, it's something to dread. There's much more to an options expiration, and if you are a newcomer to the options world, there are things you must know to avoid unpleasant surprises. Many investors come to the options world with little investing background.

A risk reversal is a strategy that involves selling a put and buying a call with the same expiry month. This is also known as a bullish risk reversal. A bearish risk reversal would involve selling a call and buying a put. Today we’re going to examine the bullish risk reversal.

Momentum is a phenomenon that tends to leave academics scratching their heads as it shouldn't really exist in a world of perfectly efficient markets.  Yet for 100 years a simple rules based, quantitative approach would have provided the opportunity to earn increased returns with reduced volatility and drawdowns vs. a buy and hold approach.

A while ago I discussed a simple strategy that beats most traders which consists of simply being long SPY to obtain market-like returns plus dividends. If 90 - 95% of traders lose money, then following an index with a positive return guarantees you beat a huge % of that population.

A question from a reader: "I sell straddles, usually 30-45 days prior to expiration on the SPX index at the current market price. What do you think is the best option strategy to offset large moves up/ down? Would buying a straight put (or a put spread) be best? It's an expensive route to take and just wondering if you have another solution?"

The more I talk with traders, read articles and listen to commentators the more everyone seems to be talking about what is the “most probable”. Certainly we all like the thought of being on the right side of a trade and assessing probabilities can play a large part.

Traders are human and when they undertake anything new, they come to the table with certain preconceived notions or habits, or mindsets. It pays to take advantage of your education and experiences and apply appropriate lessons to any new challenge, including becoming a successful trader.

The US is currently stuck in a low interest environment, with rates at historic lows.  Portions of ECB countries even have "negative" interest rates.  The theory behind this is that it promotes spending over savings and spending should be beneficial to the economy by driving money back into the economy.