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Generate an Income from Credit Spreads
Income investing is popular among investors in or approaching retirement, but there are few good choices during periods of record-low interest rates. Exchange-traded options provide an easy way to generate extra income in a portfolio with limited risk. While covered calls are the most popular income strategy for options, credit spreads have become a popular […]
Calls or Puts: Which Is Better for Income?
Stock options come in two different flavors, but they can be combined into countless different strategies. Option income strategies are designed to take advantage of time decay to generate a consistent income. Investors may decide to use calls or puts, or a combination of options to achieve these goals. Option income strategies are designed to […]
How the Wheel Option Strategy Works
There are many different options strategies designed to generate an income. While covered calls are the most popular, traders may also use iron condors, butterfly spreads, diagonal spreads or calendar spreads to generate income that may be less risky or more lucrative than simply buying dividend-paying stocks or conventional bonds. The wheel option strategy is […]
How to Find Covered Call Opportunities
Covered calls have become one of the most widely used option strategies for generating income. While simpler than most option strategies, finding the right covered call opportunities can be challenging—especially when you’re trying to build a holistic portfolio with minimal risk. In this article, we will look at how to choose the right stocks and […]
Starting a Position with a Covered Straddle
There are many different option strategies that investors can use to generate an income. While covered calls generate an income from an existing long stock position, a covered straddle can be helpful for investors that want to initiate a long stock position and generate extra income. The trade-off is that it is a bit riskier […]
Can I Trade Options in an IRA?
Many individual investors wish to utilize options trading to generate income but are unsure of whether or not they can trade options in an IRA. Most individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are indeed capable of trading options, provided they request the right settings. This includes Traditional, Rollover, Roth, Simple, and SEP IRAs. Where most investors can’t trade […]
Covered Call Pros and Cons
In this article, we examine covered call pros and cons. Before diving into the complexities of what a covered call trade is and how it can be used to generate portfolio income lets first define what an option contract is and what it means to each party involved. There are two main types of options, […]
How Option Greeks Affect Covered Calls
The concept of a stock option is fairly straightforward: It provides the right or obligation to buy or sell a stock at a specified time and price. Of course, the price of an option is influenced by a wide range of factors, including the underlying stock price, time remaining, volatility and even interest rates. These […]
How to Roll a Covered Call
The stock market is inherently unpredictable and even low-risk strategies can be ruined by new information. For example, covered calls provide a convenient way to boost portfolio income, but there can be a high opportunity cost if the underlying stock moves sharply higher. Rolling covered calls is a common way to manage these risks over […]
How to Find the Right Stocks for Covered Calls
Covered calls are a great way to generate extra income in your portfolio. However, while the strategy is pretty straightforward, questions quickly arise when beginners start to implement it. The first question is usually, “how do you choose the right stocks for covered calls?” Of course, the answer ultimately depends on your goals and market […]
How to Get Approved for Option Trading
Options have become a popular way to speculate, hedge against risk, and even generate income. If you’re interested in trading options, you must apply for special permission from your brokerage. They will then assign an options level that they feel is appropriate based on your account, education, history, and other factors. Let’s look at the […]
Bond Ladders vs. Bond Funds: What’s Right for You?
Many retirement investors are interested in bonds because they are both safer and more predictable than the stock market. Bonds pay out interest payments on a regular basis, and if held to maturity, repay the principal amount. If you’re holding highly rated bonds, the default risk is minimal compared to equities. They are ideal for […]
When Is a Good Time to Invest in Bonds?
Bonds were a relatively uneventful asset class until the 2008 financial crisis when they quickly became a top performer. Over the course of the crisis, highly rated bonds posted a modest six percent return when stocks lost nearly 40 percent of their value. Deciding to invest in bonds could have saved a portfolio from catastrophe! […]
How to Find Stocks with High Option Premiums
Stock options provide traders and investors with a lot of flexibility when leveraging returns or generating income. While there are many different strategies, success often boils down to a consistent, risk-managed approach. Option sellers must consider the balance between high volatility and stock ownership to create a portfolio that meets their income needs. Let’s look […]
Dividends Play a Big Part in Performance
Many investors fail to appreciate the substantial impact that dividends have on stock performance over time. According to Hartford Funds, more than 80 percent of the total return of the S&P 500 index between 1960 and 2016 is attributed to the compounding of reinvested dividends. The same study found that companies that grew or initiated dividends […]