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What I can see is that you want to learn more about options, but what you are doing is fining high risk strategies. No one should ever consider writing naked calls as a strategy, unless you have a lot of experience trading options and have proven that your risk management skills are...

Sep 18 was expiration Friday You bought stock at 40 You sold stock at 35 You have no remaining position. You sold the Sep 35/40 call spread and these reports reflect the fact that you were assigned an exercise notice on the Sep 35 call and exercised your Sep 40 call. You have no...

This is meaingless number. Did you collect $500 for the oiginal trade? Did you collec$20,000? It makes a diffrence. Here's a good answer for you: Look at it as a new position. How would feel about opning a new iron condor that's equivalent to the one you on now? If you would be...

Not one? Do you trade in a closed room? Mark

Mark http://blog.mdwoptions.com

It's not a question of knowing better. They set their algorithm for determining margin and are unwilling too budge. Take it or leave it. Mark

At IB, if you sell a call spread with a 10 point difference between the strikes and also sell a put spread with any difference between the strikes - OTHER THAN 10, then the margin for each spread is calculated separately, and you must meet BOTH, That's $1,000 for the calls, and 100 x strike...

Agree. AND It's often easy to exit the put credit spread for a nickel or two, and it's much more difficult to exit the collar. Mark

You must have the difference between the strikes x 100 cash in your account. You can use the credit towards that cash requirement. The requirement never changes. If you are eventually assigned an exercise notice, then the position is different and you would have to pay for the stock. Mark

European style options trade in the US. Use any broker. Or are you referring to options on European companies? Mark

VIX is good enough to get a general idea of how implied volatility is moving in the options universe. But, as has been mentioned, the IV of your specific investment is more important. Mark

Here is a suggestion that you will find very useful. Don't trade the collar next time. Instead, trade the position that is exactly equivalent. Sell the put spread. If you were long the 500 put and short the 600 put, would you be worried about buying back that put and selling another at a...

Stock criteria? Buy stocks that don't decline in price. That's the key to writing covered calls successfully. Nothing else matters. Mark

This is not a discussion where extreme views can be argued - as they can in politics. The earth is not flat. The CC and NP are equivalent. Based on the assumption that you initiate the positions when the option prices are efficient. There is always going to be a difference of a couple...

There are alternatives to buying calls. You can sell OTM put spreads. Profits are limited, but you will have a much higher probability of earning a profit. Mark

Buying that put is no different from buying the Dec 45 call and forgetting about buying stock. much simpler. Mark

BIG mistake Mark

If AAPL finishes over 185, you will not have a stock position. If stock is below 185, and you don't want 3000 shares of AAPL, BE CERTAIN TO SELL YOUR LONG OPTIONS PRIOR TO EXPIRATION. Cover the shorts if necessary. Mark

EOD data is severely flawed. Many market makers arrange for the bid/ask spread to widen one minute before the closing bell, making the date less useful to you. MMs have all sorts of ways to raise and lower bids and offers, tighten and widen markets etc. When anxious to buy the bids can...

85% of options do not expire worthless. This is just an improper use of statistics. The truth is that a large number - perhaps 85% - opt options THAT ARE STILL OUTSTANDING WHEN EXPIRATION ARRIVES expire worthless. The options that have been closed for profits and losses are ignored by...