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Most importantly, what does all this have to do with Trading?

I upgraded just for "Save settings on server", and I ended up with the new account screen to my surprise. It takes some getting used to, I'll admit. I do like that you can customize what fields you want displayed. Like escargot and frogs, it appears to be an "acquired" taste.

1) The original statistic of this thread was for the NATIONAL median, it wasn't for the median in Palo alto. You said the median and average are not the same, now you are talking about local markets? huh? Are you intentionally trying to change the subject? 2) You should review a statistics...

Are you talking about the data subscription? that is only for quote data, not for ability to trade. For instance, I didn't subscribe to CME floor but I could still trade pit SPX futures options.

For large population samples, median and average are virtually the same. The larger the sample, the more they converge. WRT to national housing numbers, the population is large enough that median and average should be the same. ps: it's obvious from your example #1 that you don't know...

If you've been trading options for 25 yrs I don't see how you would have any trouble with this test. I found it pretty easy and I haven't traded for 25 yrs. The test isn't a formality, it's a requirement specific to TOS. If you don't like the test, open an account at IB. They don't require...

In this case you haven't been in the market long enough to say that 5-10% per month can be made safely and consistently. You probably would have jumped off a bridge if you were selling options on Sept 10, using your "safe" strategy.

how's your account faring today?

What you're saying doesn't add up. You say you were in the market during 9/11, and it didn't fizzle you. You say you have a $100k account and can make 6-9% consistently per month. If you've been making that much money consistently for several years, you should have a few million by now.

Or just use tracert, it comes with Windows. Run it in the command line.

Each day you lose 1/n of the time value, where n is the days remaining. Time value decreases the most, percentage wise, as you get closer to expiration. On the last day it loses 1/1 or 100% of time value. On the day before that, it loses 1/2 of t.v. If you follow an OTM option on the Thurs...

That sure makes it sound like $150M is the limit for all of IB. I guess they are expecting SIPC to cover the vast majority of their customers. The $150m limit suggests that they don't have many customers with over $1m (or that perhaps the $150M is inadequate to protect their entire customer...

Are you sure that's what aggregate limit means? $150M is miniscule for IB, which has billions in customer equity. Even the policy at TOS has a $200M limit and TOS is about 1/10 the size. I always assumed it meant that was the total of all your accounts that Llyods will insure (you can have...

I'm gonna go out on a limb here. SPX 1150 puts will expire worthless as will NDX 1350 puts Oh what the heck... while I'm at it, I will also say that SPX 1725 calls will expire worthless too.

A 0.25% spread is more than "nothing", it's the difference between a high-yield EFP and IB's MM rate on balances over 100k. Hopefully, you pick the right stock and won't need to adjust often, otherwise you will lose money on the b/a spread for each adjustment. Do it enough times and it'll...

I'm curious how long you've been writing options. Were you in the market during this year's mini-correction in Feb? Sept 11?

Best way is to activate a papertrading account from IB or TOS, then enter the orders and you'll see the margin computed for you. Not all brokers compute margin the same, remember

Did you compute the carry cost of this? I'll never buy anything with cash anymore

naked puts have the risk of a margin call happening at an unopportune time. you could get called and thus liquidate some positions at a loss whereas the CC writer could ride out the storm if they wanted to. Example: the underlying drops 25%, causes a margin call for the put writer, then...

Don't listen to the hotshots who tell you to live beyond your means, they're probably broke. It won't make you successful. I've met people who made $140k a year and saved $5k of that (a poor savings rate) and it didn't help them the least bit financially. You'll be in a precarious position if...