Wealthy Option Traders

Quote from KINGOFSHORTS:

Just be careful. Dont go around chasing IV. Sometimes it is better to sell lower IV with lower risk but profit than chase a higher profit but big risk of loss.

You are absolutely correct, my answer may have been flippant, but you can't just sell the high IV without a firm understanding of the fundamentals.

My philosophy is to protect my capital base and use low risk, low reward, strategies. Personally, I won't bet more than 5% of my account on any trade. I prefer to trade companies I know and look for opportunities when they arise. Other times, I seek out higher IV in the market and reverse research the company and back into trades. Always understanding why there is higher demand. Other times, I do as you suggest and trade the low Vol, safe bet stocks.

If you take a measured approach to the buy-write, and understand the risks and rewards, then over time you can generate a steady stream of income.
 
#2. I absolutely hate my job and want to be financially free to enjoy life.

If you're that serious about trading options, then here's the best advise anybody can give you: stop trading for yourself, you wont make it on your own ! Join a good firm, like Optiver or a bank with a big option trading floor like Credit Suisse. Of course, you'll need to pass VERY difficult screening tests, but if you're not smart enough to pass them, you wouldn't have made it either on your own.

Joining a good firm is the ONLY way to get rich with options, believe me.
(Well, you can get rich with luck as well, I know somebody who turned 50k into a million in a few weeks (and then lost all of it again), but chances are not exactly in your favour, lol). The option multimillionair's I know all joined professional firms.
 
Quote from gkishot:

I don't think it's necessarily true.

Like said, you can get rich with luck as well. But that most probably wont last, since luck doesnt last forever.

But without luck, there's just NO way you can get rich with options on your own, believe me.
 
Quote from CandleStick77:

The reason I am looking for successful profitable traders is to find a mentor. I want to learn from people who are successful. There is no point in trying to learn from someone who hasn't done it or doesn't believe it can be done...

I have said nothing rude or accusive to anyone so please don't post those type of things on this thread. And if anyone successful out there wants to be my mentor I would be more then happy to take your offer.
Honestly, why would anyone who is successdful spend the time to teach an anonymous stranger on the internet secrets of successful trading? What's in it for them? If they were of charitable nature, they'd be better off making more money and writing checks to their favorite charities - less effort, more bang for the time spent and the buck made. Color me skeptical but I doubt that you're going to find the mentor that you seek, here.

AFAIK, to be successful in trading, you have to be one of the very few unique individuals who have natural abilities at trading or more likely, you need to spend a good chunk of time learning the craft... possibly years. And even that's no guarantee of success. For most, the dream of taking a small grubstake and turning it into retirement riches is no more than a fantasy.
 
And the reason why only pro firms make money:

* Unlike you, they have big client orders, they can buy on the bid and sell the ask
* If an interesting bid gets placed in the public markets, their automated algo's on their colocated machines have hit it within a few MICRO seconds, even before your broker has transmitted the quote to you.
* Their transactional costs are WAY lower than yours, so they'll need less profit than you on the trade to end up net positive. Hence, quotes that are not interesting to you, might be to them.
 
Quote from luckybastard:

Like said, you can get rich with luck as well. But that most probably wont last, since luck doesnt last forever.

But without luck, there's just NO way you can get rich with options on your own, believe me.

So what do you think then of those results that people get on collective2 by trading options?

http://www.collective2.com/cgi-perl/t200.mpl

I wouldn't call it just luck.
 
Quote from luckybastard:



But without luck, there's just NO way you can get rich with options on your own, believe me.

havent read the whole thread. keep in mind those with these tidbits of advice are speaking from their experience.

here's an elitetrader link. notice the similarity of comments presented to the threadstarter when he had a few losses. Suddenly the negativity ends. hardwork, but not difficult to figure out the criteria.

http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=141574&perpage=6&pagenumber=1
 
Quote from TradinMadMan:

http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=141574&perpage=6&pagenumber=36

havent read the whole thread, but keep in mind those with these tidbits of advice are speaking from their personal experiences. Hardwork, Hardwork, Hardwork.

Hard work ? And then ? You think that there are some 'secret techniques' out there that the pro's dont know ? That if you work hard enough, you'll find out how it works and make the money ?

Come on ! Nowadays EVERY single firm knows EVERYTHING about the mathematics of options. If there's money to be made on an option, nobody will sell it to you. And if some idiot does, their colo machines have hit him before your screen even has displayed the quote.

Anyway, just felt sorry after reading the OP's story about his parents, wanted to give him the best advice he can get, I'm not going to debate this anymore.

Good luck trading.
 
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