Now that you have your trade on, what’s next? Start sweating? Log in and stare at the screen for hours at a time? Let’s hope not. Rather, consider these ideas for navigating the time between the entry and exit of a trade. Don’t Let it Consume You One common question is “How often should I […]

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Editor’s note: The “On/Off Ramp” is a four-part guide to trade entry, exit, and what happens in between. Part 1 introduced the series and looked at the trade entry process, and Part 2 was about how to navigate the holding period.    The amount of time a position remains in your portfolio depends upon your […]

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Well, 2017 is here. And it’s still a never-leave-the-house world (worse, actually). Your cat litter comes from, well, the cat litter place. You can get pizza at 5 a.m. if the bourbon wears off. Your shaving cream comes from your fav online retailer. Who needs outside? When it comes to trading in your pajamas around […]

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Feeling pretty experienced with trading long calls, long puts, and writing covered calls? Vertical spreads are one of the building blocks of options trading, and they can be a logical next step. Depending on its construction, a vertical spread can be either bullish (benefiting from a rise in the underlying’s value) or bearish (benefiting from […]

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  Call options are complicated because there are a lot of moving parts. If you’re new to options, you may not realize that there’s more to them than just anticipating how much price will move. You also have to forecast when price will move and how market makers and other option traders will react to […]

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One of the main things that makes options attractive to some investors is the flexibility they can provide during a variety of market conditions. Regardless of whether the market is going up, down, or sideways there are options strategies that can be used to speculate on the direction of different investments, generate income, and potentially […]

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Did you put up a trade today? If not, did you at least know how your positions were doing? The term “trading” doesn’t just refer to placing an order. Think of a market maker who “trades” on the floor. She may have spent most of the day waiting for an order to come in. But […]

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Fear is as much a part of modern trading as macroeconomics. But don’t let those fears haunt your trading dreams. Two lesser-known market measures can help self-directed traders get a deeper understanding of risk and what makes the market jumpy. You can’t trade a gauge or index or “feeling.” But you can keep an eye […]

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As any fashion professional would tell you, though your collection of outfits provides the base of your wardrobe, the accessories—those extra little add-ons—can make the difference. If we were to draw a parallel to the options market, the base would consist of your typical options strategies—single-leg options, verticals, straddles, strangles, and such—that make up the […]

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