Category: Finance

As I mentioned in a post near the end of July, times seemed too good to last and I expected the July rally to fizzle.  And fizzle it did along with my balance.  I didn’t fall as hard as the broader markets, but certainly lost.  I ended August with a combined balance of $108,954.79 ($95,553.87.87 with Interactive Brokers and $13,400.92 with TD Ameritrade) and that’s after making a deposit to AMTD of $2,000 during the first week of the month.  After …

The premiums on VXX are just hard to resist, so I didn’t.  I like VXX as an indirect hedge for most of my other long positions and think even on a lull in volatility the premiums are still worth selling out of the money.  While VXX was trading at $22.32 this morning (above its low) I sold three VXX October 20 naked puts at $0.70 each and received $207.86 after commissions.  My move into more VXX naked puts today wasn’t completely based on …

I’ll admit I got a little excited about the prospects of a little rally this morning while I was long so many positions still open long without covered calls.  That misplaced euphoria vanished quickly as the markets retreated.  By noon I had already sold three covered calls and I’m still debating some others.

While ITRI was trading at $56.84 I sold one October $60 covered call for $2.15 and received $213.99 after commissions.  If these shares are called away I’ll take a big …

I charted the S&P 500 ($SPX) after the markets closed on Friday, 8/20/10, when it finished the week at 1,071.69.
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The first thing …

 Today’s option expiration finished somewhat differently than I thought it was going to as of a week ago.  Here’s the breakdown of how it went down:

VXX, two August 24 Puts – I’ll be assigned 200 shares of VXX on Monday morning.  Instead of trying to roll these puts I sold covered calls on the shares I’m about to be assigned.  While VXX was trading at $23.07 I sold two September 24 covered calls at $1.25 and received $248.97 after commissions.
AVAV, two August …

MyTradersJournal.com has the honor of hosting this week’s Carnival of Financial Planning.

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Best Personal Financial Planning and Personal Investment Articles this Week from Personal Finance Blogs 
Welcome to the August 20, 2010 Edition #154 of the Carnival of Financial Planning.

The Carnival of Financial Planning takes a long-term view of personal financial planning for individuals and families. We focus on efficient and sustainable personal financial planning practices that can lead to lifetime financial security. 

This edition is arranged by subject heading, so …

I have AVAV covered calls expiring tomorrow and it looks like I’ll be holding onto my shares, i.e. the options are out of the money by more than 6% with one day to go.  I’ve been debating what I should do; exit my position now or hold on for one more round of covered calls. If I do write covered calls again, should I sell at the $22.50 or $25.00 strike?  I looked at AVAV’s daily prices for the past …

I haven’t made a trade yet in August.  That’ll change this week with options expiration upon us as I adjust my option holdings.  It’s not necessarily because I’ve been too busy to get to it, but more so that I couldn’t find anything I liked that I wasn’t already invested in with this latest dip back towards the lower side of the broad market’s trading channel.

I have a mixed bag of how August options expiration could end up for me.  AVAV …

I charted the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA, $INDU, $DJI) after the index closed on Friday, August 13, 2010, at 10,303.15.
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Two weeks ago I questioned …