Wealth Building With Options

Ep23 - The Day I Bit The Nurse


Listen Later

In this episode, Dan shares a hilarious childhood story (yes, he did bite a nurse) and takes a nostalgic look at Highlights magazine to set up a powerful trading lesson about spotting subtle—but meaningful—differences between two nearly identical options strategies: the buy-write and the cash-secured put.

Both strategies aim to acquire stock and generate income, and from a risk-reward standpoint, they appear almost interchangeable. But when you look closely—like Gallant and Goofus in Highlights—you’ll find key differences that can impact commissions, dividends, interest, mindset, and how you manage risk.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
  • A humorous childhood story that leads to a serious insight about how traders interpret similar setups differently
  • The key mechanical difference between a covered call and a buy-write
  • How a buy-write compares to a cash-secured put in terms of:
    • Maximum profit
    • Break-even price
    • Commissions
    • Option Greeks (Delta, Vega, Theta)
    • Dividends and interest impact
    • Mental framing and trade psychology
    • Why buy-writes often look better on paper—but might not always be the better choice
    • How your broker's assignment and commission policies could tilt the scales
    • Why dividend-paying stocks may favor buy-writes over cash-secured puts
    • The one question to ask yourself that might matter more than the math: How do I think about this trade?
    • Key Takeaways
      • A buy-write = Buy stock + Sell call (same time, same trade ticket)
      • A cash-secured put = Sell put with cash reserved to buy shares if assigned
      • Both trades are synthetically similar—but taxes, dividends, mindset, and fees can make a meaningful difference
      • The mental framing of a trade might be the most important variable of all
      • Sometimes, “spotting the difference” is the key to making the right strategic decision
      • Subscribe & Support
        • Enjoy the show? Share it with a fellow investor
        • Subscribe to get future episodes on short-term vs. long-term buy-writes
        • Want deeper dives and trade breakdowns? Support the show with a paid Substack subscription and you'll also get access to the video extras: wealthbuildingwithoptions.substack.com
        • Disclosure:

          Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Prior to buying or selling an option, investors must read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (ODD) which can be found at https://www.theocc.com/company-information/documents-and-archives/options-disclosure-document

          Don’t trade with money you are not prepared to lose. Anything discussed on this show is intended to be generalized information and not intended to be a recommendation to buy or sell any security. The host and guests are not familiar with listeners’ specific situations. For trading information relevant to your specific needs, speak with a licensed broker or advisor.  

          Trumpet

          Trumpet Fanfare by bevibeldesign -- https://freesound.org/s/350428/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

          Wah Wah Wah

          Wah wah trumpet failed joke punch line.wav by Doctor_Jekyll -- https://freesound.org/s/240195/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store

          Wealth Building With OptionsBy Wealth Building With Options

          • 5
          • 5
          • 5
          • 5
          • 5

          5

          28 ratings


          More shows like Wealth Building With Options

          View all
          Motley Fool Money by The Motley Fool

          Motley Fool Money

          3,233 Listeners

          CNBC's "Fast Money" by CNBC

          CNBC's "Fast Money"

          1,376 Listeners

          The Options Insider Radio Network by The Options Insider Radio Network

          The Options Insider Radio Network

          67 Listeners

          Options Boot Camp by The Options Insider Radio Network

          Options Boot Camp

          181 Listeners

          Top Traders Unplugged by Niels Kaastrup-Larsen

          Top Traders Unplugged

          586 Listeners

          Odd Lots by Bloomberg

          Odd Lots

          2,000 Listeners

          Zacks Market Edge by Zacks Investment Research

          Zacks Market Edge

          306 Listeners

          Eye On The Market by Michael Cembalest

          Eye On The Market

          298 Listeners

          Investing With IBD by Investor's Business Daily

          Investing With IBD

          377 Listeners

          The Compound and Friends by The Compound

          The Compound and Friends

          2,153 Listeners

          Excess Returns by Excess Returns

          Excess Returns

          84 Listeners

          Barron's Live by Barron's Live

          Barron's Live

          211 Listeners

          Halftime Report by CNBC

          Halftime Report

          411 Listeners

          RiskReversal Pod by RiskReversal Media

          RiskReversal Pod

          825 Listeners

          Stock Market Today With IBD by Investor's Business Daily

          Stock Market Today With IBD

          50 Listeners