Options Boot Camp

Options Bootcamp 5: Spread Trading Basic Training: Today we're going to dive into spreads. Spreads are really the defining characteristics of options. What is a spread? Why would you do a spread vs. trading an option outright? Max value of a spread is the differential between the two strike prices. Long call spread, aka vertical, examples with everyone's favorite stock XYZ. Spreads have components called legs - they are the individual parts of the spread.

Roll Call: Mark and Dan sit down with Christopher Newman, the Zecco Trading Vice President of Customer Service, and run him through a few questions:

• A big part of the brokerage experience is support. What are some of the things Zecco does to ensure the customer has a great experience when they need support?
• If I'm a Zecco customer, or a potential Zecco customer, how can I reach out to get support?What methods of communication does Zecco offer?
• If I'm an options trader, will Zecco go the extra mile for me on the phone? Explain what options traders can expect in terms of phone support.

Mail Call:

• Twitter question from DSCHWARTZ- You said buying options before earning was bad. What about spreads (verticals, etc)?
• Email from Stephen Maxes, Des Moines, IA- I'm interested in trading options spread. Do I need a special options account to do this or does the regular option account work for spreads as well? Thanks and please keep doing the show. It has been very helpful for me.

Options Bootcamp 5: Spread Trading Basic Training: Today we're going to dive into spreads. Spreads are really the defining characteristics of options. What is a spread? Why would you do a spread vs. trading an option outright? Max value of a spread is the differential between the two strike prices. Long call spread, aka vertical, examples with everyone's favorite stock XYZ. Spreads have components called legs - they are the individual parts of the spread.

Roll Call: Mark and Dan sit down with Christopher Newman, the Zecco Trading Vice President of Customer Service, and run him through a few questions:

Mail Call:

Basic Training: Turning to the dark side! It's time to learn how to sell options. Why sell options? Time decay and theta. Collecting theta, instead of paying theta, turning an enemy into a powerful ally.Example: The Naked Call The Naked Short Put

Basic Training: Turning to the dark side! It's time to learn how to sell options. Why sell options? Time decay and theta. Collecting theta, instead of paying theta, turning an enemy into a powerful ally.

Example:
The Naked Call
The Naked Short Put

BASIC TRAINING - BUYING OPTIONS

• Buying Options, with special guest Joe Burgoyne from the Options Industry Council.
• Benefits & Downsides of buying options.
• The Greeks most relevant to novice options buyers.
• Bullish Example: Buying a call
• Bearish/Defensive Example: Buying a put.
• Common options buying mistakes: Buying OTM options vs ATM/ITM options, Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic value, Loading up before earnings.

ROLL CALL Mark and Dan sit down with this episode's guest Benny Joseph to discuss the Zecco mobile app. They cover a wide range of topics including:

• Can it execute options orders?
• Can you access the greeks of your position via the mobile app?
• Can you execute complex, multi-leg spreads via the mobile app?
• What features of the Zecco mobile app set it apart from the rest of the pack?
• What has the feedback been since launching this new app?

MAIL CALL Mark and Dan answer questions from Zecco's Facebook community including:

• From Arsalan: If I buy a call option and when it is time to exercise it, will that be done automatically (from the strike price or by the cost basis price, which would be the premium+strike?) or will I need to do something, as well as if I don't have the buying power to exercise the option, what happens, can I just have it buy and sell the stock right then and there and just have the profit.

• From Mike: Is Delta a measure of how much the option moves in relation to the stock? Example. A delta of 0.7 would mean if the stock moves 10%, the option would move 7%?

BASIC TRAINING - BUYING OPTIONS

ROLL CALL
Mark and Dan sit down with this episode's guest Benny Joseph to discuss the Zecco mobile app. They cover a wide range of topics including:

MAIL CALL
Mark and Dan answer questions from Zecco's Facebook community including:

Options Bootcamp 2: The GreeksBasic Training:

• Risk variables (aka "the Greeks") are Delta, gamma, theta, and vega.

• Delta: The measure of the sensitivity of the options' price given a change in the underlying instrument. It's also used to view the likelihood of whether an option will expire in-the-money.

• Gamma: The rate of change of an options' delta given the change in the underlying instrument.

• Theta: The rate of change of an options' value given a change in the number of days until an options' expiration.

• Vega: The rate of change in an options' value given the change in implied volatility.

• How professional traders use the Greeks and ways that novice traders can use them, too. It's a symbiotic relationship.

Roll Call

• John Foley joins Mark and Dan to discuss the how customers can use the Greeks to enhance their trading, where they can find the information in the Zecco platform, and how to avoid mistakes they have made in the past.

Options Bootcamp 2: The Greeks

Basic Training:

Roll Call

Options Bootcamp: Premiere Episode

• Host: Mark Longo, The Options Insider
• Co-Host: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring
• Guests: Michael Raneri and Tony Leach from Zecco

Basic Training: Dan and Mark make the case for trading options, shattering myths and resetting expectations. The evolution of options: eliminating barriers to entry, increasing the flow of information, commissions. What is an option? The impact of timeframe on options. What are calls and puts? The leverage, safety, and risk management components to options. How options can be income-generating. Long call and long put examples.

Roll Call: Mark and Dan are joined by Tony Leach and Michael Raneri from Zecco. They touch on the need for more options education. Why did Zecco want to educate the retail options trading audience? For Zecco, why options, and why now? Zecco's new trading platform: The single trading page approach, contextual trading, help mode, ease of spread execution, the depth of spread calculations within the strategy chain, customization options, ratio spreads, and the many functions available in the mobile app. Zecco's social media initiatives. The importance of knowing how to effectively use options in your portfolio.

Options Bootcamp: Premiere Episode

• Host: Mark Longo, The Options Insider
• Co-Host: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring
• Guests: Michael Raneri and Tony Leach from Zecco

Basic Training: Dan and Mark make the case for trading options, shattering myths and resetting expectations. The evolution of options: eliminating barriers to entry, increasing the flow of information, commissions. What is an option? The impact of timeframe on options. What are calls and puts? The leverage, safety, and risk management components to options. How options can be income-generating. Long call and long put examples.

Roll Call: Mark and Dan are joined by Tony Leach and Michael Raneri from Zecco. They touch on the need for more options education. Why did Zecco want to educate the retail options trading audience? For Zecco, why options, and why now? Zecco's new trading platform: The single trading page approach, contextual trading, help mode, ease of spread execution, the depth of spread calculations within the strategy chain, customization options, ratio spreads, and the many functions available in the mobile app. Zecco's social media initiatives. The importance of knowing how to effectively use options in your portfolio.