Remember when trading meant calling your broker and waiting an hour just to find out if your order was filled? That world is gone.

JJ Kinahan, CEO of IG North America (parent company of Tasty Trade), shares how the playing field has fundamentally changed for retail traders. With 21 years of experience trading on the Chicago Board Options Exchange and leadership roles at major brokerages, JJ offers rare insight into this transformation.

Today's retail traders wield professional-grade tools, instant executions, and information flows that rival institutional capabilities. The most dramatic shift? Options trading is no longer exclusive to professionals. As JJ explains, "Options are giant probabilities" that can be used strategically when traders understand the risks involved.

The conversation explores a fascinating retail trading psychology: during market uncertainty (like the recent "tariff tantrum"), traders initially flock to broad ETFs like SPDR and QQQ, gradually returning to individual stocks as confidence rebuilds—starting predictably with Microsoft and Meta. This behavioral pattern offers valuable signals about market sentiment that even professionals watch closely.

For new traders, JJ's advice is refreshingly straightforward: start with one contract, know your personal risk tolerance, and understand why you're entering each trade. "The easiest thing in the world is to risk more money. The hardest thing is to risk a lot, lose it, and then get into a bad cycle where you feel you have to make it back."

Looking ahead, the trading landscape continues evolving toward 24/7 access, with Tasty Trade launching 24-5 equity trading by June. This shift reflects growing global interest in US markets and the expectation that investors should be able to react to news in real-time, regardless of time zone.

Ready to level up your trading knowledge? Explore how defining your risk parameters might be the most important skill you can develop as a trader.

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