Volatility Views 118: The VIXFather Turns on His Creation

Volatility Review: VIX Cash: the week’s range was 11.01-13.23. Thanks to concerns about Portugal's banks repaying debt, Europe's VStoxx Index and the VIX jumped on Thursday. Will earnings season usher in volatility? VIX Options. VXST Options. SPX Skew. Robert Whaley, the inventor of the CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX, warned that investors are not getting what they pay for when they buy volatility-linked products. Mr. Whaley, now a professor at the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management, addressed the issue of their effectiveness on Thursday at ETF.com’s Global Macro ETF Strategist Conference in New York.

Volatility Voicemail: Listener questions and comments

Question from Morgan Shebanek - Owwwwww!!! Just downloaded the mobile app. Pretty nifty even if it is redundant as all pertinent episodes are automatically put into my Podcast Que. Enjoyed the latest episode and yes I can attest as to the accuracy and timeliness of your "Vol Call" As a retail investor who has a couple regular accounts but no futures trading capability I have a question. So I want to utilize a trade on Vol? Ok, what the heck am I supposed to use?? TVIX & VXX? They look like terrible products. VXST? Can't trade it. The options are listed but when I tried to trade? No go. OoooK. So I feel like I am left using puts on SPY or QQQ. Maybe some RVX if the Small caps look like they are going to roll but I digress. Please help me find the proper product. I am not looking to hedge but rather playing a "trade" in Vol when I feel the timing is correct. Thanks for all the Mad Knowledge. Keep it up!

Crystal Ball:  An outlook for VIX, RVX, VIX ETPs and other volatility products for the upcoming week.