Publications

How does Jim pick put credit spreads?

What are Jim Fink’s criteria for establishing new positions on put credit spreads? Jim’s most consistent criterion for selecting a stock is positive seasonality over the past ten years. (See also What is Jim Fink’s seasonality app?) He looks for stocks that have performed extremely well — and consistently — between the date of the […]… Read More

How much time does it take to use Options For Income, and when do I need to pay attention?

OFI can take you as little as 10 minutes a week to execute. Here’s how: Thursdays – The new trades get posted to the website around 2 a.m. ET. You can see them on the website and you will also receive an email (and an SMS text alert if you’ve signed up for that, too) […]… Read More

How do I know which trades to make?

Jim posts new OFI trades every Thursday morning. A Thursday Trade Alert may contain multiple new-trade recommendations, not all of which are appropriate for new traders. Jim recommends that you start by trading one contract for a “put credit spread” whose expiration date is two or three months in the future. Why just one contract, […]… Read More

What is Jim Fink’s Ten-Year Seasonality Indicator App?

This amazing software application, developed especially for Jim Fink’s Options for Income and Velocity Trader services by a generous long-term member, is unavailable anywhere else. With this software, you can quickly look up a stock selection’s ten-year price history and find out its value in a seasonal context. If a certain stock usually gains in […]… Read More

PG, TJX: Fresh Looks, Literally

U.S. equities roll into the week of July 28 on the back of a five‑session record streak for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, yet breadth is thinning and overbought signals are flashing as the summer rally nears its typical inflection point. A dense catalyst gauntlet looms: the FOMC meeting (Jul 29‑30), June core‑PCE (Jul 31), July payrolls (Aug 1) and President Trump’s Aug 1 reciprocal‑tariff deadline, any of which could reset rate‑cut odds and sentiment in a single headline. Event risk is magnified by mega‑cap earnings—Microsoft and Meta on Wednesday; Apple and Amazon on Thursday—that will test the market’s AI‑driven leadership. Momentum remains positive, but valuations are stretched and catalysts are clustered…. Read More

Why does OFI trade put credit spreads?

Buying the lower-strike put reduces the net income only slightly, but offers two significant advantages over simply selling a single put “naked” (i.e., without any insurance): Provides insurance against a large downside move and limits risk of loss to five points per share ($500 per contract, assuming a five-point width on the put spread). In […]… Read More

What do I do with my expiring put credit spread?

My put credit spread trade is getting close to expiration. What should I be doing? If the put credit spread is out-of-the-money — both strike prices are below the stock price If your put credit spread trade remains out-of-the-money at expiration, do nothing. This is the happy ending! Both options will expire worthless, and you’ll […]… Read More

Where can I find more options tools?

As you gain expertise, you’ll naturally have more sophisticated questions about options trading. Here are useful resources to help you explore. Options Toolbox: Jim has compiled numerous types of calculators numerous calendars that augment his trading explanations analytical tools paper trading simulators and more, from sources as diverse as the Options Industry Council, University of […]… Read More

Which prices are used for performance tracking?

Which price does Jim Fink use to calculate returns of a trade? For the opening trade in a new position, Jim will use his recommended limit order price as stated in the Alert. However, he only includes that trade in his portfolio if at least one member posts to Stock Talk that they were able […]… Read More

When will you tell me to roll?

My put credit spread is in-the-money! What should I do? When will you tell me to roll it or close it? One of the best things about trading spreads is that once the contract fills, you’ll almost always do nothing about it for weeks or months. Unlike with equity trades, credit spreads are protected by […]… Read More