Butterfly Spread: Churning Out Monthly Cash Flow

A great system for option traders who feel the underlying instrument they're working with will probably be range bound for the next 2, 3, or 4 weeks of time or so is the butterfly spread .

This theta positive option strategy produces profits when the stock or index that is being traded remains within a contained range on the graph or ends up on expiration day at or near the short strikes of the trade.

Here is an illustration of this tactic:

Buy 5 contracts of SPY 100 calls. Sell 10 contracts of SPY 105 calls. Purchase 5 contracts of SPY 110 calls.

These trades can generate quick gains for the investor as a result of the short strikes in the position (the strikes that have been sold) providing so much premium into the traders account. This is because the strikes that are usually sold in these trades are the 'at the money' strikes - or the strikes that reside closest to where the underlying is actually trading at when the trade is first put on. The 'at the money' strikes always contain the most amount of time premium, which is what option traders are looking to benefit from when trading these type of income positions.

While you can find numerous mutations of the butterfly spread, the two most popular are the standard butterfly distribute which is traded for a debit, and then there's the iron butterfly, which is put on for a credit. It is true that these two individual versions of the butterfly spread are indeed different, if you would look at the risk graph of one and then compare it to the other, they would look exactly the same, and they actually perform the same as well.

The butterfly option strategy is a 'delta neutral' strategy, meaning that investors who use this technique do not have an opinion on market direction or believe that the underlying being traded will remain in its general location on the chart for the duration of the trade.

With the proper knowledge, the butterfly spread can be a lucrative, low pressure, and pleasant investing system that doesn't require one to be glued to their computer screen stressing out over every tick of the market all day.


To find out more about this strategy, visit this Iron Condor Training Website for tons of free training videos, examples, reports and easy step by step instructions on how to trade the Butterfly Spread to generate a consistent income.




Author: Ted Nino

Gamma Scalping - Cashflowing Volatility

Many option income traders think that when markets are volatile they need to stay out of the game. Not so. Enter Gamma Trading. Here is a little known option trading strategy that can provide consistent profits from markets that seem too wild and choppy to use the usual strategies like iron condors, calendars, and credit spreads.

This strategy is initially set up to profit no matter what the market winds up doing. If the stock or index being used immediately goes up or down, a gain should be realized either way. Then, using the gamma scalping adjustment technique, the trader can lock in those gains, capturing the profit, and then immediately 're set' the trade to once again make a profit no matter what the stock or index being used winds up doing.

Similar to a straddle, when using this strategy, we don't care what the market ends up doing. We are properly set up to profit either way. Up or down, it doesn't matter. The underlying just needs to move.

After a predetermined profit has been realized from a move in either direction, a quick adjustment is made to the trade to lock that profit in forever. And, this same adjustment re sets the position to kick out even more gains no matter what the stock being used ends up doing, even if it just moves right back to the same spot it started from when the trade was first put on. The best part is that this simple technique can be used over and over again on the same trade - constantly chipping out cash from the same position.

If you have ever put on a directional trade, actually started to make a profit, then watch your stock promptly turn around and head right back to where it started from erasing your gains, gamma scalping is a strategy you should look into.

Trading this way takes so much stress out of trading - and actually makes it quite enjoyable. Gamma scalping allows one to not have to be right about direction and still have the ability to be very profitable. Wether the market heads up or falls down - we don't care. Either way we can make money.

During wild crazy times, especially like the extremely volatile markets we are currently experiencing in the markets, Gamma Trading should be considered a 'must have' method for option traders to learn how to use correctly.

And last but not least - it's a really fun way to trade as well.



Want to learn more about gamma scalping ? Then visit iron condor to find the best option trading free tools and training.

Author: Ted Nino