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Kim Klaiman is an active options trader and founder of SteadyOptions. He trades mostly non-directional strategies, like pre-earnings strangles and iron condors. Likes to trade strategies with negative correlation. He lives in Toronto, Canada. Visit the SteadyOptions.com forum. Follow me on... More
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This post has 11 comments:

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  •  
    Kim, This is a great idea; I wish others would post their actual results, too. It's funny and frustrating that when sometimes when you ask, all you get are vague re-assurances or a brush-off that it's private information. I assume your results include commissions.
    It would also be helpful if you wrote a "big picture" article about the arc of your trading career. If you are like most, you started out with losses. Have you turned it around? How?
    I've become a successful poker player. I read lots of books about how to win at poker, but one of the most helpful was called "Why You Lose at Poker." Perhaps you could address that subject for options traders. Why do most of us (all of us?) start out losing. Why do some of us keep losing? What are those bad habits that cause us to crash and burn?
    7 Jan, 01:01 PM Reply Like
  •  
    Thanks Gary.

    From now on I will update the instablog in real time, in addition to the Comments sections of the articles.

    The results don't include commissions because everyone pays different commissions and it might not reflect the real picture. In my case, commissions reduce the results by 1.2% on average.

    The "big picture" article might be a good idea, not sure if it fits the SA goals. This site is about actionable ideas and analysis. But I will ask.
    7 Jan, 01:11 PM Reply Like
  •  
    HI Kim,

    thanks for sharing your strategies here. I tried to place the iron condor today. My broker couldn't allow me to do so because it involve selling options. They need min 20k in the account. My questions to you is that do I have to put in 20k or should I go find another broker. thank you.
    9 Jan, 07:39 PM Reply Like
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    Who is the broker and what kind of account it is? To sell options, you need a margin account, it has nothing to do with amount of money in the account.
    9 Jan, 09:18 PM Reply Like
  •  
    it is fidelity. I have a margin account. the requirement for fidelity is that I need 20k margin to sell options. Maybe I should find another broker?
    9 Jan, 09:46 PM Reply Like
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    Definitely. I'm using Interactive Brokers, 70 cent per contract. How much does fidelity charge?
    9 Jan, 10:43 PM Reply Like
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    7.95 per trade and .75 per contract.
    9 Jan, 10:46 PM Reply Like
  •  
    looks like I really need to change broker. thanks a lot Kim.
    9 Jan, 11:04 PM Reply Like
  •  
    what kind of strategy builder do you use to visualize a trade and to see potential gain/loss?
    27 Jan, 03:44 PM Reply Like
  •  
    OptionsOracle and my broker P/L graphs.
    27 Jan, 03:50 PM Reply Like
  •  
    Hi, I am AB Ong, a businessman lives in Penang,Malaysia. I am a part time option trader, learned option trading about a year ago.

    Taking every opportunity and my spare time to continue learning.

    Kim, I like your sharing, keep it up.

    Thank you.
    28 Jan, 05:31 AM Reply Like
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