from the desk of Dr. Terry F Allen

Skip navigation

Member Login  |  Contact Us  |  Sign Up

802-877-8330

The 10K Strategy

The 10K Strategy is my favorite investment strategy. I have used it to make an average of over 50% a year for three out of four consecutive years.  I have now added a twist to the strategy so that annual returns might be less than those years but there should be a much higher likelihood of its succeeding.

I got so excited about the strategy that I wrote a book about it (see special offer below).  I set up an actual portfolio to demonstrate how the strategy worked for my subscribers in March 2009. I called it the Boomer’s Revenge portfolio (designed so Baby Boomers who had lost much of their retirement capital in late 2008 could get it back). The underlying stock was SPY (the tracking stock for the S&P 500, so we were essentially betting on the market as a whole rather than any individual stock. I started with $10,000 but every month when the portfolio was worth more than that, I withdrew the extra amount.

A little more than a year later, I had withdrawn $6600 from the portfolio and it was still worth over $10,000 (after paying all commissions, of course). Hundreds of my subscribers had mirrored this portfolio and enjoyed those returns right along with me.

Some people discounted these remarkable gains because the market had moved steadily higher most months in 2009 and early 2010. But then the May 2010 expiration month came along and concerns in Greece and Europe spooked the entire market. The S&P fell over 8%.

So how did the Boomer’s Revenge portfolio hold up when the market swooned? I am proud to report that we gained over 4% that month while investors all around were gnashing their teeth.

The great thing about this strategy is that it can make money even if the market as a whole falls in value (just as long as the drop is not too great) In May 2010 we proved that the market could fall as much as 8% and we could still make a nice gain.

What we didn’t have to do to achieve these results was maybe even more remarkable than what we did have to do. .We didn’t have to be smart traders to make this money. We did not have to guess which way the market would move. We did not have to pick a hot stock, or any stock. We just followed a pre-determined set of Trading Rules, buying longer-term options and selling short-term options to someone else.

The 10K Strategy takes a little work, and at least a small understanding of stock options, but it is well worth the effort. (Actually, you don’t even have to understand it all if you subscribe to my Options Tutorial Program, where I email you every trade I make once it is made. You can mirror my trades, and maybe even get better prices than I do.) You can order it here.

Are you willing to make the effort?

How would you feel about yourself if you did not take the hour or two it might take to learn how to make extraordinary returns on your money every year, even if your stock doesn’t go up at all?

On the other hand, how would it feel to know that you understood a trading strategy that could multiply your net worth many times over in a few short years? Think of the exotic vacations you could take, the fancy cars you could buy, and the early retirement you could earn — all possible because you understood and used an investment vehicle (stock options) that scare most people to death.

This is no fishy proposition.

While making 36% every year without taking big risks may sound too good to be true, this is no fishy proposition. I am not giving you fish — mahi-mahi, red snapper or sea bass. Holy mackerel, all I’m doing is teaching you how to fish. I will give you a formula. Once you have learned it, you may be able to make extraordinary returns on your money every single year – without any help from me.

You will be proud of your newfound ability to achieve stock market riches with this formula. Your family and friends will love you. Your business associates will envy you. Your mother will take full credit for your success.

Here’s the fine print.

Okay, anything this good must have some drawbacks, so here they are:

  1. I can’t guarantee a 36% return in one year while not risking a loss. But I can show you every trade we made in 2009 that resulted in better than a 60% gain on our money (after paying all the commissions).
  2. You will have to work. That means placing option orders with your discount broker on or about the third Friday of each month. When you subscribe to Terry’s Tips, I will email you the exact trades I make in every portfolio using the 10K Strategy (for two months there is no extra charge). Once you understand how the strategy unfolds you probably won’t need my help any longer. You will know exactly what to do each month on your own.  
  3. You will need to have access to an Internaet connection or a telephone on or about the third Friday (expiration day), and sometimes for adjustments at other times. This is not always easy, but I have made hundreds of trades on the telephone from a remote island in the Bahamas, a bastide in Provence, and a small village in the middle of Russia. So it is almost always possible.
  4. Most of your profits will be taxed as short-term capital gains.  This is a major disadvantage of the strategy and a big reason to carry it out in your IRA or other tax-deferred account.

Yes, you can use this strategy in your IRA. You will have to set up an IRA account with a broker who allows option spreads.

Does the stock have to go up for the 10K Strategy to be profitable? 

As long as the stock moves only moderately (5% or so) during an expiration month, it doesn’t matter which way the stock moves.  We spend a good share of the invested amount in an insurance bet that pays off only if the stock falls (and usually maintain a cash reserve for a downside adjustment as well).

A Conservative Options Strategy

Many people believe that a conservative options strategy is an oxymoron.  Options are leveraged and depreciating investments that involve a great deal of risk.  However, for virtually every option that the 10K Strategy owns, there is an offsetting short option to protect against a moderate stock price move in either direction.

The 10K Strategy in a nutshell – it’s all about the Decay Rate

Decay Rate for a Typical Option

If the price of the stock remains the same, all options become less valuable over time. This makes total sense. If you own an option that has a year to go before it expires, you would be willing to pay more for it than you would for an option that lasted only a month.

The amount that the option falls in value is called its decay. There are two interesting aspects of decay. First, it tends to be quite low when there is a long time until the option expires. Second, decay increases dramatically as the option moves toward the date when it expires (the expiration date).

A typical 12-month call option (strike price 70) for a $70 stock might be about $7.80. Instead of paying $7000 to buy 100 shares of the stock, you could buy the right to purchase the stock at $780. Having the option would give you all the rights of stock ownership except receiving dividends and voting on company matters. For every dollar the stock went up, you would gain $100 just like the owner of 100 shares would enjoy.

Of course, you wouldn’t actually make a gain until after the stock had gone up by $7.80 to cover the cost of the call option you bought. But you would have a full year for that to happen.

Each month you waited to buy this option (assuming the stock stayed at $70), you would pay less much less. When there was only a month to go until expiration, a one-month call option (same strike, same $70 stock) might sell for $1.80 The stock would only have to go up $1.80 before you made money on your call purchase, but there would only be one month for that to happen.

Most option buyers prefer to pay $1.80 for an option that only has a month of remaining life rather than $7.80 for an option that has a year of life. In the 10K Strategy, we do just the opposite.

In the 10K Strategy, at the same time we buy options with several months of remaining life until expiration, we sell someone else an option that only has a month to go until expiration. We are allowed to use our longer-term option as collateral for the short term sale.

When you simultaneously buy a long-term option and sell a short-term option on the same underlying stock or ETF at the same strike price, you are placing what is called a calendar spread (also called a time spread).

The price we pay is the difference in price between the two options. For example:

Buy one-year call option at 70 strike price for $7.80
Sell one-month call option at 70 strike price for $1.80
Cost of spread: $6.00 ($600)

After one month, if the price of the stock remains at $70, the price of the option we bought for $7.80 will have fallen in value by about $.40, and would be worth about $7.40. However, the option we sold to someone else would be worthless since the stock price is not higher than $70 and there is no time remaining for the option.

At the end of one month (assuming the stock is still at $70), the spread that we purchased for $600 would then consist of a single call option with 11 months of remaining life which is worth $740. We would have made a gain of $140, or about 23% on our investment in a single month (less commissions). At that point, we would sell another one-month option for $180 and wait for another month to expire.

If the stock remained at $70 for an entire year, and we sold a one-month option 11 more times for $1.80 a pop, we would collect $19.80 ($1980) on our original investment of $6.00 ($600), or over 300%.

The difference in the lower decay rate of the long-term option we own and the higher decay rate of the short-term option we sell is the essence of the 10K Strategy. Everything else is just details.

Of course, this is a simplified example. Commissions would eat a little into the gains, and the stock will never stay exactly flat. Sometimes it will stay almost flat, however, and we would earn over 20% in a single month in the above example.

The 10K Strategy consists spending most of your cash to purchase call calendar spreads at strikes near and above the stock price. A portion of portfolio value, usually 10% – 20% is retained as a reserve in case adjustments need to be made.

For example, if the stock falls early in an expiration month, some downside protection might be added on to insure that if the market continues to fall, a loss can be avoided. These adjustments might take one of several possible forms. The most common one would be to purchase additional calendar spreads at strike prices below the stock price.

We have also had good luck with what we call an exotic butterfly spread. This is much like a traditional butterfly spread except that one of the legs is in a further-out month. When you become a Terry’s Tips Insider, our options tutorial will include a complete set of adjustment Trading Rules, including both the traditional and exotic butterfly spreads.

Buy the Book and Learn all About Calendar Spreads and the 10K Strategy

If you would like to see how calendar spreads can be used to achieve consistent returns every year that the market moves moderately in either direction, all you have to do is buy a copy of my book (Making 36%). 

You can buy the book here and you will receive:

  1. An electronic version of Making 36%: Duffer’s Guide to Breaking Par in the Market Every Year, in Good Years and Bad.
  2. A copy of the paperback book mailed to you by first class mail.

This may seem a little hard to believe. For a total cost of $12.94, you will have everything you need to make superior investment returns for many years. It could easily be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to you. There is nothing else for you to buy (unless you would like to learn even more, and become a Terry’s Tips Insider).

Making 36% – A Duffer’s Guide to Breaking Par in the Market Every Year in Good Years and Bad

Making 36%: Duffer's Guide to Breaking Par in the Market Every Year in Good Years and Bad Here is what the book looks like (but the good stuff is inside):The book was originally published at $19.95. You will receive an electronic version so you can start right away, and the paperback version will be mailed to you free of shipping and handling charges. Order it today

Back to TOP

TERRY’S TIPS STOCK OPTIONS TRADING BLOG

May 22, 2023

May 22, 2023

Dear [[firstname]],

I didn’t send a newsletter for the past couple of weeks because I didn’t like how the trades were setting up early in the week. One moved against us, so it didn’t look as attractive. The other moved in our direction, so there wasn’t enough credit available for a viable trade.

It’s not right to send a newsletter for the mere sake of sending a newsletter. If the trade is good, I’ll give it to you. If not, I’ll hold off. And you’ll just have to go without our incredible offers for a week or two!

With that said, here is your Option Trade of the Week, as included in this past weekend’s Saturday Report for our Terry’s Tips Insider Members. This is a post-earnings bullish trade on a gaming company that looks better today than it did over the weekend. In fact, you should be able to get an extra 10% in credit. Good luck with the trade!   

But first, our Honey Badger portfolio is on a huge roll. I know I keep saying that every week, but it’s now up a mammoth 45% for 2023. Of course, don’t forget that our portfolios beat their underlying stock performance by an average of 22% in 2022.  

Don’t miss out on the profits. For our loyal (thanks for that, by the way) newsletter subscribers, I’m keeping the sale going that saves you more than 50% on a monthly subscription to Terry’s Tips.

You’ll get …

  • A month of all trade alerts in our four portfolios, giving detailed instructions for entering and exiting positions.
  • Four to five (depending on the month) weekly issues of our Saturday Report, which shows all the trades and positions for our four portfolios, a discussion of the week’s trading activity and early access to our Option Trade of the Week.
  • Instructions on how to execute the 10K Strategy on your own.
  • A 14-day options tutorial on the opportunities and risks of trading options.
  • Our updated 10K Strategy white paper, a thorough discussion of the strategy basics and tactics.
  • Full-member access to all our premium special reports that can make you a wiser and more profitable options trader. 

To become a Terry’s Tips Insider Member, just Click Here, select Sign Up Now and use Coupon Code D21M to start a monthly subscription to Terry’s Tips for half off. You can cancel after a month but, of course, still keep all the valuable reports.

We look forward to having you join us! Now on to the trade …

Chip off the Old BLOX

Looking back on recent trades in this space, we’re a little heavy on the bearish side of the ledger. Without forecasting where the market is headed (I don’t do forecasts), I feel that we need a put spread to inject some bullishness.  One name that recently popped up is Roblox (RBLX), an online entertainment platform provider.

RBLX reported earnings last week that were mixed. The company suffered a wider loss than a year earlier, which came in lower than analysts were expecting. But revenue came in higher than estimates. One important metric for RBLX is bookings, which grew 22% for the quarter and beat the analyst forecast. The stock jumped 10% in the ensuing two days, pushing it above both its 20-day and 200-day moving average. The shares have traded sideways since then and currently sit between the 20-day and 50-day moving averages.

Analysts mostly cheered the earnings news, giving the stock a couple of upgrades and a few target price increases (there was one decrease). But overall, analysts are lukewarm toward the shares, averaging between a buy and hold. The average target price is also underwhelming, sitting just 6% above Friday’s close. But I’m OK with that because it tells me there’s ample room for upgrades. That’s evident from the two upgrades we saw last week even though the company fell short of the earnings estimate.

This trade is based on RBLX benefiting from its bookings strength and perhaps some more love from analysts. We’re going with a neutral-to-bullish put spread on RBLX with the short put strike (green line) below both the 20-day (blue line) and 200-day (red line) moving averages. If you agree that RBLX will stay atop these trendlines, consider the following credit spread trade that relies on the stock staying above $37 through expiration in 6 weeks:

Buy to Open the RBLX 30 Jun 34 put (RBLX230630P34)
Sell to Open the RBLX 30 Jun 37 put (RBLX230630P37) for a credit of $0.65 (selling a vertical)

This credit is $0.02 less than the mid-point price of the spread at Friday’s $40.01 close.  Unless RBLX surges at the open on Monday, you should be able to get close to that price.

The commission on this trade should be no more than $1.30 per spread. Each spread would then yield $63.70. This trade reduces your buying power by $300, making your net investment $236.30 per spread ($300 – $63.70). If RBLX closes above $37 on June 30, all options will expire worthless and your return on the spread would be 27% ($63.70/$236.30).   

Any questions?  Email Jon@terrystips.com. Thank you again for being a part of the Terry’s Tips newsletter.

Happy trading,

Jon

May 17, 2023

The phone has a 6.7-inch 60Hz AMOLED panel, and it features an Exynos 9825 chipset with plenty of power and a 64MP camera that takes great shots. The standout feature is the gargantuan 7000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. The F62 costs more at ₹23,999 ($325), but then again, you are getting a lot of phone here. On average, my smartphone lived on a single charge for 7-8 hours of active screen in 120 Hz mode.

  • Xiaomi isn’t positioning this phone as a camera-focused option, and that is evident in the resultant shots.
  • However, this is not solving all of the problems and as of now, there is not a global solution.
  • The main one is 50 megapixels in resolution and has an f/1.8 aperture.

Other than these two things the rest of the hardware design is identical to that of the Poco X3 NFC. This means, the same camera module layout along with the snappy fingerprint scanner built into the power button. The IR blaster is still there on the top rail along with the headphone jack on the bottom. And yes, that reminded me about the haptics on this phone.

volver a rom stock poco x3 pro

Other phones may get the Snapdragon 860, but they don’t have it at the time of review. The Poco X3 Pro lost ground in the camera section of this review, but it makes up a good deal of it with its chipset. That’s the Snapdragon 860, a processor that should interest many of you. The Poco X3 Pro can take nice photos, better ones than the Microsoft Surface Duo (original cost $1400 / about £1,075), which we tried recently.

  • The brightness is almost always enough, but the auto brightness does not work quite correctly and often you have to move the slider manually.
  • The Poco X3 Pro supports LDAC, SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptxHD Bluetooth codecs.
  • They offer excellent battery life, along with a decent camera setup.
  • Color reproduction is on the saturated side, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
  • The marquee feature on the POCO X3 Pro is the Snapdragon 860 chipset.
  • I’m actually more impressed Poco included support Stock Firmware for 26W USB-PD that’s almost as fast and works with more plugs.

The form factor is similar too, but this time Poco has worked on the weight and thickness, as X3 Pro is 9.4mm thick compared to 10.1mm on the X3. Since the X3 received a lot of criticism about its weight this time X3 Pro weighs about 213 grams as per the brand. But in our testing, it came out to be 215 grams, which is slightly lighter when compared to X3 with 225 grams. So, I would say Poco has definitely worked on the feedback, but the phone still feels bulky and heavy in hand, I hope Poco works to refine it more in the next model. By default, the phone delivers 12 MP shots that contain a good amount of detail and natural colours.

May 15, 2023

Free sites spend less time verifying accounts and eliminating bots and scammers, and have less robust matchmaking, meaning you’ll need to look for a match yourself. Finding the perfect international dating site can be a challenge. Some are filled with scammers or fake profiles, while others have poor matchmaking algorithms or may not be suitable for what you want. JDate is best for Jewish people looking for Jewish partners. While most people on the site are looking for a serious relationship, finding people interested in hookups or a more casual dating experience is also possible. One important feature that makes JDate the best international dating app for Jews is its intensive screening process to prevent harassment and abuse. Elite Singles welcomes individuals of any race, gender, or sexual orientation, which many other international dating services fail to offer. The site works best for people who aren’t interested in casual dating or hookups and prefer forming serious, deep connections.

  • Talking about girls / women in Romania is very difficult, as there’s always a risk to generalize when it’s not the case.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina is a wonderful nation with really kind people.
  • Many people know about Romania thanks to Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula and his Brukenthal Palace located in Transylvania.
  • It is a predominantly mountainous country that is known for many thermal spas.
  • You will lose a few points if your bride feels that you are taking her for granted.
  • One of these names is sure to inspire any nature lovers out there.

AnastasiaDate is equivalent to a goldmine of single Romanian https://topinternationaldatingsites.com/ women and Romanian brides. There are over 1.5 million profiles, with the most popular age group being years old. Its matching algorithm has a 65% accuracy, with a high reply rate (98%). It definitely your best chance to meet Romanian women online. Romanian girls are hardworking and very family-oriented, thanks to their culture. The girl you date will have strong maternal instincts, and if you decide to build a life together, she’ll put her heart and soul into raising and taking care of your future family.

Personal Attitudes

Hence, their mission is to create a comfortable atmosphere in their houses to please their men in various ways. As a rule, girls are polite, quiet, and respectful towards their husbands. Race and even nationality often become important factors in online dating. In turn, girls from many Asian countries exclusively prefer white men, especially Americans. It is the basic feature of the website to start dating Cambodian women. Check the communities on the matter of them and enjoy cheerful minutes with pretty brides. There are some dating sites to meet Cambodian brides online. Cambodia is the place for pleasure and enjoyment on the edge of sunny Asia.

Romanian Ladies Interesting Data and Misguided beliefs

One of the top-rated dating sites, AsianFeels, is a great choice for those looking for support and simple human relationships based on love and honesty. The site has a good potential and success rate with dozens of advanced search filters, quality profiles, and complete privacy. Fine Cambodian women like to laugh and have a good time with friends. Although these ladies are not party girls, they welcome guests with pleasure. They are also friendly to their husbands’ friends, relatives, bosses, and co-workers. Yet, why do Cambodian women like white men when they have many locals with the same views at their fingertips?

Use Dating Online to Find Your Ideal Bosnian Singles

Therefore, Cambodian brides do not want to live in poverty and use every opportunity to leave their country for good. There are a lot of ways to get Cambodian mail order brides, but only one is effective. Online dating websites are for reaching your desired results. In contrast to the previous two dating communities, this one has a great number of users. So, you have the ongoing and increasing chances to meet your love there.

To sum up, Cambodian brides are charming, gorgeous, stunning, and simply kind Asian ladies. A lot of women looking for American men on online dating websites. They started dating shortly after they met and have been together ever since. Kim and Sovann’s story is just one of many cambodian couples who have found love through online dating. Cambodian dating sites are a great way to meet eligible singles from all over the country. There are many single Cambodian women on dating websites. They seek love and happiness with men from the USA and other highly-developed economies to build families and raise children in a stable and favorable environment. Online dating helps girls match potential partners, avoiding pressure to be “a perfect woman for a man,” typical for Cambodian society.

Additionally, Barcode Bar, Temple Club, and The Angkor What? Bar are the greatest places in Siem Reap for night-time entertainment. Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and the biggest city in the country, so there is no way we could have skipped it when creating this list. Phnom Penh is a city where you can do something new every day and never run out of ideas. But if you want to know where to meet Cambodian singles in Phnom Penh, we have a few suggestions. The Malis, Topaz, and Digby’s restaurants are very attractive to the female population of Phnom Penh, and the Sound Club, Love, and Secrets night clubs are great for a night out. As we said in the introduction, these are only general recommendations.

Upcoming Market Dates:

Monday, February 20th. Market closed for Washington's birthday. Friday, April 7th. Market closed for Good Friday.

Making 36%

Making 36% – A Duffer's Guide to Breaking Par in the Market Every Year in Good Years and Bad

This digital book may not improve your golf game, but it might change your financial situation so that you will have more time for the greens and fairways (and sometimes the woods).

Learn why Dr. Allen believes that the 10K Strategy is less risky than owning stocks or mutual funds, and why it is especially appropriate for your IRA.

Order Now

    Sign Up For The Free Options Strategy Report & Our Newsletter Now!

    Sign up for Dr. Terry F Allen’s free newsletter and get immediate access to his most current report on his stock option trading strategies.

    tradier

    Tradier offers an auto-trade service which many Terry's Tips subscribers use to follow our portfolios.

    Member Login  |   Programs and Pricing  |  Testimonials  |  About Us  |  Terms and Conditions  |  Accessibility Statement  |  Privacy Policy  |  Site Map

    Options are not suitable for all investors as the special risks inherent to options trading my expose investors to potentially rapid and substantial losses. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before investing in options

    © Copyright 2001-2022 Terry's Tips, Inc. dba Terry's Tips
    235 Primrose Lane, Ferrisburgh, VT 05456