Karen's latest interview (Aug 14) is posted here: https://www.tastytrade.com/tt/shows/tasty-extras/episodes/13310?locale=en-US
In percentage terms she isn't doing that exceptionally well, for an options trader, either last year (27% I think) or this year - 11% YTD Aug 14. However, when 11% net profit = $30m, that one heck of an account size to manage, with some 500 to 1000 contracts placed each time she trades several times per week!!
What is not clear is how she grew her account size so dramatically, by hundreds of %/yr between 2008 and 2013.
Any ideas or info from anybody?
What is not clear is how she grew her account size so dramatically, by hundreds of %/yr between 2008 and 2013.
Any ideas or info from anybody?
Its clear that the dramatic increase was from the funding , not as a trading performance ...
Outside funding.
I don't know where she is finding opportunities to have 30 delta positions that aren't risking making 100$ for every 5000$
It could be true, but she doesn't say exactly how she did it.
Doing this with any size is dangerous. If 1987 happens again, people who do this stuff will be wiped out. With unlimited risk trades, the trader could owe the broker more than the account liquidity, and be sued or garnished for the rest. In any case, there are better methods.
Lloydbee, how do you know those days are gone? We just had a flash crash. And a CME crash. Maybe 1987 will never happen again, but we do not truly know that. I am not out to be confrontational or to prove anyone right or wrong, only to point out to others on this forum who may be contemplating doing this that there are better ways to trade than selling naked, far OTM options. There is too much risk in them for the return. The woman in question is trading 50% to 70% of her account at this, on portfolio margin (which makes it even worse).
Like I agreed, there are better ways than selling naked for some people but not everyone shares yours or mine risk tolerance and perhaps they can handle the risk involved with being naked saving them the cost of protection. I 100% disagree with the later part though. This is the typical mindset of people who either do not understand probability or do not trade probability but it is by no means too risky for some people and is in fact the total opposite.there are better ways to trade than selling naked, far OTM options. There is too much risk in them for the return.
Lloydbee, how do you know those days are gone? We just had a flash crash. And a CME crash. Maybe 1987 will never happen again, but we do not truly know that. I am not out to be confrontational or to prove anyone right or wrong, only to point out to others on this forum who may be contemplating doing this that there are better ways to trade than selling naked, far OTM options. There is too much risk in them for the return. The woman in question is trading 50% to 70% of her account at this, on portfolio margin (which makes it even worse).
We also don't know if these positions are completely naked. If she is hedging her shorts in the form of a bull put spread then she will have a capped loss.
From what I have seen she has never mentioned being completely naked with large option positions. She seems to hedge every position in the form of a spread or IC
She trades Naked Singles, I have said this before and no she does not do spreads and definitely no IC's if you want to get technical you could say she trades Strangles but that is not actually true as each trade is placed as a Single and her Puts-Call trades are placed and looked at as two separate trades as if the other does not exist.
Where does she say this? Full disclosure Ive only seen the TT interviews so I am no expert on her. I just haven't seen anything saying she only trades naked.
Where does she say this? Full disclosure Ive only seen the TT interviews so I am no expert on her. I just haven't seen anything saying she only trades naked.