Strategy Checklist:
Deciding trend (up/down/sideways) of a stock
1 What direction is the main market going?
2 What direction are sector related stocks going?
3 What are the longer term charts (weekly charts) showing?
4 What are the major, medium term, short term trends (up/down/sideways)?
5 Where are the support and resistance levels (use amongst others SR indicator)?
6 Is the stock volume supporting the price action?
7 Is the option volume & open interest supporting the price action?
8 In which direction are the moving averages pointing?
9 Are the technical indicators in oversold/overbought levels?
10 Are the option (contrary) indicators and their percentiles showing extreme values?
11 Are there divergences apparent in the oscillators (option & technical)?
12 What are the Fibonacci retracements or projections?
Is the Implied Volatility high or low or neutral?
1 Is the Historical volatility higher/lower than the Implied Volatility?
2 What is the short term trend of the Historical & Implied Volatility?
3 How stable does the Historical & Implied Volatility tend to be?
4 Do the longer tem Historical & Implied Volatilities confirm this?
5 Does the 20HV/IV Percentile indicator confirm this?
6 What time frame do I want my option strategy to take?
Once stock direction (Bullish/Bearish/Neutral) and Implied Volatility (High/Low/Neutral) has been determined
Deciding which option strategy to use?
1 Check the Option Strategy Table to see which strategies are applicable
2 Does the option strategy fit into my time frame?
3 Is my stock liquid enough to warrant my particular strategy?
4 Is there enough Open Interest to support my selling of options?
5 Is there enough Volume/Open Interest when I want to close down my strategy?
6 How much money am I willing to risk?
7 Do I have enough money/margin to cover this strategy?
8 What is my profit objective?
9 Do the strike price's in my strategy match up with support/resistance points?
10 Does my strategy confirm what the option writer Dream Chart is showing (short term strategies only)?
11 At which price (stock or option) will I abandon my strategy (trade)?
This checklist is meant to be used as a guide before placing any trades. It is meant to help you
make an informed, disciplined trade by trying to eliminate emotions out of the trade and prepare you for
all outcomes and make sure you have a plan of action for all outcomes, successful or unsuccessfull.
It might be handy to print this page, so you can use it when you want check a new option strategy/combination
.