Jeremy Biberdorf
By: Jeremy Biberdorf
Dec 10, 2023

Option Strategies Insider Review 2024

Jeremy Biberdorf
By: Jeremy Biberdorf
Dec 10, 2023

Disclosure

Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you purchase a product through our links.
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you purchase a product through our links.
Option Strategies

4.8/5

4.8 rating based on 5 ratings

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In a Nutshell: Option Strategies Insider provides options trade alerts and educational materials for new and experienced options traders.

With both free and paid subscriptions, Option Strategies Insider is a solid introduction to options trading. While new traders can learn all the basics of options trading, more experienced traders can understand and utilize advanced trading techniques.

In addition to providing educational material, Option Strategies Insider supplies market research, watchlists, and trading plugins.

FeesService TypePromotion
$0 - $167/monthOptions trade alerts$7 trial membership

Option Strategies Insider makes it easy to start trading options with both free and paid memberships. It also offers a $7 trial which allows you to try its highest membership tier.

Pros & Cons
PROS
  • Track Record of Success: With a high percentage of winning trades, the service has established a reputation for delivering quality trade alerts.
  • Extensive Educational Content: Ranging from beginner to advanced levels, the platform offers comprehensive educational resources to enhance trading knowledge and skills.
  • Accessibility: With various membership tiers, including a free option, the service is accessible to traders with different levels of commitment and financial capability.
  • $7 Trial Membership: This low-cost trial offers an opportunity to explore the full range of services without a significant initial investment.
CONS
  • Limited Availability of Active and New Trade Positions: This limitation may restrict the options for traders looking for a wide range of current trading opportunities.
  • IRAs Handled by Third Parties: The lack of direct IRA management may be a drawback for those preferring an all-in-one platform.
  • Fluctuating Spot Prices: The nature of options trading means that spot prices can change rapidly, which might affect the timing and profitability of trades.

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Option Strategies Review Video

Full Option Strategy Insider Review

Option Strategies Insider is a comprehensive platform that caters to both novice and experienced options traders. It distinguishes itself by offering a blend of educational resources and trade alerts, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to dive into or enhance their understanding of options trading.

Who is Option Strategy Insider Best For?

  • Beginners in Options Trading: With an array of educational materials available even in the free tier, beginners can learn the fundamentals of options trading at their own pace.
  • Busy Traders: For those who lack the time to perform their own market research, Option Strategies Insider provides well-researched trade alerts, simplifying the trading process.
  • Experienced Traders Seeking Advanced Techniques: The platform offers advanced courses and trading strategies for seasoned traders looking to refine their skills and explore new trading methods.
  • Investors Seeking Diversification: Options trading can be a valuable addition to a diversified investment portfolio, and Option Strategies Insider offers the necessary tools and knowledge to integrate this asset class effectively.

External Options Strategies Insider Reviews & Ratings

SiteRating
DayTradingz4.1

What is Options Trading?

Options trading involves contracts that provide the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call options) or sell (put options) an underlying asset at a predetermined price before a specific date. This form of trading can offer higher flexibility and leverage compared to traditional stock trading.

Understanding the intricacies of options, such as strike prices, expiration dates, and the Greeks, is crucial for success in this market. Option Strategies Insider aims to demystify these concepts and provide practical insights into effective trading strategies.

What Is Option Strategies Insider?

Product NameOption Strategies Insider
ServicesOptions trading alerts.
Membership Fee$0-$167/month (discounts available).
Education & SupportVideo courses, eBooks, webinars, and forums.
Promotions$7 trial membership; 20% off forever.

Option Strategies Insider, founded by CEO Chris Douthit, stands out in the realm of options trading education and alerts.

With a solid foundation from Douthit’s extensive experience in the finance industry, including stints at notable firms like Goldman Sachs, the platform offers expertly crafted trade alerts and a high success rate of 87% winning trades since its inception.

This combination of professional expertise and practical trading alerts makes Option Strategies Insider a reliable and insightful resource for anyone interested in options trading.

Try Option Strategies Insider for only $7

Option Strategy Insider Features

Option Strategies Insider is more than just a simple trade alert service. Instead, it has several features that make it well worth a look. Many features—such as the thinkorswim Training Center & the Options Dictionary—are even available with a free membership! This setup is ideal for beginning traders who want to educate themselves before making any investments.

However, more advanced features like “Executive Research” will require a paid subscription. Fortunately, there are deals and discounts available that make the platform seem even more appealing (we’ll explain this in further detail later on).

eBooks

Currently, Option Strategies Insider has six eBooks that you can download. These are even available with a free membership. All you need to do is create an account on the website, and then you can download the PDF for each book. Here are the eBooks currently available for download:

  • The Elements: The Key to a Balanced Stock Portfolio (22 pages)
  • Value Investing: How to Find Undervalued Stocks (13 pages)
  • Cash Flow Positive: Smarter Dividend Investing (23 pages)
  • Covered Call Cash: Leveraging Stocks for Income (40 pages)
  • Time is Money: Conquering the Iron Condor (43 pages)
  • The Risk Reversal: The Ultimate Options Strategy (61 pages)

Education

As a member, you gain access to a variety of educational materials, and some are even available with a free membership. Educational resources include:

  • Options trading video courses
  • Thinkorswim lessons
  • Investing books
  • Webinars
  • Option dictionary
  • Trading examples
  • A “Partner Eligibility” section
  • FAQ index
  • Blog posts

The really nice thing is that all of these resources are included with a free membership. The one exception is the advanced options course. Still, a free membership includes the beginner and intermediate courses, which is great.

As mentioned, you gain access to both Beginning Options and Intermediate Options with a free membership. Because you have access to so much educational material for free, you can learn all about options trading without spending a dime.

Then, if you decide you want to get into advanced strategies and actually start receiving alerts, you can go ahead and sign up.

Beginning Options

This options trading education course covers the ins and outs of options trading. It establishes the “why” and how to read options. Then, it covers how options pricing works, combining factors, and option and position Greeks.

As you can see, this course lays the groundwork for options trading. It doesn’t so much go into the nitty-gritty but serves more as an introduction to the basics of options. Later, you will learn more about how trading actually works.

It will take approximately 90 minutes for you to watch all the beginner lessons. You can post questions in the comments below each video, which will generally be answered by Chris himself. Every video in this section is available to both free & premium members. Currently, there are eight beginning options courses, as listed below.

  • Beginning Options
  • Why Options
  • How to Read Options
  • Option Pricing (Part 1)
  • Option Pricing (Part 2)
  • Combining Factors
  • Option Greeks
  • Position Greeks

Intermediate Options Courses

Intermediate Options is all about buying and selling. If you are trading options to turn a profit, this is what you will spend most of your time doing. Thus, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of how buying and selling work. This is especially crucial when it comes to executing specific strategies (like iron condors or multi-leg options trading).

Chris walks you through buying and selling on thinkorswim, which is TD Ameritrade’s platform. Many traders prefer thinkorswim because it can work well for both intermediate and advanced traders.

Like the beginner course, the Intermediate Options Courses are available to both free and paid members. This section includes around 50 minutes of video instructions (with examples) and includes:

  • Buying Options (Part 1, 2, and 3)
  • Selling Options (Part 1, 2, and 3)

Advanced Options Trading Course

The last course, Advanced Options Strategies is, of course, the most advanced of the three. It’s also the only course not included with a free membership. It also has 11 different modules, making it the meatiest of the three.

As you might expect, Chris devotes the entire time in these videos to advanced trading strategies and how they work. You’ve already learned the basics; now it’s time to become a real pro with advanced options strategies. You can expect to spend about 75 minutes watching all of the videos in this section.

You’ll learn the following 11 advanced options strategies throughout this course:

  • Multi-Leg Option Intro
  • Buy-Write Trading
  • Long Vertical Spread
  • Short Vertical Spread
  • Iron Condor
  • Butterfly Spread
  • Calendar Spread
  • The Straddle
  • The Strangle
  • Contracts to Trade
  • Adjusting a Trade

Trading Tools

This service includes a few trading tools to help make things easier for you. The main sets of tools you will have are:

  • Thinkorswim plugins
  • Short put calculator
  • Stock price alert

To get the full experience, I added the thinkorswim plugins on my computer. You can see the results below:

IV Rank (Watchlist)

Option Strategies Insider IV Rank Levels

This plugin adds an implied volatility (IV) column to your watchlist to show where the security’s IV lies compared to its yearly high and low IV.

IV Rank (Chart)

Option Strategies Inside IV Rank (Chart)

This plugin provides the same information as the watchlist plugin, but it allows you to view the data on the chart. Thus, you get a more visual way to see the data.

Short Put Calculator

Option Strategies Insider Short Put Calculator

The short put calculator helps you calculate the percent discount you can receive on a stock or ETF compared to where it trades today. Once you fill in the required information, it will show you whether the security finishes above or below the strike price.

Stock Price Alert Tool

Option Strategies Insider Stock Price Alert Tool

The Stock Price Alert Tool is a relatively simple tool you can use to receive alerts when a stock you are monitoring rises above or falls below your specified price.

Trade Alerts

Trade alerts are what we’re all here for, just as they are for The Motley Fool’s stock picks. It’s nice that they include so much educational material to help you understand how options trading works, of course.

But if you aren’t a full-time stock trader, you likely won’t have time to research every single trade. That’s where Option Strategies Insider’s trade alerts come in, helping streamline your options trading experience.

They don’t inundate you with a crazy number of trade recommendations; the frequency varies as different opportunities arise. However, you can expect somewhere around one trade alert per week, on average.

Chris provides guidance for both when to buy and when to sell. As Chris points out, some services tell you when to buy, but not when to sell.

“Don’t be fooled by other option investing sites that post huge return numbers,” he says. “What these sites all do is tell you when to buy the option and then totally leave it up to you to pick when to sell. What kind of service is that?”

Here are some of the performance stats from its recommendations for the past two years:

Options Strategies Insider Trade Performance

As you can see, performance was down slightly in 2020, but overall, the numbers look quite good. More than 75% of their trades have been winners with over 40% return on capital, on average.

Note that these alerts are different from the Stock Price Alert tool; those are alerts you set up for yourself. On the other hand, these trade alerts are the ones Chris and his team send to members.

You can either receive OI’s trade alerts via email or Twitter if you prefer. Trade alerts are automatically sent to the email tied to your OI account. If you also want to see them on Twitter, the team posts alerts on its Twitter page.

Note: they don’t share their trades on Twitter; you must be a paying subscriber. On Twitter, they simply alert you that there are no recommendations when they are released and instruct you to log in to view them.

Pricing & What’s Included

Option Strategies Insider has three membership tiers, and each one has a generous number of benefits. Even the free tier includes quite a bit.

As with most tiered pricing structures, each tier includes everything the previous tier does while adding additional benefits.

Monthly Membership Packages

You can see the monthly cost of each membership tier above but note that those are only the monthly payments. If you sign up for the Executive Membership or the Ultra Membership and pay annually, you’ll get two months free.

Then, only for Modest Money readers, you can get an additional 20% off your membership forever. Most of the features for each tier are fairly self-explanatory, but some are less obvious.

1. Free

Free membership is best for complete beginners. It’s extremely easy to sign up for, requiring only an email address (which will need to be verified).

Although this membership level doesn’t provide any trading tools or perks, it has plenty of educational material available for free. Some people learn best through reading; others learn best when using visual examples. The free Option Strategies Insider educational library provides both types of materials, making it easy for anyone to start learning.

In addition to providing sequential video lessons, OI follows up each lesson with a quiz. This provides an opportunity for traders to see how much they’ve learned (and what they might want to review).

Executive membership is best for those who are ready to start—or already are—trading. Of course, this includes people who’ve completed the free learning materials. However, it also consists of those who are already actively trading but would like to brush up on their skills.

2. Executive

The executive membership can even be utilized by those who are confident in their trading abilities but lack time to conduct market research. Subscribers receive trade ideas via the Executive Portfolio recommendations.

These recommendations include not only the stock suggestions themselves but also the data behind the selections. Subscribers can expect to receive between three to six suggestions depending on the month. Historically, these suggestions have performed quite well, achieving a 90% success rate over the last three years.

3. Ultra

Ultra membership is best for traders who would like to increase their trade frequency. In addition to the Executive recommendations, subscribers also receive 1-2 “Ultra” monthly recommendations. This membership includes all of the perks from the prior two plans but adds high-risk trading into the mix.

Ultra trade suggestions are based on trading data, market trends, company balance sheets, market settlements, relevant politics, and other factors.

Some stock suggestions are long-term investments, although Ultra membership also provides short-term suggestions. Either way, it’s critical to remember that these investments are more likely to fall through than Executive Portfolio recommendations.

That said, high risk means high reward. While the majority of portfolio suggestions won’t yield much success, those that do will skyrocket in value. It’s not uncommon for the average return to exceed 300% on winning trades.

With the Ultra membership, you get:

  • Ultra trade alerts: These are trade alerts on top of what you get with the executive membership. In other words, you’ll get an extra one or two alerts per month to maximize your returns.
  • Lifetime optional membership: OI doesn’t always advertise the lifetime access rates, but they do give you the option to pay once for a lifetime membership. This can be a great deal, especially if you have confidence in the service.

However, it’s important to consider how long you anticipate using the service. If you’re only planning on using it for a short while, then it may make more sense to continue with a monthly or annual plan instead.

Strategic Tools and Resources for Enhanced Trading

Option Strategies Insider equips traders with strategic tools and resources that are pivotal for enhanced trading experiences. These tools not only streamline the trading process but also enrich traders with insights that are crucial in making informed decisions. Here’s a glimpse into what’s offered:

  • Thinkorswim Plugins: These innovative plugins are designed to integrate seamlessly with the popular trading platform, thinkorswim. They provide enhanced functionalities like real-time volatility and options pricing analysis, aiding traders in making swift and informed trading decisions.
  • Short Put Calculator: This tool is instrumental for traders focusing on put options. It calculates the potential return on investment, helping to gauge the profitability of a trade before execution. This tool is crucial for managing risk and optimizing trading strategies.
  • Customizable Stock Price Alerts: This feature allows traders to set personalized alerts for specific stocks, ensuring they never miss an opportune moment to trade. It’s particularly useful for those who cannot constantly monitor the markets.
  • Market Analysis and Insights: Regularly updated market analysis and insights provide traders with an overview of current market trends and potential trading opportunities. This feature is invaluable for staying ahead in the rapidly changing options market.

Comprehensive Learning Pathway for Traders

Option Strategies Insider strongly emphasizes education, offering a comprehensive learning pathway for traders at all levels. This educational framework is designed to empower traders with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the options market effectively.

  • Sequential Learning Modules: Starting from the basics and progressing to advanced topics, the learning modules are structured sequentially. This methodical approach ensures a solid foundation and a deeper understanding of complex strategies.
  • Interactive Quizzes and Assessments: To reinforce learning, interactive quizzes and assessments are provided at the end of each module. These assessments help in gauging the understanding of key concepts and areas that might require further review.
  • Webinars and Live Sessions: Regularly scheduled webinars and live sessions offer an interactive platform for traders to learn from experts. These sessions often include real-time market analysis, live trading demonstrations, and Q&A segments.
  • Community Forums and Peer Learning: The community forums provide a platform for traders to interact, share experiences, and learn from each other. This peer-to-peer learning environment is instrumental in building a supportive trading community.

Is Option Strategies Insider Right For You?

Option Strategies Insider is a “strong buy” for anyone who’s looking to trade options. They have almost 90% winning trades since 2015, and their annual return on capital is usually around 50%.

That is a solid performance and makes it worth a look. Plus, they give members access to a large amount of educational material free of charge.

In other words, if you aren’t sure about trading options yet, you can sign up for a free membership just to learn the ropes. Better yet, you can try the Ultra Membership for $7 for 7 days (normally $167/month) and explore everything the service has to offer.

Because of the wide range of options OI offers, this service is right for just about anyone interested in trading options.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s a service that educates new and expert traders on Options trading. It provides video courses, eBooks, webinars, and forums for its users. The main feature of Option Strategies Insider is the trade alert services.

The founder and current CEO of Option Strategies Insider is Chris Douthit.

Chris Douthit is the founder of Option Strategy Insider. He founded the company in 2015. Before then, he was a professional trader for TFM, Spear, Leads & Kellogg, and Goldman Sachs.

He holds an MBA and other financial degrees, making him an expert in his field. With more than 20 years of working experience, he has a reputation in this field. So, you can rest assured of winning option trade alerts.

Option Strategies Insider has three membership options; free, executive, and ultra membership. The executive and ultra membership packages cost $97 and $167, respectively, with a $7 free trial for seven days. You also gain two months of free annual payments and a $20 discount for lifetime memberships.

With a free membership, you can access tutorial courses, books, webinar training, and more for no cost.

Executive membership offers you extra features alongside the free membership. These services include; advanced option courses, executive trade alerts, thinkorswim plugins, and more.

The Ultra plan offers ultra trade alerts and optional lifetime memberships that come with great deals.

If you’re a new option trader who wants to learn the basics of the trade, you can try Option Strategies Insider. Its introductory-level courses are a good fit for any beginner in options trading.

Even if you’re an expert, the advanced courses and the trade alerts are things you’ll gain from.

It is also fit for you if you don’t like the stress of researching trades. Option Strategies Insider will do the work for you and give you the best trades around.

Chris Douthit offers the best option courses and trading picks you can find. Option Strategies Insider has almost 90% winning trades since 2015, so you’re in safe hands.

Yes, Option Strategies Insider is a legitimate service, offering valuable education and trade alerts in options trading.

Absolutely. The service provides educational resources suitable for beginners to understand and start options trading.

The frequency varies, but members can expect around one trade alert per week on average.

Yes, in addition to beginner and intermediate strategies, it offers advanced courses for more experienced traders.

The Ultra Membership, which is the highest tier, costs $167 per month, with discounts available for longer term commitments.

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