The Pro LEAPS
Trader Guide
How to use long-dated options without making the mistakes that blow up retail accounts — structure, duration, volatility, and the income layer, explained by an institutional options trader with 29 years as an options market maker and fund manager.
- Why LEAPS are precision portfolio tools — not lottery tickets — and the mindset shift that changes everything
- The stock selection filter that eliminates 90% of bad trades before you ever touch the options chain
- How to read implied volatility correctly — why comparing to the VIX is the wrong move
- Duration and delta selection — why the strike you choose reveals exactly what kind of trader you are
- The income layer — how institutional traders sell shorter-dated premium against LEAPS to get paid while the thesis plays out
- The 6 mistakes that blow up LEAPS accounts — and exactly why each one hurts
Get the Pro LEAPS Guide
Enter your email and we'll send it directly to your inbox. This is the mental model — not a rigid checklist.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Your information is kept private.
What's inside the guide
The Mindset
Most traders get this wrong before they ever place a trade. There's one question you need to ask — and it changes everything.
Stock Selection
The filter that eliminates 90% of bad trades. Most people skip it entirely and wonder why LEAPS keep losing money.
Entry Conditions
You can pick the right stock and still lose. There's a specific signal most traders ignore completely at entry — and it's costly.
Trade Structure
Duration. Delta. The income layer. Three decisions that determine whether your LEAPS works like an institution's — or a gambler's.
Position Management
Most LEAPS losses happen at the entry — not the exit. Here's the framework for knowing exactly when to hold, scale, or sometimes walk away before the trade even happens.
The 6 Fatal Mistakes
Six specific errors that blow up LEAPS accounts. Any one of them can wipe out months of gains. This section alone is worth the download.