Raven’s Market Approach

My Trading Strategy & Income Approach

About Me

Hello, I’m Raven. I’ve been actively trading for over 20 years, navigating various markets and products, including Futures, Options (both long and short), Equities, and more. My journey started like many traders—dabbling in penny stocks and pink sheets before evolving into futures, then selling premium through options, and eventually branching into long options trading.

I enjoy a challenge, and trading long options is exactly that. Unlike selling options, where time decay works in your favor, long options require precision—you need to get both direction and timing right. Most traders start with long options because of the lower cost of entry and the appeal of leverage, often transitioning to futures later. I, however, trade long options actively on X and have developed a system that works for me.

A core component of my strategy is selling options for income, primarily cash-secured puts (CSPs). I only sell puts on stocks I actually want to own—quality companies, no junk. If assigned shares, I take advantage of pullbacks and immediately shift to selling covered calls (CCs) at a higher price, effectively "renting out" my stocks for additional income. This approach allows me to generate consistent cash flow while systematically building my share positions.

I believe in capitalizing on all market conditions. Markets go up and down, so why not profit in both directions? I trade long calls on deep pullbacks for large reversal plays, sell CSPs to collect premium or acquire shares at a discount, and then sell CCs into resistance at higher prices. This trifecta has been my bread and butter for years.

For times when I don’t want to deal with long option decay, I trade ES/NQ futures. My go-to plays for long options on indexes are $SPY, $SPX, and $QQQ, often using them as a hedge for my other open positions. If a stock gives me a reason to own it, I buy dips and then generate additional yield by selling covered calls at higher prices.

My trading style is diverse—I manage multiple large accounts and trade everything from scalps and day trades to swings and long-term investments. I build dividend stock positions using cash-secured puts and enhance returns by renting out my shares with covered calls.

If you’re only buying long calls, you’re going to struggle. The success rate is under 10% because most traders give up in the first 3-6 months, and many blow up within a year. Those who stick it out for 2-3 years have a higher probability of success—but only if they develop a repeatable strategy and implement strict risk management. Trading is a business, and risk control is non-negotiable.

I originally started posting my plays on X to help newer traders, but life got busy, and I took a break. Now, I’m back in the groove and posting more regularly. I plan to share a mix of short- and long-term ideas, rants, and insights both on my X feed and this Substack. Over time, I’ll dive deeper into my strategies, risk management approaches, and trade setups.

I plan on sharing and posting more and more, but I have one ask—engage. Ask questions, like, repost, and communicate. The more interaction I see, the more I know there are serious traders who want to learn, and that pushes me to put in more effort.

I don’t run a service, I’m not part of one, and I have no interest in joining one. I’ve been poached by many of the larger firms, services, and discords to become an analyst, head trader, or portfolio manager—but I want no part of it.

I just want to help traders where I can, but I need to see some level of commitment from my following to do so. If engagement is low, I take it as a sign that my posts aren’t helping, and I won’t waste time posting. There are plenty of places you can pay for a service if that’s what you’re looking for. So please do your part & I will do mine.

If you’re here to learn, let’s make it worth the time.

Be on the look out for another post soon!

-Raven.