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The original Black-Scholes formula often is cited as the authoritative source for options pricing. However, with a large number of variables built into option formulae, it is surprising that they occasionally are close to approximating or matching market value.

The Black-Scholes formula as originally published was full of unrealistic assumptions. These include:

1. Volatility is fixed and never changes.

2. The short-term interest rate never changes.

3. Anyone can lend or borrow as much as he wants as

On the surface, it seems obvious that chasing big dividends is smart trading. But in practice, a double-digit dividend stock may also be a red flag.

Because dividend yield is based on the dividend per share and current price per share, if the price plummets, the yield goes up. A big dividend could result from bigger problems in the fundamentals.

For the purpose of evaluating dividend yield, the reasons behind these changes are not important; what is important is the underlying cause of the decline

On the surface, it seems obvious that chasing big dividends is smart trading. But in practice, a double-digit dividend stock may also be a red flag.

Because dividend yield is based on the dividend per share and current price per share, if the price plummets, the yield goes up. A big dividend could result from bigger problems in the fundamentals.

For the purpose of evaluating dividend yield, the reasons behind these changes are not important; what is important is the underlying cause of the decline

It’s tough being responsible sometimes. And managing responsibilities for what is precious in your life usually takes a little extra thought.  Let’s say you’ve just welcomed a beautiful set of triplets into the world.  Lucky you . . . and lots to managed! But, you wouldn’t give all these babies the same name simply to make it easier to remember, right?

Consider this same concept as you manage other precious aspects of life, like your on line accounts. It may seem convenient – and easier to rememb

Candlestick formations consisting of a single-session can be powerful signals of reversal that is just about to occur. The most popular among these are exceptionally long or exceptionally short candlesticks. Long white sessions or dojis (sessions with little or no real body) signal a bullish reversal at the end of a downtrend. And long black sessions or dojis signal a bearish reversal at the end of an uptrend. This “rule” is the basic observation of candlesticks. Any session that is exceptionall

How much return do you earn from writing a covered call?

The answer: That depends. There are two important qualifying tests you have to apply in order to ensure like-kind comparisons between two or more covered call outcomes. Assume you write two different covered calls on the same day and both expire worthless. Also assume that both were written on stocks you purchased for $5,000, and both earned a premium of $250.

These covered calls both earned 5%. However, that is not the end of the story and,

Radar and Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) Launch Online Risk Management Assessment Program

Announcing ERM BenchMarker™, offering tailored assessment of risk management effectiveness and improvement based on decades of experience in risk management, and organizational competence in managing risk.

Radar, The Risk Management Company providing Consulting, Engineering, Education and Software Services, in partnership with Specialty Technical Publishers, premier North American publisher of audit, co

Of all the candlestick indicators, only a few are as strong as the black crows (also known as three black crows). This is a set of three (or more) consecutive black (downward-loving) candlesticks.

Why is it so strong? First, it is a 3-day consecutive downward-moving indicator. Second, each session opens within the real body of the previous session, and then closes lower.

The second day opens lower than the opening of the first; and the third day opens lower than the opening of the second. Each clo

So, when you think about summer travel safety, what comes to mind? Which beach you’ll be lounging on? Sunburns? Shark attacks? While sunburns and vacation plans are rational concerns most have when traveling during the summer, shark attacks are a new one.

With all of the news of recent shark attacks, people are now anxious about wading into the waters, despite the fact that the chances of getting mauled by a shark are a whopping one in 3.7 million. No guarantees, of course, but your odds are look

Selling short options as part of a swing trading strategy is a higher-risk strategy than the opposite focus on long options only, although the degree of risk might not be as severe as you think at first glance. This is true for seven reasons:

1. You can cover the short call with ownership of stock. In this case, you combine covered calls with uncovered puts.

2. The short put risk is not as severe as the short call risk, especially on lower-priced stocks, where the distance between strike and tangi

The word "harami" means "pregnant" in Japanese. This is explained by the shape of the two-session indicator, with the second day entirely within the trading range of the first.

However, this pattern is only reliable as a reversal signal about half the time. So by itself, it cannot be relied upon to take action in either entering a position or exiting it. You need more.

The harami serves as confirmation, however, for other reversal signals. So if you see a signal in the firm of a candlestick patte

This October 14-16, MoneyShow.com will present this year's International Trader's Expo. From the website:

"Join thousands of your fellow traders for this three-day event that will have a substantial impact on your trading success in today's markets. We're bringing together the country's top trading pros with one goal in mind-to teach you their best trading strategies to help you profit in the months ahead."

Registration is free. You can sign up at Las Vegas Traders Expo, where further details are

What a disgrace: A private investigator, Eric Saldarriaga, 41, got nailed for hacking into peoples’ e-mails. He may get six months in the can. Is six months reasonable for this, though?

A recent online New York Times article quotes a prosecutor who points out that hackers could be deterred by the threat of harsh penalties—because the mind of a hacker operates with a lot of thinking, vs. the mind of someone who impulsively pulls out a gun or knife.

So what did Saldarriaga do exactly? He paid an ove

Can options work in a conservative way and actually help protect your portfolio?

Most conservative investors traditionally have seen options as high-risk, speculative plays on short-term market swings. This is appropriate when you think of the many high-risk option strategies available. But increasingly, options are going mainstream as even the most risk-averse investors find ways to use options to lower risks while protecting their long stock positions.

Three basic ways this is accomplished:

1. Co

An in-depth investigation by the non-profit analysis organization RAND reveals that hackers and their attacks are maturing at a much more rapid pace than organizations’ cybersecurity programs. Hackers now regularly and successfully plan sophisticated attacks to gain valuable information from large, well established organizations. In June 2015, Tony Scott, the CIO of the federal government, stated that organizations need “an architectural model that is secure by design rather than security slappe

So many traders start out with a sensible plan, only to abandon it because of the way the markets move. This abandonment of a smart plan invariably leads to potentially small added gains but large added losses.

In entering a trade, it is sensible to set two goals: the point where profits will be taken, and the bail-out point where losses will be cut. If you buy a long option, you should know going in that 75% of options expire worthless, so setting goals to sell and close make sense.

This does not

Remember the good ‘ol days when you thought of a finger pushing a button that launched a Russian missile that then sped at seven miles per second towards the U.S. to blow it up?

Little did we know back then what would one day be a way for the Superpowers to war on each other: cyber technology!

A new book is out called Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War, written by Peter W. Singer and August Cole. WWIII certainly won’t be wrought with speeding missiles and hand-to-hand combat in the trenche

As non-banks enter the financial services marketplace through innovative payment and banking offerings, it is vital for the financial services industry to establish design thinking and innovation as an underpinning of their business model to incentivize the customer loyalty necessary to regain competitive advantage in banking.

Christopher Whitlock, Vice President, Executive Creative Director at Fidelity Investments recently spoke with marcus evans about key topics to be discussed at their upcomi

The curiously-named "iron butterfly" is a complex strategy offering limited losses and limited profits. It is an expanded version of the basic butterfly (two separate spreads offsetting one another). The "iron" version is a combined straddle consisting of four options instead of the butterfly's three.

An iron butterfly can be either long or short. The long version consists of a long call and long put at the same strike; and a lower-strike short put plus higher-strike short call. For example, a co

Stock investors need good, strong signals to identify timing of entry and exit. Even conservative buy-and-hold investors have to time trades to maximize the possibility of profits.

One candlestick pattern involving two sessions helps to build confidence. Of course, as with all indicators, you have to rely on reversal indicators and confirmation. So before buying of selling shares, master the art of identifying signals and then also finding confirmation in other signals.

One of the best reversal s