A number of different techniques and strategies are available to option investors to help assist them in achieving consistent and reliable monthly income from the option market.

For example there is the butterfly spread, the iron condor , the diagonal (an/or the double diagonal), and the calendar spread, the double calendar spread – and, the vertical spread, which is sometimes also referred to as the credit spread.

In actuality, the vertical spread can be discovered inside found many of the previously talked about strategies. It is a core foundational trade to each of their makeup. Take for instance the iron condor. This trade is constructed from two separate vertical spreads – a put credit spread and a call credit spread – each positioned above and below where the underlying stock is currently trading at.

It is also a basic building block of the butterfly spread. The top half of the butterfly spread is actually just a vertical spread – as is the bottom half. An iron butterfly trade is built from a put vertical spread and a call vertical spread.

The vertical spread trade can be built from either call options or also put options.

Following is an illustration of a bear call vertical spread on the imaginary stock XYZ…

Sell 7 XYZ 35 Call Options Buy 7 XYZ 40 Call Options

This hypothetical vertical spread will profit if the stock XYZ stays where it is trading at (or in other words NOT go up) – or heads down. It is a bearish play.

This position is called a bull put spread due to the fact that even though the position is created using put options, it is being placed in such a way that generates a profit if and when the stock being used moves bullishly.

If XYZ does in fact move downwards (or at least stay in the general area where it is currently trading at and NOT go up) this position will be a spread winning trade and the premium collected at the start of the trade can remain as profit in the traders account. And if you like the idea of that, you can also use this spread on dual sides of where the underlying is trading at – creating an iron condor option trade.

Ted ‘Spread’ Nino is an option selling nut case – particularly addicted with the riding the iron condor . Visit iron condor option lab website to watch more about his tiptop undemanding method to play this option income strategy for ongoing profits.