I work hard to ensure you get the most out of my trade alertsā¦
But today, Iād like to address a common problem ā students chasing my alerts.
You should NEVER chase my plays or solely rely on any alert service.
Thatās not how you become a self-sufficient trader. Rather, itās a recipe for disaster.
Now, thatās not to say you shouldnāt use my alerts to inform your strategy ā of course, thatās the entire point.
After all, Iāve had some killer trade alerts recently, likeā¦
This 250% move* on Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (NASDAQ: KDP)ā¦
4/1/2024 10:58 AM (EST):
Bought KDP 5/17/24 $33 calls at $0.40
4/25/2024 9:38 AM (EST):
Scaled out of all KDP MAY 17 $33 calls at $1.40
Andā¦
This 150% move* on Aptiv PLC (NYSE: APTV).
5/2/2024 10:50 AM (EST):
Bought APTV 6/21/24 $80 calls at $3.00
5/6/2024 1:46 PM (EST):
Final Scale APTV 6/21/24 $80 calls at $7.50
But that said, thereās a fine line between following me into plays the right way and blindly chasing trades outside your wheelhouse.
So, how can you use my trade alerts productively, without chasing?
Let me show youā¦
What is Chasing?
Chasing alerts is copying another traderās alerted positions without doing due diligence (and usually late).
For example: If I entered and alerted a call option position three or four green days ago, and you only now entered the trade ā¦ thatās chasing.
When receiving my alerts, remember that you shouldnāt be chasing.
I love sharing my trades with you and seeing students profit, but alerting plays can be a delicate balancing act…
As a trader, chasing a volatile stock is extremely risky, especially after itās already moved significantly in a particular direction.
Getting a bad entry can ruin any chance of making a profit. Worse, it can lead to a loss.
CAUTION: Being early (or late) on an options trade is the same as being wrong.
Think about chasing from the perspective of an options trader.
If you arenāt careful, you could find yourself chasing the play because other traders are talking about the setup.
In other words, it wonāt be your hard work and preparation leading to the trade ā itāll be the fear of missing out (FOMO).
Chasing hyped-up plays is a recipe for disaster that you should avoid at all costs.
If you enter a trade without considering the possibility of a violent price reversal, it exposes you to unnecessary risk. And that can end with a big loss.
Hereās how to avoid this negative exposureā¦
My Alerts + Your Strategy
The key is to marry my alerts with your personal trading strategy.
Only follow my plays when youāve done your own due diligence and agree with my ideas.
Then, if the position goes against you, youāll know exactly what went wrong instead of wondering what I was thinkingā¦
As beneficial as alerts can be (when used correctly), some students get the bone-headed idea that they can be lazy and simply copy my trades.
But replicating another traderās strategy will never let you create an edge for yourself.
To truly crush the markets, you must find what works for YOU.
What works for me doesnāt matter if it doesnāt fit your personality, account size, and risk tolerance.
What To Do If You Miss My Initial Alertā¦
If you miss an initial move entirely, wait for pullbacks for other potential entries.
Often, youāll spot other opportunities if youāre patient and keep a close watch.
One way to potentially avoid bad entries is sending limit orders. If you use market orders, youāre just asking for troubleā¦
This is especially true in the options market, where contract prices can move multiple % in seconds.
Limit orders are far more conservative and well-suited to options traders because they can give you more control over where you enter the position.
Moreover, if youāre using my alerts, limit orders can help you enter the position near where I did.
My alerts always include what I paid in premiums. Thereās no mystery.
If youāre impatiently entering my trades after a big move has already happened, thatās chasing.
Donāt do this.
5 Important Points to Remember About Trade Alerts
- The key to any good trade is maintaining a solid balance of risk/reward.
- Never chase alerts and always do your due diligence.
- Look at key support levels for entries and big resistance areas for exits.
- If you miss the initial move after my alert, decrease your position size (or pass on the play entirely).
- Use limit orders to help you manage your risk and get the entry price you want.
- Use stop losses to ensure your position doesnāt drop much below breakeven.
Copying another traderās strategy will never allow you to create an actual edge for yourself.
But donāt worry, I wonāt stop sending alerts. They can be a great teaching tool when used correctly.
My goal is to help you understand my thought process when entering trades, while potentially making real profits.
Now that you know how to utilize my trade alerts properly, letās get toā¦
š°The Biggest Smart-Money Bets of the Dayš°
- $4.12 million bearish bet on SNAP 08/16/2024 $15 puts @ $1.18 avg. (seen on 5/7)
- $2.31 million bullish bet on AAPL 05/10/2024 $185 calls @ $1.59 avg. (seen on 5/7)
- $2.13 million bullish bet on XLE 08/16/2024 $96 calls @ $2.84 avg. (seen on 5/7)
Happy trading,
Ben Sturgill
P.S. Tomorrow, youāll discover the rare seven-figure profit cycle thatās already made Jack Kellogg rich.
The last time this rare cycle hit ā¦ Jack generated seven figures in trading profits.
In just two years, he earned an astounding $8 million.
It was so shocking, Business Insider reached out to interview Jack ā asking to verify his trading profitsā¦
Itās been 2 years since we saw this rare profit cycle, but nowā¦
Jack believes thatās all about to change.
And thatās why, TOMORROW, May 9th at 8 pm EST, heāll be breaking down everything you need to know about his Next Big Trade ā¦ before itās too late.
This is the first time Jack has EVER agreed to go public like this.
Thanks to Jackās incredible strategy, 28 of his top trades have ALL returned over 100%* or more, with 12 soaring over 250%* and 4 skyrocketing beyond 600%.*
So if you miss this LIVE event ā¦ you might miss out on Jackās biggest trade ever.
SIGN UP NOW because time is running out ā Click here to secure your spot for Thursday nightās urgent briefing.
*Past performance does not indicate future results