| Options Broker Madness, Final Match Up
And then there were two
Sixteen entered the ring, but only two remain. Tastyworks, new to the line up, has a passionate and vocal following. They seem unstoppable. Their opponent? Last year's defending champion Lightspeed Trading. No less vocal, no less passionate. Tastyworks likes to use Twitter to spread the word, Lightspeed is more active on Facebook. That adds an interesting wrinkle to the voting. If you only look at one source, things might seem different than the overall picture. That's why it's important to vote on all three platforms:Twitter, Facebook and StockTwits. Every time you like or share the poll, you'll be entered into the drawing to win fabulous prizes.
Make your voices heard on Twitter, Facebook and StockTwits. Who will claim the title? That's up to you!
This year's fabulous prizes are:Â
First Place: Amazon Echo Dot Second Place: Amazon Gift Card Third Place: Exclusive Options Insider Gear Every time you vote (only on Facebook since Twitter votes are anonymous), share, or like the poll, you're entered to win. It's Chicago rules...vote early and often.  Upcoming Economic Reports A preview of what may move the market this week
| TIME (ET) | REPORT | PERIOD | FORECAST | PREVIOUS | | MONDAY, APRIL 2 | | 9:45 AM | Markit manufacturing PMI | March | -- | 55.7 | | 10:00 AM | ISM manufacturing index | March | 60.00% | 60.80% | | 10:00 AM | Construction spending | Feb. | 0.30% | 0.00% | | TUESDAY, APRIL 3 | | Varies | Motor vehicle sales | March | 16.8 mln | 17.1 mln | | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 | | 8:15 AM | ADP employment | March | -- | 235,000 | | 9:45 AM | Markit services PMI | March | -- | 54.1 | | 10:00 AM | ISM nonmanufacturing index | March | 59.00% | 59.50% | | 10:00 AM | Factory orders | Feb. | 1.70% | -1.40% | | THURSDAY, APRIL 5 | | 8:30 AM | Weekly jobless claims | 31-Mar | 222,000 | 215,000Â | | 8:30 AM | Trade deficit | Feb. | -$57.5 bln | -$56.6 bln | | FRIDAY, APRIL 6 | | 8:30 AM | Nonfarm payrolls | March | 185,000 | 313,000 | | 8:30 AM | Unemployment rate | March | 4.00% | 4.10% | | 8:30 AM | Average hourly earnings | March | 0.20% | 0.10% | | 3:00 PM | Consumer credit | Feb. | -- | $14 bln |
 Options Insider Radio Network Episodes you may have missed from Options Insider Radio last week
Best of Volatility Views: The Year VIX Died
Posted March 30th, 2018 Volatility Review: A look back at 2017 from a volatility perspective. VIX cash was back in double digits, briefly. Kevin's Weekly Rundown: VIX Options: ADV - 672k, VIX call/put - 4, Total 9.78m (7.83m Calls, 1.94m Puts) Looking back on the 2017: The year without volatility. Which trades stood out to you in 2017? CBOE files to list 6 bitcoin ETFs after being first major exchange to trade cryptocurrency futures. Crystal Ball: Your prognostication headquarters Last week: Mark L. - 9.65 Andrew - 8.99 Russell - 9.25 Where will VIX close at the end of 2018? Mark L. - 17.25 Mark S. - 11.01 Kevin - 14.04  The Best of This Week in Futures Options: The Big 2017 Wrap-Up Palooza Posted March 30th, 2018 Topics this week include: WTI Gold Bitcoin Futures Options Feedback: The final options question of the week for 2017. Our Final #QOTW for 2017 is an easy one. Quite simply: what is your enduring market memory/event/trend/etc. of 2017? Have a suggestion of your own? We encourage you to choose "Other" and send in your thoughts. We'll share the interesting ones on the network. Happy New Year! Death of Volatility/VIX Rise of Bitcoin The Unstoppable Bull Other: Reply/DM w/ideas Comment from Olivewanabroker: The oats bull market. Very important.  Option Block 703: Mystery TSLA Puts for the Win Posted March 30th, 2018 TRADING BLOCK Is the trade war over? Market back in rally mode. VIX off a few handles. Have the FANGs been de-fanged? Opinion: If the FAANGs have got you down, it’s time to win with the WNSSS stocks https://www.marketwatch.com/story/if-the-faangs-have-got-you-down-its-time-to-win-with-the-wnsss-stocks-2018-03-29 Tesla hit $250 yesterday - off over $100 in a few weeks. Facebook annihilation continues - hit $150.80 yesterday.  ODD BLOCK More Jan 2019 50 "catastrophe" puts in Tesla Motors (TSLA) Call love in Kellogg Company (K) Mid-market love in Eldorado Resorts Inc. (ERI)  STRATEGY BLOCK The Rock Lobster discusses the "VIX Zone" concept  AROUND THE BLOCK It’s Final Four time! Battle 1: Tasty vs. Ally Invest (TradeKing) Battle 2: Tradestation vs. Lightspeed  Advisors Option 65: A Little Volatility Goes A Long Way Posted March 29th, 2018 Tricks of the Trade featuring Special Guest Co-Host: Jon Cherry, Head of U.S. Options, Northern Trust - Capital Markets. Looking back at the recent tariff-induced market volatility. We've seen violent selloff and equally violent rallies. What are your thought on the recent market volatility? How can options be implemented on behalf of clients in these types of markets? The Buzz: What do informed advisors need to know? The numbers from OCC are in for February - and they were good (surprise). U.S. options-based funds grow in number despite volatility lull: study, Reuters Office Hours: What is on your mind? Question from Ed Bankert - Debating on using covered calls or short puts. Which is better for a less experienced options trader who wants to make money? Comment from Tom -Let's be honest. If any of us had size bitcoin we would have sold out ages ago and probably be kicking ourselves right now. Question from JohnnyBananas -Quick question, if you buy a put option and the strike price is $5 and the stock drops to $3, is it still worth $ even if it's 3$ under - even though my strike price is 5$?? So if the stock price is $7 drop to 5(strike), but end up going to 3, my option is worth ~$4? So I don't have to sell if I reach my strike price? Is this the same with call options? What confuses me is the strike$. #learning  Options Playbook Radio 202: Huddle Edition Posted March 29th, 2018 It's time to huddle up, in which Brian and Mark address listener questions and comments. In this episode: Question from Ed Bankert: Debating on using covered calls or short puts. Which is better for a less experienced options trader who wants to make money? Question from Duffy: How do you handle the fixed-time aspect of trading options? Comment from Charlie T.: Not really an options guy. I don't need the headache of yet another unknown element aka time. It’s hard enough just picking my stocks, deciding price points, exit points, etc. Do you have a question that you want answered on a future episode? Send them to Brian at [email protected], or to the Options Insider at [email protected].  Options Insider Special Events: Finding the Edge - How Options Traders Use Alternative Datasets Posted March 28th, 2018 The explosion of new alternative datasets emerging every day adds an exciting yet daunting spin for the capital markets industry. The challenges of assessing alt data? Such as the wide range of data and types available, lack of historical analysis and alignment of data sourcing? Can make it time-consuming and difficult to ingest and take action. Our esteemed panel of industry experts weighed the opportunities and risks associated with alternative data for options and equities traders as well as quantitative analysts and portfolio managers. The panelists included: Catherine Clay (moderator) Vice President, Global Head of Information Solutions, Cboe Michael Izhaky CEO, FT Options Henry Schwartz President, TradeAlert Barry L. Star CEO, Wall Street Horizon Robin Mess CEO, big xyt  Option Block 702: The Apocalypse Is Over...For Now Posted March 27th, 2018 Trading Block: The market is back in rally mode, is the trade war over? VIX off a few handles. Tesla breaks the magical $300 level. The Facebook selloff continues. Odd Block: More Jan 2019 50 "Catastrophe" puts in Tesla Motors (TSLA), funky stupid in MGM Resorts International (MGM), buying Jan upside in Newmont Mining Corp (NEM), and size call sweep in Finish Line Inc. (FINL) Mail Block: It's Madness We have 2 more match ups to see who makes it to the #FinalFour of #BrokerMadness. Next up, @TradeStation vs. @IBKR. Second match up for #options #brokermadness #FinalFour placement sees @AllyInvest taking on @RobinhoodApp. @AllyInvest (as TradeKing) won the whole tournament two years ago. Will @RobinhoodApp crush that dream? Around the Block: Will the uptick continue? What about Facebook?  This Week in Futures Options 96: Breaking Down Big Moves in Crude, Gold and Indices Posted March 26th, 2018 Topics this week include: Crude/WTI Gold Indices Winners: Heating Oil, WTI Losers: Oats, KC Wheat Futures Options Feedback: Listeners have their say Question from Anders - Can we get some Ags on the TWIFO show this week? Question from Neil Brennan - Nick has ATM implieds for #crypto can he also interpolate skews?  Volatility Views 299: VIX Is Back...Again Posted March 26th, 2018 Volatility Review Segment: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective The market in tanking on trade war concerns. Steel tariffs - officials are not loving it. VIX cash is back in the 20's this week. VVIX - 122; VIX Options: ADV - 1M, VIX call/put - 2.4/1, Total 7.26m (5.11m Calls, 2.15m Puts) How's the VIX July 10-75 strangle? Volatility Voicemail: Listeners weigh in Question from BTBurg - What is the best way to trade these inverse VIX ETFs going forward? If I'm long XIV does it make sense to always have some VIX calls in my back pocket just in case? Doesn't that get expensive really quick? What about spy puts? Or should I just have puts on the inverse ETF in case the counterparties get cold feet? Question from JelloFan - VXX 1-yr 50% OTM puts plus VIX 3 month 15% OTM call verticals - 5 or 10 handles wide. Is that the secret sauce? Question from LNC -$SVXY calls suck now. What about selling the puts? Is there any juice in those or have they been drained as well by the bid redo last week? Question from Oswald -Are you part of the SVXY class action? Crystal Ball: Your prognostication headquarters Last week Mark L. - 15.15 Andrew - 14.75 This week Mark L. - 16.85 Mark S. - 17.76 Euan - 19.50  Options Insider Radio Interviews: Fighting For Screen Real Estate with Fidessa Posted March 26th, 2018 In this episode, Mark is joined by Yuriy Shterk, the Head of Product Management for Derivatives - Americas at Fidessa. They discuss: Is there a particular product they are focusing on these days? How has the increase in volatility impacted their clients? Volatility is bringing in new participants to the market Where is the biggest up-tick in activity? Any plans to enter the crypto space? Fidessa's options trading tools Post-trade work flow optimization Fighting for screen real estate And more...  Where to Find Options Insider Radio? Do you know all the ways you can access Options Insider Radio         Â
Options Insider Radio Network Live Recordings Do you want to be a part of the fun? This is when you can access the LIVE shows this week: Monday: Option Block LIVE at 3pm Central
Thursday:
Option Block LIVE at 3pm Central
Friday:
Volatility Views LIVE at 12pm Central This Week in Futures Options LIVE at 1:30 Central. As always, you can join in the fun at http://mixlr.com/options-insider/ | 