Members Reviews
You can read more reviews on Investimonials and Stock Gumshoe.
informative, educational, no BS
Joining the steadyoptions community may have been the best decision I have made in my personal development as an options trader. There are several reasons why but I will highlight a few of the primary ones:
1. It is not simply a trade alert service. Every trade put on by Kim has a full rationale including backtesting results and feedback from the community. As a result, members learn WHY trades work and develop autonomy in their own trading. After a few months on the site, I was able to put some of the trades on before the official alert came and in some cases would get better fills. Obviously the more the members learn the less we would need the service. Kim is aware of that and continues to educate regardless.
2. Approachability. Kim is always available and quickly responds to questions or discussion. He is open to new ideas and will often take them and do all the hard work (backtesting etc) and then report back to the community. This obviously fosters and amazing environment in which really smart people get to bounce ideas off on another. The community is unique in this sense.
3. Integrity. Kim publishes full track record trade by trade. That is really refreshing in this industry in which we have other popular "gurus" claiming theirs is the only approach that works but yet these same gurus will never publish a verifiable track record. Steady Options is fully transparent in this regard.
4. The strategies work. I have subscribed the flagship SteadyOptions service for 8 months now and my results have been similar to the published results during that time period. Obviously fills will vary a bit and it did take me about a month to really figure out (with help from Kim and the gang on the boards) how to best utilize the trade alerts but every month leads to more and more confidence.
RapperT
Super service, super happy with results.
I have been with SteadyOptions for about 7 months now, and I can honestly say my trading has improved dramatically for the better. I have followed other services, developed my own strategies, followed other strategies, but what Kim is teaching is unmatched, and I'm consistently profitable.
Kim spends a tremendous amount of time helping all members. He answers all questions himself, even sometimes late at night and on weekends. He opens discussions about trades BEFORE he opens the trade, and when he opens the trade, he screenshots his fills, giving you complete transparency. His strategies are non-directional, and he doesn't try to hit homeruns, but sometimes he does.
I will say this, this was a totally new type of trading for me, and there is a learning curve. When you get on the site, you have to read, read, read older threads and discussions. You need to put in some time on your own, if you want to own these methods.
That being said, if you just want to follow Kim's trades, you could do that and be fine. But if you want to master this type of trading, you will need to work at it.
The other traders in the forum are super helpful and friendly. There are some members that will discuss "non-official" trades, and you can follow them, and even take some of those trades.
One thing to know, when I started with SteadyOptions I was using OptionsHouse. I was having some issues getting filled, and commissions are steep. I have since moved to Interactive Brokers and am seeing much better fills and commissions. Just to clarify, you can use other brokers, but commissions do play a part in your winning percentage.
craigsmith
Best Option Newsletter Available
SteadyOptions is superior to all other option newsletters in the marketplace (and I have tried hundreds). Most option newsletters simply will send out trade alerts with some canned explanation to the rationale of the trade but at the end of the day it's just really basic content surrounding a very basic trading methodology.
SteadyOptions trades far more sophisticated strategies with a much deeper understanding of what affects option pricing and how to exploit the resulting anomalies. Furthermore, the forum is an invaluable asset for both the inexperienced and experienced option trader alike. If you are serious about option trading and want to graduate beyond simple put/call buying and rudimentary credit spreads, this newsletter should be your very next step.
Sbatch
Just what I have been looking for
Kim at Steady Options concentrates on general options education and a steady stream of backtested, non-directional options trades (mainly around company earnings). You receive regular updates of stocks Kim is monitoring and later emailed trade confirmations at the time Kim actually pulls the trigger. This works out very well as you have the chance to backtest the strategies before following Kim and make up your own mind.
In cases where I have decided to follow Kim he has a great ability to watch the market continuously and identify optimal entry and exit points. Because he does it, you don't have to. This alone is worth the price of the subscription. Finally, the discussion groups are populated with experienced option traders who are more than willing to share their insights. Definitely a five star service.
Koba
Honest and lots to learn
Personally I am not looking for a service that just tell me what to buy and that's it. Options trading is complicated and mentally taxing but Kim made it easier for me. Not easy but easier. Which is important as I am looking to learn how to fish for the future. In the meantime as I learn, I am also making money with the service.
All calls are honest and documented by screen shots of the orders. You know it is not bluff (like some service I was in) and I am assured of Kim's investment in the success of the service.
Five stars. Lots of hard work and learnings but wonderful journey so far.
civicguy
A great educational and professionally run service
I have been a member of Steady Options for ~3 months. I have tried numerous newsletters, services and by far SO is the best. Kim always responds to any questions that are raised on the forum, whether it is a novice or a serious question.
There is also tons of documentation available and Kim is very transparent about explaining the strategies and the associated risk rewards. Clear entry/exit signals are posted in real time and fills posted are the real fills that Kim is getting in a real account.
I have enjoyed SO and learnt a lot as well as made some money. I plan to be a member for a long time.
anand331
Best newsletter I've come across
I've tried a couple dozen different newsletters but Steady Options is definitely in a class by itself. There are three different strategies available to choose from that are all diverse as well as complimentary to one another.
Steady Options is run by the founder Kim Klaiman. It is fairly active with about 15 trades per month. This strategy uses non-directional trades that are both earnings as well as non-earnings trades. It is fairly active and does require active management.
Steady Condors is run by Jesse Blom. As the name implies, it involves using iron condors, but is done like no other I've come across. It is a "modified" iron condor, but not typical in its setup or maintenance. Adjustments are made throughout the cycle, dictated by market movement. It is less active, but large market moves can require active, timely adjustments.
Anchor Trades is the third strategy, requires the least maintenance and is managed by Chris Welsh. This strategy involves equity positions that are re-balanced periodically. It uses a leap put to hedge the portfolio, but in turn, sells against the put to pay for the hedge. This requires the least active management of the three portfolio's, usually just one trade per week.
At different times, I have contacted each of the individuals and have been pleasantly surprised how quickly they respond. Each of these professionals seem genuinely eager to help whether its a beginner or advanced trader.
Regardless of the level of activity you are looking for, there is something for everyone. I strongly recommend you check this service out.
lwest
I Learned How To Trade Successfully On My Own
I've been a member since the very beginning, and at the time, I was new to options and knew nothing about trading. It certainly requires a lot of hard work and dedication to become successful. I credit this service for setting the foundation and philosophy that has made me the trader I am today.
Throughout the years, I've learned various trading strategies with excellent risk/reward, the importance of position sizing, following your trading plan, the power of having a balanced portfolio, and having an open mind about using different strategies when market conditions change. I've also learned how to backtest on my own and to trade what I'm comfortable with by making the strategies my own.
Many newsletter services would prefer to hold your hand through each and every trade in an effort to keep you as a member. Many of them will also delete negative comments and manipulate trade results. This service does the exact opposite, and the team at Steady Options, as well as the community, actually want you to succeed on your own.
Nothing is hidden, you can read all the back and forth debates and arguments with complete transparency. This service is constantly looking to improve as traders and continue to add value by introducing new strategies to their arsenal.
This service has my highest recommendation, and I am thankful to Kim and his team for providing such valuable support over the years.
chlee13
A Unique Service
If you’ve been perusing Investimonials looking for a good Options site and so you’ve read the reviews here – then you already know you’ve come across an outstanding site. Lucky you. If you came across the SteadyOptions website and were looking for unbiased endorsements – then again you’ve found them.
What else can I add? You’ve already read, about the profitability, transparency, community forum, the friendliness and above all, the education.
Here’s my angle. I’ve been a subscriber for a couple of years. I don’t know the owner/administrator, Kim Klaiman, personally. I’ve had limited email exchanges with him, I’ve posted on the trading forum, and of course I’ve read his posts and comments. The guy is such a mensch! He is helpful and understanding. He will suffer fools, he will listen to your ideas, he will try to make things work for you. If you want it, it becomes a personal relationship.
As Jeff Smith might say, “there’s a lot of looking out for the other fella” here. This goes way beyond option trading. This goes to what a person is made of. You learn not only from his expertise but from the efforts he makes and the way he interacts with others. This is a guy that you’re just proud to say you know him.
cyprinus
Excellent Option Trading Service
I’ve been a SteadyOptions subscriber for the last 9 months and am planning to stay with the service for a long time to come. I tried many other newsletters, but none of them were able to match SteadyOption’s consistency or returns. I’m very comfortable with the overall trading style and risk management.
SteadyOptions trades a mix of non-directional strategies: pre-earnings plays and theta-positive income trades with index options. These types of trades are not particularly risky to begin with, and in addition they’re managed actively when necessary.
The SteadyOptions user community is very active and knowledgeable, i.e. all trade ideas are discussed extensively, which is a great learning opportunity and a good information source that allows subscribers to gradually develop their own trading style or open discussed trades even before they’re added to the current SteadyOptions portfolio. Getting good fills takes a bit of practice and patience (and you will miss a few trades when prices start to move quickly), but once you get the hang of it all, you are likely to see steady profits. Highly recommended, 5 stars all the way!!
danbill
Honest and useful
Let’s start. The first question should be: Why I am writing this review and why someone should believe me?
Ok, I am writing this review because it may help someone like me that believe that trading is more than pure gambling and is still trying to find his way in his jungle of newsletters, gurus, prophets and scammers. The second reason is because I want this website and this group survives, it is hard to find places like Steady Options and in my own benefit, I want the site to prosper.
I would like to break the review in two parts: The proposed trading methodology and the site services and his owner.
Honestly speaking the assessment of trading methodology depends a lot of one’s own experience. In my experience after trying different stile and modality of trading, I never found before the so famous edge that allows consistent good results. After bump into the issue volatility, because I had losses many times for ignoring this topic, I realized that this could be my way, and start reading and getting information about volatility until I found in the website Seeking Alpha some very interesting articles about ways of profiting from volatility that made sense to me.
The author of these articles, after some time, decided gather his conclusions and proposals and created a website with the goal of having a place were we could develop a trading methodology based on volatility and money management, and I joined this group since the beginning.
Because my lack of faith and because I have already being beaten before by the Dr. Market, during long time I only paper trade and followed the results published, until I was convinced that the trading method was robust and had a “positive mathematical hope” . I will not try to convince you the same, it is your money, and you have to do your homework. You have to decide if it is your trading stile and commit yourself in acquire and learn all the necessary tools to engage trading in this way. For me it works, and works well.
About the site services and his owner, I have only good words to say. I know the amount of time, back-testing and resources that you have to make available to people to offer trading candidates that can provide this “positive mathematical hope”, I believe that you understand that the deal is to enhance the probabilities of success. Try to apply this methodology in any option without a pre-filter and without having good entry and exit points and I can guarantee that you will fail. Considering the results I have and the resources that I would have to have to obtain the same information I consider the price I paid not only fair but cheap.
Finally, I want to talk about Kim, I do not know him personally, I do not even live in US, but I follow his articles, comments and advices for long time. During all this time he always kept a friendly and professional attitude, I never heard from him fake promises of returns and I always saw him properly advising and teaching whoever seeks for help.
wlnoronha
Non-Directional Trading at its Best
Being a software engineer and an options trader, I am naturally intrigued by the kinds of trades in which Kim Klaiman routinely engages. There is something very scientific and mathematical about his approach that pleases my engineering sensibilities. Unlike most traders, who are constantly (and usually futilely) attempting to predict the direction of the market, Mr. Klaiman has perfected a technique by concentrating on non-directional trades that reduces most market directional risk . Mathematically exploiting a statistical oddity that occurs over and over again during the time approximately a week before a company's earnings announcement, Mr. Klaiman consistently earns profit upon profit.
Those lucky enough to be members of his site, SteadyOptions.com, (I say "lucky" because he regularly limits the number of new memberships) are privy to his thoughts and experiences. Members are with him from his earliest consideration of a trade, to its execution, and finally to its ultimate closing. Each of his trades are fully documented and immediately available for members to duplicate themselves. And better yet, each member knows why he or she is making that trade; nothing is hidden about the reasons for that trade.
One of the things that distinguishes Mr. Klaiman's service from others is that each of his trades are real, filled orders--not hypothetical orders. Thus his successful trading becomes your successful trading since there is no reason you can't match his trades. And, at the same time, you are learning to become a better trader since full discussions, sometimes to the most minute detail, occur regularly in separate topics areas for each trade. Members may ask questions at any time, from the most basic newbie-type question (e.g., How do I roll a position to the next strike?) to extremely advanced areas (e.g., How does the ratio of risk factors vega and theta affect entry into a particular trade?). Indeed, many of the members of SteadyOptions.com admit that the small monthly membership fee is more than worth it simply for the education they are receiving--apart from the profitable trades of which they partake from the service.
These earnings-related trades are a big area of his service, but by no means the only area. Mr. Klaiman continually stresses the importance of an overall balanced portfolio taking into account many of the quantifiable risk factors (i.e., the Greeks). Since earnings trades profit from increasing implied volatility, Mr. Klaiman balances these trades with broad-market trades that have risks in the opposite direction. Doing so goes with his over-riding approach of small, steady, predictable profits in contrast to the "lottery ticket" approach of many options traders. And his performance demonstrates this.
A prolific writer of his craft, Mr. Klaiman has written many articles spelling out his trading approach. These articles were my initial introduction to Mr. Klaiman and his trading style. Many of his articles are found here at the Seeking Alpha site: http://seekingalpha.com/author/steadyoptions/articles .
Those serious about improving their trading and increasing their profits in a steady way really do owe it to themselves to become familiar with Kim Klaiman's important work.
robertb
In Its Own Class
I have been a member of most every trading site (including futures, stock, options, etc) out there over the last 8 years plus and have been trading for quite a long time. So I am no rookie in determining what is a great, good, bad, horrible service based on credibility, transparency, quality, services, cost and performance.
SteadyOptions is great based on all of these marks.
I have been a member of SO for a few months and truly enjoy the site and its approach. First of all Kim (owner) is "in the trenches" and practices what he preaches. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the Greeks and how to assess a trade from the volatility standpoint which I find very interesting. His earnings strategy is in my book the best way to play earnings with options. This strategy alone is worth the entire subscription because it is something a bit different than everything else out there. It is a strategy that has been tested and perfected by Kim and is a nice addition to my normal trading. One of the biggest benefits I appreciate is the information and knowledge he shares and although I have traded options for many years I've learned a lot from his articles and commentary in a short period of time.
A good site provides good trades. A great site provides good trades plus educational and interactive ways to learn how (and why) to trade strategies successfully. It's the whole "teach a man to fish" thing. This is what SO does.
Most sites out there do just enough to pump out a few trades and keep members. The far and few credible sites are basically a portal for an experienced trader to share his trades, knowledge, and support. SO is run by a real trader with proven strategies which I now include in my own trading portfolio.
I definitely recommend this service.
BigBlue
Honest, Professional, Transparent, Profitable, & Educational
Steady Options is a relatively new newsletter that is based on making trades that take advantage of rising implied volatility prior to earnings announcements. The strategy works remarkably well, as evidenced by the performance of the service.
The founder of the newsletter, Kim Klaiman, has been trading this strategy for several years and has quite a bit of experience. He trades all of his recommendations himself in his own account, and he emails trade notices immediately after he places a trade. This gives subscribers the opportunity to perform identical trades.
Unlike many of the newsletters I've tried, Kim is completely honest and transparent with his trades and performance. He even emails screen shots of each of his trades so that subscribers can see, firsthand, the details of his trades. Not every trade is a winner, and this newsletter is not intended for traders looking to double or triple their money in a short amount of time; instead, as the name of the newsletter suggests, the strategy provides steady and consistent returns without taking on too much risk.
In addition, Steady Options consists of a friendly community of traders that share and discuss ideas and strategies. Newbies are encouraged to ask questions, which are promptly answered by Kim or one of the other knowledgeable traders. This feature of the newsletter has served as a tremendous learning experience for individuals new to options trading such as myself. I highly recommend this service to anyone looking to make money by participating in low-risk trades. I also recommend this newsletter for those interested in learning more about options trading by joining a friendly and professional community.
hany
As close as you get to the holy grail
I've been a subscriber of SteadyOptions since early 2012, and have thoroughly enjoyed the service. The professionalism of the forum is top notch, and is accessible for many different types of investors.
The strategy suits my schedule well, as I am not always at my desk. It is also well suited for accounts with day trading restrictions. The Daily Update is in my mind the most valuable component of the service, as it provides a quick synopsis of existing and future trades.
Novice investors can use the service to follow trade alerts, while seasoned investors can dive into the rich library of education.
mike_tee_vee
A site I will continue to recommend to friends :-)
I was attracted by Kim's diligent attention to detail, conscientiousness in answering all questions (he frequently reminds members that no question is too dumb) and the fact that he knows his options.
I find this approach to have integrity, though because it takes quite a while to learn how to trade this way I'd recommend starting off with one lots, potentially for several months until you have grasped how it all works.
+1 to all the positive reviews.
equus
Been here since the beginning. Nothing like it.
I've been with SO since the beginning. It's responsible for my success in trading. Though this may sound dramatic, It really was a life changing decision to join. Though I say that, option trading really does require a lot of work, study, introspection and learning. If you aren't going to actively think about option trading and completely understand it AND learn from your mistakes, then you won't have much success. That said, without this forum and community, I would never have learned what I've learned and I give it, and solely it, credit in the trader I've become.
Though options can be risky especially in directional plays, this one concentrates on a balanced non-directional approach at the portfolio level. Often trades will complement each other by balancing the greeks. The returns are fantastic and you are literally more conservative than just buying straight equities or even just buying indexes. It's the type of forum where you actively work with other members and with Kim to come up with great trade ideas or to improve on ones already used.
People on the forum are always working together in backtesting and improving ideas mostly related to earnings and volatility trading. This work is a testament to the innovation of trade ideas from the start of the forum to where it is today. There is nothing like improving upon strategies that already produce. I've spent sometimes 100s of hours backtesting and refining ideas that are shared on this forum. We've honed in on some incredible trade ideas and combinations.
I HIGHLY recommend Steady Condors and Steady Options.
fieldydwb
Excellent balance of risk and reward, great education
I have been a member of SO since it began. In the beginning it was difficult to make money due to complexity of the trades, difficulty in getting good fills, too frequent adjustments, and excessive commissions. It's worth noting that this is a service that exploits Implied Volatility, and that timeframe had historically low IV which made these trades difficult to make money on.
However, Kim made many adjustments to the strategy and trade types so that we do very well when IV is low also. We also focus on trades that are less complicated to execute and which consume less commissions. What's interesting is that some of our best trade ideas have been identified by the members themselves, who are out there researching for high probability trades. One guy provides excellent charts on all our earnings candidates. Another guy researches unusually cheap calendars on upcoming earnings candidates. I don't know these guys but I'm sure happy to be in their company.
Bottom line is that, thanks to SO, I am educated enough to research my own trades, determine attractive entry prices, do backtesting, determine trade adjustment points, minimize my losses (which is more important than maximizing winners), and evaluate my portfolio daily against the greeks in order to determine if it's properly balanced. If the market goes up, I'm making money. If the market goes down, I'm making money. if the market does nothing, I'm making money. My long term goal is to scale up so that I can trade independently for a living, and I don't think there would've been a prayer of achieving this had I not joined this forum. Now I'm well on my way to this goal.
jr1221
Best Options Site for Active Options Traders
I had read lot of books and even been through few newsletters before joining steadyoptions. All I can say is steadyoptions is the best site I have ever encountered in options trading. If you are serious options trader and active in the markets then you should join steadyoptions.
It is not the same like other hundreds of options newsletters out there who just recommend buying some calls or put spreads using their technical approach and let it to fate to turn out winner or looser. At steadyoptions it is not just putting a trade and hoping it works out. It is about using strategies which are proven and backtested.
The discussion groups are wonderful . I have learnt a lot from other members and from Kim. Kim does a great job of searching and looking for opportunities.
Its all about making money and a lot of money.Just checkout the performance graph and you can see the results. Those results are real trades.
I am a risk averse trader and don't like to loose a lot and at steadyoptions the drawdown is so little .
Options trading is hard money and you really need a support group to be with you . It is more fun to make money together than try to be alone.
mukundaa
Outstanding Options Education - Consistent returns on Trades
I have been a member of Steady Options for 2 years. I have learned a lot about options trade.
The founder is very knowledgeable about options trading. He runs his newsletter with the utmost integrity and dedication. He is always available to answer questions.
The idea is not for you to follow blindly the trades and execute them with your broker. It is about learning how to construct those trades, learn how to set entry and exit points.
Besides learning about options trading, you will also learn about trading discipline, the importance of adhering to one`s plan and rules. You will also build a strong sense of community as you interact with the other members.
The newsletter`s track record also speaks for itself. But it is not about a quick gain scheme. You need to be committed to learning and to the trading plan.
turtle