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Several people have asked if our strategies can be implemented in IRA accounts. The short answer is yes, but it depends on the broker. The longer answer is "not exactly as it is done on this site." First, some brokers won't allow it. This is unusual, but I have come across brokers who won't allow option trading in IRAs. Find this out before you open an account. Second, the rules are different. IRAs basically can't use margin trading and everything has to be cash secured. Let's say I have 4 positions in my account: Long 100 shares of AAPL bought at $120 (stock price at $120) Short 1 call of AAPL at the $110 strike, sold for $5 Long 10 puts of XOM at the $50 strike bought for $10 (stock price at $60) Short 5 puts of XOM at the $40 strike (sold for $5) In a non-IRA account, enabled for margin, there will be no issue with these positions when opened. If AAPL moves up a LOT or XOM moves down a lot, your account may go into a margin call eventually (Reg-T call), but you likely can satisfy that by closing the positions. If you have a regular account, you may have noticed from time to time that your "available funds for trading" goes into a negative amount as positions move around. On the other hand, in an IRA, you will have to have the cash already in the account for potential losses on the trade. So on the AAPL trade, in addition to those positions, you'll also have to have $500 in cash. (As if the price stays above $110, you stand to lose $500). The same goes on the put side. You see this in Anchor as well. If we have a long put at 390 and sell the 400 put, we have to have that $10/contract ($1000) on deposit in cash in an IRA, whereas in a regular account, you likely won't.

Hi, I hope everyone's doing good. I was hoping to trade options in my TFSA and/or my RRSP account for obvious tax advantages, but some of the Steady Options trades are not allowed because we can't write naked contracts in registered accounts. Is this right or am I missing something? Is there a brokerage that allows selling naked contracts? Is it a good idea to only trade in the registered accounts the trades that are allowed and the other ones in the margin account, or is it a bad idea because the SO performance is based on compound interest? Thank you!

I'm not sure if i'm the only Canadian at SO but just in case there are others what broker are you using for your registered account? I'm with Questrade right now and they are charging 6.95 ticket + 75c a contract on options (with the QT advantage package) , but they let you keep USD in your RRSP and TSFA accounts. Have anyone tried negotiating with them on reducing the commission to match IB? I really hate to split up the accounts but seeing how IB is only 70c flat i seem to have no choice.