How to Handle the Friday November 17 Options Expiration

We have the good fortune to have an options position left that expires on Friday, November 17 and I just want to explain to the newbies how to best maximize their profits.

This involves:

The US Treasury Bond Fund (TLT) November 2017 $127-$129 vertical bear put spread

Provided that we don't have a monster "RISK OFF" move in the market over the next few days (war with North Korea?), which cause bonds to rally big time, the (TLT) position should expire at its maximum profit point below $127.

In that case, your profits on this position will amount to 12.32% in 13 trading days, or $1,232.

We got a real gift last week thanks to the Republican mishandling of the tax bill.

A proposal to delay corporate tax cuts into 2019 triggered the sharpest one day selloff of 2017.

This happened the day after I doubled my short position.

Many of you have already emailed me asking what to do with these winning positions.

The answer is very simple. You take your left hand, grab your right wrist, pull it behind your neck and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

You don't have to do anything.

Your broker (are they still called that?) will automatically use your long $129 put position to cover your short $127 put position in the October (TLT), cancelling out the total holding.

The profit will be credited to your account on Monday morning October 23, and the margin freed up.

Some firms charge you a modest $10 or $15 fee per leg for performing this service.

If you don't see the cash show up in your account on Monday, get on the blower immediately.

Although the expiration process is now supposed to be fully automated, occasionally mistakes do occur. Better to sort out any confusion before losses ensue.

I don't usually run positions into expiration like this, preferring to take profits two weeks ahead of time, as the risk reward is no longer that favorable.

But we have a excess cash right now, and I don't see any other great entry points for the moment.

Better to keep the cash working and duck the double commissions. This time being a pig paid off handsomely.

If you want to wimp out and close the position before the expiration, it may be expensive to do so.

In the unlikely event that we approach the upper $127 strike in the (TLT) spread, we may have to do some finessing going into expiration.

Keep in mind that the liquidity in the options market disappears, and the spreads substantially widen, when a security has only hours, or minutes until expiration.

This is known in the trade as the "expiration risk."

One way or the other, I'm sure you'll do OK, as long as I am looking over your shoulder, as I will be.

This expiration will leave me with a 70% cash position.

I am going to hang back and wait for good entry points before jumping back in. It's all about getting that "Buy low, sell high" thing going.

I'm looking to cherry pick my new positions going into yearend.

Take your winnings and go out and buy yourself a well-earned dinner. Or use it to pay your upcoming 2017 income tax bill.

It's probably going to be a big one, given how much money you made trading this year.

Well done, and on to the next trade.