Author/Editor
Brad Castro
Description
An options value investing site that offers a daily newsletter, classes and an investing club.
Overall Rating
Rating: 3.8/5. From 112 votes.
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3.8
Rating from 435 votes
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Investment Performance
Rating from 115 votes
Rating: 3.7/5. From 115 votes.
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Quality Of Writing/Analysis
Rating from 103 votes
Rating: 3.8/5. From 103 votes.
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Value For Price
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Rating: 3.8/5. From 105 votes.
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Customer Service
Rating from 112 votes
Rating: 3.8/5. From 112 votes.
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I’ve been visiting http://www.great-option-trading-strategies.com site for a long time to learn more about conservative options trading strategies. The author Brad Castro has put together a lot useful info and many downloadable free guides.
I eventually joined his training course & trade suggestion club ‘The Leveraged Investing Club’ and have been very happy with my results to date. Don’t be put off by the name, the club portfolio rarely uses any margin for the trades. The clubs real-time portfolio uses $50k capital and aims for a 15-25% annual return, using a combination of written Puts & Bear Call spreads. Overall performance for 2018 was +17%.
Each trade suggestion is well presented and forum support is excellent. The site & club is not heavily promoted, I only found it by browsing for options trading services. Club membership is currently small & only opens up periodically, so you’ll need get on the mailing list by either downloading a report or inquiring directly to be added.
Membership is a one-off lifetime fee, as I believe the author really makes his living off investing rather than promotion & up-selling. There is not even any ad’s or referral links on his sites. I believe there was also a risk-free full subscription refund offered.
If you’re seriously thinking about using options as part of your investing portfolio, I would happily recommend this service.
Brad Castro is the most knowledgeable person I’ve studied and put into practice on how effectively and consistently sell put options to generate cash flow to buy high quality dividend growth stocks. His knowledge has changed my life! He’s also very knowledgeable on Calls, Spreads, LEAPS, etc. And he is very responsive to questions are problems you may have, along with other very helpful Club members. So, I highly recommend this service and “Leveraged Buying Club”!
In a word? Solid.
Brad is an excellent writer, which is really unusual in my experience and very much appreciated by yours truly. The only “negative” I can think of is just the nature of short options trades – they are very limited upside. If you have a small account and are looking to double, triple, quadruple it… this may not be the method for you. You might do it, but it will probably take years if not decades.
But, if you want a reliable and steady way to grind out low risk profits from the market month after month with low risk options trades, you, can’t do much better than Brad’s materials IMO.
Plus he’s a super nice guy, very generous with his time, and very active in his own club. Check it out, you’ll be glad you did.
As a new investor, I’ve been blown away by the advice, support and knowledge on the website, in the courses and especially inside the Club. Top notch and spot on, the strategies Brad has developed and teach consistently demonstrate solid returns. Using sound investing principles, he tirelessly delivers honest analysis and shares his expertise generously. The Club is active (no cobwebs inside) and the camaraderie among members refreshing.
If you’re looking for a safe place and “never lose money” ideas, check it out.
I have been a follower / member of Brad’s service for a couple of years and enjoy his unique methods
The service is not accepting new members currently, however, having said that, you would need quite a large portfolio to generate a decent level of income, so this is not for most investors.
After joining Brad´s great option strategies service there has not been a single second of regret. Brad knows how to write about options so interestingly and entertainingly that it gives me great pleasure to read his written thoughts several times. The club focuses mainly on two strategies, so it is very manageable and the trades are easy to understand. Brad is very attentive to his service, answers questions at the speed of light and the club members are also extremely helpful. Another luxury is that the membership only costs a one-time membership fee and you are not bombarded with advertising!
In summary, I can say that joining Brad´s Club has been one of the best decisions of my life.
I first subscribed to Brad Castro’s newsletter in 2015 and regularly (but not religiously) read it until January 2019. That’s when I finally purchased his “Sleep at Night” investing course. For two weeks, I spent every spare moment I had pouring over the numerous, detailed PDF reports and information and watching his calm, well laid out videos explaining the philosophy and techniques of his investing approach.
Fast forward to today (June 2019), and I’m kicking myself for not ponying up for the course FOUR years ago!! In a tumultuous market this spring, I have not only produced my best gains yet, I have also increased my knowledge and confidence of option trading beyond anything I tried before his course.
If you want a thorough, no pressure, no BS approach to investing and access to a wonderful community of investors (including Brad Castro) afterwards, take a look at his site and strongly consider investing a few hundred dollars in learning the method that will come back to you many times over with successful investing.
Brad gives out the best. Excellent customer service. Good quality analysis. Simple and Clear writings. In short it’s worth.
Thanks Brad for your service,
Vijay
I have learned value investing a few years before joining Brad’s course. Brad has also respected the fact that the fundamentals cannot be ignored, e.g. those in value investing concepts. Using options and entering bullishly, without considering the stock’s underlying value (and stability, etc.) is a very bad idea, as he has mentioned. I thank Brad greatly, for sharing his knowledge, on this effective strategy.
After I signed for Brad’s “sleep at night” two years ago, my search was over. Finally found a community of people doing the same thing and sharing ideas/methodology.
Brads service is hands down the best I have encountered thru my years of subscribing to and looking at option services. He is most thorough in his explanations for entering and exiting trades, his teachings are thorough and very educational even for the most experienced traders and his pricing is beyond reasonable. You never receive marketing materials from him. Once you are a member of his service, everything from his vast library ( which he updates frequently ) is available to you free as a member. It’s refreshing that he is so professional, honest and passionate about the service that he provides which Is in direct contrast to others that I have experienced. I couldn’t be a more pleased and thankful subscriber and feel blessed beyond measure to have found Brad as a teacher, mentor and fellow option trader to learn from.
Please, how can I get an invitation for enrollment in the Sleep at Night High Yield Option Income Course and the Leveraged Investing Club?
Thank you!
Hello Mitch, regular subscribers of the newsletter will usually get notified when the course opens periodically for new registrations. The materials on the Great Options Trading Strategies website provide an excellent primer for preparing potential members for the course & club.
Once you join, it’s then strongly recommended that you follow through all the course materials, get familiar with all the terminology & options strategies that will be used, before receiving the regular trading recommendations. Even then, it’s wise to start with a few paper trades first to avoid any set up mistakes and observe how a trade is adjusted if it doesn’t go as originally planned.
However, if you’re already a seasoned options investor/trader, it’s possible to contact Brad Castro (the clubs founder) via e-mail and request to jump aboard early, fast-track the course & start receiving the trade recommendations immediately.
Hope to see you on the club forum sometime soon.
Cheers Aimless
Thank you aimles!. I appreciate your thorough reply.
I’ve been a member of the Leveraged Investing Club of Great Options Trading Strategies for 5 months. The service is great. I participate in many of the recommendations, but after the learning opportunities from Brad’s teachings, I do my own thing and I do well with that. It’s the most reasonably priced service I’ve come across so far. You can’t go wrong with it, and everyone’s input is valued; some of Brad’s recommendations come from members.
Fairly experienced options trader – I have appreciated the following with Brad’s service:
– confidence (nice knowing others are in the trade with you)
– sizing – staying small (realizing that just because you have more $$ to deploy doesn’t mean you should)
– repair strategy knowing that if I keep it small I should be able to fix or recover all or most is really a big deal – it really helps with confidence and sleeping well at night…
Member for 5 months – very good, recommend highly!
I spent about a year reading the free newsletter and occasionally corresponding with Brad before I pulled the trigger on the course. I’m so glad I did! The courses are worth every penny and my fee has been repaid many times over in successful trades I would not have found myself. Brad is a natural teacher and has a way of organizing information that makes a lot of sense.
Once you finish the course, you are added to the online forum and begin receiving trade suggestions. The atmosphere of the discussion groups is fantastic- people help each other a lot and club members often find and suggest trade set-ups or ask for advice. Everyone in the discussion forum has completed the course, shares an understanding and vocabulary and is helpful- even for newbies. The occasional sprinkling of corny humor is a bonus.
Risk management is a big part of the process, and Brad’s 4-step trade management process is really helpful if something goes wrong. I’ve had trades move in ways I did not expect and still ended up exiting with fine annualized returns. And having the lifetime subscription means I never have to decide if it’s worth renewing a subscription.
There are some unwritten understandings among club members- such as not discussing the size of our portfolios or delving into politics. The members end up being an asset to the club. Come join us.
Best value for money, knowledge sharing and open/candid discussions. Look no further.
I stumbled upon Brad’s website when searching online for “option repair strategies”. I was looking for insights on dealing with some underwater DITM short put options. I liked what I read on Brad’s website and after signing up for his newsletter and reading it for a few weeks, I finally pulled the trigger and joined the Leveraged Investing Club at the next opportunity. The club was doing the style of option income strategies and trade management I was looking to get better at, the cost was reasonable and I liked that it was a one-time membership fee to join.
Once I got access to the courses I was able to finish the 6 sections in about a week of marathon sessions. I have about a year of basic option trading experience and I was able to get through sections 1-3 quickly and then spent more time on sections 4-6. The sections were broken up into nice bite sized chunks.
The Annualized ROI concept and the 4 step repair strategy alone are worth their weight in gold! The technique of adding a contract to cut down by 1/2 the strike price of an ITM put when rolling was an aha moment for me. Brad’s articulation of the Will Ferrell vs. Gene Hackman approaches was also key for me as I’ve struggled in the past on deciding between the two. Brad’s calm voice, down to earth analogies, clear explanations and repeated focus on the principles really resonated with me. I also wasn’t aware of the Warren Buffet videos. I found them enjoyable and I’m eager to watch the remaining parts.
After completing the course and joining the club, I already feel more confident in being patient and dealing with my underwater positions as a “campaign”, rather than freaking out that expiry is coming and I need to get out.
All in all – This was one of the best focused courses I’ve taken for the style of option income trading I’m interested in.
Thank You to Brad for taking the time to put this course and the Leveraged Investment Club together!
Thank you Stockgumshoe. I never would have found Great Options Trading Strategies on my own. Your site is invaluable. I’ve been dabbling in options for about 2 years now and am still about even. I think that’s pretty good for a newbee. But, I’d really like to be ahead. I will visit the site and subscribe to the news letters. Hopefully, I will eventually see an invite to the paid training and the “Club”. It sure sounds like it would be right up my alley.
I joined Brad’s service in the fall of 2019 after reading about on Stockgumshoe. It has been a great experience from the start.
He has a plethora of resources for both novice and experienced option investors. His communications are transparent and timely. He is very clear about the philosophy of the service:write short term options on quality companies which fall within a spectrum of preferable technical criteria to produce consistent gains and NEVER lose money. And on that last point to date I haven’t lost a dime. It could still happen, but I firmly believe the odds are quite low.
If you are looking for the diamond in the rough or the next big thing to hit home runs or score Hail Mary touchdowns this is not the service for you. In fact one of Brad’s strategies is called “the first down” implying he’s looking to ground out smaller wins in a repeatable way. However, I’ve been a member of a number of different services over the years and I find myself wishing I had discovered Brad 10-20 years ago.
The community environment is also terrific. Brad loves investment debate and some of the active members will openly sit out a trade and post why without any pushback from Brad or the community. There are also a lot of grade discussions around other opportunities Brad is not covering in his service.
I firmly believe anyone will benefit from Brad’s service. 5 Stars
Hello – curious if you are still with the service and how it’s held out over the past few weeks with the drop… I’m interested….
Hi David, providing the members didn’t use excessive margin (club encourages the use of no margin), then the club trades worked out OK over the recent drop. As there were a mix of bullish & bearish trades, many were closed out early for a decent return. The more bullish trades went into ‘repair mode’ and were rolled out following the clubs well structured trade management methods. As a couple of these were airline industry related, they may take a while to fully recover, but I’m confident they can be managed to produce a +ve return.
The recent market drop highlighted one of the best things about the service and that is; it encourages you not to panic, provides a great trade management philosophy & a great forum full of enthusiastic members to discuss your trade options & ideas. Hope to see you there sometime.
Cheers,
Aimless