Frequently Asked Questions
Do you manage real money with your strategies?

Yes, our founder, Morris Puma, manages a hedge fund with his own trading methods and the OptionColors volatility trading software, which he also created.

What are the Trade Ideas?

We offer software tools to scan for bearish, neutral and bullish tickers and then build the trades for you. You can also backtest and track trades with the service.

Do you teach OTM credit spreads and rely on probability?

No. Statistics show that this approach is not profitable long-term for most traders.

I've heard that some traders do many bull put spreads to diversify. Do you?

No. This can be a setup for disaster. Once the market falls quickly, most trades correlate. Moreover, it is a nightmare to manage this type of portfolio.

How much do your trades make per month with standard margin?

Usually from 1% to 5% per trade, but there is no guarantee of returns.

How much do your trades make per month with portfolio margin?

Usually from 10% to 200% per trade, but there is no guarantee of returns.

Do these trades make about as much as credit spreads?

Our method typically profits more than credit spreads because risk is more controlled.

What is the difference between your method and credit spreads?

Credit spreads are exposed to great risk, but our trades are hedged. When the market crashes, put verticals can lose up to 100% and cause severe drawdowns on an account, but our conservative approach will typically will lose less than 3%. Some of our methods are designed to profit over a market crash. Our method is scalable and safeguarded while credit spreads are not. Credit spreads are far more directional than our trades. Our methods also take advantage of volatility skew and higher order Greeks, which credit spreads do not, by design.

Are your methods more profitable with a Portfolio Margin account?

Yes. Our trading methods are specifically designed to maximize the benefits of portfolio margin. 

What is the Probability of Profit of your Trade Ideas?

From 2014 to 2020 we experienced a 98% win rate for the Trade Ideas service in approximately 500 trades, during the forward, paper trading test.

How long does it take to learn your style of trading?

If your knowledge of options is solid, then you should be able to understand our system within a few weeks, but it could take a year or more to become a master trader. If this is your passion, you can do it.

How much money do I need to trade your method?

We can create trades under $1,000 if needed. Just ask us how when you are part of the SJ Options course.

Which membership is right for me?

We have a few different memberships as follows:

  1. Portfolio Margin Account:  All of our core trading methods work well with portfolio margin since they are designed to reduce risk.
  2. Standard Margin:  Core I, II and III are best for Reg-T trading.
  3. Financial Advisors and Hedge Funds:  Please contact us for details.

How Long Has SJ Options Been In Business?
San Jose Options, Inc. was established in 2007 and incorporated in 2008. We are the first program founded on risk-averse options trading.
What Is Different About Your Options Course?
At SJ Options you’ll find a new approach that is not taught anywhere else. We design trades around volatility skews, statistics and higher order Greeks. Our trading systems maximize components of options trading that most traders do not even know exist. Most traders focus on theta, but we found that approach maximizes risk. Volatility trading is where the money is at.
But Youtube Is Free
Yes, you can learn option basics on Youtube, but you’ll find the education is very general, and it’s mostly used for advertising. There is a lot of information on Youtube that leads traders into harm, and we do what we can to warn the public.
Do You Offer a Guarantee?
We offer a Guarantee. Read more here.
Do You Have Student References?
We used to invite our potential clients to speak with our current students, but now that we’ve grown and gained popularity, we don’t bother our students with that task any further. Please click here to hear candid interviews on Youtube.
Do You Offer a Payment Plan?
Our course is designed to be affordable for the serious and sophisticated option trader who is ready to take advantage of what we have to offer. We do not have a payment plan since our product is digital and delivered in its entirety once payment is received.
Will I Be Successful?
Trading success depends on a lot more than a good trading system. The trader’s skillset, broker commissions / fills / margins all play a part of the trader’s success. Our goal is to help all traders achieve success, but we cannot guarantee it. There are too many things out of our control. We work very hard to design the best trading methods for our clients and to provide them with the best tools we can create. We do have some reports that show our clients in general are having success. We’d be happy to share some of those results with you in a live demo.
Do You Offer Group Discounts?
Yes, we offer group discounts. Please call for details.
I'm Married, Does My Spouse Have To Pay?
We do not charge extra for more than one person studying our course from the same home address. We do not however allow simultaneous logins from multiple IP addresses.
I'm a Novice. Can I Take Your Options Course?
Our course is rather advanced to be honest, but we do cover some of the basics. If you are just getting familiar with options, then you’ll probably want to read up on them first. We don’t publish materials that are free to read online or in books. We have had novices enter our course and begin to trade within a few months of time. If you work hard, then you can learn the options language too, but it will be a little difficult at first.
Mac or PC?
We recommend that you have a PC or Mac with 2 monitors. You will also need a head set / microphone to participate in class effectively. Our recorded videos play on most devices, but we do not give refunds for compatibility issues. Please see our Terms of Use.
Are Your Strategies Scalable?
Scalability is one of the strongest selling points of our strategies. Our strategies are scalable by structure, and our proprietary Greeks formulas, the Diggit™ and DV Ratio™ scale too, which help our clients manage larger amounts of capital.
Is there free support if I join?
Yes, our clients have access to a support center, and our founder supports you directly. This gives you free access to a hedge-fund manager as a member, invaluable.
Are there manuals of the trading systems?
No, we provide a video course and hundreds of completed Trade Ideas to study with all trades, adjustments and notes. There is also a Learning Center per core method, which comprise videos, quizzes and member forums.
How do I know the Trade Ideas were real?
The Trade Ideas were performed in front of a live audience – all of our clients. All trading records are included in the course as part of your education. Some of our clients even rebuilt our trades as a personal audit, to confirm their authenticity.
Can I Combine Promotional Offers?
Promotional offers may not be combined. From time to time, we offer special promotions and discounts. Some of our advertisements may overlap by date, but we do not combine special offers. Each promotion is unique and may not be combined with another.
How can I join?
Just give us a call or schedule a Personal Demo, and we’d be glad to help.