Not all trades go exactly to plan, but that doesn’t mean they have to be losers. The latest bullish move played out as expected, but the turnaround setup happened quickly, limiting my ability to close my positions at break-even or better.

Instead of taking an immediate loss, I deployed a bearish trade while managing the existing positions. By Monday, I was able to close out profitably, collecting gains of 58.8%, 9.6%, and 11.5% on three trades.

Key Takeaway? Unlike futures or long calls/puts, income trading allows flexibility—I only needed price to move 1 cent past my short strike to hit maximum gains. That’s why this system is a game-changer.

Not every trade can be a winner, and this one was a dud. Despite a tiny movement in the right direction, the strike selection was too deep in the money, leaving no opportunity to manage or roll the trade.

The trade setup:
✅ $15.25 credit received on a $30 wide broken wing butterfly
❌ Closed at max loss of $30, a -96.7% hit

With no break-even exit or rolling opportunity, the only move was to let it expire and take the loss. That’s trading – you take the wins and the lessons.

What happens when a trade goes underwater, but your analysis stays the same?
Traditional traders take the stop loss and move on, but with option income trading, we have better tools.
A January 16th bearish trade setup collected $3.20 credit but quickly sank as SPX broke out. Instead of taking the loss outright, a new bearish setup on Jan 23rd allowed for a roll-up in strikes while collecting $3.90 in new credit.

The final net result? A 53.2% profit despite the first trade being a loser.
Key takeaway: rolling only works when conviction remains strong—this time, it paid off.

Friday’s trade followed our range analysis, setting up a textbook Range Reversal.

While enjoying a birthday dram, I spotted a V-shaped entry at the range highs and took the trade, collecting $4.00 in premium.
Markets then tumbled into Monday, thanks to the “Tariff Wars,” and the trade was closed at the opening bell for $0.20, bagging a solid profit.

Another SPX Tag ‘n Turn win—whiskey, trades, and a few pennies more!

Last week’s bearish trade setup played out perfectly, thanks to a V-shaped entry, trend line break, and bearish pulse bars.
The straight-line bullish move made waiting for a conservative entry the right call.
With time decay on my side, the trade was well-positioned before the weekend’s “Tariff War” headlines triggered the expected drop.

Initially, I collected $3.00 in premium, and thanks to Monday’s favourable gap, I exited for $0.05, locking in a 98.3% return.

Thursday’s analysis played out as expected – SPX broke the inside-day high, challenged the low, and then drifted into the target zone. The best part?

This was a textbook SPX Income System trade where a small $12 move was enough to trigger a target exit.
Collected $3.00 in credit, bought back for $0.30, and walked away with a smooth 90% return – all while I was off celebrating my birthday.

No babysitting. No stress. Maybe just a sneaky glance at my phone.