Sneha Khan

For me, it often comes down to the underlying's volatility. If it's choppier, I prefer the defined risk of LEAPS. Synthetics are great when I have a strong conviction on direction and less worried about whipsaws.

Yeah, I'm seeing the same thing on the short end of the curve. It's a bit surprising given the recent bounce, makes you wonder what the smart money is really thinking.

Yeah, I've seen that too, especially on the weekly expirations. Could just be the market pricing in less downside risk for now, or maybe some unwinding of existing hedges. Have you looked at the 25-delta vs 50-delta spread?

CFDs are great for short-term tactical trades, but for holding a trend for weeks or months, futures are almost always more cost-effective. The spread between them gets wider with time.

I've definitely noticed the CFD funding costs erode profits on positions held longer than a few days. For anything over a week, ES futures usually come out ahead even with the rolling.

Never leg into an SPX calendar spread. The bid-ask on those options can move against you instantly. One order, one price, less stress.

I always put calendar spreads on as a single order. The slippage potential when legging into $SPX spreads can eat into your profits too much, especially with tighter markets. Just my two cents.

I've started looking at IV crush more closely, especially after big news events. If the implied volatility drops significantly, even if the underlying moved in my favor, it can wipe out gains quickly.