RE: RE: RE: fishing Walktheplank I'll give you a quick review of Covered Calls as you own TA stock ( which are the simplest and likely safest options you can do even allowed in an RRSP account - note some naked option trades are not)
In brief, you sell your shares at a set price to someone in the future at a set price. They then have the right but not the obligation to buy on or before the expiry of the contract at that set (strike) price and they are paying you a premium for that right. If your shares get bought they are said to be assigned and you'll be charged the usual fee for selling and usually 1.50 per contract. you net the agreed value.
A Contract is 100 shares- so for example back in early April I held 3000 TA at an average price of around 16.67 ...I sold a MAY 17.00 strike price Covered Call (its covered because I actually hold the shares for delivery) the other party to the contract paid me .27 cents per share premium to sell to them my shares at 17.00 on, or before the 3rd Saturday in May (May 19th 12 noon the contract expires).
Now that premium earned me $810.00 - commissions =$775.60 that goes into my account immediately and is mine to keep no matter if the shares are bought or not.
So now I have hedged my position by .27 cents if the stock goes below 16.40 I am now losing value but the stock won't be taken away either - if the stock goes over 17.00 I still only make 17.00 or .33 cents per share. However I already earned .27 cents + .33 cents off the sale so I am up .60 cents net. which means the stock would have to go up past 17.60 in real value for me not to be realizing the maximum return possible.
I look at the Bollinger Bands and decide what in the time the contract runs would be the upper limit in price...and thats where I pick the strike price - and you would usually sell 1 month out at a time and your average price ideally - that you own the stock at -should be less then the strike price. Works well in a side ways to slow rising market.
You sell to open and buy to close a contract if you change your mind - I am trying to buy some Calls to close my open Covered Calls - (covering a position) if I can buy a replacement Call cheap at say .10 and I sold for .27 cents I can get out of the contract with a .17 cent profit and never sell my shares and do it all over again every month. that's why I am trying to buy some cheap calls.
Now if by the Friday May 18th the stock price is less then 17.00 it isn't likely anyone will take my shares and pay me more then what they are trading for ...so the contract expires that Saturday and I keep my shares to do this all over again. Now is it possible that the price spikes up to say 18.00 and they exercise the contract early - yes they can... not likely but yes they could and all you'll get is 17.00. If the price really goes nuts hits 19.00 or 20.00 you can buy Calls at the market and replace your sold calls -they may cost more but you'll protect your shares. Shares to be sold later when you want to, or to sell new higher strike priced calls and make a better premium.
In short, they're giving you a deposit to buy your shares at a profit - you make money two ways and you can still collect the Dividend if you still hold the shares at the record date.
Cheers hope that helps - there are lots of good books on options - it sounds crazy but they can help hedge positions.