Interview  |  AUG 2005

Int: Which Option Strategy Should You Use? Guy Cohen Tells You by J. Gopalakrishnan

Stocks & Commodities V. 23:8 (52-56): Int: Which Option Strategy Should You Use? Guy Cohen Tells You by J. Gopalakrishnan Guy Cohen, creator of the OptionEasy software and author of the books ""Options Made Easy"" and ""The Bible Of Options Strategies,"" has had extensive experience in trading and analyzing both the US and UK derivatives and stock markets. Specializing in trading and analytics applications ranging from real estate to derivatives, Cohen has developed some of the most comprehensive business, trading, and training models, all specifically designed for maximum user-friendliness. Cohen has a master’s in business administration with a concentration on finance from City University Business School and also teaches individuals, specializing in trading psychology, technical analysis, and options strategies. STOCKS & COMMODITIES Editor Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan interviewed Guy Cohen in early June 2005, using a combination of online audio chat, instant messaging, and email. Q: How did you get into trading options? A: I got into options while I was studying for my MBA, where I took options specialist classes. Prior to that, I’d been in commercial real estate. My rationale for doing my MBA was to increase my financial capabilities. I’d already completed various finance exams in order to become an analyst, but I felt that an MBA, particularly one that was finance-oriented, would be a great feather in my cap. After I completed my options exams successfully and got a grasp of the academics, I launched into trading options for real. That’s when I discovered the difference between understanding how an option works, and the more practical test of how to actually trade options. Q: Big difference there! A: So true! At the time, the options software around wasn’t too helpful, so the only way for me to make progress was to build my own application. So that’s what I did. I needed an application that was highly visual, where I could see my risk profile and any other important factors to do with my strategy or trade. Initially, I began in Microsoft Excel, and from this original spreadsheet I started to add new strategies and modules.

by Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan