XSP vs SPY vs SPX: The Mini Index Option
The Mini-SPX option gives a smaller account index mechanics at SPY-sized notional — cash-settled, European, 60/40 taxed — at the cost of a thinner order book.
0DTE
Cash-Settled vs Physically Settled Options Explained
What changes hands when an option expires ITM: a cash transfer for index options like SPX, or 100 shares per contract for equity and ETF options.
European vs American Style Options: Exercise & Assignment
The difference between European and American exercise, what early assignment does to a spread, and which products use which style.
Section 1256 Options: The 60/40 Tax Rule Explained
How Section 1256 taxes broad-based index options: 60% long-term, 40% short-term on every gain, no matter how short the holding period.
SPX AM vs PM Settlement: SET, SPXW & Expiration Times
The two SPX settlement clocks: PM-settled SPXW dailies that expire at the 4:00 PM close, and AM-settled third-Friday monthlies that settle on the Friday opening SET print.
SPX vs SPY Options: 4 Key Structural Differences
The structural and tax differences between SPX and SPY options — settlement, exercise style, contract size, Section 1256 — and which one suits 0DTE index traders.
The Commission Tax on the 0DTE Iron Condor: What $10 a Round Trip Costs Long Term
Opening and closing an iron condor means commission on eight legs — every round trip. Slippage is the variable tax on a 0DTE iron condor — it scales with the spread and the speed of the tape. Commission is the other tax, and it behaves differently. It’s flat, it’s certain, and it lands the same whether the market is calm or violent. You pay it to open and you pay it to close, every single trade, forever. ...
Slippage in 0DTE Options Trading: The Hidden Tax on Every Credit
A four-legged fill rarely lands at the mid. The gap you give up is slippage. On paper, a 0DTE iron condor looks clean. You sell four legs, collect a credit, and let theta do the work. The decay curve is steep, the math is tidy, and the expected value pencils out. Then the fills come back, and the credit is smaller than the screen promised. ...
0DTE Iron Condor on SPX: The Strategy and the Rules
A focused guide to the 0DTE SPX iron condor: the exact rules a mechanical system runs, why entry time matters more than people think, and how to size and manage the risk.
0DTE Options Trading: The Complete Guide to Same-Day Expiration Strategies
Zero days to expiration (0DTE) options have become one of the most actively traded instruments in the modern market. On a typical trading day, 0DTE SPX options account for more than 40–50% of all SPX options volume. The reason is simple: the theta decay is at its most powerful, the mechanics are well-defined, and for systematic sellers, the daily reset provides a clean, repeatable trading cycle. This guide covers everything you need to know to understand, evaluate, and trade 0DTE options — especially the iron condor approach on SPX. ...