Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why am I not receiving my Bottarelli Research trading alerts via e-mail?

Trading alert e-mails are immediately e-mailed to all active subscribers and will always come from alert@bottarelliresearch.com. Occasionally, however, e-mail is filtered into spam or junk folders. To prevent this from happening and ensure Bottarelli Research e-mails will be safely delivered to your inbox, add alert@bottarelliresearch.com to your e-mail address book and/or safe senders list. That way, you can be sure you’re receiving all of our trading alerts and correspondence. As a supplement to e-mail, we strongly encourage you to receive your Bottarelli Research alerts via RSS. To learn more about RSS, click here.

Below are specific instructions to “white-list” or add an e-mail address to the safe senders list for a variety of popular e-mail clients. If yours isn’t listed here, please contact support@bottarelliresearch.com so we can provide you with additional instructions.

Microsoft Outlook

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
  3. On the Preferences tab, under E-mail, click Junk E-mail.
  4. Click the Safe Senders or Safe Recipients tab.
  5. Click Add.
  6. In the Enter an e-mail address or Internet domain name to be added to the list box, enter either the domain name “bottarelliresearch.com” (to allow all e-mail from Bottarelli Research) or the e-mail address “alert@bottarelliresearch.com” (to only allow e-mail from this address), and then click OK.

Gmail

  1. Log in to your Gmail account.
  2. On the left navigation menu, click Contacts.
  3. Click the Create Contact link.
  4. Enter “Bryan Bottarelli” in the Name field, “alert@bottarelliresearch.com” in the Primary E-mail field, and any other information you would like to provide for the contact. Click Save.

Yahoo! Mail

  1. Log in to your Yahoo! Mail account.
  2. Click the Options link in the upper right menu.
  3. Under the Management section of Mail Options, click Filters.
  4. Click Add and create a filter rule with the “From header” set to “contains” and enter the value “alert@bottarelliresearch.com” in the textbox (do not check the “match case” checkbox).
  5. Using the “Move to message to” field at the bottom, select “Inbox.”
  6. Click the Add Filter button.

MSN Hotmail

  1. Log in to your MSN Hotmail account.
  2. Click the Options link in the upper right menu.
  3. Click the Mail and junk e-mail link in the left navigation menu.
  4. Click the Safe List link. Note that for Windows Live Mail this link is called Allowed and blocked senders.
  5. In the Type an address or domain textbox, enter the e-mail “alert@bottarelliresearch.com” and click the Add button. For Windows Live Mail, in the “Sender or domain to allow” textbox, enter the domain “bottarelliresearch.com” (to allow all e-mail from Bottarelli Research) or the e-mail address “alert@bottarelliresearch.com” (to only allow e-mail from this address) and click the Add to List button.

AOL

  1. Log in to AOL.
  2. Click the Mail menu and select “AOL Address Book.”
  3. Click the Add button.
  4. Enter “alert@bottarelliresearch.com” into the Other E-mail textbox and mark it as the “Primary Email.”

AIM Mail

  1. Log in to your AIM Mail account.
  2. Click the Settings link in the upper right menu.
  3. Click the Spam Controls link in the left navigation menu.
  4. Click the Control From Whom I Get E-mail button.
  5. Select “Allow mail only from people I know” and click the Save button.
  6. Add “alert@bottarelliresearch.com” as a contact by clicking Mail, then clicking the Addresses tab, and finally Add Contact. On the pop-up that displays, select “E-mail 1” for “Preferred E-mail” and enter “alert@bottarelliresearch.com” into the “E-mail 1” textbox. Enter additional information you would like to provide for the contact and click the Save button.

Please note that you may actually be receiving Bottarelli Research e-mails, but they are being filtered into a different folder other than your inbox where e-mail is typically delivered. If you find a Bottarelli Research e-mail in your bulk, spam, or junk folder, open the e-mail and click to either mark it as Not Spam or add the sender to your Safe Senders List. This will move the e-mail to your inbox and correct the problem so all future e-mails from Bottarelli Research are delivered directly to your inbox.

If you have tried adding alert@bottarelliresearch.com to your address book and safe senders list and still are not receiving e-mails from us, please please contact support@bottarelliresearch.com for further assistance.

In addition to e-mail, we strongly encourage you to receive your Bottarelli Research alerts via RSS to ensure immediate and reliable delivery. To learn more about RSS, click here.

Q: I’m not receiving my Bottarelli Research e-mail alerts fast enough. How can I access trading alerts the instant they are published?

E-mail is convenient but can sometimes be unreliable and messages can be delayed. We offer numerous alternatives to e-mail that you can take advantage of to receive your trading alerts faster. Since e-mail is not a 100% reliable delivery method and is prone to delays, we strongly encourage you to use at least one of the alternative methods listed below as a supplement in addition to e-mail. That way, you can be certain you are notified the instant a new alert has been published so you can take immediate action.

  1. Log in to the Members Area with your e-mail and password to access Alert Auto-Notification.

    Keep this page open in your browser (you can minimize it). When a new alert is issued, it will automatically display at the top of this page. You don’t even need to refresh the page. Also, an alert sound will indicate to you that a new alert has been published. That way, you’ll have access to the newest trading alerts instantly on your screen.

  2. Download the Bottarelli Research iPhone + iPad mobile app. It’s free and delivers alerts instantly via push notifications. In this new mobile world, our app offers a significant advantage and is the future of trading.

  3. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a format for distributing frequently-updated content on the Web. Using an RSS reader, you can automatically receive specialized content in a news-wire-style format (referred to as a “feed”) as soon as it’s published. How does it work? The RSS reader constantly scans the source for new content on a regular interval in the background, and when it finds a new post, you are alerted.

    Our RSS Setup Guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to configure and use our Bottarelli Research RSS feeds.

Q: I’d like to receive my trading alerts at a second e-mail address. Can I add another e-mail to my account?

Yes. E-mail us at support@bottarelliresearch.com with your current e-mail and provide the secondary e-mail address that you”d like to add.

Q: Which brokerages do members use?

The brokerage list is getting too long to keep up with. But for the purposes of this service, all you really need is a broker that can execute your trades quickly. Since Bottarelli Research is doing all the work and research for you, it’s not advisable to pay a brokerage for extra service or research reports. Any reputable discount broker with ultra-fast option execution and a low commission rate will work for Bottarelli Research Options and LEAPS.

Q: Is “auto-trading” available?

I personally do not engage in “auto-trading.” In fact, I’d prefer if you traded your own account. But if you’re going to be away from your computer, traveling for business, or away on vacation, it could be a beneficial feature.

So in response to your requests, I’ve spoken to four (4) different brokers who I feel are reputable, experienced with options trading, and that offer competitive prices. I’ve also spoken to customers who currently use these brokers, and they tell me that those listed below offer excellent service. If you are looking for a broker who is knowledgeable about options trading, you may consider researching the following choices, listed in alphabetic order:

Auto-Trading Disclaimer

Although some subscribers to Bottarelli Research may choose to engage in what is commonly known as “auto-trading,” Bottarelli Research and Bryan Bottarelli do not, can not, and will not send any trading alerts directly to brokers.

Bottarelli Research and Bryan Bottarelli do not recommend nor require that subscribers of Bottarelli Research engage in “auto-trading.” Bottarelli Research and/or Bryan Bottarelli offers no penalty or incentive, monetary or otherwise, to subscribers to either engage in or not engage in “auto-trading.” Bottarelli Research and/or Bryan Bottarelli offers no opinion to individual susbcribers as to the propriety of engaging in “auto-trading” either in general or in conjunction with Bottarelli Research. The decision to engage in “auto-trading” is a decision left to the reader to Bottarelli Research, but never will Bottarelli Research trading alerts be sent directly to a broker. The recommended list of brokers is purely informational in nature and is not meant to be and should not be construed as being a recommendation or endorsement of any or all of the aforementioned brokers. If a reader chooses to engage in “auto-trading” without consent or support of Bottarelli Research, that is an independent decision made solely by the reader of Bottarelli Research. Subscribers are encouraged to independently verify the merits or shortcomings of a broker before engaging its services, including those previously listed. Subscribers are encouraged to seek information regarding any given broker directly from the broker itself. It should be understood that any information provided by Bottarelli Research and/or Bryan Bottarelli and the basis for any opinion given by Bottarelli Research and/or Bryan Bottarelli regarding any given broker should be independently verified by the reader or other recipient of the information.

Q: How many e-mail alerts do you typically issue each day? How many trades do you typically issue each week?

On average, upwards of five (5) options alerts are published each day the market is open for trading. Alerts may contain a recommendation to buy or sell, advice on potential trading opportunities, or a full position update, depending on current positions. On average, the alerts you receive over the course of a week will contain two (2) to three (3) trades, and each will require no more than 5-10 minutes to read and execute. Of course, weeks with excessive market momentum will warrant more trading opportunities, and weeks with muted market volatility will warrant less trading opportunities. The amount of weekly action all depends on market conditions.

Q: How much money should I place into each new trade?

Due to SEC regulations, this is a question that we cannot answer. Making decisions on account and position sizing is something that you must decide for yourself. After all, nobody knows your risk profile better than you. What we can tell you, however, is to start off small and grow comfortable with our alerts and trading style. Then as your account grows, you can start increasing your position allocation. It’s highly recommended to start by “paper trading” without using real money and track how your trades perform. Then as you grow comfortable with our methods, you can get started with real capital.

Q: What level of trading account do I need to execute your trades? And what is the proper instruction to tell my broker when entering and exiting your trades?

As a Bottarelli Research Options Service member, you’ll only be buying calls and puts to open a trade and selling those calls and puts to close a trade. We never sell options short. If you tell your broker this when opening a new options account, he or she will most likely process your request quicker.

When you open a new trade (either calls or puts), always “Buy to Open.” When you close a trade (either calls or puts), always “Sell to Close.” The choices “Buy to Close” and “Sell to Open” represent shorting options, which we do not do.

Q: Protective sell stops are typically included with buy recommendations for options trades. Should we maintain this sell stop until told differently? Or do we adhere to the stop no matter what?

Protective sell stops are intended for traders who want to strictly limit risk. Other traders who are more speculative in nature typically don’t place stops at all. Knowing that everyone’s risk profiles differ, we attempt to maximize our trading guidance for the entire spectrum of traders. For example, if we still like a particular position even after a stop is triggered, we’ll continue to follow and update the play. In cases like this, you can either hold along with us or adhere to the original sell stop. It all depends on what type of trader you are. No matter if you adhere to the stops or not, we’ll always tell you when we’re officially closing a trade. So, the decision to strictly adhere to the sell stop is yours to make.

Q: What’s a reason for not adhering to a sell stop?

Sometimes market news changes after we’ve entered a trade. Whether it’s more QE from the Fed, an unexpected earnings revision, or any number of other blind-side news stories that can affect the markets, news can play against you in the short term. In cases like this, we’ll consider holding through the original stop loss. For example, if the charts continue to indicate that our trade has profit potential, we’ll loosen our draw-down tolerance and maintain a trade. Sometimes, we may even lower our cost basis and add to the position. The point is, sometimes trades need more time to pan out. In these cases, we’ll advise you to hold through a stop for an expected recovery. Once again, it’s your decision if you want to take on this more speculative approach or not. Some traders adhere to the stops no matter what, while others are willing to speculate. It’s entirely up to you and your risk profile. As you’d expect, we’ll provide the entire argument for our tactical trading actions and follow the play through to the end no matter what action you decide to take.

Q: What is a “Sniper Sell?”

A “Sniper Sell” is a term that we coined to represent our automatic, no-questions-asked sell price. For example, we may recommend an option for $2.00 and set a sniper sell at $4.00. In this example, let’s say that news is released around lunchtime which pushes the option up to $4.00, but you don’t see a Bottarelli Research alert advising you to sell. In this case, do not wait to receive an alert. With the sniper sell already in place, you know to take your profits and sell. Overall, this move is a safeguard that works in your favor and allows you to maximize your profits on any quick moves.

Q: By the time I received the “buy” alert, prices were higher than what was listed in the alert. I don’t want to chase prices, but I also don’t want to miss out on a winning trade. What should I do?

While we don’t advocate chasing price, we also don’t want you to miss out on a profitable trade. So as a general rule, feel free to pay $0.10 to $0.15 above our listed buy price, just to ensure that you’ll be able to enter the trade. That way, you don’t allow a dime to prevent you from participating in a strong gain. If prices are higher than a $0.10 to $0.15 buffer zone, then you have to let it go. You missed it. But don’t worry, there will be plenty of other trades coming your way soon.

Q: The entry and exit prices listed for positions are not the same prices that I’m getting. How do you choose these values?

We attempt to list position prices that are representative of all members at the time of entry or exit. For example, if we recommend buying an option “at or under $2.00,” and we see that 500 contracts are entered between the prices of $1.90 and $2.10, we’ll list $2.00 as our entry. Sure, you may have entered for $2.10 while others may have entered for $1.90. Ultimately, your prices will not always match the exact prices that we officially list for positions. This is the nature of trading, and you should not expect the officially listed entry and exit prices to match up exactly with your personal trading account.

Q: How do you properly manage risk?

There are two ways that Bottarelli Research Options Service manages risk. Every trade will come with either a protective “stop loss” or a protective “hedge” play. A stop loss is a level that tells you to exit the trade. For example, if you buy an option for $2.00 with a recommended $1.50 stop loss, that limits your total risk to only $0.50. If your $2.00 option trades for $1.50, it’s wise to cut your losses short and move onto the next trade. A hedge is taking a small percent of your money and betting the exact opposite of what you think will happen. For example, if you buy a $4.00 call option on IBM, you obviously think IBM’s stock price is set to go up. But just in case you’re wrong, you also take $0.50 and buy an IBM put as a hedge. That way, you’re covering your backside if IBM moves violently in the opposite direction. Depending on the market environment, you’ll get instruction for either a stop loss or a hedge.

Q: I want to learn more about options. What are the best Web sites for me to visit?

To learn more about trading options, visit these links:

For a comprehensive options glossary and learning tutorial:
http://biz.yahoo.com/opt/

For free information on options volatility:
http://www.ivolatility.com

For the best options trading daily, monthly, and yearly statistics:
http://www.cboe.com/

For basic investor information:
http://www.investopedia.com

For daily news-driving market events:
http://www.marketwatch.com

Q: I’ve decided that Bottarelli Research is not quite right for me. How do I cancel my subscription?

Although we’ve found that not too many Charter Members are willing to give up their spot in the group, we understand that this type of trading service may not be right for everyone. If you’ve decided that this service is not right for you, then you have two choices.

  1. You can simply ride out your membership and let it expire.
  2. You can cancel your subscription and see if you qualify for a refund. Although not all members qualify to receive a refund, you’re entitled to submit a refund request.

Q: Who can I contact if I still have a question?

We welcome all questions, comments, or feedback you may have. Please e-mail us below.

For customer service, e-mail: support@bottarelliresearch.com

For technical issues, e-mail: help@bottarelliresearch.com

Contact Bryan directly at: bryan@bottarelliresearch.com

Please allow up to 2 business days to receive a personal response to your inquiry.