Good morning, traders…

My goal is to teach you how to be a great options trader. 

And that’s an important distinction because most market participants are passive investors. 

They’re regular folks who automate a monthly contribution to an index fund and call it a day. The “set it and forget it” mentality…

These people usually have no idea what they’re investing in, and they’re limited to a small handful of choices: mutual funds and ETFs that mirror the major indexes. 

Recently, I’ve heard these long-term investors worrying about their portfolios. They’re nervous watching their accounts lose 20% in six weeks. I don’t blame them.

But they’re addicted to a dangerous drug called “buy and hold…” 

And with no other moves in their arsenal, they’re unable to do anything to stop the bleeding amid this enormous bearish trend reversal. 

This is a huge problem. It’s why I’ve built a 22-year career based on short-term, in-and-out options trading. 

And it’s why I want you to forget “passive” and think “active.”

Let me show you how to kick the habit of “buying and holding” and why now is the best time to be a trader…

Buy and Hold: A Dangerous Addiction

The vast majority of traders and investors are addicted to the drug of “buying and holding.”

The main reason is that it’s easy … and most people are lazy. 

The average person is simply unwilling to research individual companies, understand macroeconomics, listen to conference calls, etc. 

But beneath the surface, the problem is actually deeper and more concerning than that…

This bogus narrative, pushed by financial news media and Wall Street, says that “retail traders will never beat the market…”

But this is completely, totally, and utterly false. It’s just what the big boys at hedge funds want you to think.

Guess what Wall Street’s #1 product is? Exchange-traded funds (ETFs). They make boatloads of money directly from the passivity of investors.

Make no mistake: This is why they’re always telling people to buy index funds. 

They don’t want you to trade. They don’t want you to beat the market. They want you hopelessly addicted to buying and holding, like a junkie looking for a fix, because it makes them rich.

But trust me, there’s a far better way to manage your portfolio…

Why Trading Beats Passive Investing

Imagine being a long-term investor in 2000, 2008, 2022 … or now, 2025. 

Holding a huge basket of stocks, powerless to do anything but watch them tumble lower week after week, month after month…

That sounds terrible, especially when there’s a much better alternative — options trading.

When you’re trading, there’s no need to sweat downside moves in the overall market.

Pay attention to them, sure, as these moves can lead to gorgeous pullback setups in individual stocks. 

But you don’t have to let the overall market control the direction of your portfolio the same way a long-term investor does.

As a trader, you control your destiny through the power of your near-term decision-making. 

You can still have long-term holds (in a separate account) while simultaneously taking advantage of the powers that short-term trading provides…

The 7 Clear Advantages of Trading

You can profit from falling prices.

• Options trading gives you the ability to trade puts without overexposing yourself to the risk of short-selling, something passive investors can’t do with long-only portfolios.

Risk is defined and limited.

• You can control your max loss upfront by buying puts or bearish spreads, which helps when markets are volatile and directionless.

You don’t have to wait for a rebound.

• Traders can make money on down moves, sideways chop, or quick bounces — you’re not stuck hoping the market recovers over years.

Faster feedback and learning.

• Trading offers real-time lessons and quicker decision cycles, so you can adjust and improve — passive investing is slow, and drawdowns can last for months or years.

More flexibility with timeframes.

• Traders can go short-term (intraday, swing), while passive investors are stuck riding the long-term rollercoaster (regardless of the climate).

You can manage risk dynamically.

• Options let you hedge, scale in and out, or change your exposure — passive investors are stuck riding full-size positions down.

You’re not tied to one direction.

• Directional traders can go long or short based on patterns or setups — passive investors are long-only by default.

I’ve been trading for decades. I’ve heard every bit of fear, uncertainty, and doubt directed at people like YOU…

Big institutions try to stir this anxiety, making traders think the market is an insurmountable beast they’ll never overcome.

But don’t forget the story of David vs. Goliath. 

You’re David, the market is Goliath…

Armed with the right slingshot, even the most unsuspecting underdog can slay the giant. 

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

P.S. I’ve been using a brand-new tool … and it’s completely changed how I trade.

I’m talking about a proprietary indicator with the potential to deliver outsized gains that even my Omen Scanner won’t catch…

(And I’m even giving away a FREE TRADE IDEA using this tool that could surge over the next seven days.)

Click here to see my FINAL WARNING … before it’s too late.

*Past performance does not indicate future results