If you’re trading your retirement portfolio, let me give it to you straight: the biggest threat isn’t missing out on a hot stock—it’s taking on more risk than you realize. At this stage, it’s not about maximizing return. It’s about preserving the engine that keeps your income running. That’s why every strategy I use, and teach, starts with one principle: define your risk first. There are options strategies that give you the best shot at staying in the game without blowing up your retirement. You want tools that allow you to participate in the upside while protecting the downside. The good news is, there are smart, structured ways to do that… Let’s start with the big umbrella: defined risk strategies. That means you know exactly how much you can lose before you ever put the trade on. We’re talking about long calls and puts, verticals, credit and debit spreads, calendars,

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the market doesn’t owe you a trade. Right now, we’re in one of those stretches where the smartest move isn’t getting aggressive, it’s sitting tight and letting the picture come into focus. That’s not passivity. That’s discipline. And it’s doubly important for retirement traders and investors. Smart traders in standby mode, not because there’s nothing happening, but because the signals aren’t clean yet. Volume’s low and divergences are cropping up in a few spots, and while we’ve had some flashy moves, they’re not convincing enough to go all-in either way. Until we get confirmation—real confirmation, like money flow validating the trend or stochastic divergences breaking with authority—I’m treating this as a rangebound environment. That means mean-reversion setups get my attention, not breakout chases. It’s the kind of market where impulsive traders get chopped up. You think you’re early to a move,

This Weekly Watchlist Is the Best of Slim Pickings With all the volatility and relentless selloffs, it’s a little surprising not to see more aggressive trade signals right now. Scanning over 2,000 stocks using my methodology, only eight candidates meet the criteria – and not all are worth pursuing. That says a lot about today’s cautious landscape, especially for retirement savers seeking both protection and opportunity. There were eight stocks, but I’ve picked the best three to look at…  Of the current setups, Verizon (VZ), Kinder Morgan KMI, and Amgen (AMGN) stand out: VZ is breaking out of a short-term bull flag and through a key Monkeybar level today. I’m targeting $47.30 in the next 10 days — a potential 7% return or better. However, volume is light. For greater conviction, wait for at least average volume on an up candle before entering. KMI mirrors VZ’s bullish price pattern and

Why Every Retirement Saver in America Should Use “Monkey Bars” By Blake Young We need to have a grown-up conversation about something that only sounds childish. They’re called Monkey Bars and you, especially retirement savers, should get familiar. Now, sure, Monkey Bars might sound like something for kids at recess. But trust me: in trading, they’re the grown-up’s jungle gym. And without them? You’re just hanging by your fingernails hoping for the best. You see, every day — whether it’s a sleepy Tuesday or volatile Friday — markets send us signals. Not guesses, not gut feelings… signals. That’s where Monkey Bars come in. These charts aren’t just pretty pictures with some lines thrown on them. No. They’re sophisticated visualizations that tell us where price has spent its time, which is far more powerful than simply where price has been. Time matters. Price matters. Together? That’s the foundation of market probability.

The Art of Reading Chaos—Monkey Bars, Liquidity, and Staying on the Right Side of the Trade By Blake Young There are days in the market when it feels like you’ve slammed back ten espressos on an empty stomach. The screen flickers. Price spikes, then dives. It’s enough to shake anyone out. But here’s the truth: volatility isn’t the enemy. Poor planning is. This week, like many before, volatility tried to take the wheel. But for those of us anchored in structure—especially with tools like monkey bars—we don’t let the market dictate our emotions. We let the data, the math, and the framework guide our trades. It’s algebra. It’s calculus. It’s repetition. And that’s how we win. Let’s start where it got spicy—bonds.  The biggest one-week selloff in over 40 years? That’s not noise. That’s a siren. The Fed came out and threw a net on yields saying, “We’ll step in

Here’s to the End of a Long Week! By Blake Young Congratulations! You just made it through a historic week – the most volatile week since 2022.  Even more incredible, we saw the VIX top 65 at one point early on. That easily gives the 2008 Crash and the COVID Crash a run for the money.  If you’ve been following along with my paid Deep Currents recommendations, your retirement’s stronger than ever.  Here’s the situation…  The market itself… well… it’s rallied strongly over the past few days, but VIX has moved higher, too, and could be setting itself up for more. I think this rally could be more of a temporary bounce than anything to bet the farm on.  The wider economy is looking fairly iffy right now, too, with unemployment and bond auctions showing us how shaky things are.  In this environment, I think retirement savers have to be

Hello, everyone, Blake Young with you on this historic Monday – historic in terms of the volatility we’re seeing in this big downturn. The big indexes are down anywhere from 2.7% to 3.2% as I write this.  But, contrary to what you might think – and contrary to what’s certainly being said in the financial media today – times like this can be rich in opportunities.  So I’m going to go a step beyond our usual Weekly Watchlist and look at what I think could be great trades. Two are bearish trades fading a gap fill at the moment, both are in the semiconductor sector. I’m talking about On Semiconductor (ON) and Micron Technology (MU). Both of these names have been selling off alongside Nvdia (NVDA) and the tech sector.  Today, however, they’ve tried to stage a rally in all the chaos. Here’s what happened next… Three Stocks in Play