The Option Premium logo
The Option Premium
Weekly Insights
Subscriber Access
Subscribe Now
  • The Option Premium
  • Topics
  • Poor Man's Covered Call Strategy

Poor Man's Covered Call Strategy

A poor man’s covered call is an options strategy that allows investors to generate income by selling call options against a long-term LEAPS (Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities) call option, rather than owning the underlying stock.

Expected MoveOptions Research, Mechanics and CommentaryWeekly UpdateMental Capital Wealth Without Shares ReportsThe Income Foundation Trade AlertsOptions IncomeTrading PsychologyThe Income Foundation ReportsThe Wheel StrategyThe Option Premium Weekly NewsletterGreeks Total Access - The Option Premium ReportsStrategy Reports Featured ReportsTotal Access - The Option Premium Trade AlertsJade LizardCovered StrangleShort Strangle Bull Put SpreadBear Call SpreadCash-Secured PutsThe Implied TruthTrade AlertsWealth Without Shares Trade AlertsThe Implied Perspective ReportsImplied Volatility MetricsPoor Man's Covered Call StrategySubscriber PagesEducational CornerThe Implied Perspective Weekly UpdateEarnings Trading StrategyCovered CallOptions FundamentalsThe Implied Perspective Trade AlertsThe Earnings PlaybookRisk ManagementLEAPSOptions Trading Psychology Ratio SpreadsCollar StrategyThe Income Foundation Weekly UpdateBuilding an Options PortfolioCredit SpreadProbabilitiesImplied Volatility DataIron CondorWealth Without Shares Weekly Update
The Poor Man's Covered Call Approach to Dividend Kings

The Poor Man's Covered Call Approach to Dividend Kings

Fifty years of consecutive dividend increases is the kind of track record that earns a stock a permanent seat at the table. The catch is the capital required to own these names at scale. The PMCC structure offers a way around it, with one trade-off worth understanding before you commit.

Andrew Crowder
The LEAPS Collar: Protecting Your PMCC When Conviction Wavers

The LEAPS Collar: Protecting Your PMCC When Conviction Wavers

A practitioner's guide to protecting a profitable PMCC by using the short call you are already selling to finance a protective put. Three legs. One expiration. No timing mismatch.

The Anatomy of an All-Weather PMCC

The Anatomy of an All-Weather PMCC

The All-Weather PMCC, walked through slowly. The two legs, the math three ways, the four-scenario stress test, and the build mistakes that quietly erode it.

Andrew Crowder
How to Build a Dividend Aristocrats Portfolio with a Poor Man's Covered Call

How to Build a Dividend Aristocrats Portfolio with a Poor Man's Covered Call

Build an Aristocrat-style income portfolio using deep ITM LEAPS instead of stock. Same exposure, ~70% less capital, monthly premium income.

Andrew Crowder
The 200-Day Moving Average as a PMCC Filter: What Two Decades of Evidence Tell Us

The 200-Day Moving Average as a PMCC Filter: What Two Decades of Evidence Tell Us

Why PMCC structures are uniquely sensitive to the regime the 200-day filter identifies, and what to do when the line breaks mid-trade.

Andrew Crowder
Is Inflation Here to Stay? How to Profit with Poor Man's Covered Calls on Gold

Is Inflation Here to Stay? How to Profit with Poor Man's Covered Calls on Gold

GLD at $423.89. Jan 2028 $370 LEAPS at $9,925 vs $42,389 for shares. First cycle: Jun $455 call at $4.95, 5.0% return in 49 days, 78.84% probability OTM. Full PMCC setup with IV analysis.

The All-Weather Portfolio with Poor Man’s Covered Calls: A Tactical Approach to Consistent Income

The All-Weather Portfolio with Poor Man’s Covered Calls: A Tactical Approach to Consistent Income

How to build a resilient income portfolio using Ray Dalio's All-Weather framework with PMCC overlays on TLT, SPY, EFA, and GLD. Real trade example: TLT Jan 2027 $75 LEAPS at $1,545, 3.4% cycle return, 27.2% annualized baseline.

Poor Man’s Covered Call vs. Covered Call: Which Strategy Is Better?

Poor Man’s Covered Call vs. Covered Call: Which Strategy Is Better?

PMCC vs covered call compared across 5 categories with real MSFT numbers. 14.8% ROI vs 5.2%, $12,500 vs $41,200 in capital, and a direct statistical comparison of every metric that matters.

Maximizing Returns with a Poor Man’s Covered Call Strategy: A Smarter Way to Trade Options

Maximizing Returns with a Poor Man’s Covered Call Strategy: A Smarter Way to Trade Options

The Poor Man's Covered Call generates the same income as a traditional covered call using 72.7% less capital. Full MSFT example: Jan 2027 $360 LEAPS, 5.0% return on capital vs 1.4% for shares, $31,203 freed for other positions.

Apple LEAPS Strategy Review: 92% Return Using Poor Man's Covered

Apple LEAPS Strategy Review: 92% Return Using Poor Man's Covered

How a Poor Man's Covered Call on Apple delivered 92% returns in six months using LEAPS. Real trade breakdown, income results, and capital efficiency analysis.

PMCC - Expected Move for Picking Short Calls

PMCC - Expected Move for Picking Short Calls

Use expected move to choose short-call strikes that pay and protect.

The PMCC Collar Framework - Building Income with a Floor

The PMCC Collar Framework - Building Income with a Floor

Learn how to add downside protection to your PMCC strategy without killing income. Practical frameworks for using collars, timing hedges, and managing costs.

Enhance your options trading journey with comprehensive tools, in-depth research, and tailored strategies designed for investors of all levels.

The Option Premium

Enhance your options trading journey with comprehensive tools, in-depth research, and tailored strategies designed for investors of all levels.

Home

Posts

Authors

Account

Upgrade

About Us

Our Journey

Talk to Us

Testimonials

I consent to receive newsletters via email. Sign up Terms of service.

© 2026 The Option Premium.

Privacy policy

Terms of use