Jon Markman

Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options

Jon Markman is the editor of Trader’s Advantage, a daily trading service that leverages his unique swing trading principles and aims to capture profits of 7% to 15% — and often much more with his options trades — in less than 90 days. By combining technical analysis with underlying fundamentals, Jon recommends beaten down stocks on the brink of reversal and powerful momentum stocks breaking out to new highs.

In CounterPoint Options Jon helps options traders lock in consistent profits from the volatility that rocks the market. At its heart is a proprietary trading system, Magnitude, that pinpoints indexes or sectors that have reached a critical inflection point — then translates that signal into profitable trades.

CounterPoint Options keeps volatility options trading very simple, focusing on the most popular, highly traded exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are headed for a key reversal. Magnitude scans the market and allows subscribers to take advantage of these very liquid trading opportunities.

When CounterPoint Options first launched, it was focused solely on trading the VIX, commonly known as the “fear index.” When traders start buying up put options as “portfolio insurance,” the VIX spikes — a phenomenon that we’ll either trade directly, or use to inform our ETF trades on specific slices of the market. Our agile (and highly lucrative) strategy lets us turn volatility into profits… just like professional traders and hedge funds have been doing for years.

CounterPoint Options helps individual traders make steady, consistent profits from a very methodical approach to growing your portfolio in the midst of a turbulent market.

A pioneer in the development of stock-rating systems and screening software, Jon Markman is co-inventor on two Microsoft patents and author of the best-selling books Swing Trading and Online Investing. He was portfolio manager and senior investment strategist at a multi-strategy hedge fund from 2002 to 2005; managing editor and columnist at CNBC on MSN Money from 1997 to 2002; and an editor, investment columnist and investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times from 1984 to 1997.

Jon won a Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Financial Journalism for his columns explaining market chicanery in 2002; Society of Professional Journalists awards for his 2001 reporting on Enron and the post-Sept. 11-investment environment; and was a news editor on the Los Angeles Times staff that won Pulitzer Prizes for spot-news reporting in 1992 and 1994.

A graduate of Duke University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Jon speaks frequently on investment topics at conferences nationwide, as well as on TV and radio.

Recent Articles

Sellers Aren’t Done Yet

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options Jul 22, 2008

Even with the Dow up over 300 points in the past few days, there are still plenty of reasons why you shouldn't jump head first into this market just yet.

Users Manual for a Bear Market

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options Jul 16, 2008

As investors find themselves in a bear market without the skills necessary to survive, here are seven simple steps to help smooth the transition.

New Government Role Jeopardizes Bank Stocks

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options Jul 14, 2008

You really need a scorecard to follow the flippings and floppings of our government officials over the past week as they made a spectacle of themselves with conflicting comments about the condition of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Energy Stocks Emerge From Their Funk

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options Jul 11, 2008

Crude oil futures rallied strongly on Thursday, and are on the move again--a move that seems surprising to many after the price had fallen by almost 6.5% in the first part of the week.

5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Portfolio

By Jon Markman, Editor, Trader's Advantage and CounterPoint Options Mar 17, 2008

Predicting a recession is a lot like forecasting the perfect storm. It's easy to see the dark clouds sitting on the horizon, but once those gale force winds kick in, there's no telling where–or even if–it'll ever make landfall. Some pessimistic pundits say it's already here. Other optimists say not so fast. No matter when it hits, here's 5 ways to make sure you're prepared!