Mark Wolfinger

Mark Wolfinger

Mark D. Wolfinger grew up in Brooklyn and holds a Bachelor of Science from Brooklyn College and a PhD in chemistry from Northwestern University. After seven years as a research chemist, in 1976, he packed his belongings, left his career behind and headed to Chicago to become a market maker on the trading floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE).

Over the next 23 years, he worked primarily as a floor trader and also held a variety of positions in the industry, including risk manager, and coach for new market makers. When he left the trading floor in 2000, he began to help educate investors on how to use options.

He has published three books and numerous magazine articles. As an educator, he stresses the conservative methods detailed in his newest book, The Rookie’s Guide to Options. He is one of five option writers who founded a new online magazine devoted exclusively to options, Expiring Monthly: The Option Trader’s Journal.

He currently resides in Evanston, Ill., with his life partner, Penny.

Mark also writes a blog called Options for Rookies where comments and questions are welcome.

Recent Articles

Risk Management for Option Traders

By Mark Wolfinger

Wrong! Just because you are making money now, does not mean you are going to succeed. Learn more.

Stock Replacement – The Case for In-the-Money Options

By Mark Wolfinger

Many investors consider options to be too speculative, but if you pick the right options, it is not so different from buying stocks.

How Gamma Affects Short-Term Option Positions

By Mark Wolfinger

Owning a short position in a near-term option comes with high positive time decay, but it also carries an extra risk that is not immediately apparent. Find out what it is.

Options Expiration – How to Avoid the Wrath of Gamma at Expiration

By Mark Wolfinger

When selling options, it can be very tempting to hold onto short positions until expiration. Find out what risks this poses.

The Advantages of Options Trading

By Mark Wolfinger

If you think (or have been told by your broker) that options are dangerous, you've got things all wrong.

A Common Trading Mistake That Could Ruin You

By Mark Wolfinger

Traders often ignore one vital statistic: the risk of ruin. Learn what it is and find out how an understanding of it can help keep you from going broke.

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