I've been investing for over 35 years. I started the same way most people do — buying mutual funds and checking the newspaper every morning to see if my portfolio went up or down. No computers, no apps, no real-time data. Just the Wall Street Journal and a lot of patience.
Over the decades I watched the markets evolve, technology change everything, and a whole new world of strategies open up to retail traders like me. About five or six years ago I started trading actively — options, dividend ETFs, high-yield funds like YieldMAX and Roundhill. I read constantly, joined communities, and executed thousands and thousands of trades across every kind of strategy you can imagine.
And then 2024 happened.
The euphoric run of 2024 was incredible — my portfolio was going crazy, everything was skyrocketing, and it felt like it would never stop. Then 2025 brought the tariff situation, and just like that, most of those gains were gone. It wasn't just me. It hit everyone chasing yield through leveraged ETFs and high-dividend funds.
"That's when I realized: I was paying fees to let someone else make decisions I could make better myself — and I didn't have any real control over the outcome."
So I made a change. I stopped delegating my income strategy to ETF managers and started doing it myself — selling covered calls, running cash-secured puts, building credit spreads, and constructing a dividend portfolio I could layer options income on top of. The result was something I hadn't experienced before: consistent, predictable monthly income that didn't evaporate when the market got choppy.
That's what Practical Income Investing is about. I built this for people like me — investors who are getting closer to retirement, who are done with the volatility of chasing performance, and who want to know that their portfolio is actually working for them every single month.
Trading isn't hard. It doesn't have to feel like gambling. Do it right, do it safely, stay consistent, and keep your expectations reasonable — and you can build something that genuinely changes your financial picture.
That's what I'm here to show you.
These are the principles that guide every trade, every video, and every tool we build here.
Every position starts with the question: what's the worst case, and can I live with it? Income strategies like covered calls and cash-secured puts have defined, manageable risk built in. That's not a limitation — it's the point.
One massive trade that blows up wipes out months of disciplined income. I'd rather collect steady premium every month than swing for the fences. Compounded modest returns over time are how wealth is actually built.
Never sell an option you don't understand. Never hold a position you can't explain. The more clearly you understand a trade before you enter it, the better your decisions will be when things get volatile.
The goal isn't just portfolio growth — it's cash flow. Dividends and option premiums that hit your account every month, whether the market goes up, down, or sideways. That's financial freedom on your terms.
You can't improve what you don't measure. Every trade gets logged — entry, exit, premium collected, P&L, annualized return. The journal isn't optional. It's how you go from winging it to actually knowing your numbers.
The market changes. Strategies that worked perfectly last year may need adjusting. Stay curious, keep learning, and never stop questioning whether there's a smarter way to do what you're already doing.
Started investing in mutual funds, tracking performance daily in the Wall Street Journal. No internet, no apps — just discipline and patience. The foundation of a long-term mindset.
Started active trading in earnest. Explored high-dividend ETFs (YieldMAX, Roundhill, Defiant), options strategies, and executed thousands of trades across every approach imaginable.
Markets roared. High-yield ETFs and leveraged positions delivered extraordinary returns. Portfolio metrics looked incredible. It felt unstoppable.
The tariff situation hit hard. Most of 2024's gains evaporated. The vulnerability of high-yield ETF strategies became clear — fees, no control, and full exposure to every market swing.
Moved to self-directed income strategies — covered calls, cash-secured puts, credit spreads, and a dividend portfolio with options layered on top. Consistent monthly income, lower fees, full control. Built PII to share what actually works.
The same journal I use to track every position. Log your trades, measure your income, and start seeing your numbers clearly.