InvestingWithBrandon

Most people think bull markets and bear markets are random.
They usually are not.
The market follows EPS up and to the right in the long run.
When it gets stretched too far above the line — it snaps back.
When it gets stretched too far below the line — it snaps back up.
That is it. That is the whole game.
1999 — market was 24-25x PE.
Way above the line. Crashed 50%.
2022 — market stretched above the line.
Fell 35%.
Right now — market is a little above the line. Future returns will likely be below trend.
You do not have to call the exact top.
You do not have to call the exact bottom.
You just

The S&P 500 has never once failed to hit new all time highs after a crash.
Not after 1987.
Not after 2000.
Not after 2008.
Not after 2020.
Not after 2022.
Every single time the experts said it was different this time.
Every single time they were wrong.
The crash feels like the end when you are in it.
Then you look back 5 years later & realize it was the best buying opportunity of your life.
The people who panicked out locked in permanent losses.
The people who had structure & stayed in made a killing.
Volatility is not the risk.
Permanent decisions made out of temporary fear is the risk.

The S&P 500 has never once failed to hit new all time highs after a crash.
Not after 1987.
Not after 2000.
Not after 2008.
Not after 2020.
Not after 2022.
Every single time the experts said it was different this time.
Every single time they were wrong.
The crash feels like the end when you are in it.
Then you look back 5 years later & realize it was the best buying opportunity of your life.
The people who panicked out locked in permanent losses.
The people who had structure & stayed in made a killing.
Volatility is not the risk.
Permanent decisions made out of temporary fear is the risk.

YieldMax is paying a 40% dividend yield.
(here is what that actually means for your money)
$10,000 invested for 1 year.
Dividends reinvested.
YieldMax: down 43%.
You have $5,700.
Q: up 29%.
You have $12,900.
The yield is based on the current share price.
As NAV drops.
Your payout drops too.
10% of $100 = $10.
10% of $50 = $5.
That is the trap.
The yield looks great because the share price is falling. But don't be tricked... Its a percent of the lower share price... Not your basis.
Sell portfolio secured puts for income. Keep the growth. Best of both worlds.

The easiest way to know if the market is cheap or expensive.
One number. Free. Updated every week.
Go to Google.
Type "S&P 500 PE ratio Yardeni."
Click the first result.
Here is how to read it.
PE above 20-22:
Market is a little expensive. Future returns likely muted. De-risk a little. Less bullish options. Keep powder dry.
PE around 17-19:
Historical average. Fair value. Keep building the base portfolio & allocating options on ultra compelling setups.
PE below 14:
Market is cheap. Deploy capital. Sell portfolio secured puts. Buy calls. Keep ratios in check.
PE ratio is not the end all be all

I cannot tell you how many people told me they were smart for selling covered calls on Nvidia.
(until now)
They bought at $10.
Sold covered calls at $20.
"If it doubles I'm out. I made 100%. That's enough."
They doubled their money & got called out.
Then watched Nvidia go to $50.
Then $80.
Then over $200.
They left a 10x on the table chasing a little monthly premium.
Here is the rule.
If you are bullish on a company buy the shares & hold them.
Super bullish? Sell portfolio secured puts and buy calls.
If you are bearish, sell the shares & be done with it.
Covered calls cap your upside while giv

You are your environment.
If everyone around you thinks investing is too risky.
You will think investing is too risky.
If everyone around you has a net worth of $5M+.
You will start asking why you do not.
I grew up in a small city in Ohio.
Nobody around me was building wealth.
Nobody was investing.
Nobody was thinking bigger.
I moved to Vegas.
Changed my environment.
Changed my circle.
Started being around people who made me feel behind.
That feeling is worth more than any course you will ever take.
Get in rooms where you are not the smartest person.
Get around people who make you uncomfort

The 5 most popular option strategies ranked.
(only 1 actually works long term)
🔴 D tier — Covered calls. Bullish with one hand. Cap your upside with the other. Doesn't protect downside. Usually makes no sense....
🔴 C tier — Cash secured puts. Bullish to sell put, but sitting in cash doing nothing while the stock runs.
🟡 B tier — Buying puts. You're betting against every CEO whose job is to prove you wrong.
🟡 A tier — Buying calls. Better but timing still has to be perfect. Hard to do consistently.
🟢 S tier — Portfolio secured puts + LEAPS + shares. This is what scaled me to 7 figures th

I sold a put on Nvidia.
Here is exactly what happened.
Nvidia was below the EPS growth line.
I acted.
Premium collected instantly: $25,000.
Cash in my account: $0.
What a cash secured put would have needed: $150,000 sitting idle.
What I did with the $25,000:
Bought Nvidia LEAP calls with part of it.
Bought Nvidia shares with the rest.
My base portfolio secured the put.
Not $150,000 in cash.
Every dollar worked on the way up.
Sold put.
Collected premium.
Bought shares & calls.
Everything worked.
Ratios in check to manage risk
That is the whole system in one trade.
Portfolio secured put wins aga

Nobody talks about the real cost of cash secured puts.
You sell a put & lock $10,000 in cash as collateral.
The stock you are supposedly bullish on runs 40%
You collected $300 in premium & missed $4,000 in upside.
(Every. Single. Time.)
Now do that for 10 years straight.
That gap is not small.
That gap is your entire retirement.
Sell portfolio secured puts & collect the premium without sacrificing the position.

I sold puts on Meta.
Collected $46,000 instantly.
My cash balance? $232.
Cash secured put on the same trade would have required $280,000 sitting in cash doing nothing.
Instead I used my base portfolio as collateral.
Took that $46k & bought Meta LEAP calls.
Took the rest & bought VOO, Q & META shares.
Zero margin interest.
Zero cash drag.
Full upside intact.
Ratios in check to be fine in any downturn.
It is exactly like a HELOC on your house.
Except you pay nothing in interest.
That gap = $280k working vs $280k sleeping
This is a MAJOR difference.

Most retail investors doing monthly puts think they are beating what I do...
Here is the math that ends that argument.
Market gets cheap.
I sell one 2 year put.
Collect $20,000.
You sell monthly puts on the same company.
$1,000 per month average.
You make money in the up months.
You lose in the volatile months.
You have to sell at the top when it is not compelling.
After 8 months you made $8,000.
I made $20,000 in one trade when the market was cheap.
Took the premium.
Bought shares.
Bought calls.
Sat back.
4 months later the market rebounded.
I closed the 2 year puts at 75% profit.
I held

I retired at 31 doing this.
Step 1. Build your base.
$40k VOO. $40k Q. $20k high conviction companies near intrinsic value.
This is your foundation & your collateral.
Step 2. Sell 1+ year portfolio secured puts.
Quality companies only.
Moat.
Pricing power.
Good valuation.
Collect the premium.
Pay zero margin interest.
Step 3. Redeploy every dollar of premium.
More shares.
LEAPS on your highest conviction names.
Never let it sit as cash.
Step 4. Keep ratios in check.
Always know your 7-day liquidity.
A 40% crash should not keep you up at night.
That is it.
No day trading.
No covered calls

Bumps along the way are normal.
Accept it.
Capitalize on it.