Investors Live: Textbook Trading DVD

Founded in 2011, tastytrade stakes a claim as “one of the fastest growing online financial networks in the world.”

 

What is that exactly? It’s online programming dedicated to trading. Tastytrade offers eight hours of original content every weekday, all live-streamed to viewers. Replays are available 24/7, so anyone can review the site’s market information and investment strategies at their own convenience. Much of the site’s content is free.

 

Tasty aims to make finance news enticing — clips are loaded with teasing morsels. But just how meaty is Tastytrade’s advice?

Link: tastytrade

What We Like and … Not So Much

What We Like

●     Tons of free content

●     Never claims to know “the” way

●     Multi-platform friendly

●     Doesn’t aggressively push subscriptions

●     Viewers can get answers to questions

●     High-quality video

●     Humor lightens the overall mood

●     They actually place the trades they recommend

Not So Much

●     Live stream plays automatically

●     Registration required for some content

●     Transcripts aren’t available on recordings

●     Content can be immature at times

●     Political bias

●     In-house traders don’t always align with tastytrade recommendations or philosophy

Our Full Review

The Good

A glut of free content: Tastytrade’s site is teeming with information, most of which can be accessed for free. There’s no registration wall for live streams, video archives, or the blog.

 

New options traders can also take advantage of the ‘Learn’ page — no sign-up necessary. If you’re looking for a solid overview of topics like the butterfly spread or naked options, tastytrade can be a great place to start.

 

As an educational resource, tastytrade can help demystify the world of options trading. Even seasoned traders can benefit from the site’s information. And since it doesn’t cost a dime, why not sniff around and check out what’s on their plate?

 

Tasty keeps it in check: Lots of trading sites claim that their way is “the” way to success, but tastytrade isn’t one of them. In fact, they’re upfront about risks and make no guarantees that you’ll succeed by following their advice.

 

Since no one can actually predict the market, the lack of a guarantee is refreshing. It imbues the site with a sense of honesty and integrity ... they don’t try to draw you in with promises they can’t keep.

 

Many platform options: Tastytrade started as a website, but you can access the episodes in a variety of ways. Podcasts are available through the iTunes store, or you can download their Android or iOS app. You can also find their content through Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV. That’s gives you a ton of options to choose from and ensures easy access to episodes.

 

Minimal calls to subscribe: Tastytrade does offer a subscription option: Bob the Trader. Its subscribers can view the tastytrade team’s trades in real-time.

 

However, unlike many other sites, you aren’t fighting off a deluge of attempts to get you to fork over your hard-earned cash. You almost have to hunt down that area of the site, which is frankly a welcome change from the majority of the internet.

 

They actually answer questions: In many cases, large trading sites don’t respond questions they receive by email. Yes, most technical support issues are addressed on major websites. But anything outside of a site’s function is often lost in the ether.

 

However, the minds behind tastytrade are actually pretty accessible and have a record of replying to messages. Asking for specific advice likely won’t go over. But reaching out for clarity on a concept or point (that isn’t already available on the site) might actually garner a reasonable reply.

 

Humor lightens the mood: Let’s face it, trading can be boring, stressful, and lonely. Having a place where you can learn and get a dose of humor can be a relief.

 

Content is meant to be entertaining, but tastytrade doesn’t sacrifice information for the sake of comedy. The site flexes a solid balance, which can make tuning in both enjoyable and enlightening.

 

They put their money where their mouth is: When tastytrade suggests a trade, they aren’t just making a recommendation — they follow their own advice. They’re risking their money too, and that’s not something you always see on other trading sites.

 

The downside: Sometimes they drop the ball on the follow-up. You can be left wondering what the heck happened with certain trades. This seems especially true for losses. Ahem, we’ve all been there ... misery loves company!

The Bad

Host personalities: Some tastytrade viewers will cultivate a true appreciation for the hosts’ casual style. That may ring especially true for overwhelmed newer traders who are eager to learn. 

 

But not everyone will find the hosts’ personalities palatable. Let’s just say that at times there are maturity issues. On top of that, hosts don’t hide their political preferences.

 

Words and actions don’t always align: The traders on tastytrade don’t always fall in line with the advice on the site. For example, tastytrade might post a study showing why you shouldn’t use a particular strategy. But, sometimes, even on the same day, one of their traders will go against the site’s recommendations.

 

Of course traders have the right to manage their portfolios as they see fit. But for visitors, this can be hella confusing. Who’s right — the website or the trader?

The Ugly

No transcripts: A big sticking point here is the lack of transcripts. The site is dominated by videos, and anyone with a hearing impairment may be unable to derive much value from the site.

 

Now, most of the videos come with “Research Slides.” But you have to register to access them, and they don’t necessarily make up for the lack of a transcript.

 

While it may be true that many people won’t view this as an issue, if you have hearing difficulties, it’s a problem.

The Lowdown

If you’re looking for insight into the world of options trading, tastytrade is a great place to start. The vast majority of the content is accessible without registering, which is somewhat rare these days.

 

However, not everyone will appreciate the hosts’ style or political leanings. Also, discussions can be a bit immature with the occasional double entendre or off-color remark, though they generally don’t cross any lines. But, if you don’t agree with their politics, you’ll probably find the network less than delectable.

 

The big caveat is that hearing-impaired individuals may struggle to find value from this site. You won’t see full transcripts on Tastytrade’s videos. Since the vast majority of the content is video, that’s a letdown.

 

Otherwise, tastytrade offers some solid information. And it’s free, so why not check out a show or two? If you don’t appreciate their style, move on. Next!

 

Do you have experience with tastytrade? Leave a review below!