The problem is the quantities as they don't fit the requirements for CashAcct. Ie. 2 ShortCalls require 200 LongStocks...
This might work in theory, but unfortunately not in practice, b/c the brokerage system won't accept the ShortCall unless there already exists LongStock.Qty >= (ShortCall.Qty * 100). This is a limitation of CashAcct...
10am buy 100 shares of XYZ at 100 10.01am short 1 105 call option 10.02am short 1 105/120 bear call vertical The above = short the 105 straddle with a long 120 call tacked on If you can't do the above with your broker find a new broker lol.
Hmm... LongStock shares for bear call vertical are missing (unless you meant bear put vertical), as the stock shares were already used for the shortcall... (FYI: imagine the brokerage system "locks" or "reserves" the "covered" part (LongStock w/ShortCall or Cash w/ ShortPut) for the whole duration of the short option position. When it's locked then it can't be re-used. But in above scenario you try to use the stocks twice as collateral...). And: real spread trading is not per se possible in CashAcct, though some brokers allow it, for example TradeStation (see the last column of the table for CashAccts). A simulated spread trading is of course no problem, but then some advantages of real spread trading aren't possible, like reduced cash requirement, as well the use-case in your example above. But it seems one gets the same result if bear put vertical is used instead of bear call vertical, as this one can be traded w/o any problem in a CashAcct if enough cash (Strike - Premium) is avail.
Stock has nothing to do with the bear call spread. You are short call at 105 and long call at 120. See your attached 10 rows down it says you can trade bear call spread in cash account.
Right, but that's IMO an exception among the major brokers. Ie. at TS it's luckily possible, but unfortunately not at the most other brokerages, incl. mine (TD) Bear Call Spread is built up from a ShortCall and a LongCall. But as stated above: in my CashAcct unfortunately ShortCall is possible only in conjunction with a LongStock, ie. only as CoveredCall... No, I won't change my acct to a margin acct as I'm otherwise happy with CashAcct (advantages: no margin calls and no PDT rule). I just need some such smart workaround solutions for CashAcct.
Yes, true, unfortunately. But things are as they are... I hope they will improve it, but it will take multi-years till they wake-up and finally change their trading system... That's retail world...
shorting cash secured puts in a cash account should be no different that shorting cash-secured in an IRA (do it all the time). So my guess is that earth's dirt crop failed and he was short dirt futures against his crop -> crop failed -> dirt limit up -> 450 FICO = cash account.