Demystifying Options: How Sophisticated Investors Use Them to Reduce Risk and Increase Income
Chad Musselman • August 25, 2025

Options Don't Equal Risk

When you hear the term "options," do you think gambling, hedge funds, or big losses? You're not alone. Many investors see options as complex and risky—a game best left to Wall Street insiders. But at Full Suite Wealth, we’re here to change that narrative.

Welcome to a new perspective on options. One that transforms confusion into clarity, and risk into opportunity.


What Are Options Really?

Think of an option like a financial "brick." It can be used to break a window or build a beautiful home. The difference lies in how you use it.

At Full Suite Wealth, we use options to build financial success—stable, income-generating, risk-managed portfolios designed for sophisticated investors who want to protect what they’ve built and grow smarter, not harder.

Let’s walk through three powerful and practical ways you can use options to your advantage:


1. The Covered Call: Generating Income on Stocks You Already Own

Own Apple, Nvidia, or the S&P 500 through ETFs? If so, you're already holding valuable assets—but are you earning extra income from them?

With a covered call, you can.

A covered call involves selling someone the right to buy a stock you own at a higher price in the future. In exchange, you receive a premium—immediate income that can be used for anything from reinvestment to paying college tuition.

Example: If you bought Apple at $150 and it’s now at $210, you can sell a call option at $225 for a later date. If Apple stays below $225, you keep your shares and the premium. If it hits $225, you may sell for a gain and still pocket the premium. Either way, you win.


2. The Protective Put: Insuring Your Portfolio from Downside Risk

A protective put acts like insurance on your investments. It gives you the right to sell your stock at a specific price, even if the market drops significantly.

Example: Nvidia is trading at $175. You’re concerned it may fall. Buying a put at $150 means that if Nvidia drops to $125, you can still sell it at $150—limiting your losses and preserving capital.

This strategy is perfect for investors who want exposure to growth while safeguarding their nest egg.


3. The Cash-Secured Put: Buying the Stock You Want, on Your Terms

What if you want to buy Apple at $200, but it's trading at $215? Enter the cash-secured put.

You sell a put option agreeing to buy Apple at $200. You receive a premium for your willingness. If Apple falls to $200, you get it at your desired price—plus the premium. If it doesn’t, you still keep the income and can try again.

This strategy lets you “get paid to wait for the price you want,” turning patience into profit.


The Biggest Risk in Options? Misunderstanding Them

Most people lose money with options because they buy risky calls or puts based on speculation, not strategy. It's like trying to win the lottery instead of building wealth.

At Full Suite Wealth, our philosophy is clear:

  • Sell options, don’t buy them unless we are “Deep in the Money”. 
  • Protect assets, don’t gamble them.
  • Generate income, not stress.


Why It Works for Investment-Minded Professionals

If you're a physician, business owner, or executive with $1M+ in investable assets, you’re not looking for flashy trades—you’re looking for strategies that align with long-term wealth, smart tax efficiency, and legacy planning.


Our boutique, full-suite approach integrates sophisticated option strategies into your broader financial and legal planning, giving you a competitive edge most advisors simply don’t offer.


Ready to See Options in Action?

If you're curious how options can enhance your portfolio, reduce risk, and generate tax-efficient income, let's talk.

At Full Suite Wealth, we’ll walk you through it—clearly, professionally, and personally. No jargon. No gimmicks. Just smart strategies that make your money work harder for you.

Contact us today to schedule your personalized portfolio consultation.

Why Most Advisors Ignore Options and Why That’s Costing You

February 17, 2026
When I talk to traditional financial advisors about how we manage money at Full Suite Wealth, I usually get a familiar reaction. We’ll mention that we use a diversified approach, sometimes even a concentrated one when we’ve got high-conviction ideas. Then I’ll explain how we incorporate options into client portfolios, not as speculation, but as strategy. That’s when the eye roll shows up. And honestly? It’s usually not skepticism. It’s ignorance. The Problem With Most “Advisors” In this industry, there’s a difference between managing money and collecting it. Most advisors I come across aren’t actually managing anything. They talk a big game, they talk to individuals, their clients, say this and say that, but they really don't know how to manage money at all. What they’re good at is bringing assets into the firm, handing those assets off to a portfolio manager they’ve never met, and then going back out to find the next client. They repeat that cycle over and over. All they are, is a person that gathers assets, moves the assets in, and goes and finds the next client. That’s not financial strategy. That’s sales. And you, as the client, are often paying for a title — advisor — without actually getting advice. When I start talking about options with other advisors, the conversation usually ends quickly. Not because options are too complicated. But because they’ve never taken the time to understand them. The truth is, options can be a better, more capital-efficient, and more risk-aware way to achieve the same investment goals. But most advisors won’t go there because they don’t know how. How many times do these financial advisors buy something, and there's a cheaper, easier, and less capital-intensive way of doing so? I’ve seen advisors buy ETFs or individual stocks for income or exposure that could’ve been done more intelligently through options, with better risk mitigation and better outcomes. That’s not opinion. That’s math. Options Are Not Everything. But They’re Something. I’m not saying options are the holy grail. They’re not. Options aren't the end-all, be-all, but it is one great tool that you can use as part of your portfolio. What I’m saying is this: if your advisor isn’t even considering them, you should be asking why. If your advisor doesn't use options in your portfolio, then they're missing out on a great opportunity to increase your income, hedge your risks, and enhance your return. You’ve worked hard for your capital. The least your advisor should do is explore every tool available to protect it and grow it. At Full Suite Wealth, we don’t shy away from the complex. We don’t pass you off. We sit down, we explain it, and we manage it ourselves. That’s what real advisory work looks like.

How I Use Options to Increase Your Income Without Adding Risk

February 17, 2026
Let me say this upfront: using options in your portfolio doesn’t mean taking on more risk. In fact, if it’s done properly, it means taking on less. I get asked all the time, “How do you balance the desire for enhanced income with the need for risk management in your option strategies?” Here’s the answer I give clients every week, because it’s at the heart of how we manage money at Full Suite Wealth. We Hedge and Earn at the Same Time When I use option strategies to generate income, I’m not speculating. I’m hedging your downside and boosting your income at the same time. When we use enhanced income strategies using options in portfolios, what we actually do is we're hedging the portfolio to the downside while taking in current income. That doesn't make your portfolio any riskier than it already is. In fact, it lessens the total risk that you're taking on in the market. Simply put, we rent your portfolio to the market. You still own the assets. You just get paid to let someone else use them for a bit within clear guardrails. Making Money in All Market Conditions The goal is not just to survive volatility, it’s to benefit from it. We benefit from the market going up and we also benefit from the market going down. And if we can make money in markets in three different ways, up, down, or sideways that’s true risk management. That is protecting your assets and growing them over time. This isn’t about gambling on direction. It’s about designing a portfolio that makes progress no matter what the market decides to do. That's the real strategy. That’s why our firm exists. A Smoother Ride Matters You might not realize how much risk you’re taking if your portfolio is bouncing around like a rollercoaster. Our goal is to smooth that ride. We do have clients who want aggressive upside, and we have portfolios for that. But most of our clients want predictability, income, and peace of mind. They want to feel like someone is actually managing their wealth daily, actively, with a plan. We also have portfolios that almost go perfectly up right to left with just a little bit of a swiggle. What is that? That's called risk management. That's what we do. That “little bit of a swiggle”? That’s life. But your money shouldn’t feel like chaos. This Is What We Do I’m not interested in cookie-cutter advice. I started Full Suite Wealth because most people in this industry aren’t doing enough for clients. We bring something different: real integration, real strategy, and real income. A market that goes up, we can make money. A market that goes down, we can make money. And a market that goes sideways, we can make money by using our option strategies. This isn’t theory. It’s what I do for real clients, every day. And it’s not just options, we’re a family office-style firm that brings together investment management, estate planning, legal strategy, and trustee services, all under one roof. If you’ve been wondering whether your portfolio is truly working for you, or if you could be generating income without adding more exposure, we should talk.