Calendar Trading in 2018 By Dan Sheridan Free Download – Includes Verified Content:
Introduction to “Calendar Trading in 2018” by Dan Sheridan
Options trading can appear intimidating to newcomers, but at its core it’s about using structured strategies to manage risk and profit from predictable market behavior. Among the many tactics available, calendar spreads occupy a special place because they let traders benefit from time decay and volatility changes with clearly defined risk.
“Calendar Trading in 2018 by Dan Sheridan” is a comprehensive training program that walks students through the mechanics and nuances of calendar spreads. Presented by veteran options trader and educator Dan Sheridan, this course distills decades of real-market experience into a practical roadmap for designing, entering and managing calendar trades under contemporary market conditions.
About Dan Sheridan
Dan Sheridan is widely known in the options-trading community as both a practitioner and a teacher. He spent years as a senior market maker at the CBOE before founding Sheridan Options Mentoring, where he trains retail and professional traders around the world. His style combines clear explanations, live examples and disciplined risk management — turning complex strategies into step-by-step processes that anyone can follow.
With “Calendar Trading in 2018,” Sheridan applies that same teaching philosophy to one of his favorite income strategies, showing how to adapt calendar spreads to different market environments and personal risk tolerances.
Why Calendar Spreads?
A calendar spread (also called a time spread) involves buying and selling options of the same strike price but different expiration dates. This creates a position that:
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Takes advantage of the faster time decay of the short-term option versus the long-term option.
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Offers a defined risk structure.
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Can be tailored to neutral, bullish or bearish outlooks.
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Provides opportunities to profit from changes in implied volatility.
In volatile or sideways markets, calendars can provide steady returns while controlling exposure — a reason they’re popular among professional options traders.
Course Overview
Calendar Trading in 2018 is designed to take you from basic understanding to confident execution. Core topics include:
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Foundations of Calendar Spreads – Mechanics of calls vs. puts, expiration cycles, and the Greeks (theta, vega, delta).
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Selecting Underlyings and Strikes – How to choose the right stock or index, expiration dates and strike prices for your outlook.
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Trade Entry Techniques – Timing your entry, setting up the order and minimizing slippage.
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Managing the Position – Adjustments, rolling and profit-taking rules to handle real-world price movement.
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Risk Management and Sizing – Position sizing formulas, maximum loss limits and when to exit.
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Live Market Examples – Annotated trades from Dan Sheridan’s own experience to show the principles in action.
Because the program is based on 2018’s market environment, it also addresses practical issues like low interest rates, episodic volatility spikes and how to adapt calendars to different volatility regimes.
Step-by-Step Learning
Sheridan is known for breaking strategies into clear, actionable steps. Rather than dumping a lot of theory at once, he walks through each phase of a calendar trade:
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Identify a candidate (index, ETF or stock).
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Choose expirations and strikes based on your forecast.
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Enter the spread with defined risk parameters.
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Monitor daily Greeks and price movement.
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Adjust or exit based on pre-set criteria.
This systematic approach helps traders avoid the emotional decision-making that can sabotage otherwise good strategies.
Integrating Greeks Into Your Decision-Making
A distinguishing feature of Sheridan’s teaching is his emphasis on the Greeks — the sensitivities of an option position to time, volatility and price movement. In this course you’ll learn how theta (time decay) and vega (volatility) interact in a calendar spread and how to balance delta exposure so the trade stays on track. By understanding these metrics, you’ll be able to:
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Anticipate how your position will behave as days pass.
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Adjust proactively when volatility shifts.
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Size trades according to risk rather than guesswork.
Managing and Adjusting Trades
Real markets rarely behave perfectly, so the course dedicates ample time to trade management. Sheridan shows how to:
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Roll the short option forward to extend the trade.
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Shift strikes up or down when price trends.
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Scale into or out of positions to smooth P&L.
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Recognize when a trade is no longer viable and cut losses early.
These techniques help protect profits and minimize drawdowns, turning calendar spreads from a static trade into a dynamic strategy.
Who the Course Is For
Calendar Trading in 2018 is ideal for:
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Beginners who understand basic options terminology but want to learn a defined-risk, income-style strategy.
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Intermediate traders already familiar with spreads but seeking a repeatable framework.
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Experienced options traders looking to refine their calendar spread tactics and risk management.
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Investors who want to generate income from a portfolio without taking on excessive directional risk.
Because Sheridan starts with fundamentals and builds up to live examples, learners at all levels can benefit.
How This Course Differs
Many options courses mention calendar spreads in passing but don’t show how to execute them consistently. Dan Sheridan’s program stands out because it:
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Is taught by a former CBOE market maker with decades of hands-on experience.
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Focuses on real-world application with annotated examples.
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Emphasizes risk management and adjustments as much as entry.
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Provides templates and guidelines you can immediately apply to your own trading plan.
This makes it not just an introduction but a full training on how to use calendars as a core strategy.
Expected Outcomes
While no course can guarantee profits, students who complete Calendar Trading in 2018 typically report:
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A clear understanding of how calendar spreads work and when to use them.
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Greater confidence in selecting underlyings, strikes and expirations.
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More disciplined trade management and better control of losses.
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Improved ability to generate consistent returns in sideways or range-bound markets.
These skills form a foundation you can use to trade not just calendars but other time-based option strategies as well.
Building a Sustainable Options Business
Sheridan often describes options trading as running a small business. In this course he shows how to plan your trades, allocate capital and track results the way a professional would. By treating your trading as a business, you create accountability, reduce emotional swings and increase the likelihood of long-term success.
Conclusion
Calendar spreads are a powerful, flexible way to generate income and manage risk in the options market. “Calendar Trading in 2018 by Dan Sheridan” demystifies the process, showing you exactly how to design, enter, manage and adjust these trades in real market conditions. With Sheridan’s step-by-step guidance, you’ll learn not just a strategy but a disciplined approach to options trading that can serve you for years to come.
Whether you’re new to options or a seasoned trader looking to refine your edge, this course offers a comprehensive roadmap to mastering calendar spreads and integrating them into your overall trading plan.
