For IRA and Roth IRA investors
Options income for your IRA, run by rules you set before the trade.
You already understand dividend income. Learn a rules-based options process you run yourself: one defined-risk QQQ trade a week, placed live with Michael Reese, CFP®, every Friday morning.
$97/month founding rate, locked while you stay a member · Standard rate $197/month after December 31, 2026 · Cancel anytime
Palette: Income Desk's own navy, paper and green. One change from the live site: green text on light backgrounds uses the brand's deep green (6.9:1 contrast) instead of the bright green (2.9:1). Bright green is reserved for buttons, with navy text on it (5.5:1), so every CTA is the most saturated thing in view. CRO: H1 carries the search phrase ("options income" + "IRA"). The sub-head speaks to dividend investors first. One primary CTA (green) and one low-commitment CTA (email). The $197 rate must be a real price new members pay after the dated window, or remove it.- CFP® professional, 30+ years
- Host of Retiring Well on TV
- Author of two retirement books
- Live every Friday morning
For dividend investors
Three ways to get income from an IRA
Each one produces income differently and carries different risks. The Income Desk teaches the third, so you understand it well enough to decide whether it belongs in your retirement money.
| Dividend stocks and funds | Option-income ETFs (e.g. JEPI, JEPQ) | The Income Desk process | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where income comes from | Company profits paid out as dividends | A fund sells options and pays out the premium | You sell a defined-risk options spread and keep the premium if the rules hold |
| Who decides | Company boards set the dividend | The fund manager | You, using fixed rules set before each trade |
| Ongoing cost | Fund expense ratio, if using a fund | Fund expense ratio | Membership fee plus broker commissions |
| What can go wrong | Dividend cuts and price declines | Gives up some upside; can still fall with the market | You can lose the full amount at risk on a trade |
| Time required | Low | Low | A live call each Friday morning plus trade management |
How it works
Three levels, taken in order
You move up when you're ready for the next level, not before. Everyone starts at one contract, whatever the size of the account.
One trade a week on the QQQ
A single weekly options trade on the Nasdaq-100, managed by a fixed set of rules you learn step by step.
Indexes and index ETFs
SPX, IWM, GLD and others. More instruments and longer time frames, run the same rule-driven way.
Individual companies and a full portfolio
Credit spreads on individual companies and a complete portfolio mix rather than a single trade.
The rules
Every decision is made before the trade
A decision made in the moment is made by whoever you happen to be that morning. You learn each rule, then apply it the same way every week.
What you get
Membership includes
- A live call every Friday morningRead the setup and place the week's trade together. Recorded if you can't attend.
- The activation pathA guided path from account setup to your first real trade.
- The trade logA working record of every trade: entries, exits, stops and adjustments.
- The member communityA room of people running the same process, so you aren't doing it alone.
Your first 14 days
From sign-up to first trade
- Day 1
Check your IRA's options approval with our broker checklist.
- Days 2–5
Learn the five rules with short lessons.
- First Friday
Join the live call and watch the trade placed start to finish.
- By day 14
Place your first one-contract trade, following the rules.
Mike’s Trade of the Week · Aug 21 – Oct 26, 2026
Ten weeks of real QQQ trades, including the loss
These are Michael Reese’s actual QQQ trades over the last ten weeks: the floor he sold, the contracts, the credit he took in and the price he closed at. Every week is shown, the losing one included.
| Trade · entry → exit | Floor | Contracts | Credit | Exit | Per contract | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Aug 21 → Aug 26 | 696 | 10 | $1.10 | $0.55 | +$55 | +$550 |
| 2 · Aug 28 → Sep 3 | 710 | 10 | $1.12 | $0.50 | +$62 | +$620 |
| 3 · Sep 4 → Sep 11 | 705 | 10 | $1.03 | $0.27 | +$76 | +$760 |
| 4 · Sep 11 → Sep 17 | 698 | 10 | $0.92 | $0.18 | +$74 | +$740 |
| 5 · Sep 18 → Sep 21 | 703 | 10 | $1.06 | $0.29 | +$77 | +$770 |
| 6 · Sep 25 → Sep 30 | 726 | 10 | $1.00 | $0.50 | +$50 | +$500 |
| 7 · Oct 2 → Oct 5 | 733 | 10 | $1.07 | $0.53 | +$54 | +$540 |
| 8 · Oct 9 → Oct 14 | 735 | 10 | $1.10 | $4.95 | −$385 | −$3,850Closed at $4.95 against a $1.10 credit. |
| 9 · Oct 16 → Oct 19 | 700 | 8 | $1.32 | $0.65 | +$67 | +$536 |
| 10 · Oct 23 → Oct 26 | 682 | 8 | $1.86 | $0.93 | +$93 | +$744 |
| Net for the period | +$223 | +$1,910 | ||||
Nine of ten trades closed for a gain. One loss gave back most of the seven gains before it. The seven trades from Aug 21 to Oct 2 made $4,480; the Oct 9 trade lost $3,850. That is the shape of this kind of trade: many small gains and an occasional large loss, which is why size and exits are decided before the trade, never during it.
Actual trades placed by Michael Reese, Aug 21 to Oct 26, 2026. Floor is the strike of the put sold. Credit and exit are per share; each contract covers 100 shares, so per-contract result = (credit − exit) × 100, and the trade result multiplies that by the number of contracts. Results are calculated from entry and exit prices and do not reflect commissions or fees. Contract counts and account sizes differ between investors, and your results would differ. Past performance does not guarantee future results; you can lose the full amount at risk on a trade.
CRO + compliance: This replaces the hypothetical illustration with Mike’s actual Trade of the Week log, which is still performance advertising under the SEC Marketing Rule and needs CCO approval through Greenboard before publishing. Confirm whether the log should show the bought strike (spread width) and the account it was traded in, and whether results should be shown net of commissions.Fit
Who this is for, and who it isn't
This is for you if
- You have $50K+ in a rollover IRA or Roth IRA
- You have some options experience and the right approval level, or will get it in week one
- You want a repeatable process you understand, not tips to follow
- You'll attend Friday calls and place the trade
This isn't for you if
- You want signals to copy or a return to chase
- You can't make or watch the Friday call
- You enjoy learning strategies but rarely act on them
- You can't accept losing the full amount at risk on a trade
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Who teaches it
Michael Reese, CFP®
- Founder of Centennial Advisors, LLC
- Host of the television show Retiring Well
- Author of Retiring Well and The Big Retirement Lie
- Featured in Kiplinger, U.S. News & World Report and Yahoo Finance
- 30+ years in the industry
Mike has taught thousands of financial advisors how to guide clients through the shift from growth to preservation and income. Here he teaches the process on the record, under his own name and credential.
CRO: Link this section to a /michael-reese/ author page with Person schema. Credentials near the price lift trust at the moment of decision.Members
What members say
[Member statement about the process, in their own words. No returns or income figures.][Name] is a [current member / not a member] of The Income Desk and [was not / was] compensated for this statement. [Describe any material conflict.] This statement may not represent the experience of other members and is not a guarantee of future performance or success.
Membership
Founding member pricing
Join before the founding window closes and keep the founding rate for as long as you stay a member.
Founding Annual
Equal to $80.83/month. Saves $194 versus founding monthly. 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Live trade call every Friday morning, recorded
- Activation path to your first trade
- Full trade log and member community
- All three levels as you progress
- Founding rate locked while you stay a member
Not ready yet?
Get the free Trade of the Week every Sunday and see the process for a few weeks first.
One email a week. Unsubscribe in one click.
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Annual plans: 30-day money-back guarantee. If the membership isn't right for you, email us within 30 days for a full refund. Monthly plans can be canceled anytime from your account.
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Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I do this in a Roth IRA or rollover IRA?
Yes, if your broker approves the account for the options strategies used. The membership is built for IRAs and Roth IRAs and uses defined-risk spreads. The first step in the activation path is checking your approval level.
What options approval level do I need?
It varies by broker. Most require an IRA to be approved for spreads. We give you a broker-by-broker checklist on day one and walk you through requesting the change.
How much money do I need?
Members typically have at least $50,000 in an IRA or Roth IRA. Everyone starts with one contract regardless of account size.
What if I miss the Friday call?
Every call is recorded. The live call is the best way to learn, so plan to attend most weeks.
How is this different from owning JEPI or JEPQ?
Those funds sell options for you inside a fund and charge an expense ratio. Here you learn to run a defined-risk process yourself, decide each trade by fixed rules, and manage it in your own account. Each approach has different costs and risks.
Is this investment advice?
No. The Income Desk is educational. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Options involve risk and are not suitable for every investor.
What happens to my price after the founding window?
Founding members keep their rate for as long as they stay members. New members after the window pay $197/month or $1,970/year.
How do I cancel?
Cancel anytime from your account. Annual plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Next Friday's call is the best place to start.
Join at the founding rate and place your first trade with the group within two weeks.