Many investors are relieved 2015 is over. It was a year of volatile swings, but when all was said and done, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial average lost 2.2% and the S&P 500 was down 0.7%. Even factoring in dividends, the broader market index was up just 1.4%. In such… Read More

Amber Hestla is Lead Investment Strategist behind Profitable Trading's Income Trader, Profit Amplifier and Maximum Income. She specializes in generating income using options strategies that minimize risk by applying skills she learned on military deployments and intelligence training to the markets.
While deployed overseas with the military, Amber learned the importance of analyzing data to forecast what is likely to happen in the future, a skill she now applies to financial markets. Prior to that, Amber studied risk management working undercover. While risk management is no longer a matter of life and death, she believes it is the most important factor in long-term trading success.
And although she makes her living in the markets, she continues to study the markets and trading daily. Her writing has been featured in trading magazines including the Market Technicians Association newsletter, Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities and Stocks, Futures and Options in the United States, and Shares, a weekly trading magazine published in the United Kingdom.
Analyst Articles
This Trade of the Week issue comes with an adult content warning. If you have delicate sensibilities, you may want to jump to the middle of the article… Because before I get to today’s investing lesson on how to pocket the kind of profits that are on every… Read More
Income investors often use government bond yields as their benchmark. Securities issued by a stable government offer nearly guaranteed income since a government is unlikely to default on its debt. The problem is that government bonds offer so little income right now. U.S. 10-year Treasury notes yield about… Read More
One of the most important lessons I learned during my days in the Army was the KISS principle: Keep it simple, stupid. Outside of the military, one of the greatest minds of all time believed in the KISS philosophy, but Albert Einstein expressed the idea in more poetic… Read More
One of the most important lessons I learned during my days in the Army was the KISS principle: Keep it simple, stupid. Outside of the military, one of the greatest minds of all time believed in the KISS philosophy, but Albert Einstein expressed the idea in more poetic… Read More
This year has been a sobering reminder of how volatile the stock market can be without much to show for it. But we often hear that we should ignore short-term volatility because, in the long run, stocks have always delivered great returns. Historically, this is true — but… Read More
My years in the military have allowed me to see the world in a totally different way. While deployed overseas, I tracked IED locations, went on convoy missions and gathered intelligence from local villages. I learned the importance of analyzing data to forecast what was likely to happen,… Read More
I want to share a little-known strategy with you today that’s almost like you’re stealing from Wall Street’s profits. To explain it, allow me to use a casino analogy. Every day, people walk through the casino’s doors seeking that one big payout. Sure, a few hit the jackpot,… Read More
In a recent article, I detailed the first part of my two-part income strategy (if you missed that issue, you can read it here). In simple terms, my strategy helps you collect extra payments from some of the best stocks on the market — in addition to dividends… Read More
Every investor wants to generate more income — and do so more quickly. But how do you accomplish this without taking on extra risk? There’s a simple solution, but I bet only 1% of individual investors are doing it right now. It’s not a complex trading strategy that involves a… Read More
The bull market lasted more than five years. Then stocks traded sideways near their all-time highs for a few months. Suddenly, the S&P 500 fell around 20% within a few weeks… You might think I’m describing the recent market action, but I am actually talking about 1962. What happened then… Read More