User Guide · Version 1.0
Diamonds Premium Journal
Diamonds Premium Journal
How Every Number is Calculated
A complete reference for every displayed metric, formula, and field in the Premium Journal — written for the Diamonds methodology where premium captured, theta decay, and accumulated roll credits are the true measures of performance.
New User Setup
Getting Started — Complete Setup Guide
Welcome to the Diamonds Premium Journal. This guide walks you through everything you need to do to get fully set up — from opening the journal for the first time to having your real tastytrade positions loaded and your first data file saved on your computer. Follow these four steps in order and you will be up and running in about 10 minutes.
What you need before you start: A tastytrade account with open positions, and access to a desktop or laptop computer for the initial setup. The journal works on iPhone and iPad too — but the tastytrade CSV export and first-time setup is easiest on a desktop.
Step 1 — Access the Journal
The Diamonds Premium Journal lives at a web address. You do not need to download or install anything. Open any web browser on your computer and go to:
https://diamondsai.netlify.app/Diamonds_Premium_Journal.html
The journal will open in your browser. You will see the dark-themed dashboard with sample positions already loaded so you can see how it looks. You will replace these with your real positions in Step 3.
💡 Bookmark this page. Add it to your browser bookmarks or your phone's home screen so you can open it with one tap every trading session. On iPhone: tap the Share button → Add to Home Screen.
Step 2 — Set Up Your tastytrade Columns
The journal imports data directly from tastytrade's CSV export. For the import to work correctly you need to have the right columns visible on your tastytrade Positions page. This is a one-time setup that takes about 2 minutes.
1
Open tastytrade on your desktop computer
Log into your tastytrade account. The column setup must be done on desktop — it cannot be done on the mobile app.
2
Go to your Positions page
Click the Positions tab in the main navigation. You will see your open positions listed.
3
Open the column selector
Look for a small settings or columns icon near the top right of the positions table. Click it to open the column chooser.
4
Select these 20 columns
Make sure all of the following columns are turned on. These are the exact columns the journal needs:
| Column Name | What It Powers in the Journal |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Position identifier |
| Type | Option type (call/put) |
| Quantity | Number of contracts. Negative = short position (income generating — short puts, short calls). Positive = long position (protection — long puts, long calls, LEAPs). The sign determines department auto-assignment and whether the position counts toward Premium Remaining. |
| Exp Date | Expiration date and DTE calculation |
| DTE | Days to expiration color coding |
| Strike Price | Strike displayed on each position |
| Call/Put | Auto-assigns Short Put / Long Call etc. |
| Mark | Current per-share price of the option. The journal calculates Premium Remaining as abs(Mark × Quantity × 100) for short positions only. |
| Trade | Premium Captured — what you collected at entry |
| Delta | Portfolio Delta KPI |
| Theta | Daily theta value per position. Positive for short positions (income), negative for long positions (cost). The journal sums all signed theta values to produce the net daily theta — matching tastytrade's portfolio theta exactly. |
| Bid (Sell) | Current bid price reference |
| Ask (Buy) | Current ask price reference |
| OTM % | OTM probability per position |
| PoP | Probability of profit |
| Touch Prob | Probability of touch |
| IV Rank | IV Rank per position |
| P/L Open | Used to calculate premium decay |
| Realized Tod | Today's realized premium income |
| Net Liq | Net liquidating value cross-check |
5
Save your column layout
tastytrade saves your column arrangement automatically. From now on every time you open tastytrade your positions page will show these columns — and every CSV export will include them.
Step 3 — Export from tastytrade and Import Your Positions
Now that your columns are set up, export your positions from tastytrade and bring them into the journal.
1
Export your CSV from tastytrade
On your tastytrade Positions page, look for the download or export icon near the top right of the positions table. Click it. A CSV file will download automatically to your computer — usually to your Downloads folder or Desktop.
2
Open the CSV in TextEdit
Find the downloaded CSV file on your computer. Right-click it → Open With → TextEdit (Mac) or Notepad (Windows). You will see rows of comma-separated data — this is your positions data.
3
Select all and copy
Press Cmd+A (Mac) or Ctrl+A (Windows) to select everything. Then press Cmd+C or Ctrl+C to copy it all.
4
Clear the sample data from the journal
Go back to the journal in your browser. Click the 🗑 Clear All button in the top right. Confirm when asked. The sample positions will be removed.
5
Open the import window
Click the ⬆ Import CSV button. The import window will open showing a large paste area.
6
Paste your data
Click inside the paste box and press Cmd+V or Ctrl+V to paste your CSV data. You will immediately see a green preview showing how many positions were detected and the total premium captured.
7
Click Import Positions
Click the Import Positions button. When asked, click OK to replace. Your real positions will appear in the journal instantly — with premium captured, theta, delta, DTE, and probabilities all populated automatically.
What you should see after importing: Your open positions listed in the table with department badges (MP, GI, DD, LEAP), premium captured for each position, the daily theta KPI showing your net portfolio theta income, and the premium remaining showing the current value of your short positions. The Qty column shows negative numbers for short positions and positive for long positions — this is correct and expected. If any numbers look significantly off, check that your tastytrade columns match the required 20 columns listed above.
Step 4 — Save Your Journal
Your positions are now loaded. Before you close the browser, save your journal data to a file on your computer. This is your personal data file — it never goes to any server and belongs entirely to you.
1
Click 💾 Save Journal
Click the Save Journal button in the top right of the journal. A file named diamonds_journal_YYYY-MM-DD.json will download automatically to your computer.
2
Move it somewhere you will find it
Move the saved file from your Downloads folder to somewhere easy to find — your Desktop or a dedicated folder called "Diamonds Journal." You will select this file every time you open the journal.
3
You are set up
That is everything. Your journal is ready to use. From now on your daily routine is: open journal → Load Journal → Import CSV → record any rolls → Save Journal. The full daily workflow is covered in the Daily Workflow section of this guide.
Every session from now on starts with 📂 Load Journal. When you open the journal from the Netlify URL it starts fresh each time — your data does not stay in the browser permanently. Loading your saved file restores everything instantly. Think of the journal as the tool and the JSON file as your document. You would not expect Word to remember your document without opening the file — same idea here.
Foundation
The Premium Philosophy — Why This Journal is Different
Every standard options trading platform — tastytrade, thinkorswim, Interactive Brokers — reports performance using traditional P&L methodology: how much did the position gain or lose in mark-to-market value since you opened it. For most trading strategies, this makes sense.
For the Diamonds methodology it is completely wrong and actively misleading.
The problem with standard P&L reporting in a premium-selling system:
A short put that is deep in the money will show a large mark-to-market loss on every standard platform. But in the Diamonds system, that same position may have accumulated hundreds of points of premium across multiple rolls — and represents a future windfall when the market recovers. The standard report makes it look like a disaster. The premium view shows it as an asset.
Alex's mantra: "I'm not looking at whether a trade is profitable. I'm looking at how much premium I've captured, how much theta is working for me, and what the accumulated value of this position is across all its rolls."
A short put that is deep in the money will show a large mark-to-market loss on every standard platform. But in the Diamonds system, that same position may have accumulated hundreds of points of premium across multiple rolls — and represents a future windfall when the market recovers. The standard report makes it look like a disaster. The premium view shows it as an asset.
Alex's mantra: "I'm not looking at whether a trade is profitable. I'm looking at how much premium I've captured, how much theta is working for me, and what the accumulated value of this position is across all its rolls."
The Diamonds Premium Journal is built around three questions that matter in this system:
1
How much premium did I capture?
The total credit you collected when you opened or rolled a position — your locked-in income.
2
How much has theta already paid me?
The portion of the captured premium that has already decayed — time working in your favor every single day.
3
What is the total accumulated value of this position across all rolls?
The sum of every credit collected on a position from its first entry through every roll — the true premium performance metric that no standard platform shows.
Always Visible
The Status Bar
The status bar runs across the top of the Positions view and is always visible regardless of which filter or view you are in. It shows your most critical portfolio-level metrics at a glance.
Portfolio Delta
Your Net Directional Exposure
The sum of all deltas across every open position in your portfolio. Positive delta means the portfolio profits if the market goes up. Negative delta means it profits if the market goes down. Alex's target is a balanced, near-neutral portfolio that earns from theta regardless of direction.
Portfolio Delta = Sum of all Delta column values from tastytrade CSV
Calculated automatically on every import — no manual entry needed
Alex's ranges:
±150 = Ideal / balanced
±300 = Monitor closely
±500 = Caution — add offsetting trades
Beyond ±500 = Emergency — act immediately
Calculated automatically on every import — no manual entry needed
Alex's ranges:
±150 = Ideal / balanced
±300 = Monitor closely
±500 = Caution — add offsetting trades
Beyond ±500 = Emergency — act immediately
The colored bar next to the number visualizes which direction you are leaning. Green = near neutral. Gold = approaching caution. The bar shifts left for negative delta, right for positive.
Populated automatically from the Delta column in your tastytrade CSV export. Updates every time you import.
Daily Theta
How Much Time Is Paying You Today
The total theta decay across all short positions in your portfolio — the amount of premium that will decay out of the market's liability to you today simply because time is passing. This is your baseline daily income regardless of market direction.
Daily Theta = Sum of (Theta per contract × Contracts) for all SHORT positions
Note: Long positions (long puts, LEAPs) subtract from this total
Note: Long positions (long puts, LEAPs) subtract from this total
Example: 5 short puts each with $35/day theta + 2 short calls with $20/day theta − 3 long puts with $8/day theta = $209/day net theta income
Alex at full size ran $25,000–$30,000/day in theta. This is the engine. Everything else in the system is designed to protect this number.
BP Used
Buying Power Utilization
The percentage of your account's buying power currently committed to open positions. This is one of the most critical numbers in the Diamonds system — running out of BP means you cannot roll positions, add new trades, or respond to adverse market moves.
BP Used % = (Buying Power Used / Total Buying Power) × 100
Alex's rules: 60% = conservative · 70–75% = sweet spot · 80% = aggressive max · 85%+ = stop all new trades immediately
Currently entered manually. Import from tastytrade CSV will calculate this automatically.
Today's Premium
Premium Captured Today
The total premium realized today from closed positions. This comes directly from tastytrade's Realized Today column in your CSV export — it reflects credits that have been locked in through closed or expired positions today.
Today's Premium = Sum of Realized Today column from tastytrade CSV
Updates automatically on every import
Updates automatically on every import
Total Captured
All Premium Collected — YTD
The total premium collected across all SHORT positions — short puts and short calls — representing the income you have captured. Long positions (protection buys) are excluded since they represent costs not income.
Total Captured = Sum of abs(Trade Price × Qty × 100) for SHORT positions only
Calculated automatically from the Trade Price column in your tastytrade CSV
Short position = negative Quantity in tastytrade (you sold it)
Calculated automatically from the Trade Price column in your tastytrade CSV
Short position = negative Quantity in tastytrade (you sold it)
This is the income side of your ledger — what you have collected in credits across all your short puts, short calls, and credit spreads.
Positions View — Top Dashboard
The Four KPI Cards
The four large cards at the top of the Positions view give you the highest-level summary of your premium performance.
KPI 1 — Gold Card
Total Premium Captured
The total dollar value of all premium you collected when opening positions — before any theta decay, before any rolls, before any market movement. This is what you locked in at entry.
Total Premium Captured = Sum of (premiumCaptured) for all open positions
premiumCaptured = Opening credit per contract × Number of contracts
Example: Sold 5 XSP short puts at $3.50 credit ($350/contract)
premiumCaptured = $350 × 5 = $1,750
premiumCaptured = Opening credit per contract × Number of contracts
Example: Sold 5 XSP short puts at $3.50 credit ($350/contract)
premiumCaptured = $350 × 5 = $1,750
The sub-line "↑ $X today" shows today's theta income — a reminder that this number grows passively every day simply from time passing.
KPI 2 — Green Card
Theta Earned Today
How much premium decayed out of all your short positions today due to time passing. This is the passive income you earned simply by holding your positions for one more day — regardless of whether the market moved up, down, or sideways.
Theta Earned Today = Net signed sum of all position theta values
tastytrade reports theta as signed values per position row:
Positive theta = short position (income generating)
Negative theta = long position (protection cost)
The journal sums all values directly — positives add, negatives subtract.
Result matches tastytrade's portfolio theta exactly.
Example from a real 20-position portfolio:
Short puts + short calls theta: +$865/day
Long puts + long calls theta: −$633/day
Net theta today = $232/day ← what the journal displays
tastytrade reports theta as signed values per position row:
Positive theta = short position (income generating)
Negative theta = long position (protection cost)
The journal sums all values directly — positives add, negatives subtract.
Result matches tastytrade's portfolio theta exactly.
Example from a real 20-position portfolio:
Short puts + short calls theta: +$865/day
Long puts + long calls theta: −$633/day
Net theta today = $232/day ← what the journal displays
This number never sleeps. It earns on weekends, overnight, and during every quiet trading hour. Alex called it "watching paint dry and collecting money."
KPI 3 — Blue Card
Premium Remaining
The current mark-to-market value of all open short positions — the premium that has NOT yet decayed. This represents your future income that is still locked in and waiting to be earned as time passes or positions close.
Premium Remaining = Sum of abs(Mark × Quantity × 100) for SHORT positions only
Short positions = negative Quantity in tastytrade (short puts and short calls)
Long positions (long puts, LEAPs) are excluded — they are protection costs, not income
Confirmed formula from live data:
Mark -9.78 × Qty -1 × 100 = $978 ✓ (matches tastytrade Net Liq exactly)
Mark -7.19 × Qty -5 × 100 = $3,595 ✓
Decay % = 1 − (Premium Remaining / Total Premium Captured) × 100
Short positions = negative Quantity in tastytrade (short puts and short calls)
Long positions (long puts, LEAPs) are excluded — they are protection costs, not income
Confirmed formula from live data:
Mark -9.78 × Qty -1 × 100 = $978 ✓ (matches tastytrade Net Liq exactly)
Mark -7.19 × Qty -5 × 100 = $3,595 ✓
Decay % = 1 − (Premium Remaining / Total Premium Captured) × 100
The sub-line "X% decayed" tells you what percentage of your total captured premium has already been earned. 70% decayed on a position means 70% of the work is done — you've already earned 70 cents of every dollar you captured.
The progress bar on each position row in the table visualizes this decay percentage visually for each individual position.
KPI 4 — Purple Card
Accumulated (All Rolls)
The most important number in the journal and the one no standard platform shows. This is the total premium collected across every roll of every position — the sum of the opening credit PLUS every roll credit ever collected on that position chain.
Accumulated = Sum across all positions of:
(premiumCaptured + sum of all roll credits for that position)
Example — a single Money Press position:
Entry credit: $1,750
Roll 1 credit: $800
Roll 2 credit: $750
Roll 3 credit: $900
Accumulated = $4,200 — this is the real number
(premiumCaptured + sum of all roll credits for that position)
Example — a single Money Press position:
Entry credit: $1,750
Roll 1 credit: $800
Roll 2 credit: $750
Roll 3 credit: $900
Accumulated = $4,200 — this is the real number
Alex's math in his March 29 video: "I have 35 short puts — accumulated value of $1.14 million." That is the accumulated number. The standard platform would show a massive mark-to-market loss on those same positions. The accumulated number tells the truth.
The sub-line "X total rolls" counts every roll event across all positions — a measure of how actively the system is being managed.
Positions View — Department Summary
The Four Department Cards
Below the KPIs, four cards break down performance by Alex's three departments plus the LEAP campaign. Each card shows department-specific metrics that matter for that position type.
MP Money Press
The Core Revenue Engine
| Positions | Count of open MP positions (both short puts and long puts) |
| Captured | Total premium collected on all short puts — the weekly income you've locked in |
| Remaining | Current value of all MP options — premium still to be earned |
| Theta/day | Net daily theta from all MP positions (short put theta minus long put theta) |
| Progress bar | Visual showing what % of captured premium has already decayed — the closer to full, the more work is done |
GI Gap Insurance
The Protection Department
| Positions | Count of open GI bear put spreads |
| Net Cost | The net cost basis of your GI — original purchase cost minus any roll credits harvested. Shown as negative because it is a portfolio cost, not income. |
| Current Value | Current mark-to-market value of the GI spread — this rises sharply when the market drops and VIX spikes |
| Credits Harvested | Total roll credits collected from GI rolls — this is the "source of funds" Alex references when he rolls GI in for a credit |
GI is the one department where theta works AGAINST you every day. The net cost shown is the true cost after accounting for all roll credits. Alex's goal is to minimize this number through smart roll management while maintaining protection.
DD Daily Diamonds
Short-Dated Income Trades
| Positions | Count of open DD trades (CCS, PCS, IC) |
| Captured | Total credits collected on all daily diamond trades |
| Remaining | Current value — close to zero = near max profit |
| Win Rate | Percentage of DD positions where the remaining value is less than 30% of captured premium (i.e., position has achieved near-maximum profit). A position that has been breached will temporarily show a lower win rate. |
Alex's GTC default: close at .65 debit ($65) on a $2.25 credit position = 71% of max profit. The win rate metric tracks how many positions are on track for this outcome.
LEAP LEAP Campaign
Long-Term Recovery Position
| Positions | Count of LEAP positions (long calls and short calls against them) |
| Cost Basis | The current mark-to-market value of your long LEAP calls — what you paid and its current value. Shown as negative because it is a net cost position at entry. |
| Calls Harvested | Total credits collected from all short calls sold against the LEAP — the weekly income campaign running against the long position |
| Net Effective Cost | Cost Basis minus Calls Harvested = what the LEAP has actually cost you net. When this reaches zero, the LEAP is "free." |
Alex's math: A LEAP bought at 400 points ($40,000). Short calls generating $500/week. After 8 weeks ($4,000 harvested): Net effective cost = $40,000 − $4,000 = $36,000. After 80 weeks: LEAP is fully paid for by short call income.
Positions View — Main Table
The Positions Table
The main positions table shows every open position with its key premium metrics. You can filter by department using the buttons above the table.
Column Definitions
Column: Dept
Department Badge
Color-coded badge showing which of Alex's four departments this position belongs to.
MP Money Press — short puts + long puts
GI Gap Insurance — bear put spreads
DD Daily Diamonds — CCS, PCS, Iron Condors
LEAP LEAP Campaign — long calls + covered calls
GI Gap Insurance — bear put spreads
DD Daily Diamonds — CCS, PCS, Iron Condors
LEAP LEAP Campaign — long calls + covered calls
Column: DTE
Days to Expiration
How many calendar days remain until this position expires. Color-coded for urgency.
DTE = Expiration Date − Today's Date (in calendar days)
Color coding:
Red pill = 7 days or less — immediate attention needed
Gold pill = 8–21 days — monitor, plan your roll
Green pill = 22+ days — comfortable, theta working
Color coding:
Red pill = 7 days or less — immediate attention needed
Gold pill = 8–21 days — monitor, plan your roll
Green pill = 22+ days — comfortable, theta working
Alex's rule: Roll short puts on their expiration day, 3:30pm. Roll long puts when within 30 DTE. The DTE column is your early warning system for upcoming roll decisions.
Column: Premium Captured
What You Locked In at Entry
The total dollar value of premium you collected when you opened this position. This is your initial locked-in income — the money that is yours to keep regardless of what the market does, as long as you manage the position.
Premium Captured = Opening credit per contract × Number of contracts
Example: 5 contracts at $2.50 credit ($250/contract) = $1,250 captured
The progress bar shows what percentage of this amount has already decayed:
Full gold bar = 100% captured and still remaining
Green fill = portion already decayed (earned)
Example: 5 contracts at $2.50 credit ($250/contract) = $1,250 captured
The progress bar shows what percentage of this amount has already decayed:
Full gold bar = 100% captured and still remaining
Green fill = portion already decayed (earned)
This number does NOT change after entry — it is your record of what you collected. Only roll credits (recorded separately) add to the accumulated total for this position.
Column: Theta Decay
Your Daily Passive Income from This Position
How much premium this specific position contributes to your daily theta income. The sign tells you which direction theta is working — positive for short positions (income), negative for long positions (cost).
Theta Decay per Day = Theta per contract × Contracts
Shown as:
+$X/day for short positions (income producers)
-$X/day for long positions (GI, long puts, LEAP longs)
Example: Short put with theta 0.35 × 5 contracts = +$175/day
Shown as:
+$X/day for short positions (income producers)
-$X/day for long positions (GI, long puts, LEAP longs)
Example: Short put with theta 0.35 × 5 contracts = +$175/day
This is the most honest daily income metric in options trading. It tells you exactly what you earn from time passing on this specific position — before any market movement.
Column: Remaining
Premium Still to Be Earned
The current market value of this position — the premium that has NOT yet decayed. As time passes and the option approaches expiration, this number approaches zero (for at-the-money or out-of-the-money short options). A smaller number here is generally better for short positions.
Remaining = Current market price × Contracts
Updated via CSV import or manual entry
The green progress bar shows the inverse of the gold bar:
Full green = mostly decayed (work almost done)
Small green = mostly remaining (position still early)
Updated via CSV import or manual entry
The green progress bar shows the inverse of the gold bar:
Full green = mostly decayed (work almost done)
Small green = mostly remaining (position still early)
On a standard P&L report, a deep ITM short put with high Remaining value looks like a massive loss. In the Diamonds journal, it simply shows you how much accumulated premium is waiting to be realized when the market recovers.
Column: Rolls
Roll Count and Accumulated Total
Shows how many times this position has been rolled and the total accumulated premium across the original entry plus all roll credits. This is the most important single number for any long-running Money Press position.
Rolls Badge = Number of roll events recorded for this position
Accumulated Total = premiumCaptured + Sum of all roll credits
Example: Original entry $1,750 + Roll 1 $800 + Roll 2 $750 + Roll 3 $900 = $4,200 accumulated
Click the badge to open the full roll history for that position
Accumulated Total = premiumCaptured + Sum of all roll credits
Example: Original entry $1,750 + Roll 1 $800 + Roll 2 $750 + Roll 3 $900 = $4,200 accumulated
Click the badge to open the full roll history for that position
This number tells the real story of an MP position. A position that has been rolling for 10 weeks with 35-point credits has accumulated 350 points ($3,500 per contract) in total premium — even if the standard platform shows it as a loss because the strike is deep ITM.
Analytics View
Analytics View — What Each Chart Shows
Chart 1
Weekly Premium Captured ($)
A bar chart showing the total new premium captured each week — the sum of all opening credits and roll credits collected in that calendar week. This is your weekly income scorecard, equivalent to a weekly paycheck in the Diamonds system.
Each bar = Sum of all premiumCaptured entries and roll credits with a date in that calendar week
Bar height is proportional to the largest week in the dataset
Bar height is proportional to the largest week in the dataset
Use this to track whether your premium income is growing week over week as you add more MPs and roll more positions. A flat or declining chart may indicate you are not rolling consistently or BP is constrained.
Chart 2
Premium by Department (Donut Chart)
Shows how your total premium income is distributed across the four departments — Money Press (gold), Daily Diamonds (blue), LEAP covered calls (purple), and GI roll credits (green). The center of the donut is empty by design — the hole represents your BP reserve.
Each segment = department's total captured premium as a % of portfolio total
MP segment = total MP premiumCaptured
DD segment = total DD premiumCaptured
LEAP segment = total LEAP roll credits (covered call income)
GI segment = total GI roll credits harvested
MP segment = total MP premiumCaptured
DD segment = total DD premiumCaptured
LEAP segment = total LEAP roll credits (covered call income)
GI segment = total GI roll credits harvested
In a healthy Diamonds portfolio, the MP segment should be the largest — it is the core revenue engine. A very large DD segment relative to MP may indicate too much risk in short-dated trades relative to the MP foundation.
Chart 3
Daily Theta Earned — Last 14 Days
A bar chart showing the net theta income earned each day over the last two weeks. Bars get progressively more opaque toward today. This chart illustrates the compounding nature of theta — as you add more positions the daily bars should grow taller over time.
Each bar = Net theta (sum of short position theta minus long position theta) for that day
Height reflects the relative size of that day's theta vs. the largest day shown
Height reflects the relative size of that day's theta vs. the largest day shown
Alex's key insight: theta earns on weekends, overnight, and during volatile markets when you are not watching. This chart makes that passive compounding visible and motivating.
Accumulated View
Accumulated View — The Roll History
The Accumulated view is the most unique feature of the Diamonds Journal. It shows the true premium performance of the system by tracking every roll event and the running total across all positions.
Summary Cards
Three Accumulated Metrics
| Total Accumulated | The grand total of every premium dollar collected — original entries plus every roll credit — across every position that has ever been in the journal. This is your true cumulative income since inception. |
| Average Per Roll | Total Accumulated ÷ Total Roll Events. Shows the average credit you collect each time you roll a position. A healthy Money Press roll should average 25–40 points ($250–$400 per contract). |
| Total Roll Events | The count of every time any position was rolled. In the Diamonds system, a well-managed account will have hundreds of roll events over the course of a year — each one adding premium to the accumulated total. |
Accumulated by Week (Timeline)
Your Premium Income History
A visual timeline showing accumulated premium by month, from program inception through the current period. The bars represent the total new premium captured in each month. This is the chart Alex would look at to see the machine's output over time.
As the position count grows and more MPs are added and rolled, these bars should grow taller over time — reflecting the compounding nature of the system as theta income builds on itself.
Roll History Table
Every Roll Ever Recorded
A complete chronological record of every roll event in the journal, showing the position, old strike, new strike, old expiry, new expiry, credit received, and running accumulated total for that position.
Running Total column = premiumCaptured + sum of all roll credits up to and including this roll
Example: Position opened at $1,750. Roll 1 for $800 → Running Total = $2,550. Roll 2 for $750 → Running Total = $3,300.
Example: Position opened at $1,750. Roll 1 for $800 → Running Total = $2,550. Roll 2 for $750 → Running Total = $3,300.
This table is the answer to "how much has this position actually made me?" — a question that standard platforms cannot answer because they treat each roll as a separate unrelated trade.
Actions — Your Data
Save Journal · Load Journal · Clear All
These three buttons in the journal header give you complete control over your data. Your positions, roll history, and accumulated premium records belong to you — they never go to any server or cloud. Here is what each button does.
💾 Save Journal
Export All Your Data to a File on Your Computer
Saves everything in the journal — all positions, all roll history, all accumulated premium totals, all notes — to a single JSON file on your computer. The file is named automatically with today's date so you always know when it was saved.
File saved as: diamonds_journal_2026-04-03.json
Location: your computer's Downloads folder
Contains: positions · roll history · accumulated totals · all metadata
This file is YOUR data. Store it anywhere — desktop, USB drive, Dropbox. The journal has no access to it unless you load it back in.
Location: your computer's Downloads folder
Contains: positions · roll history · accumulated totals · all metadata
This file is YOUR data. Store it anywhere — desktop, USB drive, Dropbox. The journal has no access to it unless you load it back in.
After clicking Save Journal, the button briefly shows "✓ Saved!" confirming the file was downloaded. You can save as many dated copies as you want — keeping a history of your journal over time.
Save your journal at the end of every trading session — especially after recording rolls or closing positions. Think of it like hitting Save in any document.
📂 Load Journal
Restore Your Data from a Previously Saved File
Opens a file picker so you can select a previously saved journal JSON file. Once loaded, all your positions, rolls, and accumulated history are instantly restored exactly as they were when you last saved.
Click Load Journal → select your diamonds_journal_YYYY-MM-DD.json file → click OK to confirm → all data restores instantly
The confirmation dialog shows: the date the file was saved, how many positions it contains, and how many roll events are recorded.
The confirmation dialog shows: the date the file was saved, how many positions it contains, and how many roll events are recorded.
Use Load Journal at the start of every session. Open the journal from the Netlify URL, click Load Journal, select your most recent saved file, and you are right back where you left off.
Your journal data lives in your browser's temporary storage between sessions. Loading your saved file ensures nothing is ever lost even if you clear your browser, switch computers, or use a different browser.
🗑 Clear All
Remove All Positions Before a Fresh Import
Removes all positions and roll history from the journal in one click. Always asks for confirmation before clearing anything. Use this when you want to start fresh — particularly before doing your first real tastytrade CSV import to remove the sample data.
Clear All removes: all open positions · all roll history · all accumulated data currently in the journal
It does NOT delete your saved JSON files on your computer — those are always safe. Clear All only affects what is currently loaded in the browser.
It does NOT delete your saved JSON files on your computer — those are always safe. Clear All only affects what is currently loaded in the browser.
Important: Always Save Journal before clicking Clear All if you want to keep your current data. Clear All cannot be undone — but your saved file is always your backup.
The Recommended Daily Workflow
1
Open the journal
Go to your Netlify URL in any browser. The journal opens fresh each time.
2
Click 📂 Load Journal
Select your most recent saved JSON file. All your positions, rolls, and history restore instantly.
3
Click ⬆ Import CSV
Export a fresh CSV from tastytrade, paste it into the import window, and click Import Positions → OK to replace. Your positions update with today's current values.
4
Record any rolls or new trades
If Alex rolled positions today, click Roll on each position and enter the credits. If new trades were added, click + Add Trade.
5
Click 💾 Save Journal
Save your updated journal to your computer. Your data is secure and backed up for the next session.
Your data is always private. The journal runs entirely in your browser. Your positions, roll history, and saved JSON files never leave your computer. The Netlify URL only serves the journal tool itself — it has no access to your trading data whatsoever. Every member's data is completely separate and invisible to everyone else.
Actions
Add Trade — Field by Field
The Add Trade button opens a form to manually enter a new position. Here is what each field means and what to enter.
| Department | Select MP, GI, DD, or LEAP. This determines which department card the position counts toward and how its metrics are interpreted. |
| Symbol | The underlying ticker. Defaults to XSP. Change to SPX if you are on Portfolio Margin with $200k+, or SPY for smaller accounts. |
| Option Type | The structure of the position — Short Put, Long Put, Short Call, Long Call, Put Credit Spread, Call Credit Spread, Iron Condor, Bear Put Spread (GI), or Long Call LEAP. |
| Strike (Short) | The short leg strike price. For a simple short put, this is the strike you sold. For a spread, this is the short (closer to money) leg. |
| Strike (Long / Spread) | The long leg strike for spreads and ICs. Leave blank for naked short puts or long calls. |
| Expiration Date | The option expiration date. The DTE column is calculated automatically from this date vs. today. |
| Contracts | The number of contracts. All dollar values are calculated as per-contract × this number. |
| Premium Captured (per contract, $) | The credit you received per contract when you opened the position, in dollars. Example: Alex's .35 credit = $35 per XSP contract. Enter $35 here if you have 1 contract, and the journal multiplies by your contract count. |
| Current Premium Value ($) | The current market value of the position in dollars (total, not per contract). This is what the option is currently worth — used to calculate how much premium has decayed and how much remains. |
| Daily Theta (per contract, $) | The theta value for this option per contract per day, in dollars. Found on your tastytrade position screen or in the CSV export. Example: theta of 0.35 = $35/day per XSP contract. |
| Open Date | The date you entered the position. Defaults to today. Used for the weekly analytics charts. |
| Notes | Free text for any context — e.g. "New MP seed — planted for April harvest" or "IC created by adding PCS to breached CCS." |
Actions
Recording a Roll
The Roll button on any position opens the Roll modal — the most important data entry action in the journal. Every time Alex rolls a position, you record it here and the accumulated premium total updates automatically.
Why recording rolls matters so much: In the Diamonds system, a Money Press short put is never closed for profit — it is always rolled to the next week for fresh credit. Each roll adds premium to the accumulated total. Without recording rolls, the journal only knows about the original entry credit and dramatically understates the position's true performance.
The Roll Form Fields
| New Strike | The strike price of the new position after the roll. Pre-filled with the current strike — change it if you are rolling up, down, or flat. |
| New Expiration | The new expiration date after the roll. Pre-filled with the current expiry — change it to next week's expiration (or however far out Alex rolled). |
| Credit Received ($) | The net credit you received for the roll, in dollars total (not per contract). Example: Roll credit of $1,250 = enter $1,250. |
| New Mark (per share) | The mark price per share of the new position immediately after the roll fills — exactly as shown in tastytrade's positions page. The journal automatically calculates the New Current Premium from this value using: abs(Mark) × 100 × contracts. You never need to do this math manually. |
| New Current Premium | Calculated and displayed automatically from the New Mark you entered. This read-only field shows the dollar value that will be stored as the position's new remaining premium. No manual entry required. |
| Roll Notes | Context for the roll — e.g. "Rolled up 10 pts, credit $1,250. Market recovering, aligning with new MP cluster." |
Example: You rolled a 3-contract short put and the new position now shows a Mark of $8.50 on tastytrade.
Enter 8.50 in the New Mark field.
The journal instantly displays: $2,550 (8.50 × 100 × 3 contracts).
That is the value that resets the position's Remaining column.
Enter 8.50 in the New Mark field.
The journal instantly displays: $2,550 (8.50 × 100 × 3 contracts).
That is the value that resets the position's Remaining column.
After recording a roll: The position's strike and expiry update to the new values. The roll credit is added to the accumulated total. The full roll history becomes visible by clicking the roll count badge on the position row. The Accumulated view updates to include this roll in the running total table.
Actions
Changing a Position's Department
The journal automatically assigns departments when you import from tastytrade — but sometimes the auto-assignment is wrong, or a position changes its role mid-life (like a breached DD trade becoming a HEDGE). The Dept button lets you reassign any position instantly.
The Dept Button
Manual Department Reclassification
Every position row has a small Dept button on the right side. Clicking it opens a prompt where you type the new department name. The change takes effect immediately and is remembered permanently across all future imports.
Valid departments:
MP = Money Press
GI = Gap Insurance
DD = Daily Diamonds
LEAP = LEAP Campaign
HEDGE = Active Hedge (converted position)
MP = Money Press
GI = Gap Insurance
DD = Daily Diamonds
LEAP = LEAP Campaign
HEDGE = Active Hedge (converted position)
The reclassification is stored in the journal's memory keyed to symbol + strike + expiry. Every time you import a fresh CSV that position will automatically land in the correct department — you only ever reclassify once per position.
When a position is closed, its memory key is automatically deleted so it does not affect future positions at the same strike.
Actions
Closing a Position
The Close button marks a position as closed and removes it from the open positions table. The position's premium data and roll history are preserved in the Accumulated view for historical reference.
When to use Close vs. Roll: Use Close when a position has expired worthless (max profit), has been bought back for a debit (GTC filled), or is being intentionally closed as part of a restructuring. Use Roll when the position is being moved to a new strike/expiry — never close and re-enter separately, as this breaks the accumulated premium chain.
Actions
CSV Import from tastytrade
The Import CSV button allows you to upload a position export from tastytrade and automatically populate the journal. The import engine maps tastytrade's column format to the Diamonds methodology.
How to Export from tastytrade
1
Open tastytrade
Log into your tastytrade account on desktop (not mobile).
2
Go to Positions
Click the Positions tab in the main navigation.
3
Select your columns
Click the column selector and ensure you include: Symbol, Option Type, Strike Price, Expiration Date, Quantity, Average Price, Mark/Last Price, Delta, Theta, and DTE.
4
Export to CSV
Click the download or export icon and select CSV format. Save the file to your computer.
5
Import into the journal
Click Import CSV in the journal header, select your file, review the preview, and click Import Positions.
Important: The import engine automatically assigns positions to departments based on option type and symbol. Short puts go to MP, bear put spreads go to GI, short-dated spreads go to DD, and long calls with long expiry go to LEAP. You can manually change the department assignment after import using the Edit function (coming in a future version). Roll history is NOT imported from tastytrade — rolls must be recorded manually as they happen.
Quick Reference
Daily Workflow — At a Glance
| Start of session | Open journal from Netlify URL → click 📂 Load Journal → select your saved file |
| Update positions | Export CSV from tastytrade → click ⬆ Import CSV → paste → Import Positions → OK |
| Record a roll | Find position in table → click Roll → enter new strike, expiry, credit → Save Roll |
| Record a new trade | Click + Add Trade → select department → fill fields → Add Position |
| Close a position | Find position → click Close → confirm → position removed from open table |
| End of session | Click 💾 Save Journal → file saves to your computer automatically |
| Fresh start | Click 🗑 Clear All → confirm → then Import CSV with fresh tastytrade data |
| Convert position to hedge | Find position in table → click Dept → type HEDGE → OK → remembered on all future imports |
| New computer / browser | Open journal from Netlify URL → click 📂 Load Journal → select your JSON file from wherever you stored it |
Reference
Glossary — Key Terms
| premiumCaptured | The opening credit collected when a position was first entered, in total dollars (per contract × contracts). This number never changes after entry. |
| currentPremium | The current market value of the position — updated via CSV import or manual entry. Decreasing = premium decaying = theta working. Increasing = adverse market move or vol expansion. |
| Roll Credit | The net credit received when rolling a position to a new strike and/or expiry. Always a positive number in the Diamonds system — Alex's rule is to always collect a credit on every roll. |
| Accumulated Premium | premiumCaptured + sum of all roll credits for a position. The true measure of a position's total premium performance across its entire life. |
| Decay % | (premiumCaptured − currentPremium) / premiumCaptured × 100. Shows what percentage of captured premium has already been earned through theta decay. |
| Net Theta | Sum of theta for all short positions minus sum of theta for all long positions. Alex's system maximizes net positive theta — more short theta than long theta cost. |
| DTE | Days to Expiration. Calendar days from today to the position's expiration date. |
| Premium Remaining | The current market value of all SHORT positions — the future income still locked in and waiting to be earned as the option decays toward expiration. |
| Premium Captured | The total credits received from SHORT positions at entry. Calculated as abs(Trade Price × Qty × 100). Long positions are excluded — they represent costs not income. |
| HEDGE | The fifth department for positions that started as income trades and were converted to hedges. Assigned manually using the Dept button. Tracks cost and current value separately from GI and DD. |
| Portfolio Delta | The net directional exposure of the entire portfolio — sum of all position deltas from the tastytrade CSV. Calculated automatically on every import. |
| Reclassification Memory | The journal's record of manual department assignments. Keyed to symbol + strike + expiry. Applied automatically on every import so you never reclassify the same position twice. |
Reference
Department Assignment Guide
When adding trades manually, use this guide to assign the correct department.
| MP Short Put (weekly) | The income leg of the Money Press. Rolling weekly. No GTC close — always rolled. |
| MP Long Put (protection) | The protection leg of the Money Press. Out to May/June. Rolled at 30 DTE. |
| GI Bear Put Spread | Gap Insurance. Buy higher put, sell lower put. Net debit position. Theta works against you. |
| DD Call Credit Spread | Daily Diamond — short call spread. Short-dated income. GTC close at .65 db immediately on fill. |
| DD Put Credit Spread | Daily Diamond — short put spread. Short-dated income. GTC close at .65 db immediately on fill. |
| DD Iron Condor | Daily Diamond — both sides simultaneously. GTC close at .65 db or .95 db for FOMC. |
| LEAP Long Call LEAP | The long call position — 6–12+ months out. Net debit. Covered calls sold against it weekly. |
| LEAP Short Call (vs LEAP) | The weekly covered call sold against the LEAP. Treated as LEAP department roll credits. |
| HEDGE Converted Position | Any position that started as DD income but was converted to defense after a breach. Use the Dept button to assign. Remembered permanently. |
The Golden Rule of Department Assignment: Every trade Alex puts on has a reason — it either enhances, offsets, or protects something else. When assigning a department, ask: "What is this trade's primary purpose in the portfolio?" If it is generating weekly rolling income from short puts, it is MP. If it is protecting against a 10%+ crash, it is GI. If it is a short-dated income trade anchored to the MP position, it is DD. If it is capturing the recovery rally, it is LEAP.