Calculator · Cash-secured put
Cash-secured put calculator Get paid to wait for your price.
Estimate the cash required, premium return and breakeven when selling a put backed by cash.Selling a 100 put for $2.00 earns 1.99% in 30 days — 24.3% annualized; breakeven $98.01. Odds of profit: 63.4%.
Premium you collect
$199.34
Annualized
24.3%
1.99% on capital in 30 days
Breakeven
$98.01
2% cushion before a loss
Probability of profit
63.4%
Assignment 51.1%
Capital secured
$10,000
Cash secured at the strike
Max loss
−$9,801
If the stock goes to $0
01
Set up the trade
Pick a strategy, pull a live quote and fill in the contract — the answer above updates as you type.
Underlying
Live quoteType a ticker and press Get: the live price, the 52-week range and the next earnings and ex-dividend dates land here.
Contract
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Scenarios & odds
What the trade makes if the stock moves, the odds behind the answer above — the Greeks are folded below.
Scenario analysis
| Move | Price | P&L | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| -20% | $80 | -$1,801 | -18% |
| -10% | $90 | -$801 | -8% |
| -5% | $95 | -$301 | -3% |
| Breakeven (-2%) | $98.01 | $0 | 0% |
| Flat | $100 | $199 | 2% |
| 5% | $105 | $199 | 2% |
| 10% | $110 | $199 | 2% |
| 20% | $120 | $199 | 2% |
Returns & risk
- Return on capital
- 1.99%
- Premium / dayNet premium spread over the days to expiration — the fairest way to compare expiries.
- $6.64
- Downside protectionHow far the stock can fall from the current price before the trade loses money at expiration.
- 2%
Probability
- Prob. of assignmentChance the short put finishes in the money and shares are assigned.
- 51.1%
- Expected move (1σ)One standard-deviation move by expiration: spot × IV × √(days/365). Price stays within ±1σ ~68% of the time.
- ± $5.45
- 1σ price range
- $94.55 – $105.45
04
Worked example
The default scenario, computed with this tool’s own math — replace the inputs above with your trade.
You sell one $100.00 put for $2.00 a share with 30 days to expiry. The broker sets aside $10,000.00; after a $1.00 fee you keep $199.00 — 1.99% on that cash, about 24.2% a year if repeated. Below $98.01 at expiry the trade loses money; with 25% implied volatility the model gives it a 59.7% chance of profit.
- Cash securing the put
- $10,000.00
- Premium kept after fees
- $199.00
- Return on cash
- 1.99% · 24.2% a year
- Share-price breakeven
- $98.01
- Estimated probability of profit
- 59.7%
05
Common questions
What the numbers mean — and what they leave out.
- How much cash secures the put?
- For a standard 100-share contract, the model uses strike price × 100 per contract. Broker requirements can differ. Assignment means buying the shares at the strike.
- Can a cash-secured put lose money?
- Yes. If the shares fall below your breakeven, losses can exceed the premium. The maximum-loss estimate assumes the shares become worthless; taxes are excluded.
06
The rest of the workbench
Every free tool, one click away — plus the terms behind these numbers.
Next steps
Plan the trade before you place it: the position size calculator shows how many shares or contracts fit your risk, the options profit calculator draws the payoff at expiry, the risk/reward calculator weighs the target against the stop, and the drawdown simulator shows how deep a run of losses can go. New to options? Start with the free lessons Why sell options instead of buy them, Reading an options chain and The Greeks, in plain English.
Terms behind the numbers
07
Keep going
Priced a trade? Track it for real, or learn the ideas behind the numbers.
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