Before You Check Out for Turkey...

Author

Don Kaufman
November 26, 2025

Markets just closed.

You're probably already thinking about tomorrow.

Turkey. Family. Maybe a cold one.

And look... you've earned it.

But before you completely check out for the holiday...

I need you to watch something.

I recorded an emergency volatility briefing the other day.

Hundreds of traders showed up live.

And what I walked through...

Expected moves, VIX futures, the exact trades I have on right now...

Is exactly what I'm using to navigate the volatility we're seeing.

Because while everyone's getting ready to tune out for turkey...

The options market is telling a very different story.

The $65 Black Friday Session Nobody's Ready For

Here's what caught my attention.

We had a $146 expected move this week.

In just 3.5 trading days.

Last week? $144 across FIVE full days.

More volatility in less time.

And Black Friday—the half-day session everyone assumes will be quiet?

Still has $65 of movement priced in.

On a HALF day.

That should be a warning bell.

Most people are going to miss it completely.

They'll be at the mall. Or sleeping off turkey.

But I'm telling you right now...

The market doesn't care about your Black Friday shopping plans.

The Call I Got in 2008

Look... I don't usually go down memory lane.

But you need to understand something.

I was managing an entire division at Thinkorswim in September 2008.

768 people.

And on a Sunday morning, I got a call.

"Don... you better come to Chicago. It's gonna get real out there."

I flew in that day.

And I watched what happens when markets actually break.

They don't just crash.

They CHURN.

Rally. Sell-off. Rally. Sell-off.

Each move pulling in more retail money.

Until everyone's trapped.

Then... the real drop.

Am I saying that's happening now?

No.

But the VIX futures are pointing to 21-22 through February.

Expected moves are elevated.

And retail keeps buying every dip

I've seen this setup before.

And it didn't end well.

The Trade I'm Down 22% On (And Why I'm Not Worried)

In this video, I'm gonna show you something most educators would never show.

My actual positions.

Right now, I have a Starbucks trade that's down 22%.

Most people would hide that.

But I'm not here to blow smoke.

Here's why I'm not sweating it:

I still have 17 days left.

There's a 55% probability we touch my profit target at $82.

And when we do? I'm out. Fully profitable.

This is what I've been doing for 25 years.

In-out spreads.

You don't predict tops or bottoms.

You position yourself. Define your risk. And let the volatility come to YOU.

Rally. Sell-off. Rally. Sell-off.

Eventually... it comes to your level.

And in THIS market?

It's coming fast.

The Spreadsheet I Probably Shouldn't Share

During yesterday's call, I did something I rarely do.

I pulled up my full trading spreadsheet.

Every trade I've sent you this year.

Every. Single. One.

I even highlighted the LOSSES.

SPX butterfly? Lost 100%.

Another one? Lost 100%.

I'm not hiding them.

Because here's what matters:

If you followed every alert I sent with just one-lot trades...

Never risking more than $200-$300 per position...

You'd be up over $2,000 for the year.

Real trades. Real results. Real spreadsheet.

You don't have to be perfect.

You just need the right strategy.

The Black Friday Deal (That I Swore I'd Never Bring Back)

Alright... here's the thing.

It's our 10-year anniversary at TheoTrade.

And people have been BEGGING us to bring back our Black Friday deal.

Last time we ran it, my inbox got flooded for months.

I swore I wouldn't do it again.

But... here we are.

Pay $799 for a full year of TheoTrade.

Use it on anything. Scanners. Bootcamps. Ghost Prints. Golden Setups. Whatever.

You're basically getting a full year of access...

PLUS $799 to spend however you want.

First 500 people only.

Ends Black Friday at midnight.

And look... I'm not gonna hard-sell you on this.

If you've been thinking about joining TheoTrade...

Or if you want live guidance through this volatility...

This is the time.

You're about to check out for the next 36+ hours.

Turkey. Family. Football.

And you should.

But before you completely unplug...

Watch this video.

Because what I'm seeing for Black Friday... and the weeks after...

Could be the difference between staying intact... or getting caught off-guard.

It's about an hour. I ramble. I'm not polished.

But if you want the truth about what I'm seeing...

And the exact strategies I'm using right now...

The Black Friday deal ends soon.

Don't wait.

To your success,

Don Kaufman