VolRadar

VolRadar is a daily options analytics platform purpose-built for premium sellers — traders who employ strategies like iron condors, credit spreads, cash-secured puts, and the wheel on S&P 500 stocks and major ETFs. The platform eliminates the time-intensive research that typically precedes each trading day by delivering a comprehensive pre-market brief every morning. After the US market closes, VolRadar pulls end-of-day options data from ORATS, runs it through proprietary models, and ships actionable insights before the next bell rings. By the time you sit down with your morning coffee, you already know which tickers are worth selling premium on and which to skip entirely.

The core value proposition is simplicity without sacrificing analytical depth. VolRadar condenses complex volatility data into a single Weather Score from 0 to 100, telling you at a glance whether today’s conditions favor selling premium. Additional metrics include IV Rank based on a 252-day lookback, Volatility Risk Premium (VRP) comparing 30-day implied volatility to 20-day realized volatility, computed strikes targeting specific deltas or credits, and earnings-crush analysis showing IV collapse post-announcement. The platform scans over 500 US stocks and major ETFs daily, with updates available by approximately 6 PM ET. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a retail trader refining your premium-selling approach, VolRadar provides institutional-grade data and expert analysis to streamline your workflow and improve trade selection.

Weather Score

The Weather Score is a proprietary 0 to 100 composite index that synthesizes five critical factors: Premium Edge, VIX level, Volatility Trend, Earnings Safety, and Term Structure. This single number tells you whether today is a good day to sell premium broadly, selectively, or not at all. A score of 65 or higher indicates favorable conditions for premium selling, while scores between 40 and 64 suggest selective opportunities. Scores below 40 signal a defensive posture, advising traders to stand aside. The Weather Score updates daily after market close, providing a clear macro backdrop before you even open the scanner.

Full Ticker Report

Each ticker in the VolRadar universe comes with a comprehensive analysis page that consolidates all relevant volatility metrics into one view. You can see the VRP, IV Rank, earnings risk assessment, and a strategy ranking that tells you which approach best fits current conditions. The report includes a signal strength indicator ranging from Strong to Medium to Weak, helping you prioritize your watchlist. With one free report per day on the Free tier and unlimited access on Starter, this feature transforms raw data into actionable trade intelligence.

Computed Strikes and Strategy Builder

The Strategy Builder takes the guesswork out of trade construction by pre-filling strikes based on your target delta or target credit. For each qualifying ticker, you receive up to three ranked strategies such as Short Put, Iron Condor, or Covered Call, complete with premium estimates, breakeven points, and max loss calculations. This feature is available on the Starter plan and above, allowing you to go from ticker selection to a fully defined trade in under 30 seconds. The computed strikes are updated daily to reflect the latest volatility surface and market conditions.

Earnings Safety and Crush Analysis

Earnings events represent one of the highest risks for premium sellers, and VolRadar addresses this with dedicated Earnings Safety metrics and per-ticker earnings-crush analysis. The Earnings Safety component of the Weather Score evaluates how many companies in the S&P 500 universe are approaching earnings and how that affects the overall premium-selling environment. For individual tickers, the platform tracks IV collapse post-announcement, allowing you to avoid names where implied volatility is about to drop sharply. This feature acts as a risk gate, flagging tickers with upcoming earnings so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

Daily Pre-Market Research Routine

A premium seller starts each day by checking the Weather Score to gauge overall market conditions. If the score is favorable, they open the Scanner to view the top 5 ranked candidates by volatility edge. From there, they click into a Full Ticker Report for their chosen stock, review VRP and IV Rank, and use the Strategy Builder to generate computed strikes. This entire workflow takes approximately 30 seconds, replacing what would otherwise be 55 minutes of manual data gathering and analysis across multiple platforms.

Identifying High-Confidence Credit Spread Setups

When the Weather Score indicates favorable conditions, traders can use the Scanner to filter for stocks with Strong signal strength, positive VRP, and elevated IV Rank. VolRadar surfaces tickers where short-term volatility is dropping, creating the ideal environment for credit spreads and iron condors. The computed strikes feature provides specific strike prices and premium estimates, allowing the trader to quickly evaluate risk-reward ratios and enter trades with confidence based on institutional-grade data.

Managing Earnings Risk in a Portfolio

Options sellers who maintain a portfolio of positions need to avoid tickers with impending earnings announcements that could cause IV crush. VolRadar’s Earnings Safety metric and per-ticker flags make this process systematic. Before adding a new position, the trader checks the earnings calendar integration within the Full Ticker Report. If a ticker has earnings within the next 14 days, the platform flags it and may downgrade the signal strength. This allows the trader to either avoid the name entirely or adjust position sizing to account for the elevated risk.

Covered Call and Wheel Strategy Execution

For traders running covered calls or the wheel strategy, VolRadar provides specific tools including a dedicated Covered Call screener. The platform identifies stocks with elevated IV Rank that are suitable for writing calls against long positions. The Strategy Builder can generate covered call strikes with target deltas, showing premium collected and breakeven points. This use case is particularly valuable for income-focused investors who want to systematically generate premium from their existing stock holdings while maintaining downside protection.

What data source does VolRadar use and how often is it updated?

VolRadar pulls end-of-day options data from ORATS, which is an institutional-grade options data provider. The data is updated daily after the US market close, typically available by approximately 6 PM Eastern Time. This timing ensures that all analysis reflects the most recent close and is ready for your pre-market preparation the following morning. The platform covers over 500 US stocks and major ETFs, including all S&P 500 components.

What does the Weather Score actually measure and how should I interpret it?

The Weather Score is a composite index from 0 to 100 that combines five factors: Premium Edge (how overpriced options are relative to historical norms), VIX level (market fear gauge), Volatility Trend (direction of implied volatility), Earnings Safety (how many companies have upcoming earnings), and Term Structure (shape of the volatility curve). A score of 65 or higher means conditions favor selling premium broadly. Scores between 40 and 64 indicate selective opportunities where you should be more cautious. Scores below 40 suggest defensive positioning, and it may be better to stand aside or reduce exposure.

What is the difference between the Free and Starter plans?

The Free plan gives you access to the Weather Score, four calculators, and a basic scanner that shows the top 5 candidates. The Starter plan costs 19 per month and unlocks the full scanner with all 500+ tickers, the daily pre-market brief, computed strikes for trade construction, weekly trade ideas, and earnings risk gates. Both plans are available with no credit card required for the Free tier, and you can upgrade at any time.

How does VolRadar handle earnings risk for premium sellers?

VolRadar integrates earnings risk directly into its analysis through the Earnings Safety component of the Weather Score and per-ticker flags in the Scanner and Full Ticker Report. Tickers with upcoming earnings are marked with a calendar icon, and their signal strength may be downgraded to reflect the elevated risk of IV crush. The platform also tracks IV collapse post-earnings, helping you avoid selling premium into events where implied volatility is about to drop sharply. This systematic approach ensures earnings risk is never an afterthought in your trade selection process.

VolRadar offers two pricing tiers. The Free plan provides access to the Weather Score, four calculators, and a basic scanner showing the top 5 candidates with no credit card required. The Starter plan costs 19 per month and unlocks the full scanner with all 500+ tickers, the daily pre-market brief delivered before market open, computed strikes for trade construction, up to three ranked strategies per ticker, weekly trade ideas, and earnings risk gates. All plans include updates after market close each trading day.