The cost basis page is the bread and butter of MyATMM. This is where option sellers track every position, manage ongoing trades, and maintain accurate cost basis calculations across all their stock symbols. Whether you're running the wheel strategy with covered calls and cash-secured puts or managing complex multi-position portfolios, understanding this screen is essential for successful income trading.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk through every feature of the cost basis page, from adding your first position to using advanced tools like the position adjuster calculator. By the end, you'll know exactly how to track premiums, manage assignments, and maintain pristine records of all your option selling activities.
The cost basis screen is organized into three main sections that work together to give you complete visibility into your positions:
At the top of the screen, you'll find comprehensive summary metrics for your selected ticker symbol. This section displays:
This middle section shows all your active positions—the trades you're currently managing in your brokerage account:
This is where you add new positions, roll existing ones, handle assignments, and close positions. Every action you take here feeds directly into your transaction history and cost basis calculations.
The bottom section maintains a complete record of every transaction for the selected ticker symbol. This permanent record includes:
As you build your options trading portfolio, you'll likely track multiple underlying stocks. MyATMM makes it easy to switch between symbols and focus on active positions.
At the top of the cost basis page, you'll find a dropdown menu listing all your tracked ticker symbols. Simply select a symbol to instantly load its positions, history, and summary metrics. The platform automatically loads the first symbol in your list when you navigate to the cost basis page.
Here's a time-saving feature many traders love: the "Only Positions" filter. As your ticker list grows, you may have symbols without active positions—stocks you've closed out or are waiting to re-enter.
Click the "Only Positions" checkbox to filter your symbol dropdown to show only tickers with active positions in play. This instantly declutters your view and helps you focus on what matters most: your current trades.
The platform intelligently handles symbol selection when you toggle this filter. If you're viewing a symbol without positions and activate the filter, MyATMM automatically switches to the first symbol that has positions, keeping your workflow smooth and uninterrupted.
You're tracking 15 different dividend stocks but currently have positions in only 7 of them. Enable "Only Positions" to see just those 7 symbols in your dropdown, making it much faster to navigate between your active trades throughout the trading day.
MyATMM offers a generous free tier that lets you track up to three ticker symbols forever—no credit card required. This is perfect for traders focused on a small core portfolio or those just getting started with systematic option selling.
Need to track more symbols? Monthly membership ($4.95/month) unlocks unlimited ticker tracking along with other premium features, letting you scale your income portfolio without artificial limits.
Let's walk through the complete process of adding positions to MyATMM, starting with opening a cash-secured put and working through the full wheel strategy cycle.
Most option sellers begin each position cycle by selling a cash-secured put, generating immediate premium income while waiting to potentially acquire shares at a predetermined price. Here's how to track it in MyATMM:
Scenario: Stock trading at $131, you sell one weekly put at $135 strike
By setting the strike above the current price, you're virtually guaranteeing assignment for this example—perfect for demonstrating the full wheel cycle.
When you click Save on a new position, something helpful happens: MyATMM automatically generates a "proposed record" in the section below your active positions. This pre-formatted transaction record gives you a starting point for adding the trade to your permanent transaction history.
You could manually type transaction details into the history section, but the proposed records feature saves time and ensures consistency. The system creates properly formatted entries based on your position details, which you can then copy down to your transaction history with one click.
Here's the critical step many new users miss: adding a position to "Positions in Play" does NOT automatically save it to your transaction history. Your position exists temporarily until you officially record the transaction.
To permanently save the premium collected:
Every option you sell will eventually end in one of four ways. MyATMM is designed to handle each outcome seamlessly.
The best-case scenario for option sellers: the option expires out of the money, you keep the entire premium, and the position simply closes. Select "Expired" from the outcome dropdown, click Save, and you're done. The position is no longer active, and you've recorded a successful premium collection.
Before expiration, you may choose to roll your position forward to avoid assignment or capture additional premium. Select "Roll" from the dropdown to extend your position:
Rolling creates a brand new position entry while closing out the original position, maintaining a clear record of your trading decisions over time.
When your short put expires in the money, you'll be assigned shares at the strike price. This is where the wheel strategy truly begins:
Your new stock position immediately appears in "Positions in Play." The old put position can now be deleted since it's no longer active. Click Save on the new stock position to generate a proposed record, then add it to your transaction history as you did with the original premium.
You may choose to buy back your short option to close the position before expiration—typically when you've captured most of the premium (like 80%) and want to free up capital or reduce risk. Select "Closed" from the dropdown, and the position ends without any new transactions or assignments.
Once you own shares (whether from assignment or direct purchase), the next step in the wheel strategy is selling covered calls to generate additional premium income while holding the stock.
The process mirrors adding a cash-secured put:
Here's where the cost basis calculations really matter. You'll notice in the summary area that MyATMM shows multiple cost basis figures:
The "Cost Basis With Premium" figure is your true break-even point. Many option sellers aim to sell covered calls at or above this level to ensure they keep 100% of their collected premiums while still potentially profiting from the stock sale.
You were assigned shares at $135 strike and collected $75 in put premium. Your raw cost basis is $135 per share, but your cost basis with premium is $134.25 per share (after accounting for the credit minus fees).
You could sell a covered call at $134.25 or higher to guarantee keeping all premiums. However, with limited premium available at that high strike, you might strategically sell at $145—accepting potential stock appreciation and a higher premium for a strike further out of the money.
Using MyATMM's weekly ATR (average trading range) metric, you can intelligently sell covered calls slightly below your cost basis when you believe the stock won't move more than its typical range before expiration.
If the stock does move against you more than expected, you can roll the position out in time and potentially up in strike price, collecting additional premium while avoiding assignment. This is an advanced technique that requires active management but can significantly increase your income per position cycle.
MyATMM provides three distinct cost basis metrics to give you complete visibility into your position accounting. Understanding when to reference each one is crucial for effective trade management.
This is your straightforward average cost per share based solely on stock purchases and sales. It ignores all option premium collected. Think of this as your brokerage's view of cost basis—what you literally paid for shares currently held.
Formula: Total dollars spent on shares ÷ shares owned
Use this when you need to understand your pure stock position without considering derivatives income.
This is the most important figure for option sellers. It represents your true break-even point after factoring in every dollar of option premium collected on this ticker symbol throughout your trading history.
Formula: (Total dollars spent on shares - total premium collected) ÷ shares owned
This is the price you need to sell shares at to walk away with zero profit and zero loss after accounting for all your option selling activity. Any sale price above this level means you're profitable overall on this position, regardless of whether individual trades showed gains or losses.
When you have active cash-secured puts, this calculation shows what your cost basis would be if all current puts got assigned. It's a forward-looking metric that helps you understand your potential exposure.
Formula: (Current cost basis + potential new shares at put strike prices) ÷ total shares if assigned
Use this to model position sizing decisions before opening new puts. If assignment would push your average cost too high or tie up more capital than you're comfortable with, you can adjust your strategy before committing to the trade.
The transaction history section at the bottom of the cost basis page is your permanent record. Every action that affects your cost basis or premium totals must be saved here.
As your transaction count grows, MyATMM provides helpful navigation features:
Made a mistake? Recorded the wrong fee amount? MyATMM lets you edit any transaction after the fact:
The summary metrics automatically recalculate based on your changes, ensuring your cost basis and total premiums stay accurate.
Each transaction has a Delete button for permanent removal. Use this carefully—deleted transactions cannot be recovered and will immediately update all your summary calculations.
One of MyATMM's most powerful features is the position adjuster calculator. This tool answers a critical question: "How many shares do I need to buy at the current price to bring my cost basis down to my target level?"
The position adjuster shines in several scenarios:
Click "Show Position Adjuster" to reveal the calculation tool. The interface presents several input fields:
Click "Calculate" and MyATMM instantly shows:
Current Situation:
Without Including Credits: Need to buy 302 shares at $131 (costing $39,562) to average down to $135 cost basis
With Including Credits: Need to buy only 56 shares at $131 (costing $7,336) to average down to $135 cost basis
By factoring in your collected premiums, you dramatically reduce the capital required to fix the position.
This toggle changes how the calculator views your cost basis:
The "Include Credits" option typically shows you need far fewer shares because your effective cost basis is already lower than your raw stock cost basis.
Here's a powerful strategy combining the position adjuster with covered calls:
One of MyATMM's most valuable features is how it maintains ongoing cost basis across your entire trading history with each ticker symbol—even if you've bought and sold shares multiple times.
Traditional portfolio trackers reset cost basis when you fully close a position. MyATMM takes a different approach: it maintains a running total of all gains and losses on each symbol throughout your trading lifetime.
If you sold shares at a realized loss in the past, that loss gets carried forward into your current cost basis calculation. When you buy shares again—even months later—your cost basis reflects that historical performance.
Three months ago, you bought 100 shares at $150 and eventually sold them at $140 (a $10 per share realized loss). Today, you're assigned 100 shares at $135 through a cash-secured put.
Your "cost basis without premium" shows $145 per share ($135 current purchase + $10 per share carried loss), not $135. This ongoing accounting ensures you can't ignore previous losses and gives you a realistic picture of your total performance on this ticker symbol.
The wheel strategy often involves multiple entry and exit cycles on the same underlying stock. You might:
With continuous cost basis tracking, you see your true average performance across all these cycles. Your current cost basis incorporates every win and loss, giving you perfect clarity on whether you're genuinely profitable on this symbol or just breaking even across multiple trades.
While continuous tracking is powerful, you might occasionally want to start fresh—perhaps you're changing strategies or want to track a new trading approach separately.
MyATMM doesn't currently have a "reset" button, but you can achieve this by deleting all transactions for a symbol. This clears the historical cost basis and lets you start from zero. Use this feature carefully and consider exporting your data first if you might want those records later.
The summary area at the top of the cost basis page gives you instant answers to your most important position questions. Let's decode each metric and explain what it tells you.
Current shares held in this ticker symbol. This comes from your transaction history—all stock purchases minus all stock sales. If this shows 100 shares, you currently own 100 shares according to your recorded transactions.
Market value of your shares based on the last traded price. This updates automatically when you load the page or refresh stock prices, showing your current position value without any manual calculations.
Paper profit or loss on your current shares. This is the difference between your current stock value and your cost in the shares. Important note: this is unrealized—it only becomes actual profit or loss when you sell the shares.
Formula: Current Stock Value - (Shares Owned × Cost Basis Without Premium)
A negative number means you're currently underwater on the stock position, while a positive number indicates paper profits.
These metrics track your active cash-secured put positions:
These figures help you understand your maximum exposure and capital requirements if all your short puts end in the money.
The cumulative sum of all option premium collected on this ticker symbol across your entire trading history. This is your total income from covered calls and cash-secured puts before accounting for any losses or fees.
This number only goes up—every new credit adds to the total. It's a powerful metric showing exactly how much cash flow the position has generated regardless of stock performance.
Your true bottom line on this ticker symbol. This combines:
Note: This does NOT include unrealized gains or losses. The "Overall" figure only counts money that has actually hit your account—collected premiums and closed stock positions. Your current stock holdings remain on paper until you sell them.
This metric shows the typical price range the stock moves in a one-week period. MyATMM calculates this based on recent price action to help you make informed decisions about strike selection.
Use the weekly ATR to:
To get the most out of MyATMM's cost basis tracking, follow these proven workflows and practices.
The most common mistake is deleting positions from "Positions in Play" without first saving them to transaction history. Remember: positions in play are temporary; transaction history is permanent. If you collected $75 premium but delete the position before saving it to history, that $75 disappears from your records.
Develop this habit: Before deleting any position, ask yourself "Have I saved this to my transaction history?" If you're not sure, click the position's Save button to generate a proposed record, then copy it to history before deletion.
When copying proposed records to your transaction history, always adjust for actual fees charged by your broker. If you sold an option for $75 premium but your broker charged $1 commission, record $74 as the actual credit.
Precise fee tracking ensures your cost basis calculations reflect reality, not just theoretical premiums. Over dozens of trades, ignoring $1-2 fees per transaction can significantly inflate your perceived profitability.
Every transaction in your history has a "Stock" toggle (yes/no). This tells MyATMM whether the transaction was:
Incorrect toggle settings will throw off your calculations. Double-check this field every time you manually enter a transaction.
Don't manually type transaction details if you don't have to. When you create or update positions, let MyATMM generate the proposed record, then use the blue copy button to transfer those values. This ensures consistent formatting and reduces data entry errors.
Once you have 20+ transactions on a symbol, the cost basis page gets long. Use the collapse arrows liberally:
Before opening new positions, always glance at your summary metrics:
Taking 10 seconds to review prevents costly mistakes like overselling (more calls than shares) or tying up more capital than you intended.
The best way to truly master the cost basis page is to watch real trades unfold. MyATMM's YouTube channel features weekly videos demonstrating live position management using the platform.
You'll see exactly how to:
These real-world examples reinforce the concepts covered in this guide and show you the practical workflows successful option sellers use day to day.
The MyATMM cost basis page transforms option selling from a spreadsheet nightmare into a streamlined, professional tracking system. By understanding every section—from summary metrics to the position adjuster—you gain complete visibility into your positions and perfect accuracy in your cost basis calculations.
Whether you're executing the wheel strategy on three dividend stocks with a free account or managing dozens of positions with a membership, this single page gives you everything you need to track, manage, and optimize your option selling operation.
The key is developing consistent habits: always save transactions to history, accurately record fees, verify the stock toggle, and regularly review your summary metrics before placing trades. Combined with MyATMM's automated calculations and powerful tools like the position adjuster, you'll spend less time on bookkeeping and more time finding profitable trades.
Start with one ticker symbol and master the workflow. Add your first cash-secured put, save it to history, handle the outcome (assignment or expiration), then sell a covered call. Repeat this cycle a few times and the process becomes second nature.
MyATMM handles the math so you can focus on the strategy. The cost basis page is your command center—learn it well and you'll have the tracking infrastructure to support a sophisticated, profitable option selling portfolio for years to come.
Options trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Selling options can result in losses exceeding your initial investment, particularly with uncovered positions. Cash-secured puts and covered calls limit but do not eliminate risk.
This content is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Ensure you understand the risks involved and never trade with money you cannot afford to lose.
The strategies discussed require active management and may not be suitable during periods of high volatility or adverse market conditions. Always conduct your own due diligence and understand the implications of assignment before selling options.
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