Covered Call Strategy: The Complete Income Guide for 2026 The covered call is the gateway strategy for most options traders, and for good reason: it generates real income from shares you already own, carries no additional downside risk beyond holding the stock outright, and requires only Level 1 options approval at virtually every broker. But calling it “easy money” is where most retail traders go wrong. Done with discipline and clear rules, covered calls are a legitimate income engine. Done carelessly, they transform a winning stock position into a capped, tax-complicated headache. ...