Risk·Long-term investor··3 min read

Interview: the part-time trader who wanted a seatbelt, not a second job

Emily Hart works twelve-hour nursing shifts and owns five stocks. Her first week brought a $3.7M AMD put alert, and she trimmed before the drop. Recorded September 1, 2026.

Emily Hart is a part-time trader and full-time nurse in Columbus, Ohio. She has been using OptionsBell for five months. Recorded September 1, 2026.

How she found OptionsBell

Five months. I work twelve-hour shifts. I can't watch a screen all day. A friend in my trading group mentioned it. I was skeptical - everything in this space is either too expensive or too complicated. I signed up and set alerts on the five stocks I own.

The first week, I got an alert on a $3.7M AMD put at 91x Vol/OI. I checked the position, decided to trim, and two days later the stock dropped. That was enough for me.

Does she use the API?

No. I don't code. I use the email alerts. That's the product for me. But I like that I'm not paying extra for something I don't use.

Unusual Whales charges a separate $150 a month for API access on top of the subscription. FlowAlgo is $149 a month with a paid trial instead of a refund window. OptionsBell is $24.99 and the API is included if I ever want it. I'm not paying for it. But I know it's there.

On the price

$24.99 is less than I spend on coffee in a week. For the peace of mind of knowing when something big hits on my stocks? That's not a hard decision.

And there's a 14-day refund if you hate it. I didn't need it. But it's there. That matters when you're trying something new.

Has it changed how she trades?

I don't feel blind anymore. Before, I'd see a headline and wonder if I should have known. Now I usually do know. The alert is in my inbox before the news hits.

I'm not a professional trader. I don't have time to watch a terminal. OptionsBell gives me the information I need without requiring me to change my life. That's worth twenty-five dollars.

OptionsBell gives me the information I need without requiring me to change my life.

Emily's setup is the simplest one there is: one alert per holding. The diary post three alerts on the 7:42 to work shows what a week of that looks like.