Retail investor: I won't sell long dated puts. What if it dips in the money & I get early assigned?

Me: You know early assignment is a MANUAL thing, right? Someone has to literally call their broker & exercise.
Retail investor: ...wait, it's not automatic?
Me: Not before expiration. & when they exercise early, they torch all the time value left in their own contract. They're lighting their own money on fire.
Retail investor: So it almost never makes sense for them to do it?
Me: That's the key thing... most put buyers don't even own the shares to sell you. They're trading contracts, not shares. They'll just close at a profit instead.
Retail investor: So the thing I've been terrified of basically never happens?
Me: I've had contracts go in the money PLENTY of times in 10 years. Early assigned? Never once. & even if it happened... I'd be buying a great company at a price I already loved.
Don't skip long duration puts over a fear that's mostly imaginary...
Early assignment is rare, manual, & costs THEM money to do.
Sell portfolio secured puts on companies you'd love to own & the fear disappears.