Huh. Have you applied for a higher level? At Schwab, selling cash-secured puts is "level 1" options access and it's not that hard to get -- I got it with no previous options experience, although I *did* have over 25 years of stock trading experience.
Not yet. Been playing around with selling covered calls on other stocks. Mostly reading about options right now to understand the ins and outs (had to take a break from Elliot Waves, it's really a lot to comprehend so I have to take breathers). So despite my angst, it actually has been working out for us. My wife seems to enjoy getting the extra income for now with selling the covered calls. Fortunately it's in a separate account from our TSLA shares, but she knows those are verboten.
We have applied for a full spectrum of options with another brokerage that we have most of our shares with, and will see what they will provide. Those are where we have our TSLA shares, and would like to sell puts in that account if they grant it. I mentioned buying calls and puts, but my wife keeps saying, why spend money when you can get it instead? Good point (she's a better business person that I can ever hope to be). Wish we had a better understanding of options when we first bought some shares of other companies that are frankly bumping through the bottom (or so I hope). Could have rolled down covered calls on them until they had a temporary up and sold. Too late now.
Thanks also to @Jonathan Hewitt for recommending the Options as a Strategic Investment book! Definitely recommended reading for anyone interested in options, and for anyone interested in investing at all... we would have added options for some trades that we did and got more cash if we did... of course in retrospect now. Now when we plan to sell some stocks we will sell some short term covered calls, and just let the stock be called away at expiration.