With the VIX at 17.95 and trading below its five-day moving average, why does this condition allow all three Iron Condor risk tiers with target credits of 0.70, 1.15, and 1.60? How should traders determine appropriate position sizing for the aggressive tier?

In Russell Clark's SPX Mastery methodology, the VIX Risk Scaling framework serves as the primary gatekeeper for Iron Condor Command entries. When the VIX sits at 17.95 and remains below its five-day moving average of 18.58, the market resides in a contango regime that favors premium collection. This environment signals sufficient stability for all three risk tiers to fire: Conservative targeting a 0.70 credit, Balanced at 1.15, and Aggressive seeking 1.60. The lower VIX level compresses the Expected Daily Range as calculated by the EDR indicator, allowing RSAi to recommend wider strike placements that still deliver the desired credit while maintaining defined risk parameters. Higher VIX readings above 20 trigger a HOLD signal across all tiers because elevated volatility expands the daily price excursion, increasing the probability of the underlying breaching the condor wings before the one-day-to-expiration cycle completes. At current levels, the Contango Indicator displays green, confirming that short-term VIX futures are in normal backwardation-free structure, which supports theta-positive positioning without immediate vega drag. The Conservative tier maintains an approximate 90 percent win rate by harvesting smaller credits in exchange for higher probability, while the Aggressive tier captures larger premiums when conditions align but requires stricter adherence to overall portfolio rules. Position sizing follows a strict maximum of 10 percent of account balance per trade regardless of tier. For the Aggressive tier, many practitioners reduce this further to 5 to 7 percent of total capital to account for the wider wings and slightly lower win probability inherent in chasing the 1.60 credit. This keeps maximum defined risk contained and prevents any single trade from dominating drawdown potential. The ALVH hedge remains active across all tiers, layering short, medium, and long VIX calls in a 4/4/2 ratio per 10 Iron Condor units to offset spike risk without altering the core Set and Forget approach. Theta Time Shift provides the zero-loss recovery path if a position moves against the trader, rolling threatened condors forward to capture vega expansion then back on VWAP pullbacks. All trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. To implement these rules consistently, review the daily 3:10 PM CST signals and explore the full SPX Mastery book series at VixShield resources.