CLF popping for some reason.  

$10K/Nicha – Did I?  I don't see why, we have the $25KP and that would essentially be the same thing as we trade it without using margin.  We have a "Smart Portfolio Management" series that talks about allocating $10K but that's because it's generally the same strategy from there until you get to $100K (where we have another allocation/strategy article), then you shift to that and then that's about the same until you hit $1M (and then we have an article for that too).

With $10K, I'd say ABX, CLF, USO and DBA are your friends this year – all so cheap with the possibility of a nice pop.  

ABX we talked about in the weekend post.  You can buy 5 2017 $10/15 bull call spread for $1.50 ($1,500) and sell 2 $10 puts for $2.25 ($550) and that's net $950 with a potential $5,000 return at $15 (up 426%) and the obligation is to own 200 shares of ABX at $10 ($2,000) + the potential loss of the $950 in cash.   

• CLF 2017 $8 puts can be sold for $4.20 so net $3.80 with the stock at $6.70 is a good deal and you can sell 5 to commit to owning $1,900 worth and put $2,100 in your pocket so 110% upside in two years is pretty good for 20% of a portfolio.  
• USO at $20.90 with oil at $55.25 means oil at $65 should pop USO about 20% to $25 and the 2017 $17/26 bull call spread is $4 with a potential return of $9 (125%) if oil works it's way back to about $70 (allowing for decay in the ETF) by Jan 2017 so risking $2,000 on 5 of those spreads can return $4,500 over two years.  

• DBA is also too expensive to sell puts on in a $10,000 portfolio but, at $25.32, it's too cheap not to play so the 2016 $24/27 spread at $1.40 is a great place to buy 10 for $1,400 and hopefully get $3,000 back (up 114%) in a year if DBA is over $27.  

Notice all of these $10K trades ideas are "Set and Forget" trades because the most important thing you should do with a $10,000 portfolio is STOP WATCHING THE MARKETS AND GO EARN SOME MORE MONEY!!!