Model-Free Implied Variance

Model

Model-free implied variance (MFIV) represents a method for calculating the market’s expectation of future asset volatility without relying on the restrictive assumptions of specific options pricing models, such as Black-Scholes. This approach typically utilizes a portfolio of options contracts spanning a range of strike prices and expiration dates to derive the implied variance surface. The technique aggregates information embedded in option prices to provide a robust estimate of forward-looking volatility.