« Option Risks | Main | Options Trading Strategies - Part III »

Feb 7
Options Trading - Preparation
If you decide after reading about the risks and the benefits of using options to trade them, what should you do?  I recommend the following.

First, I would read the educational brochure produced by the CBOE (Chicago Board Options Exchange).  It is required reading for any options trader.

Second, I would sign up with one of the online discount brokers.  I use Charles Schwab but there are many good ones. 

Third, pick a stock.  Decide if you are bullish on the stock or bearish on the stock.  If you are  bullish (positive) start to paper trade using the call option pricing available from your online broker.  Do various trades, in the money, at the money, out of the money and far out of the money calls.
If you are bearish (negative) on the stock start to paper trade using the put option pricing.  Do the same thing, buy in the money, at the money, out of the money and far out of the money puts. 

Buy calls or puts in the near month (the next month), out a quarter, six months and if they are available buy a long dated LEAP.

Track the results every day.  Note whether the stock went up or down, the dollar amount and the percentage amount.  Then note the same thing for each of the options you pretended to buy.  Also note whether or not your option has produced a profit (current price of the option minus the premium resulting in a positive number).

When you reach a point where you understand what will happen to the price of your option that day based on the movement of the stock price and you understand which option maturity and strike price is going to produce the best result given your view, you may be ready to trade a simple option strategy.

 Until then, keep trading on paper only.  If you don't do this, tuition to learn how to trade options may be very steep.  You may lose a lot of money.

3 Comments/Trackbacks




I am interested in investing a SMALL amount of money to GET RICH QUICK. (I do not plan to exercise the option).
Should I become a call option buyer?

The CBOE brochure says that the selling price of an option always consists of the sum of two component parts: the option's INTRINSIC VALUE plus its PREMIUM VALUE, but the brochure doesn't explain what either of these values means. Which part of an option's value is defined by its INTRINSIC VALUE? Is that the CASH VALUE? If the stock price is BELOW the strike price, does an option have NO INTRINSIC VALUE just because it is worthless in CASH VALUE? If an option is not EXERCISED at any time, does it retain or represent any value of any kind? Because an option offers its holder the right to exercise it at any time prior to expiration, does the TIME VALUE of an option constitute the same thing as its PREMIUM VALUE? If you add up the INTRINSIC VALUE and the PREMIUM VALUE of an option together, do you get the option's MARKET PRICE? Is the MARKET PRICE the same as an option's MARKET VALUE? If you add up an option's CASH VALUE and TIME VALUE together, do you get the same MARKET PRICE? What about factoring in the value of your HOPES and DREAMS of making it BIG? Where does that come in? Please explain how the strike price of an option affects the option's PREMIUM VALUE. As the TIME VALUE of an option decays, how is the PREMIUM VALUE impacted? Is the PERCENTAGE GAIN on an option's PREMIUM VALUE affected by changes in the PRICE of the underlying stock? Why is it generally more profitable to just sell an option than exercise it? Doesn't an option buyer get an extra day to close out his position by exercising it? In that instance, wouldn't the TIME VALUE of the option be favorably enhanced by exercising it? Is the option's PREMIUM VALUE always included in its selling price? When you close out an options position by selling it, rather than exercising it, is there only one broker commission involved? If you exercise an option rather than sell it, don't you pay multiple commissions (i.e. one to buy the stock from the option seller and another to then sell the stock at the market)?

OPTION STRATEGIES are like combining Night and Day to create COLOR. EACH concept is simple, but completely unrelated and foreign to another. Learning option strategies is much like learning a foreign language. The meaning of one word is unrelated to any other. Yet by itself each word is simple enough to master. If you know enough words, and you get sufficient practice, you may even become fluent enough to fake your way through it.

I believe that for you to get a proper understanding of how to safely make money and limit your risk in options, you should consider attending the Randall Schakner Options Seminars. His teaching guides and lectures have been successful for many years in teaching the impossible: OPTIONS.

Lastly, REAL TIME OPTION PRICES are used to help explain some strategies. Credit is hereby given for RADIO EXCHANGE (tm), an FM RADIO made by Telemet of America. This little jewel gives quotes on options, futures, stocks, indexes, and even news for less than $35 per month. For more information on Radio Exchange, call
1-800-368-2078.

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