Trading Options: A Potentially Good Investment Opportunity
Believe it or not, most experts agree that beginning option traders shouldn't actually trade real options. Instead, spend a few months by trading options on paper. Of course, this is quite different than using real money but it can be a great way to learn option trading.
Once you finish tracking your trades on a piece of paper or with a spreadsheet, then the easiest way to gain more experience is to do trading option and should be on a small scale so you can build your confidence and work on your skill. If you look at buying options under $2 or so, one need not risk ample money at the start of your option tutorial.
If you are just beginning to learn option trading, it can be invaluable to choose a broker who will be able to help you with your orders. Selecting the correct broker is important, since with many discount brokers or online trading companies you must enter most or all of the orders yourself. While choosing to work through such a company may reduce your commission costs, thus boosting your overall returns, it may not be worth the price you may pay by forgoing expert assistance.
However, do not allow whichever broker you choose talk you into a "managed" options account. If you are intent on trading options, then it's best to manage your own money. But this doesn't mean that you should put all of your money into the options market at once. Many traders lose patience and buy into "sure bets" with all of their money, only to see their options waste away and their money disappear.
You should buy both call and put options, and make sure to diversify your funds. Look at the next several months or longer in planning how to spread your purchases over a period of time. You always need to understand in trading options that typically, put options profit when equity prices fall, and call options increase in value when these prices rise.
If you are not able to find a good trade that you feel will offer you a solid risk-reward right now, always keep in mind that there will be more opportunities to choose from in the future. And it is extremely important to be patient and never play with money that you can't afford to lose.
Rather than jumping into trading real stocks, start by spending a few months trading options on paper. This is an excellent option tutorial so you can learn option trading. Although it is definitely not the same thing as using actual money, most experts will tell you that this is the best starting point. You should have an extended plan when it comes to purchasing. Spread your purchases out over several months or longer. Always pay attention to diversification and buy both calls and puts. Most importantly, always practice patience and only play with money that you can safely afford to lose.
Published July 7th, 2008
Filed in Finance
