How To Get Started With Options Trading

By Author: Jamie Hanson
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Options trading is one of those things that we hear a lot about but most people don't get into it because they aren't sure how to get started. Anything to do with stocks and trading tends to scare people off. However, if you are interested in making some money, this is a good way to do it and you can ease into things so you aren't going to lose thousands of money if you mess up.

Step One

The first step in options trading is to learn. Read everything you can and educated yourself before you even start looking at options. There's a lot of information available online, so spend a week or two just learning as much as you can. This will ensure that you get the basics down. You need to understand how options trading works in theory before you jump in or you will lose a lot of money.

In addition to articles, you'll find that there are videos and sample trades available, too. Study these to see exactly how it's done and then familiarize yourself with the trading sites so you will know where to go and what to do when you're ready.

Step Two

Now that you have a good book knowledge of how things work, ...
... it's time to sit down and test the waters. Pick something simple and make your first trade. As soon as you start to apply the things you've learned from reading and watching videos, it will make a lot more sense.

If you're very cautious, you might want to subscribe to someone who is successful and follow their advice on which options to choose and which type of trade to begin with. There are people who happily share their tips and can give you a little help getting started.

Step Three

Once you have the basics down, you can move on to slightly more advanced techniques. Keep in mind that most of these are also riskier, so be careful. If you don't have a lot of money to burn, consider keeping most of it in a more secure option and then using just 10-15% for your riskier endeavors. Anything you earn from this can then be turned around and reinvested.

After you've started trading more regularly, it's more a question of experience. You can read all you want and pick up new techniques and methods, but the truth is that your best methods will come from experience and experimenting. What works well for someone else might not be so great for you. It really depends on the person, so don't feel bad if one method isn't suited to you.

Step Four

Rinse and repeat. Now that you have experience under your belt, you can repeat your successes. Keep a record of all your trades so you can learn from them. You should stay on top of the news in options trading and continue to learn as you go. There's always more information out there, but as you get better at trading options, you'll find that it's harder to find new information.

Many traders enjoy hanging out on forums and sharing tips and ideas and successes with others. There could be quite a few tips that you can pick out there, not to mention making some great contacts. This works for beginners, as well, since there are a lot of people more than willing to answer questions and offer a little help to those new to the trading arena.

Options trading can be quite rewarding, though it does carry risks. Take the time to learn what you need to first and then go ahead and test the waters. With repeated practice and testing, you'll eventually come up with a strategy that works best for you. Then it's just a matter of repeating it.

Ready to get started in options trading? You'll find everything you need to know at 1 Option.