Options Trading for Beginners: Key Terms, Then a Live Option Chain in Excel
Options trading for beginners: bid and ask, moneyness, ITM and OTM options, how option symbols work and convert between brokers, options on futures, and tracking your first trades in Excel.
- 1Options Trading for Beginners (Management and Tracking)
Five options trading tips for beginners: use a low-commission broker, focus on risk, stick to liquid stocks, avoid complex products, and use limited-risk strategies.
- 2Options for Dummies: With Tools Used by Hedge Fund Managers
Options explained simply: how hedge funds use options to reduce risk, why the VIX matters, common volatility-based strategies, and Excel templates to track them.
- 3What Are Ask vs Bid Options?
The bid is the highest price a buyer will pay for an option; the ask is the lowest price a seller will accept. How the bid-ask spread affects your cost.
- 4How to Determine Option Moneyness?
Option moneyness compares the stock price with the strike: a call is in the money above the strike, a put below it, and at the money when they are equal.
- 5Option Symbols Explained
Understanding option symbols breakdown showing underlying, expiration, type, and strike components
- 6ITM Options: A Strategic Investing Tool
In-the-money options have intrinsic value: calls with strikes below the stock price, puts with strikes above. How ITM options behave, their uses, and risks.
- 7Maximizing Your Profits with Out of Money Call Options
Out-of-the-money calls have strikes above the stock price and no intrinsic value. How they are priced, why many expire worthless, and how to manage risk.
- 8Converting Option Symbols Between Brokers
Convert option symbols between QuoteMedia, Fidelity, Schwab, Yahoo Finance, E*Trade, TradeStation, eSignal, and MetaStock formats in Excel with =OptionSymbolConvert(symbol, from, to).
- 9Exploring the Benefits of Options Analytics
Options analytics measures an option position: value, Greeks, implied volatility, breakevens, and P&L across prices. What each tells you and how to use it for risk.
- 10The Basics of Trading Options on Futures
Options on futures explained: how futures contracts work, how calls and puts on futures are priced and traded, margin, expiration, and the main risks.
- 11Gaining Financial Freedom with Commodity Options
Commodity options give the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a commodity (usually a futures contract) at a set price. How they work, how hedgers use them, and the risks for buyers and sellers.