Options trading free

Tune in as professional trader, John F. Carter, analyzes the current action into today's options market. With over 20 years of trading experience, John has been featured on CNBC, CME Group, Bloomberg, Fox Business, Tasty Trade and many more.
John F. Carter — November 7, 2017.
Here are the entries we took on these stocks and where I've got my targets placed. . . . keep reading.
Henry Gambell — November 6, 2017.
It's always good to go back and review your trades to see if they're actually working. Two that we've been covering here have had solid results and there's two more worth considering. . . . keep reading.
Henry Gambell — November 3, 2017.
In Wednesday's free video we laid out a few ideas for AAPL pre-earnings. Let's see how those ideas look, and a few way you can modify the strategy to give you a little more room to the upside with no downside risk. . . . keep reading.
Henry Gambell — November 2, 2017.
FB reported earnings after the close today, and despite solid numbers, traded down after the report. When you find a bullish stock that is technically extended, this can be a great way to look at trading their earnings. . . . keep reading.
John F. Carter — November 1, 2017.
We are doing this exact same trade again. . . . keep reading.
Henry Gambell — October 31, 2017.
I love trading earnings, but there's something to be said for a straightforward swing setup. Let's look at one of my favorites in tonight's free video. . . . keep reading.
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U. S. Government Required Disclaimer - Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Futures and options trading has large potential rewards, but also large potential risk. You must be aware of the risks and be willing to accept them in order to invest in the futures and options markets. Don't trade with money you can't afford to lose. This website is neither a solicitation nor an offer to Buy/Sell futures or options. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those discussed on this website. The past performance of any trading system or methodology is not necessarily indicative of future results.
CFTC RULE 4.41 - HYPOTHETICAL OR SIMULATED PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS. UNLIKE AN ACTUAL PERFORMANCE RECORD, SIMULATED RESULTS DO NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL TRADING. ALSO, SINCE THE TRADES HAVE NOT BEEN EXECUTED, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE UNDER-OR-OVER COMPENSATED FOR THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF CERTAIN MARKET FACTORS, SUCH AS LACK OF LIQUIDITY, SIMULATED TRADING PROGRAMS IN GENERAL ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFIT OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN.
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Options are not suitable for all investors as the special risks inherent to options trading my expose investors to potentially rapid and substantial losses. Options trading in a tastyworks account is subject to tastyworksâ?? review and approval. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before investing in options.

12 Specific Options Trading Courses Designed to Get You From Beginner to Professional.
Learning with Option Alpha for only 30 minutes a day can teach you the skills needed to generate the income you’ve been dreaming about.
20 Video Lessons.
Options Basics.
Whether you are a completely new trader or an experienced trader, you'll still need to master the basics. The goal of this section is to help lay the groundwork for your education with some simple, yet important lessons surrounding options.
12 Video Lessons.
Bullish Strategies.
If the market is heading higher we'll show you how to create specific strategies that profit from up trending markets including low IV strategies like calendars, diagonals, covered calls and direction debit spreads.
11 Video Lessons.
Options Expiration.
Whether you are a completely new trader or an experienced trader, you'll still need to master the basics. The goal of this section is to help lay the groundwork for your education with some simple, yet important lessons surrounding options.
14 Video Lessons.
Professional Trading.
Mindset is everything. The business of trading full-time or professionally only requires 2 things; being consistent and persistent. In this bonus section we'll show you what it takes to make options trading an income machine.
26 Video Lessons.
Entries & Exits.
Teaching you the different option order types so that you can properly execute smarter option trades each day including market, limit and stop orders while highlighting some key tactics and tips you can use today.
7 Video Lessons.
Neutral Strategies.
You'll learn to love sideways markets because of the opportunity to build non-directional strategies that profit if the stock goes up, down or nowhere at all. This is how you learn make money trading in any market.
10 Video Lessons.
Earnings Trades.
When companies announce earnings each quarter we get a one-time volatility crush. And while most traders try to profit from a big move in either direction, you'll learn why selling options short-term is the best way to go.
27 Video Lessons.
Real Case Studies.
Detailed look at some of our best trades broken down by date, time, price so you can follow along step by step and learn in the process. Everything from multiple iron condor adjustments to calendar rolls and earnings hedges.
16 Video Lessons.
Portfolio Management.
When I say "portfolio risk management" some people automatically assume you need a Masters from MIT to understand the concept and strategies - that is NOT the case. But you do need to use simple checks and balances.
13 Video Lessons.
Bearish Strategies.
Declining markets and higher IV gives traders like us an amazing opportunity to sell expensive options that decay in value. We'll cover our favorite strategies to profit even when stocks are falling like iron condors, strangles, etc.
12 Video Lessons.
Pricing & Volatility.
A complete and full understanding of how options are priced and where we get our "edge" as options traders using IV percentile. This section includes mastering implied volatility and premium pricing for specific strategies.
15 Video Lessons.
Trade Adjustments.
What happens when a trade goes bad? Do you roll out to the next month, move your strike prices, add/remove one side or do nothing at all? We'll give you concrete examples of how you can hedge different options strategies.
"Looking for the rare breed of a service provider who under-promises and over-delivers? Well, you've found it here with Kirk and team. Actually, I need to amend that. Option Alpha promises big things and then delivers."
"If you are even marginally interested in options, you have to checkout OptionAlpha. Great site and video content. Very well done!"
"I subscribed to Option Alpha just 6 weeks ago and it's litterally plug and play training . I just wish I could get back all those wasted hours trying to do this myself before I found you guys."
- Dennis Ganster (Michigan)
"This is awesome and simply to the point ! I stumbled onto the Option Alpha website earlier at work and came home dove right in. The training is incredible and easy to follow for someone like me. Thank god I found you!"
- Ramon Alvarez (Los Angeles)
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The Options & Futures Guide.
Learn option trading and you can profit from any market condition. Understand how to trade the options market using the wide range of option strategies.
Discover new trading opportunities and the various ways of diversifying your investment portfolio with commodity and financial futures.
To help you along in your path towards understanding the complex world of financial derivatives, we offer a comprehensive futures and options trading education resource that includes detailed tutorials, tips and advice right here at The Options Guide .
Profit graphs are visual representations of the possible outcomes of options strategies. Profit or loss are graphed on the vertical axis while the underlying stock price on expiration date is graphed on the horizontal axis.
Option Basics:
Before you begin trading options, you should know what exactly is a stock option and understand the two basic types of option contracts - puts and calls. Learn how they work and how to trade them for profits. [Read more. ]
Binary Option Basics:
Binary option trading is quickly gaining popularity since their introduction in 2008. Check out our complete guide to trading binary options. [Read more. ]
Beginner Strategy:
The covered call is a popular option trading strategy that enables a stockholder to earn additional income by selling calls against a holding of his stock. [Read more. ]
Stock Option Advice:
Buying straddles is a great way to play earnings. Many a times, stock price gap up or down following the quarterly earnings report but often, the direction of the movement can be unpredictable. For instance, a sell off can occur even though the earnings report is good if investors had expected great results. [Read more. ]
Stock Option Trading Basics:
For the short to medium term investor, stock option investing provide an additional suite of investment options to let him make better use of his investment capital. [Read more. ]
Advanced Concepts:
When trading options, you will come across the use of certain greek alphabets such as delta or gamma when describing risks associated with various options positions. They are known as "the greeks". [Read more. ]
Option Trading Advice:
Many options traders tend to overlook the effects of commission charges on their overall profit or loss. It's easy to forget about the lowly $15 commission fee when every profitable trade nets you $500 or more. Heck, it's only 3% right. [Read more. ]
Stock Options Advice:
Cash dividends issued by stocks have big impact on their option prices. This is because the underlying stock price is expected to drop by the dividend amount on the ex-dividend date. [Read more. ]
Advanced Concepts:
Learn about the put call ratio, the way it is derived and how it can be used as a contrarian indicator. [Read more. ]
Advanced Concepts:
Another way to play the futures market is via options on futures. Using options to trade futures offer additional leverage and open up more trading opportunities for the seasoned trader. [Read more. ]
Stock Option Advice:
Day trading options can be a successful, profitable strategy but there are a couple of things you need to know before you use start using options for day trading. [Read more. ]
Stock Options Tutorial:
If you are very bullish on a particular stock for the long term and is looking to purchase the stock but feels that it is slightly overvalued at the moment, then you may want to consider writing put options on the stock as a means to acquire it at a discount. [Read more. ]
Stock Options Advice:
To achieve higher returns in the stock market, besides doing more homework on the companies you wish to buy, it is often necessary to take on higher risk. A most common way to do that is to buy stocks on margin. [Read more. ]
Stock Option Tutorial:
Some stocks pay generous dividends every quarter. You qualify for the dividend if you are holding on the shares before the ex-dividend date. [Read more. ]
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Options Basics.
Futures Basics.
Bullish Strategies.
Bearish Strategies.
Neutral Strategies.
Synthetic Positions.
Options Arbitrage.
Risk Warning: Stocks, futures and binary options trading discussed on this website can be considered High-Risk Trading Operations and their execution can be very risky and may result in significant losses or even in a total loss of all funds on your account. You should not risk more than you afford to lose. Before deciding to trade, you need to ensure that you understand the risks involved taking into account your investment objectives and level of experience. Information on this website is provided strictly for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a trading recommendation service. TheOptionsGuide shall not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
The financial products offered by the company carry a high level of risk and can result in the loss of all your funds. You should never invest money that you cannot afford to lose.

Best Options Trading Brokers and Platforms.
NerdWallet offers financial tools and advice to help people understand their options and make the best possible decisions. The guidance we offer and info we provide are deeply researched, objective and independent.
We spent over 300 hours reviewing the top online brokers before selecting the best for our readers. And to help you find the one that’s best for you, we’ve highlighted their pros, cons and current offers.
Who is the best options broker today? The answer depends on whom you ask and what they value. For some investors, the best broker for trading options is the one with the cheapest commissions. Others prioritize trading tools, platform design, research, customer service or all of the above.
While most of the brokers on our best-of list below would be a good, all-encompassing choice for many investors, we’ve also highlighted the standout candidates in specific areas that matter most to options traders.
Unsure what you’re looking for? See how to choose an options broker for more on what can make or break an options trading experience.
Summary: Best online stock brokers for options trading.
Best for low-cost.
Best options trading platform.
Best for research and education.
Best overall for options trading.
Our top picks cover all the option trader needs — access to high-quality research, analytical tools, a user-friendly platform — at reasonable prices.
TD Ameritrade and Interactive Brokers earn high marks for options investors for their advanced trading platforms, deep bench of research and tools, plus their high-caliber options trading capabilities.
TD Ameritrade handily serves option traders no matter where they are on the learning curve. The broker’s thinkorswim platform offers a robust options trading experience for active investors seeking professional-grade tools to identify trading opportunities, analyze potential risks and rewards, test trade strategies and quickly place even the most complex options trades.
The broker’s web-based Trade Architect platform is for investors just getting into options or those who don’t require a high-octane platform. Its stripped-down, easy-to-use interface won’t overwhelm newbies. And although Trade Architect isn’t as fully stocked with tools and data as thinkorswim, it’s no slouch, either. Intermediate investors will find advanced features like a market/options heat map, screening and tradefinder tools, and streaming news. Get details in our TD Ameritrade review.
For cost-conscious, active options traders looking for low costs and a platform with a lot more meat on its bones, Interactive Brokers may be more your style. Interactive Brokers charges just 70 cents per contract with no base fee ($1 minimum order), plus discounts for larger volumes, if you can manage the $10,000 account minimum. Its Trader Workstation platform (with an options strategy lab) is considered one of the best and most sophisticated around. But watch other fees to ensure that the lower commissions pay off.
Both brokers allow prospective clients to test-drive the goods without putting any real money on the line. TD Ameritrade offers a paperMoney virtual trading account to test out the thinkorswim platform. At Interactive Brokers, once customers open a real account (which has a $10,000 minimum funding requirement), they can set up a paper trading account that offers them hands-on practice using IB’s Trader Workstation platform and tools.
Best brokers for low-cost options trading.
These brokers offer competitively priced options trading commissions and have eliminated or dramatically capped minimum trading fees.
In early 2017 most of the mainstream online brokers slashed commissions to levels once reserved for their deep-discount peers. That doesn’t mean that they’re the best deal in town for every investor.
For active options traders, eOption earns five stars from NerdWallet for its low options trade commissions. The company charges a fixed $3 base plus 15 cents per contract. Another plus: eOption is known for having some of the lowest margin rates available. Although eOption charges a $50 annual inactivity fee on accounts that have placed fewer than two trades in the past 12 months or have less than $10,000 in credit or debit balances, the minimum trade workaround isn’t onerous, even for infrequent traders.
Charles Schwab’s trade commission of $4.95 base rate plus 65 cents per contract puts it within spitting distance of deep-discount peers. Schwab recently fully took over the old OptionsXpress and incorporated that broker’s options experience into its own platform, with both web-based and mobile functionality.
Commissions aren’t the only costs associated with trading options. Platform, data and other fees can quickly cancel out what you save on commissions. See our full reviews of Charles Schwab and eOption for details on what they offer. For those simply looking for a cheap way to execute options trades, Charles Schwab and eOption get the job done.
Best options trading platforms.
These brokers offer some of the most powerful trading platforms available for a reasonable price.
Judging a broker’s trading platform by the number of features it offers is like buying a car based solely on what you read in the dealer brochure. While all investors have their must-have features, what’s more important is how the platform feels when it’s in their hands.
The trading platforms at Ally Invest and TradeStation offer a wide variety of analytical tools, provide stable and speedy trade execution, and allow investors to customize the tools and design to best suit their needs.
Unlike TradeStation, Ally Invest (formerly TradeKing) is technically a deep discount broker as reflected in its commissions (options traders pay a $4.95 base plus 65 cents per contract with only one base charge per spread), $0 account minimum and free access to research and data. Frequent traders (those who place 30 or more trades per quarter or who carry a balance of $100,000 or more) pay a discounted $3.95 base and 50 cents per contract.
But don’t be fooled by the lower prices: Customers get a lot of platform power for free.
Ally is suitable for newer options investors. The browser-based platform resembles the offerings of its pricier competitors and comes with free options trading tools for screening and advanced charting. Navigation is easy and streamlined. Customers can create a custom dashboard with movable modules with the data and features they want to use. The setup extends to what users see across all devices, including mobile and tablet.
TradeStation is best left to more experienced, tech-savvy investors who want to experience options trading using the same tools as pro traders. The broker provides all the tools needed to design, test-drive, monitor, automate and speedily execute the most complex trades via direct-market access (no pesky middleman to slow down the process). Its OptionsStation Pro platform is fully integrated into TradeStation’s regular trading platform. An added bonus is the broker’s active investor forums, where traders discuss ideas, ask questions and get help.
Access to all of TradeStation’s bells and whistles used to come at a steep $99.95 monthly platform fee for those who didn’t meet account balance or trading activity minimums. But in March 2017 TradeStation eliminated the service fee, lowered its trade commissions for stocks and options and tossed in free real-time market data and free access to its market-monitoring and portfolio-level back-testing tools. Educational tools and platform tutorials are plentiful, which is a plus: Because of the sophisticated nature of the platform, it may require some time to become familiar with all that it offers. See more in our TradeStation review.
Best research and options trading education.
Both offer extensive research and data for free, as well as live classes and webinars for beginning and advanced options traders.
If you’re new to options trading or want to expand your trading strategies, a broker that devotes its resources to research and customer education is a must. Because Schwab and Fidelity each have offices across the country in addition to their online options education libraries, they’re able to offer in-person guidance and free seminars on how to trade options, as well as one-on-one guidance on using the tools each platform offers.
Fidelity’s constantly refreshed library draws from more than 20 providers, including Recognia, Ned Davis, S&P Capital IQ and McLean Capital Management. The full suite is available to customers when they sign into the broker’s web-based platform. And you don’t have to stop digging when you’re away from your computer: Fidelity has a strong mobile app that lets customers access the company’s full suite of research through a mobile browser.
Charles Schwab’s options trading capabilities and lineup of trading data and research got a big boost as the company integrated its purchase of OptionsXpress. In October Schwab re-launched its online platform under the StreetSmart name, with both web-based and mobile functionality, though for now only former OptionsXpress clients have access to the new platform. In the first quarter of 2018, Schwab will begin rolling out the new platform to all clients. While the platform name is changing, Schwab still provides a fully realized suite of offerings for options traders, including trade assessment tools, customizable screeners, access to Schwab analyst options-market commentary, live online webinars and pre-recorded seminars.
Best brokers for beginner options investors.
These brokers provide ideal conditions (educational resources, user-friendly platforms, customer support and low minimums) for investors just learning the options trading ropes.
TD Ameritrade — one of our top overall brokers — ranked highest in this category, too. But since there are many types of beginners with many different preferences, instead of highlighting the category champions we’ve focused on brokers that are excellent candidates in three key areas:
Low minimum opening balance requirements.
Ally Invest, TD Ameritrade, Merrill Edge: If you’re not yet ready to devote a lot of your capital to options trading, you don’t want to tie up much in an account to meet the minimum. Many of the brokers on our list require no money to open an account. However, industry regulations require that traders maintain a $2,000 minimum to trade options.
Strong customer support.
Scottrade and TD Ameritrade: On-call help is particularly handy when starting out. One way to test a broker’s level of service is to contact the company with any questions you have about its option trading offerings before you even open an account. Scottrade is known for its standout customer service and huge physical presence of 500 branches. So is TD Ameritrade, with around-the-clock phone and support and 100 branches where clients can attend seminars and meet with investment associates. At the end of 2017, TD’s acquisition of Scottrade will be complete, increasing each broker’s ability to serve clients.
User-friendly platforms.
Ally, Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade: There’s nothing better than test-driving a broker’s platform before you commit. Check to see if the broker you’re considering offers paper trading (virtual trading on a platform that mimics the real deal) or contact customer service to see if they will set you up with a demo account. As for brokers discussed in this review, Ally Invest’s browser-based platform is intuitive and easy to customize. And both Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade have multiple platforms customers can use to start learning the ropes, then graduate to more sophisticated tools and trades if desired.
Best options trading brokers: summary.
Updated June 30, 2017.
Disclaimer: NerdWallet has entered into referral and advertising arrangements with certain broker-dealers under which we receive compensation (in the form of flat fees per qualifying action) when you click on links to our partner broker-dealers and/or submit an application or get approved for a brokerage account. At times, we may receive incentives (such as an increase in the flat fee) depending on how many users click on links to the broker-dealer and complete a qualifying action.