Options Trading Strategies

Options trading is an investing strategy that allows investors to trade underlying assets like stocks, bonds, currencies, and commodities. The strategy can

Options TradingMar 12, 202688 min read
Options Trading Strategies

Learn Options Trading Strategies

Option Trading Question and Answers

  • Open an options trading account You must first establish your competence before you can begin trading options. Creating an options trading account demands more funds than opening a brokerage account for stock trading. 
  • Decide which options to purchase or sell  To review, a call option is a contract that grants you the right, but not the responsibility, to purchase a stock at a certain price within a specified time frame (referred to as the striking price). The right to sell shares at a certain price before the contract’s expiration is provided by a put option, but it does not obligate you.
  • Ascertain the option strike price. An option is only still useful after it has been purchased if the stock price ends the option’s expiration period “in the money.” In other words, either higher or lower than the strike price. (It is above the strike for call options and below the strike for put options.) You should purchase an option with a strike price that corresponds to where you think the stock will be at the end of the option’s term. 
  • Establish the option’s time frame  Each options contract has an expiration period, which designates the final day on which the option may be exercised. When you call up an option chain, the options available are your only options.
  • Select “Account.” On the desktop version’s home screen, you’ll see an “Account” link after you log into your Robinhood brokerage account. On a mobile device, tap the head-and-shoulders icon in the lower right corner of the screen to reach the account section. 
  • Select “Settings.” On the desktop version, there are a link labeled settings at the bottom of the Account drop-down menu. You must select the settings option for mobile by clicking the three horizontal bars in the top right corner of your screen. 
  • Determine whether there are any options. Your account must be somewhat active, and you must have shown that you have some trading experience to trade options on Robinhood. If you qualify for options, a link labeled “Options Trading” will appear at the bottom of the menu on the left side of your desktop or mobile device, respectively. Go to this link.
  • Click “Enable.” Click “Enable” if choices are present on your account. You can be questioned on several topics to confirm your day trading experience. If yes, respond to the inquiries to finish your request.
  • Conducting in
  • depth research.
  • Spotting opportunities.
  • Putting up the ideal trade.
  • Developing and adhering to a strategy.
  • Creating goals.
  • Developing an exit strategy.
  • They might offer better cost-effectiveness. 
  • They might carry less risk than stocks.
  • They could result in larger percentage returns. 
  • They provide a variety of tactical options.
  1.  Option Volatility & Pricing: Advanced Trading Strategies and Techniques (Second Edition) by Sheldon Natenberg 
  2. The Options Playbook (Expanded Second Edition) by Brian Overby 
  3. Options as a Strategic Investment (Fifth Edition) by Lawrence G. McMillan 
  4. Trading Options For Dummies by (Fourth Edition) Joe Duarte 
  5. Options Trading: The Bible (4-in-1) by Carl J. Merrill
  6. The Option Trader Handbook (Second Edition): Strategies and Trade Adjustments by George Jabbour and Philip Budwick 
  7. The 3 Best Option Trading Strategies for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide by Freeman Publications
  8. Trading Option Greeks (Second Edition): How Time, Volatility, and Other Pricing Factors Drive Profits by Dan Passarelli 
  9. Understanding Options (Second Edition) by Michael Sincere 
  10. The Annual $25,000 Options Trading Challenge (Second Edition) by Nishant Pant
  •  Identify stocks that are unlikely to trade over the strike price. The underlying stock must not go above the option’s strike price for you to make the most money (premium) from the contracts you create. Writing options on equities that are unlikely to change or that will move in your favor is the ideal strategy here. For instance, you want to write a put option if you think a stock will increase in value or remain stable. You will write a call option if you believe a stock will decline or remain stable. If you are right, the option will expire worthlessly, and the premium paid to you will be yours to keep. 
  • Write options outside the underlying stock’s current market price. The options you write that expire worthlessly are what provide consistent returns. When writing puts, choose a strike price below the stock’s current market price to improve your chances of success. The strike price of a call option should be higher than the underlying stock’s current market value when writing one. 
  • When drafting call options, safeguard yourself if the option’s strike price is surpassed. You may experience losses and the potential duty to deliver shares to the option buyer if the stock reaches or surpasses the strike price. A “covered call” is a way to protect yourself by purchasing an equivalent quantity of shares for each call option you write. You can sell the shares and keep the premium if the price falls. In the event of a price increase, you have two options: hold the stock and exercise the option, or keep the premium and allow the stock to be called away. Writing covered calls on stocks you already own is one tactic. As long as you still possess the stock, you can do this repeatedly as each option you write expires.

Options Trading Books

  • Options as a Strategic Investment by Lawrence G. McMillan
  • Option Volatility and Pricing by Sheldon Natenberg
  • The Option Trader's Hedge Fund by Mark Sebastian, Dennis A. Chen
  • Fundamentals of Futures and Options Markets by John Hull
  • Options Trading Crash Course by Frank Richmond
  • The Options Playbook by Brian Overby
Binary Options Trading - Options Trading study guide

Best Stocks for Options Trading 2025

  • SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
  • Apple (AAPL)
  • Tesla (TSLA)
  • Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)
  • iShares Russell 2000 (IWM)

Risk Management Options Trading

  1. Set limits in place and stick to them.
  2. Manage your trades.
  3. Estimating expected profit.
  4. Know the market trend.
  5. Adopt the one percent rule.

Options Trading vs Forex

Options Trading Books - Options Trading