10 Best Options Trading Courses to Learn Trading Fast

Jul 9, 2024

man finding Options Trading Course

Trey Munson

Option Trading Strategy

Are you looking to learn options trading online? Understanding the right options trading strategy can be key to your success in the market. However, finding the right one can be difficult with so many courses available. But that's where we come in. 

At Digital Dollar Trading, our options trading room offers a unique solution to help you explore the complexities of options trading. With our course, you can learn and do options trading online, gaining the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions in the market.

Table Of Contents

What Is Option Trading?

person on app for trading - Options Trading Course

Options trading is buying and selling options contracts on the market, typically through a public exchange. In finance, options are often the next level of security new investors encounter after their initial entry. As derivatives - securities whose values are based on a separate underlying security or index - options bring an added layer of complexity compared to standard securities. When considering options trading versus trading typical securities, three critical factors come into play:

Multifactorial Pricing and Metrics Tracking

Deciding to dive into options trading involves monitoring several metrics that do not factor into trading other securities. Options pricing is multifaceted, requiring a keen eye and a thorough understanding of the market to navigate its complexities effectively. 

Inherent Leverage and the Magnification of Losses

One vital aspect of options trading is the inherent leverage involved. This means that losses can be as magnified as gains. Understanding this vital aspect can help traders make informed decisions and avoid pitfalls.

Short-Term Nature of Long Options Positions

Trading long options positions is more short-term than long-term. When engaging in options trading, investors are typically looking for a specific event, and holding onto their investment can often lead to a loss of principal rather than an eventual gain. 

Remember that these factors need to be considered when contemplating options trading. It's important to have a good grasp of these elements to navigate the complexities of the options trading realm effectively.

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Options Trading Step-by-Step Guide

man trading new stocks - Options Trading Course

1. Opening an Options Trading Account

Before starting trading options, you must prove you know what you’re doing. Compared with opening a brokerage account for stock trading, opening an options trading account requires larger capital. And, given the complexity of predicting multiple moving parts, brokers need to know a bit more about a potential investor before giving them a permission slip to start trading options. 

Wendy Moyers, a certified financial planner at Chevy Chase Trust in Bethesda, Maryland, says people who know the market well and have time to watch it are better suited to options trading than busy, beginner investors. One way to get some practice trading options is to try a paper trading account. These are free accounts where you can trade with fake money until you have your options-trading strategy down pat.

2. Choosing the Right Options to Buy or Sell

As a refresher, a call option is a contract that gives you the right, but not the obligation, to buy a stock at a predetermined strike price within a certain period. A put option gives you the right, but not the obligation, to sell shares at a stated price before the contract expires. The direction in which you expect the underlying stock to move determines the type of options contract you might take on. If the stock price increases, buy a call option or sell a put option.

If you think the stock price will stay stable, sell a call or put option. If the stock price decreases, buy a put option or sell a call option. Frederick says to think of options like an insurance policy. You don’t get car insurance, hoping you crash your car. You get car insurance because no matter how careful you are, sometimes crashes happen.

3. Prediction of the Option Strike Price

Buying an option remains valuable only if the stock price closes the option’s expiration period “in the money.” That means either above or below the strike price. (For call options, it’s above the strike; for put options, it’s below the strike.) You’ll want to buy an option with a strike price that reflects where you predict the stock will be during the option’s lifetime. You can’t choose just any strike price. 

Option quotes, technically called an option chain or matrix, contain a range of available strike prices. The increments between strike prices are standardized across the industry for example, $1, $2.50, $5, and $10 based on the stock price. The price you pay for an option, called the premium, has two components: intrinsic value and time value. Intrinsic value is the difference between the strike and share prices if the stock price exceeds the strike. 

Time value is whatever is left and factors in how volatile the stock is, the time to expiration, and interest rates, among other elements. For example, suppose you have a $100 call option while the stock costs $110. Let’s assume the option’s premium is $15. The intrinsic value is $10 ($110 minus $100), and the idle time value is $5.

4. Determining the Option Time Frame

Every options contract has an expiration period that indicates the last day you can exercise the option. You can’t just pull a date out of thin air here. Your choices are limited to the ones offered when you call up an option chain. There are two options, American and European, depending on when the options contract can be exercised. Holders of an American option can exercise at any point up to the expiry date, whereas holders of European options can only exercise on the day of expiry. 

Since American options offer more flexibility for the option buyer (and more risk for the option seller), they usually cost more than their European counterparts. Expiration dates can range from days to months to years. Daily and weekly options are the riskiest and are reserved for seasoned option traders. For long-term investors, monthly and yearly expiration dates are preferable. 

Longer expirations give the stock more time to move and time for your investment thesis to play out. As such, the longer the expiration period, the more expensive the option. A longer expiration is also useful because the option can retain time value, even if the stock trades below the strike price. An option’s time value decays as expiration approaches, and buyers don’t want to watch their purchased options decline in value, potentially expiring worthless if the stock finishes below the strike price. If a trade has gone against them, they can sell any remaining time value on the option, which is more likely if the option contract is longer.

Try Digital Dollars Trading Community for Free Today!

Unlock financial freedom through expert options and crypto trading guidance with Digital Dollars Trading. We provide a premier community, mentorship program, and proven strategies to help you master profitable trading. We've helped our students to make upwards of $30,000+ in a single day through our 1-1 mentorship, Exclusive Workshops & VIP Events, Daily trading signals, live calls, and expert tips from Trey. Escape the rat race with Trey and the rest of the Digital Dollars Trading community today. Try it out today!

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10 Best Options Trading Courses You Can Take Online

person happy to take Options Trading Course

1. Digital Dollar Trading

Digital Dollars Trading provides a premier community, mentorship program, and proven strategies to help you master profitable trading. With options trading guidance, exclusive workshops, and daily trading signals, this course can help you escape the rat race.

2. Simpler Trading

Simpler Trading offers comprehensive courses, resources, and tools suitable for all experience levels, making it an excellent choice for those looking to advance their options trading skills.

3. Benzinga Options

Benzinga Options provides high-conviction and profitable options trades with explanations and analyses to help you become an independent trader. This course is perfect for beginners as the trades are easy to follow and implement.

4. Bullish Bears

The Bullish Bears’ Options Trading Course focuses solely on options trading and provides a deep dive into the subject. With out-of-class learning and networking opportunities, this course is perfect for those interested in options trading.

5. Options Strategy (Columbia University)

Columbia Business School offers an Options Plan curriculum for investors and financial professionals looking to improve their knowledge of options as part of a comprehensive investment strategy.

6. Warrior Trading

Warrior Trading stands out for its organized instruction, live training, value-add resources, and close support, making it a top choice for those looking for comprehensive options trading courses.

7. Blackbox

Black Box Stocks offers live and recorded classes, a chat room, trade alerts, and trading tools at an affordable price, making it a great value option for budding options traders.

8. Option Alpha

Option Alpha offers free educational programs and curriculum-based learning for options traders of all levels, focusing on automated trading software tools for advanced learners.

9. The Complete Foundation Stock Trading Course - Udemy

This course covers many stock market topics, including options trading, trading psychology, and money management, making it suitable for beginning and intermediate traders.

10. Investor and Financial Investment education (T.D. Ameritrade)

T.D. Ameritrade offers an immersive curriculum covering trading, personal finance, retirement, and more, making it an excellent resource for those looking to make informed investment choices.

Strategies For Option Trading Profits

woman testing strategy - Options Trading Course

1. Buying a Call

Buying (going long) a call is among the most basic option strategies. It is a low-risk strategy since the maximum loss is restricted to the premium paid to buy the call, while the maximum reward is potentially limitless. However, the odds of the trade being very profitable are typically fairly low. Calculating the potential payoff for a long call involves adding the option's premium (cost) to the strike price. A trader may purchase a $100 strike call with a $1.50 premium, which would become profitable if the underlying stock rises above $101.50 by expiration.

2. Buying a Put

This strategy also involves relatively low risk but a potentially high reward if the trade works out. Buying puts is a viable alternative to the riskier strategy of short-selling the underlying asset, and puts can be bought to hedge downside risk in a portfolio. The long put's payoff is the reverse of a call. For instance, if a $100 strike put has a premium of $1.50, the position would become profitable if the stock falls below $98.50.

3. Writing a Call

Call writing (selling) comes in two forms. Covered and uncovered or naked. Covered call writing is a favorite strategy of intermediate to advanced option traders and is generally used to generate extra income from a portfolio. The risk with this strategy is that the underlying stock might be “called away.” Conversely, in naked call writing, the maximum loss is theoretically unlimited. For example, selling the $100 strike call for $1.50 would result in a profit if the stock remains below $101.50.

4. Writing a Put

Put writing is a favored strategy of advanced options traders, as, in the worst-case scenario, the stock is assigned to the put writer. The risk/reward profile of put writing is less favorable than that of put or call buying. For instance, if the $100 strike put is sold for $1.50, the writer will profit if the stock remains above $98.50.

5. Options Spreads

Traders or investors often combine options using a spread strategy, buying one or more options to sell different options. Spreading will offset the premium paid since the sold option premium will net against the options premium purchased. Spreads can be created in various ways to take advantage of nearly any anticipated price action, offsetting potential profit or loss.

Learn How To Trade Profitably in The Digital Dollars Trading Discord

Digital Dollars Trading offers a comprehensive platform for traders to access expert guidance in options and cryptocurrency trading. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced trader, our community, mentorship program, and proven strategies can help you achieve profitable trading outcomes. With Trey Munson leading the way, our students have made upwards of $30,000 in a single day through our various resources.

One-on-One Mentorship with Experts

Our mentorship program provides one-on-one sessions with trading experts who can guide you through the complexities of options and cryptocurrency trading. The personalized approach ensures you receive tailored advice and strategies to improve your trading skills and maximize profits. With our mentorship program, you can explore the intricacies of the trading landscape and make informed decisions based on expert insights.

Exclusive Workshops and VIP Events

Digital Dollars Trading offers exclusive workshops and VIP events for members to enhance their trading knowledge and skills. These events provide valuable networking opportunities with industry experts and fellow traders, allowing you to deepen your understanding of trading strategies and market trends. Participating in our workshops and events allows you to gain vital insights into options trading and acquire practical knowledge to improve your trading performance.

Daily Trading Signals and Live Calls

Our platform provides daily trading signals and live calls to inform you about market developments and trading opportunities. You can make timely decisions to capitalize on profitable trades and minimize risks by receiving real-time updates and expert insights. Our daily trading signals and live calls are vital resources to help you stay ahead of market fluctuations and make informed choices based on expert advice.

Expert Tips from Trey Munson

As the leader of Digital Dollars Trading, Trey Munson shares his expert tips and strategies to help traders succeed in the options and cryptocurrency markets. With his guidance, you can unlock the potential for lucrative trading opportunities and achieve financial freedom. Trey's insights are invaluable resources that can help you navigate the complexities of trading and make informed decisions based on expert advice. Following Trey's tips, you can start a successful trading journey and achieve your financial goals. With Digital Dollars Trading community today. Try it out today!

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