Trading Options For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)) (Paperback)

by George A. Fontanills (Author)
Key Phrases: technical analysis, short puts, stock purchase price, Evaluating Markets, Targeting Sectors, Know About Options (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Thinking of trading options, but not sure where to start? Trading Options For Dummies starts you from the beginning with clear, step-by-step advice on how to use top option strategies to reduce your risk while boosting your income and enlarging your retirement portfolio with index, equity, and ETF options.

This plain-English guide explains the common types of options and helps you choose the right ones for your investing needs. You find out how to weigh option costs and benefits, combine options to reduce risk, and build a strategy that allows you to gain no matter what the market may bring. You’ll learn the basics of market and sector analysis and what to look for when trying out a new option strategy. You’ll also find what you need to know about options contract specifications and mechanics. Discover how to:

• Understand option contracts and orders
• Determine and manage your risk
• Guard your assets using options
• Trade options on securities exchanges
• Protect your rights and satisfy your contract obligations
• Target sectors using technical analysis
• Minimize potential losses and optimize rewards
• Map out your plan of attack
• Limit your downside when trading the trend
• Combine options to limit your position risk
• Benefit from exchange traded funds
• Key in on volatility for trading opportunities
• Capitalize on sideways movements

Trading options is serious business. Trading Options For Dummies gives you the expert help you need to succeed.

From the Back Cover
Features top option strategies that reduce your risk

Navigate options markets and bring in the profits

Thinking about trading options? This plain-English guide explains the common types of options and helps you choose the right ones for your investing needs. You'll see how to weigh option costs and benefits, combine options to reduce risk, and build a strategy that allows you to gain no matter the market conditions.

Discover how to:

• Understand option contracts and orders

• Know and manage your risk

• Use technical analysis

• Guard your assets with options

• Minimize potential losses

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (March 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470241764
• ISBN-13: 978-0470241769
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,574 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Insurance > Risk Management
  #57 in	Books > Business & Investing > Investing > Options
  #86 in	Books > Business & Investing > Investing > Futures

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for wrapping up loose ends, July 18, 2008

By	C. Chiang (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What this book lacks in detail, it makes in subject completeness.

There are dozens and dozens of great websites out there describing options and trading strategies in far better depth and completeness than this book. So, if you're looking for complex spreads or techniques, this book will not satisfy you.

However, online searches are so saturated in trading strategies that it's actually difficult to become aware of real world transactional details (like, "who are the market makers? how does assignment work?"). this book nicely wraps up those "loose ends" that are hardly ever mentioned on your favorite search engine.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars May be your first book on Options, December 2, 2008

By	Maxim Masiutin (Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book assumes that the reader already have familiarity with stocks, and would like to move further, to options. The author doesn't take into account the fundamental analysis of the underlying security, however, there is a chapter about the technical analysis. In my point of view, it is a drawback: a reader already familiar with the stock market may be aware of the technical analysis, so either both technical and fundamental need to be covered or none.

The book covers three types of options: stock options, index options, and ETF options. There is a separate chapter devoted to ETFs, but a reader already familiar with a stock market will get no benefit from this chapter.

The book is printed with quite a large font have quite much space around the text, so it is quick to read. This may be a good introductory book to options. It is pretty basic and easy to understand, however, it fails to address an important technique of selling puts as a way of buying the underlying security. Warren Buffett obtains most of his stock holdings through selling puts. He got most of his Coca-Cola Holdings this way, and, recently, Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

If you need a much deeper book on options, I would recommend "The Options Course" by the same author. It doesn't have the drawbacks above mentioned, very friendly and easy to understand, although it is a much lengthier read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Should be called "Completely Useless Trading Options Book for Dummies", March 15, 2009

By	R. Allaire "Rainman45" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

OK...any time I see a book with "For Dummies" in the title, I assume it is a "Beginner's" book. This author clearly wrote a different book. While the information in this book is probably accurate and useful to those with options experience, it is absolutely useless to anyone with no experience.
I admit it...I'm a "Dummy"...who was looking for a book that would walk me through the basics. You know, "square one" kinda stuff. With that in mind, I purchased this book. After all, that's what the title suggests...right?
So, my suggestion to anyone who is looking for a real beginner's book on options is to stay clear of this one. It's a complete loser as it fails miserably in delivering what the title promises.
It may be a great book for those with experience...but, what would I know ? Like I said, I'm a "Dummy".
Bottom line...don't waste your money.