Options trading is one way investors can turn a profit on the stock market, but it’s also one of the lesser-known strategies out there. However, as with any investment strategy, you have to learn the basics before laying down cash. With so much information out there and very little personal experience to go off of, it can be difficult to know which training courses actually provide value.
Below is a list of essential features that are incorporated into options trading training courses that deliver high value beyond just the basics:
Live Training
There’s no better way to learn than by watching experts in action. One online hub that gets this right is Simpler Options. Members are able to watch professional trader John Carter make live trades while he explains the reasoning behind his decisions. It’s an extremely impactful way of showing how concepts are applied in the real world.
Updated Information
Rules and regulations for trading can change at any time depending on how the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) feels. If you’re purchasing an options trading training course that was written a decade or two ago, there’s a good chance it’s outdated. Before signing up, ask when the course was last updated and how often information is reviewed.
Sense of Community
Any good teacher will know that sharing your knowledge helps you retain it. Courses that come with extra benefits, like access to community forums, offer additional value. They give members a way to ask questions, get answers and share advice that they’ve learned through their own experience. There’s also something very reassuring about having the support of other like-minded individuals that are in the same situation as you.
Also, if the community is active and the operators moderate it regularly, that’s a good sign that the course offerings are highly relevant for today’s markets.
Free Information for Your Success
Course providers that offer significant value aren’t afraid to share tidbits of information and news updates outside of the paid materials. The main objective for any good options trading course is that the members are successful in their investments. In the constantly changing stock market, that often means keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s happening now.
If the company or organization really wants you to become successful, rather than simply taking your money, they will provide you with updates that keep you at the top of your game. Look for courses that come with email newsletters, alerts and blog posts.
It’s Future-Proof Because It Teaches Complex Strategies
To begin, a new trader just needs to get the basics down. But if you are active you’ll quickly move beyond the essentials. If that’s all a course teaches you then you’ll quickly max out the value. On the other hand, if the options trading training course takes members through the basics all the way to the complex and new strategies, like pinning or binary option trading, then you can keep expanding your knowledge well into the future.
The Teacher(s) Have Proven Their Trading Abilities
This seems like a no-brainer, but too often good marketing makes people forget to ask who is heading up the training course. Just as in elementary and high school, higher-quality teachers will provide more value to the students. The instructors should have a successful track record in options trading, and they should be able to prove it. Are they well known within the trading community? Have they been guest speakers at big events? Have they published books on the topic? If the answers to these questions are ‘yes’ then you’re almost guaranteed to get your money’s worth.
Options trading can be very lucrative if you know what you’re doing. Before signing up for an options trading training course, take a look at the free resources they offer. This will give you a good idea of what can be expected once you pay to play.