The most basic aspect of trading is learning to differentiate between what is FACTUAL and what is OPINION. If you stay interested in the financial markets long enough you will discover that there are a lot of sharks out there who have become expert at making that task very difficult.
Several subscribers of this newsletter have contacted me over the last few weeks asking for my opinion of certain promoters who also advocate Options Trading Strategies. I make it a point to not comment on other services. However, without mentioning any names I feel that it is necessary to inform you of some of the most common and deceptive practices used by some promoters.
One of the great appeals to Options trading is that there are so many possibilities and trading strategies that can be used to manage risk. However, most services when promoting options like to demonstrate the tremendous REWARDS that are achievable. Although tremendous gain is possible, options are considered speculative instruments and potentially very risky in untrained hands. Since an Option gives the owner the right to buy or sell something for a specific period of time the OPTION is considered to be a deteriorating asset. Since all options have an expiration date, if all things are considered equal, the closer you get to that expiration date the less that the option will be worth.
There is an abundance of literature available on OPTIONS written primarily for locating and marketing to the GREEDY INVESTOR. One promoter who charges over $3,500 for his seminars on Options Education touts that investors in his seminars earn returns in excess of several thousand percent per year! He provides and documents several real time examples and shows how some traders made a 12,000% annualized return. (Just in case you thought that was a typo that is twelve thousand percent!)
My statistics teacher in college used to say that "The figures don't lie, but liars figure." Listen Up....because if you don't learn how to read the fine print that these deceitful promoters espouse you too will make those types of returns but probably won't be able to pay your rent!
Most traders enter into the financial markets seeking that ONE home run trade that will permit them to check out of the rat race. Knowing this FACT deceitful promoters arm themselves with examples that will lead you right into their arms. Here is a common example of their con in action:
Let's say that you purchased an OPTION at $1 per share. On that very same day the market moved in your direction and you were capable of selling that option at $1.50 per share. Since Option contracts are all standardized sizes of 100 shares your net profit before commissions would be $50. You also would have established a profit of 50%. This is a great return considering that most money managers earn 15% a year!
To determine your Return on Investment you only need to divide your net profit by your initial investment.
