Find an Online Options Broker, Planning Your Options Trading Strategy

By William Davies

There are a number of issues you need to consider when you are looking for an online options broker to provide you with effective access to forex options on the global markets. Firstly, ask what, if any, is their financial exposure to risky instruments like mortgage derivatives and credit default swaps (CDS). Does the online broker deal with other trade and investment instruments like futures, bonds and stocks, or is it focused solely on forex options?

You will want to have some idea about the size of the company and its operations, and asking about its daily trading volumes, whether it is a million or much more for example, will give you a good idea. A trader considering which online options broker to choose will want to know about how the margin requirements work, whether it operates in real time with the use of automatic limits or with the broker contacting traders at the end of the trading day with a margin call. As options are highly leveraged, what is the required minimum balance?

Some option contracts allow you to exit at any time up to the expiry date while other types of contract must be held to expiry or settlement. So you would need to know what type of options your broker can offer in their online trading platform. There is also the question of cost and whether the online options broker can offer a discount and so lower your trading costs. Under what circumstances would they do this? Do you have to have a premier type account or hold a higher maintenance margin to benefit from a discount?

There can be different types of options in terms of which markets the trader can gain exposure. For example, a plain vanilla options broker offers markets with generally good liquidity and the contract is broadly generic which is traded through the mainstream clearinghouses. Alternatively, there is the exotic options broker who focuses on the smaller, niche markets of minor currencies, which are traded less often and where liquidity is less certain.

When you are deciding which online options broker to select, it is worth checking out the quality and effectiveness of the educational program and support available to clients. As a trader starting out you will find things easier if the firm offers a range of seminar and videos covering the basics of options trading. Find out if the videos offered are designed to let you see the effect of decisions you take in the mock scenario on your trading capital. As well as the educational angle, does the broker give you a report service, newsletters and trade alerts?

You will also want to know what type of trading software the broker provides and how easy it is to use by a relatively inexperienced trader as well as by more seasoned professional traders. When you try out a paper account see how easy it is to follow your trades and to make a decisive decision and act on it through the platform. As for price, you may want to be confident that the online options broker can secure a better price for you than its competitors.

If you can see your trade risk and option price in real time this offers you a great advantage, so try to find software that achieves these capabilities and help you improve your trade performance. It may also pay to see whether the firm offers data covering volatility and other trading measures as well as macroeconomic data like interest rates. Finally, after taking all the above into account you may be in a much better position to choose an online options trader that is right for you. And remember that trading these derivative products means there is a risk of losing your capital. - 23222

About the Author:

William Davies contributes articles for a Commodities Trading website, giving an informational guide for those wanting to learn more about commodities, futures and options. Find an appropriate online options broker for your trading style.