The Options Industry Council (OIC) announced its seminar schedule for the fall season. Seminars are tailored to meet investors’ knowledge and skill level and focus on options basic, ETFs, intermediate, volatility and advanced topics.
These seminars are free and taught by experienced instructors from the different options exchanges and OIC professionals in a classroom-style setting with the aim of educating investors and financial advisors on the responsible use of options. The seminars run from 6-9 p.m. and advanced registration is required.
The fall schedule will offer a total of 18 seminars from September 19 through November 18 in the following cities; Arlington, VA; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; King of Prussia, PA; Monrovia, CA; New Brunswick, NJ; downtown New York, NY; St. Louis, MO; Santa Clara, CA; and Schaumburg, IL.
Interested parties can obtain a detailed schedule as well as register via OIC’s website: Fall Seminar Schedule or by calling 1-888-OPTIONS (1-888-678-4667).
Course descriptions:
Basic: Getting Started with Options
Focusing on options fundamentals, an options professional will cover essential concepts and terms of options contracts as well as their risk/reward characteristics. Attendees will learn about buying and selling calls and puts, how to work with an expected up or down movement in a stock's price with limited risk, and how to revive a stock already owned that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Options questions will get straightforward answers. A basic knowledge of stocks, and some experience with stock investing, is recommended.
Options on ETFs
This seminar focuses on options on Exchange-Traded Funds, commonly known as ETFs. Attendees will learn the basic characteristics that make up ETFs, how they are traded, benefits and drawbacks, and the differences between asset classes. They will also learn how to use options with ETFs, in-the-money and out-of-the-money scenarios, and the risks/rewards for various ETF-based strategies. A knowledge of stocks and experience with stock or index investing would be beneficial prior to attending this seminar.
Intermediate: Managing Your Portfolio with Options
Extending beyond the fundamentals of buying or selling calls and puts, the instructor will explore the world of spread strategies including vertical spreads and time spreads. This class will demonstrate how truly flexible options are, and how these limited risk spreads might fit into even the most conservative portfolios. Participants will learn about straddles and strangles, and the nature of volatility. They will also learn about ways to repair existing stock positions. An understanding of the basics, as well as limited experience trading options is recommended.
Volatility: Measuring Volatility and Understanding Its Significance
Beginning where the Basic and Intermediate seminars left off, an options professional will cut through the complexities of volatility and clarify any misconceptions about this important topic. Investors will learn how volatility is measured, what that measurement means, and why it is a factor in an option's price. Investors will gain an understanding of implied volatility and its impact on various options strategies. A solid understanding of option fundamentals, comprehension for options pricing, and experience with both buying and selling options is recommended.
Advanced Strategies
This seminar starts with the mechanics of spreads for both calls and puts, then delves into more advanced multi-leg options strategies. Debit and credit spreads and how these building blocks can be employed to construct Butterfly, Iron Butterfly, Condor and Iron Condor strategies will be explained. Associated benefits and risks for each of the strategies will be discussed in detail. This seminar is for experienced traders. An intermediate understanding of options, coupled with practical experience with both option and stock investing, will be necessary to fully benefit and understand the material that will be presented.
