Explore 10 essential options strategies every investor should know, from basic calls and puts to advanced spreads, risks, rewards, and real-world use cases explained.

Vice President of Growth & Engagement at CBS News and Stations Jennifer Earl is the Vice President of Growth & Engagement at CBS News and Stations. Jennifer has previously written for outlets ...

A put option is a financial contract that provides an investor the right (but not obligation) to sell a stock at a designated price prior to an expiration date. Learn more about put options and how ...

Paid non-client promotion: Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our ...

Paid non-client promotion: Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our ...

Selling puts is an oft-overlooked option trade that can pair well with long-term investing strategies under certain circumstances. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our ...

The call vs. put distinction can be confusing to options-trading beginners. Here’s what you need to know about the difference between puts and calls. Many, or all, of the products featured on this ...

Put options are a type of option that increases in value as a stock falls. A put allows the owner to lock in a predetermined price to sell a specific stock, while put sellers agree to buy the stock at ...

Traders buy a put option to increase profit from a stock’s decline. One option is referred to as a contract, and it represents 100 shares of the underlying stock. Read on to learn about put options ...

Buying and selling stocks can be replaced with option writing. This strategy applies only to certain companies with specific criteria. Whether the options are written in the money or out of the money ...

Learning how to trade options helps expand your trading choices. It’s a powerful tool you can use to speculate on and hedge against market moves. But how do you know which strategy to use in a certain ...

The options calculator below can help you with both call and put options. Feel free to test out some examples to find an option’s theoretical price. Then below the options profit calculator, you can ...