Options Education

Options Education delves into the foundational aspects and mechanisms of options trading, catering to traders and investors seeking to expand their knowledge beyond basic stock trading. These posts aim to demystify the complex world of options and we aim to educate the investor to overcome common misunderstandings.

Seven black dominoes standing in a row on a pale wooden surface, the sixth tipped against its neighbour.

Option Tick Sizes Explained: Why Your Order Doesn’t Show Up in the NBBO (and How to Fix It)

Why your limit order never appears in the NBBO: how option tick sizes work, what penny pilot classes change, and what you can do about it.

Building an Options App? OPRA Fees & Licensing Explained

Wondering how OPRA fees impact your options trading app? This guide breaks down what developers need to know.

The Greek alphabet in white capitals on dark grey, five rows of five, delta and theta among them.

Missing Options Contracts — Why You Can’t Find Them

Understanding the common reasons traders can't find certain missing options contracts. The importance of knowing how options contracts are created and traded.

Wooden blocks lettered S&P 500, each on a taller stack of coins than the last, against a black background.

Complete List of Index Option Tickers

Every index option ticker currently traded on U.S. exchanges — SPX, VIX, RUT and the rest — with the root symbols you need to query a full option chain.

Understanding Differences in Implied Volatility and Greeks Between Broker Platforms

Two platforms, one option, two sets of numbers. See which pricing models, inputs and data sources cause the gap — and how to run the maths yourself.

A dark red tile lettered SPX above SPXW, separated by the word vs, on a red gradient background.

SPX vs SPXW Options — What’s The Difference?

Learn about the all differences in SPX vs SPXW options contracts and determine which contracts are best for you.

A teal tile lettered RUT above RUTW, separated by the word vs, on a teal gradient background.

RUT vs RUTW Options — What’s The Difference?

Learn about the all differences in RUT vs RUTW options contracts and determine which options are best for your trading strategy.

A dark purple tile lettered NDX above NDXP, separated by the word vs, on a purple gradient background.

NDX vs NDXP Options — What’s The Difference?

Learn all about the differences in NDX vs NDXP options contracts and determine which contracts are best for you.

Two labelled cubes: STANDARD OPTIONS, one clear block marked 100; NON-STANDARD OPTIONS, a cluster of odd blocks.

What Are Non-standard Options?

Explore non-standard options: learn how corporate actions like splits change contracts, affect trading strategies, and impact markets.

A diagram splitting the option symbol AAPL251219C00150000 into eight labelled parts: symbol, year, month, day, call or put, front padding, strike price dollars and strike price cents, noting that expiry falls on the third Friday and that the strike price is exactly eight digits, front-padded with zeros

How To Read An Option Symbol — Learn By Example

The best way to understand how to read a U.S. option symbol is with an real life example. Stock Ticker + YYMMDD + C/P + 8 Digit Strike Price.

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