The Rookie's Guide to Options provides a thorough options education for the individual investor, and provides everything you need to know to begin trading options successfully.

                     .Covered call writing
                     .Collars
                     .Cash-secured naked put writing
                     .Put credit spreads
                     .Iron condors
                     .Double diagonals

These methods are used by both individual and professional traders, including hedge funds managers.

One of the strategies taught is the use of iron condors, a method that's currently very popular among professional advisors and hedge funds. You can easily find managers eager to take your money to apply this single srategy, allowing them to charge high fees (20% of the profits plus a 2% management fee). You'll learn how adopt this strategy on your own and save those fees.

The common denominator among these six strategies is that are all used to increase trading profits while reducing the risk of being invested in the stock market. These methods are less risky than simply buying and holding a portfolio of stocks or mutual funds.

Does this all sound too good to be true? It's not.

But, there's a tradeoff. In return for limiting risk you must also be willing to accept that there's a limit on potential profits. But, the profit potential is sufficient to satisfy most investors. The peace of mind that comes with limited losses makes this tradeoff worthwhile.

Throughout the book, I stress the importance of managing risk, and thus, limiting losses. I'm not referring to anything like stop-loss orders. No. You'll learn to use options and money management skills to make good money when all is going well and to keep losses small when they are not.

Here's what I consider to be the basic truth about trading options:

These methods are not for every investor. But, if you are seeking long-term capital appreciation, if you recognize the importance of protecting your holdings against a market debacle, if you are ready to add options to your arsenal of investing tools, then The Rookie's Guide to Options: The Beginner's Handbook of Trading Equity Options was written for you.

This book shows you to think as a successful, experienced trader thinks. For example:

                     .There is never a single 'best' option (or spread) that suits every investor.
                     .Trade options that suit your investment style and tolerance for risk; remain within your comfort zone.
                     .Learn how to adjust a position to reduce risk, when necessary.
                     .How to buy portfolio insurance - before it's needed.

We don't teach you how to use a strategy and then leave you stranded to figure out what to do next. The Rookie's Guide to Options shows you how to think about a position. How to make the initial trade, how to manage risk, and how to close a position.

If you trade index options rather than options on individual stocks, The Rookie's Guide to Options explains the crucial characteristics of these European style options that makes them very different from the more common American style options. We'll show you the simple step you can take to eliminate the extra risk associated with trading index options.