Select to viewMenu in a popup windowBack to Options Education Hub Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. [+] Show details and the options disclosure document. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Certain requirements must be met to trade options. Before engaging in the purchase or sale of options, investors should understand the nature of and extent of their rights and obligations and be aware of the risks involved in investing with options. Please read the options disclosure document titled "Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (PDF)" before considering any option transaction. You may also call the Investment Center at 877.653.4732 for a copy. A separate client agreement is needed. Multi-leg option orders are charged one base commission per order, plus a per-contract charge. The maximum loss, gain and breakeven of any options strategy only remains as defined so long as the strategy contains all original positions. Trading, rolling, assignment, or exercise of any portion of the strategy will result in a new maximum loss, gain and breakeven calculation, which will be materially different from the calculation when the strategy remains intact with all of the contemplated legs or positions. This is applicable to all options strategies inclusive of long options, short options and spreads. To learn more about Merrill's uncovered option handling practices, view Naked Option Stress Analysis (NOSA) (PDF). Early assignment risk is always present for option writers (specific to American-style options only). Early assignment risk may be amplified in the event a call writer is short an option during the period the underlying security has an ex-dividend date. This is referred to as dividend risk. Long options are exercised and short options are assigned. Note that American-style options can be assigned/exercised at any time through the day of expiration without prior notice. Options can be assigned/exercised after market close on expiration day. View specific Merrill Option Exercise & Assignment Practices (PDF). Supporting documentation for any claims, comparison, recommendations, statistics, or other technical data, will be supplied upon request. A zero days to expiration option (0DTE) is an option that no longer trades after the conclusion of the current trading day. Every option issued will reach the zero days to expiration mark. Therefore, every option will be considered a 0DTE for one day. The 0DTE term is primarily used when discussing SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust), SPX (S&P 500 Index), NDX (Nasdaq 100 Index), and QQQ (Invesco QQQ ETF Trust Series I) options. Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE) began offering options that expire on Tuesdays and Thursdays in 2022 on SPY, SPX, NDX, and QQQ. By offering options that expire on Tuesday and Thursday, these two indices and two ETFs now have options that expire every trading day of the week. These securities offer expirations that cover every trading day and have the most 0DTE volume. There are differences you should be cognizant of when making a decision to trade SPX and/or NDX options vs trading SPY and/or QQQ options. Also, some option strategies may not be available when trading index options. For example, an investor cannot write a covered call on SPX since SPX does not have shares to 'cover' the option. For purposes of all the computations discussed in this article, commissions, fees and margin interest and taxes, have not been included in the examples. These costs obviously will impact the outcome of any stock or option transaction. Any strategies discussed, including examples using actual securities and price data, are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes only and are not to be construed as an endorsem*nt, recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell securities. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Select to close menu× What is an Option? What are the Benefits and Risks? Options Pricing Leverage and Risk Exercising Options The Option Chain Equity Option Basics Equity Index Options LEAPS® - Options for the Long Term LEAPS® Pricing Adjusted OptionsTime Erosion vs. Delta EffectZero Days to Expiration Option (0DTE)Option Trading in IRAs and Other Tax Advantaged Accounts Delta Theta Gamma Vega Rho Previous slide of 3❮ Next slide of 3❯ Slide 1 of 3 Slide 2 of 3 Slide 3 of 3 Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Certain requirements must be met to trade options. Before engaging in the purchase or sale of options, investors should understand the nature of and extent of their rights and obligations and be aware of the risks involved in investing with options. Please read the options disclosure document titled "Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (PDF)" before considering any option transaction. You may also call the Investment Center at 877.653.4732 for a copy. A separate client agreement is needed. Multi-leg option orders are charged one base commission per order, plus a per-contract charge. The maximum loss, gain and breakeven of any options strategy only remains as defined so long as the strategy contains all original positions. Trading, rolling, assignment, or exercise of any portion of the strategy will result in a new maximum loss, gain and breakeven calculation, which will be materially different from the calculation when the strategy remains intact with all of the contemplated legs or positions. This is applicable to all options strategies inclusive of long options, short options and spreads. To learn more about Merrill's uncovered option handling practices, view Naked Option Stress Analysis (NOSA) (PDF). Early assignment risk is always present for option writers (specific to American-style options only). Early assignment risk may be amplified in the event a call writer is short an option during the period the underlying security has an ex-dividend date. This is referred to as dividend risk. Long options are exercised and short options are assigned. Note that American-style options can be assigned/exercised at any time through the day of expiration without prior notice. Options can be assigned/exercised after market close on expiration day. View specific Merrill Option Exercise & Assignment Practices (PDF). Supporting documentation for any claims, comparison, recommendations, statistics, or other technical data, will be supplied upon request. View definitions for investment terms in our The material was provided by a third party not affiliated with Merrill or any of its affiliates and is for information and educational purposes only. The opinions and views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Merrill or any of its affiliates. Any assumptions, opinions and estimates are as of the date of this material and are subject to change without notice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The information contained in this material does not constitute advice on the tax consequences of making any particular investment decision. This material does not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs and is not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security, financial instrument, or strategy. Before acting on any recommendation in this material, you should consider whether it is in your best interest based on your particular circ*mstances and, if necessary, seek professional advice. For purposes of all the computations discussed in this article, commissions, fees and margin interest and taxes, have not been included in the examples. These costs obviously will impact the outcome of any stock or option transaction. Any strategies discussed, including examples using actual securities and price data, are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes only and are not to be construed as an endorsem*nt, recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell securities. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. This material is being provided for informational purposes only. Nothing herein is or should be construed as investment, legal or tax advice, a recommendation of any kind, a solicitation of clients, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to invest in options. The information herein has been obtained from third-party sources and, although believed to be reliable, has not been independently verified and its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions. MAP5712857-10182024 Introduction
Differences between ETF & Index Options
What's unique about trading 0DTE options?
Trading 0DTE options at Merrill
Expiration selection
Exercise and Assignment considerations
The risks described in the sections below relate primarily to options on stock indexes:
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How to Trade 0DTE Options What are the Benefits and Risks?8 min read Article by the Options Industry CouncilMost strategies used by options investors have limited risk but also limited profit potential. Options strategies are not get-rich-quick schemes and can also have unlimited loss potential. Exercising Options 10 min read Article by the Options Industry Council The holder of an American-style option can exercise their right to buy (in the case of a call) or to sell (in the case of a put) the underlying shares of stock at any time. Equity Index Options12 min read Article by the Options Industry CouncilAn equity index option is a security which is intangible and whose underlying instrument is composed of equities: an equity index.