Rating: 
Summary: Excellent introduction to the world of online options trades
Review: I thought this book was well rounded and covered the topic well. The basic strategies are set out in an easy to understand way. He goes on to analyze online brokers, all web site that deal with options and the necessary tools for the option trader. For the price that Amazon offers this I thought it a good buy. I bought his other book Options Course which gives a good review of delta neutral trading. The Trade Options Online could have gone into more detail but it points out that most brokers cannot do complex option trading online yet. So the book covers what is currently available on the Internet for option traders. Good book worth the money for the review section alone.
Rating: 
Summary: what about IRA's
Review: I was disappointed that perhaps half of the book is about brokers, yet there is nothing on which brokers allow options trading within IRA's
Rating: 
Summary: Decent Introduction to the Options Arena
Review: I won't pretend to be an expert option trader. I'm in my third year of seeking a bachelor's, and the degree will not be very finance or investing related. This is the first book I read about options, and it successfully heightened my interest by introducing me to some basic option strategies. Another success of the book is the advice it gives on how to initiate and monitor trades throughout the trading day.Unfortunately, the only people with time to check these complex positions each and every minute are multi-million dollar hedge fund managers (such as the author). The rest of working class America and I can only check our investments on occasional evenings. My guess is the average reader does not have the time or the stomach to sit on pins and needles every day wondering if it's time to exit their risky positions. The only advice the author lends about early exits from trades is that if the stock looks poised to move against you then get out. Also, the author tells us to start looking for trades based on increased media coverage, high volume, and/or price volatility. This sort of herd following mentality is what I think leads to the massive market swings which cable commentators and industry insiders pretend to understand but incorrectly predict on a daily basis. If the author could truly capture these wild swings, writing this book would not be necessary. Even the author's own website (after buying expensive extra services) does not search through all optionable stocks to find volatility skews that would make the pie in the sky trades illustrated throughout the book possible. The "platinum" site lets you pick a stock and then see what you can do with it. The odds of randomly finding a stock where you can risk less than $75 and possibly gain over $400 with a 15 point spread of profitability (chapter 8, long condor), are close to a needle in a hay stack. Applicable advice to average investors is something this book truly lacks. Modifying simple stock ownership with options is not discussed. All of the option strategies included contain absolutely no stock positions (long or short). Trading within IRA's was important before the maximum contributions started being increased, but now they will become more important than ever. I suspect the rankings of brokers in the book and on the author's website are based more on advertising compensation than usefulness to individual traders. The rankings refuse to recognize the lowest-commission-charging online brokerages, and left out completely is the issue of assignment and exercise fees. Assignment and exercise fees can range from 15 to 30 dollars - per contract ... emphasis on per contract. I chose my current broker (not on any ranking list) only because they do not charge those fees. In a final derogatory note, the seventh chapter contains text that contradicts itself when explaining the ratio call spread and the call ratio backspread. I had to reread the chapter a few times to sort out where the errors are, and what those positions entail. Again, the book did shed light on an area of investing I knew little about, and intrigued me enough to want to learn more. Yet by sporting a sexy neon cover and depicting life from the point of view of someone managing millions, this book and others like it will probably keep average people thinking of options as risky, scary, and strange. Other than giving me a basic understanding of some common ways to trade, all this book really accomplished was motivating me to write a better one.
Rating:
Summary: Decent Introduction to the Options Arena
Review: I won't pretend to be an expert option trader. I'm in my third year of seeking a bachelor's, and the degree will not be very finance or investing related. This is the first book I read about options, and it successfully heightened my interest by introducing me to some basic option strategies. Another success of the book is the advice it gives on how to initiate and monitor trades throughout the trading day. Unfortunately, the only people with time to check these complex positions each and every minute are multi-million dollar hedge fund managers (such as the author). The rest of working class America and I can only check our investments on occasional evenings. My guess is the average reader does not have the time or the stomach to sit on pins and needles every day wondering if it's time to exit their risky positions. The only advice the author lends about early exits from trades is that if the stock looks poised to move against you then get out. Also, the author tells us to start looking for trades based on increased media coverage, high volume, and/or price volatility. This sort of herd following mentality is what I think leads to the massive market swings which cable commentators and industry insiders pretend to understand but incorrectly predict on a daily basis. If the author could truly capture these wild swings, writing this book would not be necessary. Even the author's own website (after buying expensive extra services) does not search through all optionable stocks to find volatility skews that would make the pie in the sky trades illustrated throughout the book possible. The "platinum" site lets you pick a stock and then see what you can do with it. The odds of randomly finding a stock where you can risk less than $75 and possibly gain over $400 with a 15 point spread of profitability (chapter 8, long condor), are close to a needle in a hay stack. Applicable advice to average investors is something this book truly lacks. Modifying simple stock ownership with options is not discussed. All of the option strategies included contain absolutely no stock positions (long or short). Trading within IRA's was important before the maximum contributions started being increased, but now they will become more important than ever. I suspect the rankings of brokers in the book and on the author's website are based more on advertising compensation than usefulness to individual traders. The rankings refuse to recognize the lowest-commission-charging online brokerages, and left out completely is the issue of assignment and exercise fees. Assignment and exercise fees can range from 15 to 30 dollars - per contract ... emphasis on per contract. I chose my current broker (not on any ranking list) only because they do not charge those fees. In a final derogatory note, the seventh chapter contains text that contradicts itself when explaining the ratio call spread and the call ratio backspread. I had to reread the chapter a few times to sort out where the errors are, and what those positions entail. Again, the book did shed light on an area of investing I knew little about, and intrigued me enough to want to learn more. Yet by sporting a sexy neon cover and depicting life from the point of view of someone managing millions, this book and others like it will probably keep average people thinking of options as risky, scary, and strange. Other than giving me a basic understanding of some common ways to trade, all this book really accomplished was motivating me to write a better one.
Rating:
Summary: Trade Options On-line
Review: I've finally found the Option trading guide I've been looking for. Others I've read include Futures which isn't my style. Agreeing with a previous review I too appreciate the various appendixes. This is a book I couldn't put down until I had read it completely. Now it sits on my 'trading desk' for instant reference. Thank you Mr. Fontanills.
Rating: 
Summary: Description and Endorsements
Review: Options are potentially one of the most profitable investment instruments available in today's intensely volatile financial markets. Just a few years ago, the information needed to exploit the vast earnings potential of options was beyond the reach of all but a handful of analysts. Now, anyone with a PC and a few basic software tools has direct access to all the up-to-the-minute market information needed to compete successfully with the "big boys." But, having information and knowing how to wield it are two very different things. In this groundbreaking book, online options trading innovator George Fontanills arms you with the knowledge and skills you need to unleash the phenomenal power of your computer to become a successful online options trader. Following a concise review of the basics of online trading--including hardware and software requirements and essential online resources--Fontanills cuts to the chase with step-by-step coverage of 15 proven managed risk option trading strategies. Specifically designed for online traders, these tested off-floor techniques provide you with a sure-fire method for consistently building up your trading account. Drawing upon his years as a leading international options educator, Fontanills makes it easy for you to master online options trading by walking you through a series of hypothetical trades that demonstrate how to compute the maximum risk, maximum profit, breakevens, and exit alternatives for each strategy. Trade Options Online also includes a comprehensive guide to fundamental and technical analysis methodologies, a detailed list of 240 hot financial resources, websites analyzed from the point of view of an online options trader, and a review of more than 70 online brokerages. "George Fontanills, the dean of options trading, has put together an online options trading approach that is down-to-earth and insightful. Armed with this book, investors should feel well equipped to play on the battlefield, having been forewarned of the risks, dangers, and opportunities. Fontanills cares about everyone's money as much as he cares about his own--a rare find in the world of finance." --Peter D. Henig, Senior Editor, Red Herring
Rating: 
Summary: Rip-off!
Review: The best online trading book is Patel's Online Trading. This one is a major loser! Talk about a self promoter!
Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to Online Option Trading
Review: The book focuses on option strategies that you can use online and option disciplines. Chapter 1 & 2 introduce online trading for an option trader. Chap. 3 is a step by step through stock and option basics. Then 4 through 8 go through 15 managed risk strategies for online traders. That was all very interesting and then I got to what for me made the book. In chapter 9 it was all pulled together by walking through a step by step series of web sites in search of a profitable trade. Moving on to an analysis of online brokers and how they rate for option traders. His top 10 option firms gave me a place to start my own research. Then he goes into how to place a trade online. I did not expect such a great analysis of all the top web sites in the Appendix of 250 top financial sites. The Appendix go on and on. It is totally untrue to state that Mr Fontanills states that he invented option trading strategies. He confides in this book and his other Option Course Book that he learned it from the floor of the exchange. It is his interpretation in an easy to understand manner that is so unique. When I read other texts I get lost. When I read Fontanills work I understand. That is his essence .. "that he can communicate the complicated so I can understand". So my negatives of the book is that he should have covered certain strategies in more depth. But I would imagine that at 350 pages, Wiley the publisher, wanted to keep the cost of the book down. I believe this is a great addition to any option traders library. It is refreshing to find a real trader that teaches his art to the masses. Bravo Mr. Fontanills.
Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to Online Option Trading
Review: The book focuses on option strategies that you can use online and option disciplines. Chapter 1 & 2 introduce online trading for an option trader. Chap. 3 is a step by step through stock and option basics. Then 4 through 8 go through 15 managed risk strategies for online traders. That was all very interesting and then I got to what for me made the book. In chapter 9 it was all pulled together by walking through a step by step series of web sites in search of a profitable trade. Moving on to an analysis of online brokers and how they rate for option traders. His top 10 option firms gave me a place to start my own research. Then he goes into how to place a trade online. I did not expect such a great analysis of all the top web sites in the Appendix of 250 top financial sites. The Appendix go on and on. It is totally untrue to state that Mr Fontanills states that he invented option trading strategies. He confides in this book and his other Option Course Book that he learned it from the floor of the exchange. It is his interpretation in an easy to understand manner that is so unique. When I read other texts I get lost. When I read Fontanills work I understand. That is his essence .. "that he can communicate the complicated so I can understand". So my negatives of the book is that he should have covered certain strategies in more depth. But I would imagine that at 350 pages, Wiley the publisher, wanted to keep the cost of the book down. I believe this is a great addition to any option traders library. It is refreshing to find a real trader that teaches his art to the masses. Bravo Mr. Fontanills.
Rating:
Summary: what about IRA's
Review: The book is clearly written and it solved many of the mysteries I had concerning trading options. An excellent feature of the book is that it gives the addresses of many online sources for stock or option information.
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