Trading options is a form of financial investment that involves buying and selling contracts that give the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specified price and time. Options can be used for various purposes, such as hedging, speculation, income generation, or portfolio diversification. However, trading options also involve certain risks you should be aware of before starting. Some of the significant risks of trading options are:

- Time decay risk: Options have a limited lifespan and lose value as they approach their expiration date. This is because the probability of the option being exercised decreases over time. Time decay risk is also known as theta risk. Time decay affects both buyers and sellers of options, but it is more detrimental to buyers who pay a premium upfront and need the option to move in their favor before expiration. Sellers of options benefit from time decay as they collect the premium and hope the option expires worthless.

- Volatility risk: Options are sensitive to changes in the volatility of the underlying asset. Volatility is a measure of how much the price of an asset fluctuates over time. Options prices are influenced by both historical volatility (how much the asset has moved in the past) and implied volatility (how much the market expects the asset to move in the future). Volatility risk is also known as vega risk. Volatility affects both buyers and sellers of options, but it is more beneficial to buyers who want the option to increase in value due to higher volatility. Sellers of options are exposed to volatility risk as they may have to buy back the option at a higher price if volatility increases.

- Dividend risk: Dividends are payments made by a company to its shareholders from its earnings. Dividends affect the underlying stock's price and, therefore, the value of the options on that stock. Dividend risk mainly applies to short-call positions, which are bets that the stock price will go down or stay below a certain level. If a stock pays a dividend, its price will drop by the amount of the dividend on the ex-dividend date (the date when the dividend is deducted from the stock price). This means that the short call position will lose value and may be exercised by the long call holder who wants to capture the dividend. To avoid this risk, short-call sellers should close their positions before the ex-dividend date or hedge their positions with other options.

- Pin risk: Pin risk occurs when the underlying stock's price is very close to the strike price of an option at expiration. This creates uncertainty about whether the option will be exercised or not. Pin risk mainly affects short option positions, which are obligated to deliver or receive the underlying asset if exercised. If the option is exercised, the short position may incur a loss or miss an opportunity to profit from a favorable price movement. If the option is not exercised, the short position may have to pay unnecessary fees or commissions. To avoid this risk, short option sellers should close their positions before expiration or hedge their positions with other options.

- Memory risk: Memory risk is perhaps the most important on our list. It refers to the human tendency to forget or overlook important details or events that may affect our trading decisions. Memory risk can lead to errors, losses, or missed opportunities in options trading. For example, you may forget to check your option positions regularly, monitor market conditions, adjust your strategies, set stop-loss orders, or exit your trades at optimal times. To avoid this risk, keep a trading journal, use a trading plan, follow a trading routine, and review your performance regularly.

If you believe your financial advisor provided wrong advice causing losses, contact David Harrison, Esq. at the Law Offices of David Harrison, P.C. for a free consultation.