Actually, it is your choice to learn or not to learn. Options are actively traded in Exchanges and OTC (Over the counter). If you are interested to understand the financial industry or the investment world, you should try to understand options.
Option traders could be a rewarding career. The option traders who work for hedge funds and investment banks could earn millions a year. The option traders sitting at home could be trading millions or just a few hundred dollars. Many of my ex-colleagues left the financial industry and semi-retired. They trade options quasi full time. For example, they spend time to take their kids to school in the morning, then trade a bit at the open and in the morning. Tidy up their positions in the afternoon then pick up their children after school. Very family friendly. And of course, trading options is location independent. I know a friend who went on a cruise in Europe carrying half of dozen notebooks to setup his cabin like a trader desk and continue to trade Hong Kong hours.
Some people are strong in day trading. ie, they do NOT have any position overnight. They just trade in and out during the day mostly based on technical. Some ex-market makers are more serious and build up their own algo. Hong Kong and Germany are the biggest covered warrants and listed derivative products market in the world by volume. There are a community in Hong Kong who day trade warrants and CBBCs (Callable bull bear certificates) for a living. Some make a good living especially in bull market. And I mean making more than a few hundred thousands USD a year or even more than a million. I will write one or two articles on this.
Need to stress on risk. Of course one could lose a fortune trading options and derivatives. Long Term Capital collapsed from currency derivatives, Lehman Brothers and Credit Default Obligations, Porsche trying to buy Volkswagen using options. Derivatives is a tool that is capable for mass destruction, wealth destruction or even a ticket to jail.
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