Risk Management Must Be an Integral Part of Your Trading Strategy

Risk Managementvalue, the Put Option will be gaining in value to
Trading in the Stock Market can be richly rewardingsubstantially compensate for the damage to the
but it's also froth with a great degree of risk.stock's price regardless of how far the stock falls.
One shortcoming, and it's a small one, is if the stock
Trading and investing should not be left to fate. Noincreases in price, you lose in the value of the Put
matter what your trading strategy is, financial riskOption, but your lost is restricted to how much you
management is an absolute prerequisite in order topaid for the Put Option.
be profitable.An added drawback is if the equity price moves
There are many methods that can be utilized tonowhere after buying it, the Option loses value as
assist in effective Risk Management Policy. Some aretime passes.
more successful than others. Some as well cost moreHaving a Covered Call on the other hand, if the stock
than others.price goes nowhere after buying it, you still will
A few of the more effective ones are Diversification,generate profits on the Covered Call. Remember you
Options and Stop Orders.sold it and as the price declines that is to your
Diversificationadvantage.
Diversification is a major tool in security riskThe Covered Call also provides some partial
management. Restrict the size of one position to notprotection if the stock goes down, but it's protection
more than 5% of your portfolio.is restricted more or less to the price of the Option.
Even if you get wiped out totally in that position, theIf the stock pulls back further than that, you are not
result in your portfolio is going to be negligible.protected.
Diversification should not only involve how manyAlso, if you sell Covered Calls, you cap your upside
stocks you have in your portfolio. It ought to involveprofit because as much as you gain in the price of
separate sectors and countries as well.the stock you will be losing with the Option.
Diversification should include US and Global stocks asIt is important to be aware of that if you purchase
wells as ETFS.an Option, your gain is so far as the stock price could
Another Risk Management Tool Is Optionsgo. In the case of a Put, it can gain as the stock
Options can be utilized for flat out speculation, as aprice pulls back all the way to zero but a Call is
trading vehicle or as an investment hedge.limitless.
Whenever you use it as a hedge, you would buy theWell at least that's the theory, but we know that
equity as well as an accompanying Put.stock prices will not go all the way to the moon and
Instead, you can buy the stock and sell a Coveredgravitation shall catch up sooner or later.
Call.Keep in mind, this is not a lesson about Options and
Both of those techniques, buying a Put or selling awhatever mention of them is brief and restricted to
Covered Call, have their benefits and disadvantages.the scope of these discourses.
The benefit of buying the Put is if the stock loses