June 2010

Language of Options Class

This June the Options Industry Council is proud to announce the launch of our newest online class: the Language of Options. Following on the heels of our Capital Markets class, this interactive class seeks to provide a foundation in your understanding of equity options by exploring options-related terminology.

The class is presented in a series of short lessons in a question and answer format and is accompanied by our new glossary tool. Whether you're a seasoned investor seeking to brush up on basic options terms and concepts, or have just completed our Capital Markets class, the Language of Options has something for you. Get started now.

Options Learning- Tailored to You!

Did you know that you can customize your learning by using the MyPath assessment tool on the OIC Education website? Start by taking a brief assessment quiz, and you will be placed into a learning path that is tailored to your level of options knowledge. Each learning path is filled with courses and resources (such as podcasts and webcasts) to enhance your educational experience. Log into the OIC Education website and try MyPath now!

Weekly Expirations

June 4, 2010 weekly option series began trading in the following ETF Option Classes: SPY, QQQQ, IWM, and DIA. Weekly option series will be listed each Friday and expire the following Friday, except for those instances when the following Friday is Expiration Friday (the 3rd Friday of the month).

If the following Friday is an OCC holiday, weekly option series will expire on the business day (e.g., Thursday) immediately preceding the holiday. Additionally, if Friday is an exchange holiday, weekly option series expiring the following Friday will be added for trading on the immediately preceding business day (e.g., Thursday). Weekly option series also may be called short term options or short dated options.

Options Talk Podcast

The Options Talk podcast series hosted by OIC's Director of Retail Marketing, Joe Burgoyne, features weekly Q&A sessions with some of the industry's leading experts in options education including OIC exchange instructors and staff members from the Help Desk. Topics range from basic concepts such as understanding order types to more advanced discussions about volatility and how certain strategies can impact your investment portfolio. Options Talk with OIC Podcasts are available for download on the OptionsEducation.org website, under the OIC Education portal. They are also available on iTunes. Listen Now.

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The Options Clearing Corporation Announces 30% Increase in Cleared Contracts for Record Volume Month in May

The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) announced today that total OCC volume reached 408,432,157 contracts in May, representing a 29.56% percent increase over the May 2009 volume of 315,257,294 contracts.

This marks the first time total cleared volume in a month surpassed 400 million contracts, and is higher than the annual total of 406 million contracts cleared in 1998. OCC year to date total volume is up 13.44% with 1,702,977,298 contracts. Read More.

Upcoming Options Seminars

Basic

Sep 15 - Detroit, MI
Sep 21 - San Jose, CA
Sep 28 - Los Angeles, CA

Intermediate

Sep 16 - Detroit, MI
Sep 22 - San Jose, CA
Sep 28 - St. Louis, MO

Volatility

Sep 21 - Parsippany, NJ
Sep 23 - Philadelphia, PA
Sep 29 - St. Louis, MO

View Complete Listing of 2010 Fall Seminars

Chat Live With an Options Professional

Live Chat Wondering how to use options to hedge your positions or portfolio? Visit our web site, where you can now instant message our options professionals. After numerous customer requests, we are offering this additional line of communication to our experienced Options Help Desk. We are available to chat and answer your options questions every trading day. Why not give it a try today?