Options expert walks you through placing a call butterfly spread using the TradeStation platform.

With the Obama administration putting nuclear power back in the alternative energy lineup, we're seeing a standout speculative trade in USEC Inc-USU options.

Two major health insurers report earnings next week, but only one of them looks like it will make a good bullish trade.

It's hard to say whether Apple's (AAPL) highly anticipated iPad will slay or flop, and what will happen to the stock -- but chances are it will make a big move. Find out how to profit from that move without even having to guess which direction it will go.

With Berkshire Hathaway's BRK.B 50-to-1 stock split, average investors can now get in on the action. Find out why you want to act fast.

A new study calls into question the benefits of the most popular option strategy.

Covered call writing is a good way to protect profits from the market rally. Get details on a closed-end fund with a healthy dividend yield derived from a covered call strategy here.

It's not uncommon for a stock to sell off after a benign-to-positive earnings report, and if you know how to anticipate which stocks will fall victim to this, it can lead to some great trading opportunities.

Covered calls are a great way to limit your liability as an option writer and hedge risk on your stock holdings.

Shorting stocks will be the easiest way to make money (and a lot of it) in the year ahead. Find out how to position yourself to profit.

Find out why you may want to look at this fallen star for a bullish trade ahead of its earnings announcement.

The idea behind a dividend play is to find a virtually risk-free way to get short calls and hope the pre-existing owners do not exercise them. But the odds of winning are not in your favor. Find out why.

Casinos have been a hot item lately, and gaming supply company Shuffle Master (SHFL) could pack a strong earnings punch next week.

Covered call writing is the most popular use of options, but some people pick the wrong time to employ the strategy.

Find out why a gold ETF could present a better opportunity to profit from a volatility play than the indices.

A Goldman Sachs study found selling puts is a good way to play stock-buyback candidates. But if you follow their selection criteria too strictly, you could miss out on some good opportunities.

Find out exactly how short-term traders can leverage the potential market move as we roll toward the 'Santa bump.'

If you're particularly bearish on the market, put options may be the way to go right now. But for those who are somewhat neutral to bearish, there's a better strategy.

PowerShares QQQ 100 Trust (QQQQ) options are a popular way to make a bet on the Nasdaq 100, but they may not be the ideal one. Learn a better option.