Options contracts allow investors to purchase the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a set price before the option expires. Learn to evaluate, buy, sell, and profit from stocks.This course will arm you with investment tools that were once thought to be only for the pros. Never buy at close hoping to catch a gap up in the morning. Options are financial derivatives, meaning that they derive their value from the underlying security or stock. An option is a contract that represents the right to buy or sell a financial product at an agreed-upon price for a specific period of time. Find Business and Personal Property Listing forms and Instructions on this page. Options are contracts that offer investors the potential to make money on changes in the value of, say, a stock without actually owning the stock. How does options trading work, and when should investors trade options? Here are 4 steps for how to get started trading options.