Over the last decade, the popularity of options has grown significantly. According to the data compiled by the Options Industry Council, the volume of options contracts traded on U.S. exchanges in 1999 was approximately 507 million. By 2007, that number grew to more than three billion, thus setting an all-time record.

Though futures options are quite risky investments that can only be understood by expert traders options can be very useful to the individual investor as well.

Futures Options can also add value to your portfolio and have several other advantages that are definitely worth noting. A few are outlined below and will help illustrate reasons why options have gained so much popularity in such a relatively short period of time.

The first advantage of options on futures is that they can provide increased cost efficiency. Since they possess great leveraging power, you the investor can obtain a great option position that nearly mimic a stock position but save you unnecessary cost.

The second advantage is that they provide less risk when used correctly. While there are situations where buying options is actually riskier than owning equity, but they can also be used to reduce the amount of risk incurred. Futures options can be less risky because they require less financial commitment than equities. They are also the most dependable form of hedge which makes them safer than stocks.

The third advantage of futures options is they provide higher potential for returns. This means you can spend a lot less and make nearly the same profit as you would with the underlying futures. This gives you a higher percentage return.

The fourth and final advantage discuss in this article pertains to the strategic alternatives futures options provide. Options are a very flexible tool and provide many ways to recreate other positions. These positions are known as synthetics. Synthetic positions provide you the investor multiple methods of attaining the same investment goals which can prove extremely useful.

The four points outlined above are the key advantages futures options offer and are a contributing factor to their growing popularity. If used correctly, they present less risk than straight futures and can actually save you unnecessary costs while providing you the same profit. This is important to consider when selecting a type of investment. You want to get the most out of your money and futures options provide several ways of making this happen. Take the time to review this information before ever making a buying decision. Make sure you understand how you will benefit from the decision you make and what it will mean for you in monetary terms.

Before you decide on a particular investment, consider the key advantages and weigh the risks of each possibility against what you are willing to lose. Be sure you understand how to correctly utilize futures options in order to get the most out of them. You are investing for your future so think wisely and choose carefully. The more you know, the closer you’ll be to a more secure and prosperous future.