Dow Futures

[flea]

I know some have expressed an interest in alternatives to SB firms to trade the Dow. Well I stumbled across this site today and there seems to be a lot of information here. I have no axe to grind here, as I don't trade the Dow either through spread betting firms or directly in the futures market.

http://www.cbot.com/cbot/www/cont_modular/1,2291,14+478+7,00.html#d

 

[Bankbuster]

Does anyone trade options?

I've been considering this because of the limited risk and large potential gain. Risk is limited to the price of the options premium and is paid for up front. No margin required. Just wandered how easy/difficult it is to trade US options, say on the DOW (DIA and DJX).

It appears to be more complex than trading futures because you need to take account of several variables that change with time and the underlying price of the equity traded. Trading options would appear to be the ideal vehicle for volatile markets.

Anybody have any views or experience on this topic?

Regards, BB