Options trading can be complicated even more so than stock trading. When you buy a stock, you just decide the number of shares you desire, and your broker fills the order at the prevailing market price or a limit rate you set. Trading choices requires an understanding of innovative methods, and the procedure for opening an options trading account includes a few more steps than opening a typical investment account.( Need to brush up on puts, calls, strike rates and other alternatives trading terminology? See our post on choices trading 101). Compared to opening a brokerage represent stock trading, opening an alternatives trading account needs bigger amounts of capital. And, given the intricacy of anticipating several moving parts, brokers require to understand a bit more about a prospective financier prior to awarding them a consent slip to start trading alternatives.