You can protect stock holdings from a decline in market price.
	You can increase income against current stock holdings.
	You can prepare to buy stock at a lower price.
	You can position yourself for a big market move - even when you don't know which way prices will move.
	You can benefit from a stock price's rise or fall without incurring the cost of buying the stock outright.

The following information provides the basic terms and descriptions that any investor should know as they learn about equity options.