Buying options: How to blow up your account Most of us know someone who has blown up their account buying options. Its the #1 way people lose money in the stock market. Lets take a look at why options trading (especially on the indexes) is such a terrible idea. Conclusion If you want to make high risk trades margin and leveraged ETNs are a better bet. Options buying is incredibly risky and chance is not on your side. To be fair, however, when you win on an options trade the payout is commensurate to the risk. Trade accordingly.