Why Sell Options? While buying options can offer potentially unlimited profits with limited losses (the premium paid), selling options is generally perceived as a strategy to generate consistent income, as most options expire worthless. Sellers, or "writers," of options collect premiums from buyers and profit when the options expire out-of-the-money.
Why Most Options Expire Worthless Options are designed to lose value over time, a concept known as theta decay. This time decay works in favor of the option seller. However, while selling options can seem like a straightforward way to make money, it involves significant risk. The potential losses for option sellers can be substantial if the underlying asset moves significantly against the position.