So with the options, they are funny. You only get the gravy. So if your company gives you 1 share at $20 and the stock is worth $21, you get $1. 10 shares at $20 and the stock is worth $30, you get $100 and so on. That's why most companies will give you a crap load of shares that don't mature for a year or more. My experience is options suck. I got a ton, but they aren't worth anything. Don't forget to price in the cost of selling the shares. If you have more than one company that you can work with, go with the one that costs the less to sell, and look at their price to send you the money too. It all adds up. Now on regular stock trading, it can get tricky. I am by no means an expert on any of this, but I can tell you about my experinces. My experiences work on Employee Stock Options. Basically I put some of my check into an account and the company matches a percentage and then buys stock every now and then in my name. Anyway, it's pretty much the same as buying stock for yourself and then selling it. I can tell you about the selling it. You own it and sell it for whatever. If you buy it for $10 a share, and buy 10 shares, you pay $100 plus all fees the trading company charges (e-trade, solomon smith barney, whoever). Same goes for selling it. You just have to watch out where you are putting it and what it is doing. As far as the gas stuff goes, flip a coin. The stock can go up just as fast as down. In my case it seems to go down a lot faster than it goes up. I know it makes people money, but I have lost money on it every time I buy/sell. The other thing to think about is your taxes. Keep in mind that when you make money on that stock, you have to account for that at tax time. So if you make a lot of money, that will be pure income and you will get taxed on it. It has actually helped me during tax season because I lost money, so that took away from my gross income and I got more back. It's all smoke and mirrors if you ask me, be careful and know where your money is at all times. If this was just a cold call by some company, you can be sure that they are going to make money off of you some how. Good luck, and remember your friends when you strike it rich.