Naming conventions are used to help identify properties common to many different types of options. These include:
- Vanilla option – any option that is not exotic.
-** European** option – an option that may only be exercised on expiration.
-** American** option – an option that may be exercised on any trading day on or before expiry.
-** Bermudan** option – an option that may be exercised only on specified dates on or before expiration. - Exotic option – any of a broad category of options that may include complex financial structures.
-** Barrier** option – any option with the general characteristic that the underlying security’s price must pass a certain level or “barrier” before it can be exercised.