My broker (Scottrade and now TD Ameritrade) called me, asking for a verbal agreement that I knew that options were high risk and yadda-yadda that can lose more value than they are worth after I signed some forms.

These instruments are very high risk and not really meant for average investors. Their primary goal is for hedging and leverage.

----------

One of the reasons for the "Black Friday" (kicking off the Great Depression) was the proliferation of leverage among people who didn't really understand it. That's why most other companies make you sign forms and ask for verbal agreements before allowing you to have access to things this dangerous.