Exhibit 99.1

optionsXpress Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Results

CHICAGO, IL, January 28, 2010 – optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. (NasdaqGS: OXPS) today reported results for the three months and full year ended December 31, 2009.

Highlights from the fourth quarter 2009 included:

•		Revenues of $60.1 million, a 5% increase year-over-year
•		Net income of $14.9 million, or $0.26 per diluted share
•		Daily average revenue trades (DARTs) of 42,600, a 17% decrease year-over-year
•		Net new account growth of 7,300 during the quarter

Highlights from the full year 2009 included:

•		Revenues of $233.4 million, a 5% decrease year-over-year
•		Net income of $60.8 million, or $1.05 per diluted share
•		Ending accounts of 351,200, a 10% increase year-over-year
•		$7.0 billion in customer assets on December 31, 2009, a 43% increase year-over-year

“In 2009, optionsXpress delivered double-digit net new account growth and brokerage pretax margins of 46%. We are pleased with these results, particularly amidst the very difficult economic backdrop that included the highest unemployment rates in 25 years and extraordinary low short-term interest rates,” remarked David Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of optionsXpress. “We were very pleased by the resiliency of both our customers and the broader derivatives markets during 2009 as exemplified by our customer assets ending the year at an all time high of $7 billion, up 43% versus last year, and industry-wide option volumes eclipsing 2008 levels – providing a strong base for our long-term success. In addition, we continued our history of innovation with many product enhancements including the introduction of the OX Mobile application, IDEAS and our new streaming platform, Xtend.”

Fourth Quarter Results

For the fourth quarter, total DARTs were 42,600, down 17% from 51,400 during the fourth quarter of 2008, and up 1% from 42,000 for the third quarter of 2009. Total net revenues increased 5% over the fourth quarter of 2008 and were down 3% when compared to the third quarter of 2009. Resulting net income was $14.9 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, a 22% decrease from the $19.2 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2008. Fourth quarter results include approximately $0.9 million in one-time non-cash gains related to prior acquisitions, which also lowered the tax rate to 33.9% from a normalized 36.4%.

Full Year 2009 Performance

At the end of 2009, total customer accounts were 351,200, up 10% from 2008. Total customer assets at year-end 2009 were $7.0 billion, up 43% from year-end 2008 customer assets of $4.9 billion. Commission revenues for 2009 were $159.5 million, down 5% from 2008. Net interest revenues and fees were $17.5 million, down 61% from 2008 due to the steep decline in short-term interest rates. 2009 full year total net revenues were $233.4 million, which was down 5% from net revenues of $246.6 million in 2008, and 2009 full year earnings per share were $1.05, a 30% decrease versus earnings per share of $1.49 in 2008.

“We continue to demonstrate our commitment to a strong balance sheet and prudent capital deployment. Over the past two years, we have repurchased approximately $100 million in stock, completed the acquisitions of OEC and Optionetics and still ended 2009 with no corporate debt and a strong cash position,” commented Adam DeWitt, Chief Financial Officer of optionsXpress. “We believe this provides us sufficient flexibility to take advantage of acquisition and other growth opportunities in all types of market conditions and macro-environments.”

Outlook

Mr. Fisher concluded, “In 2009 we saw retail investors reduce their trading activity following the turmoil of the financial crisis. However, as the year came to an end, we were encouraged by our customers’ shift towards a more historical level of derivatives trading. And, while trading levels have not fully rebounded, we believe the double digit account and asset growth we generated in 2009, combined with our obsessive focus on providing the best investing experience for self-directed investors using derivatives, leaves us well positioned to benefit from a more stable trading environment in 2010 and eventual rising interest rates.”

Conference Call

A conference call will be broadcast live on Thursday, January 28, 2010, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time (9:00 a.m. Eastern Time) at www.optionsxpress.com/investor. An online replay will be available approximately two hours after the call and can be accessed in the Investor Relations’ Calendar of Events portion of the website.

About optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.

optionsXpress Holdings, Inc., a pioneer in equity options and futures trading, offers an innovative suite of online brokerage services for investor education, strategy evaluation and trade execution. optionsXpress Holdings subsidiaries include optionsXpress, Inc., a retail online brokerage specializing in options and futures, brokersXpress, LLC, an online trading and reporting platform for independent investment professionals, Open E Cry, LLC, an innovative futures broker offering direct access futures trading for high volume commodities and futures traders through its proprietary software platform, and Optionetics, Inc, a leading provider of investment education services, including live seminars, proprietary software analytics, online and offline educational products and individual coaching.

More information can be found in the Investor Relations section of optionsXpress’ website at http://www.optionsxpress.com/investor.

Safe Harbor

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks. We urge you to carefully consider these risks in evaluating the information in this press release, including risks related to general economic conditions, regulatory developments, the competitive landscape, the volume of securities trading generally or by our customers specifically and other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “feel,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date of this release. We undertake no ongoing obligation to update these statements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Investor Inquiries:
Jim Polson
FD
(312) 553-6730
or
Media Inquiries:
Patrick Van De Wille
FD
(312) 553-6704

optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
In thousands, except per share data
(Unaudited)

		Three Months Ended
		December				December				Change
		31, 2009				31, 2008				$				%
Revenues:
Commissions		$	38,938			$	42,581			$	(3,643	)			(9	%)
Other brokerage related revenue			6,003				6,397				(394	)			(6	%)
Interest revenue and fees			4,677				7,894				(3,217	)			(41	%)
Interest expense			(67	)			(152	)			85				(56	%)
Net interest revenue and fees			4,610				7,742				(3,132	)			(40	%)
Education revenues			8,008				—				8,008				n/a
Other income			2,563				597				1,966				329	%
Net revenues		$	60,122			$	57,317			$	2,805				5	%
Expenses:
Compensation and benefits		$	11,759			$	6,880			$	4,879				71	%
Brokerage, clearing and other related expenses			8,899				8,022				877				11	%
Brokerage advertising			3,607				5,866				(2,259	)			(39	%)
Education marketing and fulfillment			4,965				—				4,965				n/a
Depreciation and amortization			2,239				1,982				257				13	%
Other general and administrative			6,155				5,462				693				13	%
Total expenses		$	37,624			$	28,212			$	9,412				33	%
Income before income taxes			22,498				29,105				(6,607	)			(23	%)
Income taxes			7,628				9,921				(2,293	)			(23	%)
Net income		$	14,870			$	19,184			$	(4,314	)			(22	%)
Basic earnings per share		$	0.26			$	0.32			$	(0.06	)			(19	%)
Diluted earnings per share		$	0.26			$	0.32			$	(0.06	)			(19	%)
Weighted average shares outstanding — basic			57,669				59,660				(1,991	)			(3	%)
Weighted average shares outstanding — diluted			57,857				59,746				(1,889	)			(3	%)

		Twelve Months Ended
		December				December				Change
		31, 2009				31, 2008				$				%
Revenues:
Commissions		$	159,536			$	167,562			$	(8,026	)			(5	%)
Other brokerage related revenue			26,765				30,832				(4,067	)			(13	%)
Interest revenue and fees			17,787				46,956				(29,169	)			(62	%)
Interest expense			(245	)			(1,794	)			1,549				(86	%)
Net interest revenue and fees			17,542				45,162				(27,620	)			(61	%)
Education revenues			24,398				—				24,398				n/a
Other income			5,177				3,002				2,175				72	%
Net revenues		$	233,418			$	246,558			$	(13,140	)			(5	%)
Expenses:
Compensation and benefits		$	42,452			$	28,571			$	13,881				49	%
Brokerage, clearing and other related expenses			31,931				27,675				4,256				15	%
Brokerage advertising			17,608				20,716				(3,108	)			(15	%)
Education marketing and fulfillment			15,763				—				15,763				n/a
Depreciation and amortization			8,879				7,423				1,456				20	%
Other general and administrative			22,579				20,850				1,729				8	%
Total expenses		$	139,212			$	105,235			$	33,977				32	%
Income before income taxes			94,206				141,323				(47,117	)			(33	%)
Income taxes			33,439				51,008				(17,569	)			(34	%)
Net income		$	60,767			$	90,315			$	(29,548	)			(33	%)
Basic earnings per share		$	1.05			$	1.49			$	(0.44	)			(30	%)
Diluted earnings per share		$	1.05			$	1.49			$	(0.44	)			(30	%)
Weighted average shares outstanding — basic			57,925				60,566				(2,641	)			(4	%)
Weighted average shares outstanding — diluted			58,081				60,720				(2,639	)			(4	%)

optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
In thousands
(Unaudited)

		Period Ended
		December 31,				December 31,				Change
		2009				2008				$				%
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	178,989			$	114,450			$	64,539				56	%
Cash and investments segregated in compliance with federal regulations			881,210				427,669				453,541				106	%
Receivables from brokerage customers, net			149,871				137,502				12,369				9	%
Receivables from brokers, dealers and clearing organizations			110,779				15,621				95,158				609	%
Investments in securities			70,850				89,937				(19,087	)			(21	%)
Deposits with clearing organizations			30,245				108,409				(78,164	)			(72	%)
Fixed assets, net			13,263				12,979				284				2	%
Goodwill			81,590				44,234				37,356				84	%
Other intangible assets, net			6,525				4,569				1,956				43	%
Other assets			22,999				16,963				6,036				36	%
Total assets		$	1,546,321			$	972,333			$	573,988				59	%
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:
Liabilities
Payables to brokerage customers		$	1,179,204			$	675,872			$	503,332				74	%
Payables to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations			144				293				(149	)			(51	%)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			48,471				27,848				20,623				74	%
Deferred revenue			7,434				—				7,434				n/a
Current and deferred income taxes			193				25				168				672	%
Total liabilities			1,235,446				704,038				531,408				75	%
Stockholders’ equity			310,875				268,295				42,580				16	%
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		$	1,546,321			$	972,333			$	573,988				59	%

optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.
Statistical Operating Data

		Three Months Ended
		December 31,				December 31,				Change
		2009				2008				$ or #				%
Number of customer accounts (at period end)(1)			351,200				318,600				32,600				10	%
Daily average revenue trades (“DARTs”) (2)
Retail DARTs			30,400				35,000				(4,600	)			(13	%)
Institutional DARTs (3)			12,200				16,400				(4,200	)			(26	%)
Total DARTs			42,600				51,400				(8,800	)			(17	%)
Customer trades per account (4)			31				42				(11	)			(26	%)
Average commission per trade		$	14.49			$	13.14			$	1.35				10	%
Option trades as a % of total trades			43	%			40	%			3	%
Brokerage advertising expense per net new customer account (5)		$	494			$	438			$	56				13	%
Total client assets (000s)		$	7,024,623			$	4,898,346			$	2,126,277				43	%
Client margin balances (000s)		$	149,062			$	129,171			$	19,891				15	%

		Twelve Months Ended
		December 31,				December 31,				Change
		2009				2008				$ or #				%
Number of customer accounts (at period end)(1)			351,200				318,600				32,600				10	%
Daily average revenue trades (“DARTs”) (2)
Retail DARTs			31,500				36,500				(5,000	)			(14	%)
Institutional DARTs (3)			12,600				7,100				5,500				77	%
Total DARTs			44,100				43,600				500				1	%
Customer trades per account (4)			33				38				(5	)			(13	%)
Average commission per trade		$	14.41			$	15.27			$	(0.86	)			(6	%)
Option trades as a % of total trades			42	%			53	%			(11	%)
Brokerage advertising expense per net new customer account (5)		$	540			$	388			$	152				39	%
Total client assets (000s)		$	7,024,623			$	4,898,346			$	2,126,277				43	%
Client margin balances (000s)		$	149,062			$	129,171			$	19,891				15	%

optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.
Segment Information
In thousands
(Unaudited)

		Three Months Ended								Twelve Months Ended
		December				December				December				December
		31, 2009				31, 2008				31, 2009				31, 2008
Revenue
Brokerage Services		$	52,132			$	57,317			$	209,041			$	246,558
Education			8,515				—				25,459				—
Eliminations			(525	)			—				(1,082	)			—
Revenue		$	60,122			$	57,317			$	233,418			$	246,558
Income/(loss) before income taxes
Brokerage Services		$	23,286			$	29,105			$	96,287			$	141,323
Education			(788	)			—				(2,081	)			—
Income before income taxes		$	22,498			$	29,105			$	94,206			$	141,323