Exhibit 99.1

optionsXpress Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2010 Results

CHICAGO, IL, January 27, 2011 — optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. (NasdaqGS: OXPS) today reported results for the three months and full year ended December 31, 2010.

Highlights from the fourth quarter 2010 included:

•		Revenues of $55.5 million, an 8% decrease year-over-year
•		Commission revenues of $39.9 million, a 2% increase year-over-year
•		Net income of $11.6 million, or $0.20 per diluted share
•		Retail daily average revenue trades (DARTs) of 30,500, flat year-over-year
•		Net new account growth of 8,300 during the quarter

Highlights from the full year 2010 included:

•		Revenues of $231.4 million, a 1% decrease year-over-year
•		Net income of $51.9 million, or $0.90 per diluted share
•		Ending accounts of 379,400, an 8% increase year-over-year
•		$7.8 billion in customer assets on December 31, 2010, an 11% increase year-over-year

“We saw improvement in virtually all of our business metrics in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter as broader customer engagement increased. Retail trading activity improved, client assets ended the year at all-time highs and margin balances were at their highest level since August 2008. In addition, fourth quarter net new accounts were at their highest level in the past six quarters, including robust growth in December, which is typically one of our slowest months due to the holiday season. These key performance indicators demonstrate the leverage of our business model in an improving retail environment,” commented David Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of optionsXpress.

Fourth Quarter Results

For the fourth quarter, Retail DARTs were 30,500, essentially flat when compared to the fourth quarter of 2009, and up 16% from 26,300 for the third quarter of 2010. Total net revenues decreased 8% from the fourth quarter of 2009 and were up 4% when compared to the third quarter of 2010. Resulting net income was $11.6 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, a 22% decrease from the $14.9 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Full Year 2010 Performance

At the end of 2010, total customer accounts were 379,400, up 8% from 2009. Total customer assets at year-end 2010 were $7.8 billion, up 11% from year-end 2009 customer assets of $7.0 billion. Commission revenues for 2010 were $159.4 million, essentially flat with 2009. Net interest revenues and fees were $18.2 million, up 4% from 2009. 2010 full year total net revenues were $231.4 million, which was down 1% from net revenues of $233.4 million in 2009, and 2010 full year earnings per share were $0.90, a 14% decrease versus earnings per share of $1.05 in 2009.

“As opposed to the third quarter when we reduced marketing expense due to a weak market environment, in the fourth quarter we were able to respond to more favorable conditions by spending more, increasing our total net new account growth and lowering our average cost per net new account,” commented Adam DeWitt, Chief Financial Officer of optionsXpress. “Additionally, we demonstrated our commitment to return value to shareholders while maintaining our ability to grow. During the fourth quarter, we paid a special dividend of $4.50 per share. Despite the size of this dividend, we retain sufficient financial flexibility to fund current operations and growth opportunities in 2011 and beyond. In total, through dividends and stock repurchases, we have returned over $390 million to shareholders over the last three years.”

Outlook

Mr. Fisher concluded, “This month, we are celebrating optionsXpress’ 10^th anniversary and the start of a revolution determined to bring the power of derivatives trading to retail investors. We have delivered on this mission throughout our history by introducing innovative products and tools, utilizing cutting-edge technologies to make derivatives trading easier and leveling the playing field for the retail investor. The results speak for themselves — account growth rates that regularly outpace peers, almost 380,000 customers, and $7.8 billion of customer assets, a record high and key long-term driver of activity.”

“As we look forward, we are encouraged by the improved market landscape and remain excited about the prospects for continued secular growth in derivatives trading. We believe that our commitment to innovation and an efficient operating model will help us translate these trends into long-term earnings growth.”

A conference call will be broadcast live on Thursday, January 27, 2011, 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 31,				December 31,				Change
		2010				2009				$				%
Revenues:
Commissions		$	39,908			$	38,938			$	970				2	%
Other brokerage related revenue			4,662				6,003				(1,341	)			(22	%)
Interest revenue and fees			4,277				4,677				(400	)			(9	%)
Interest expense			(54	)			(67	)			13				(19	%)
Net interest revenue and fees			4,223				4,610				(387	)			(8	%)
Education revenues			5,954				8,008				(2,054	)			(26	%)
Other income			791				2,563				(1,772	)			(69	%)
Net revenues		$	55,538			$	60,122			$	(4,584	)			(8	%)
Expenses:
Compensation and benefits		$	11,346			$	11,759			$	(413	)			(4	%)
Brokerage, clearing and other related expenses			9,536				8,899				637				7	%
Brokerage advertising			4,447				3,607				840				23	%
Education marketing and fulfillment			3,112				4,965				(1,853	)			(37	%)
Depreciation and amortization			2,174				2,239				(65	)			(3	%)
Other general and administrative			6,630				6,155				475				8	%
Total expenses		$	37,245			$	37,624			$	(379	)			(1	%)
Income before income taxes			18,293				22,498				(4,205	)			(19	%)
Income taxes			6,719				7,628				(909	)			(12	%)
Net income		$	11,574			$	14,870			$	(3,296	)			(22	%)
Basic earnings per share		$	0.20			$	0.26			$	(0.06	)			(23	%)
Diluted earnings per share		$	0.20			$	0.26			$	(0.06	)			(23	%)
Weighted average shares outstanding — basic			57,450				57,669				(219	)			(0	%)
Weighted average shares outstanding — diluted			57,844				57,857				(13	)			(0	%)

		Twelve Months Ended
		December 31,				December 31,				Change
		2010				2009				$				%
Revenues:
Commissions		$	159,448			$	159,536			$	(88	)			(0	%)
Other brokerage related revenue			17,936				26,765				(8,829	)			(33	%)
Interest revenue and fees			18,409				17,787				622				3	%
Interest expense			(200	)			(245	)			45				(18	%)
Net interest revenue and fees			18,209				17,542				667				4	%
Education revenues			27,302				24,398				2,904				12	%
Other income			8,549				5,177				3,372				65	%
Net revenues		$	231,444			$	233,418			$	(1,974	)			(1	%)
Expenses:
Compensation and benefits		$	46,299			$	42,452			$	3,847				9	%
Brokerage, clearing and other related expenses			37,203				31,931				5,272				17	%
Brokerage advertising			17,863				17,608				255				1	%
Education marketing and fulfillment			17,208				15,763				1,445				9	%
Depreciation and amortization			8,890				8,879				11				0	%
Other general and administrative			23,923				22,579				1,344				6	%
Total expenses		$	151,386			$	139,212			$	12,174				9	%
Income before income taxes			80,058				94,206				(14,148	)			(15	%)
Income taxes			28,154				33,439				(5,285	)			(16	%)
Net income		$	51,904			$	60,767			$	(8,863	)			(15	%)
Basic earnings per share		$	0.90			$	1.05			$	(0.15	)			(14	%)
Diluted earnings per share		$	0.90			$	1.05			$	(0.15	)			(14	%)
Weighted average shares outstanding — basic			57,443				57,925				(482	)			(1	%)
Weighted average shares outstanding — diluted			57,785				58,081				(296	)			(1	%)

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

		Period Ended
		December 31,				December 31,				Change
		2010				2009				$				%
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	100,875			$	178,989			$	(78,114	)			(44	%)
Cash and investments segregated in compliance with federal regulations			945,870				881,210				64,660				7	%
Receivables from brokerage customers, net			235,589				149,871				85,718				57	%
Receivables from brokers, dealers and clearing organizations			25,686				110,779				(85,093	)			(77	%)
Investments in securities			11,442				70,850				(59,408	)			(84	%)
Deposits with clearing organizations			20,480				30,245				(9,765	)			(32	%)
Fixed assets, net			11,345				13,263				(1,918	)			(14	%)
Goodwill			85,360				81,590				3,770				5	%
Other intangible assets, net			4,837				6,525				(1,688	)			(26	%)
Other assets			31,434				22,999				8,435				37	%
Total assets		$	1,472,918			$	1,546,321			$	(73,403	)			(5	%)
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:
Liabilities
Payables to brokerage customers		$	1,193,479			$	1,179,204			$	14,275				1	%
Payables to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations			1,711				144				1,567				1088	%
Accrued liabilities and accounts payable			19,471				19,027				444				2	%
Current and deferred income taxes			651				193				458				237	%
Other liabilities			32,521				36,878				(4,357	)			(12	%)
Long-term debt			120,000				—				120,000			NM
Total liabilities			1,367,833				1,235,446				132,387				11	%
Stockholders’ equity			105,085				310,875				(205,790	)			(66	%)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		$	1,472,918			$	1,546,321			$	(73,403	)			(5	%)

optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.

Statistical Operating Data

		Three Months Ended
		December 31,				December 31,				Change
		2010				2009				$ or #				%
Number of customer accounts
(at period end)(1)			379,400				351,200				28,200				8	%
Daily average revenue trades (‘‘DARTs’’) (2)
Retail DARTs			30,500				30,400				100				0	%
Institutional DARTs			12,100				12,200				(100	)			(1	%)
Total DARTs			42,600				42,600				0				0	%
Customer trades per account (3)			29				31				(2	)			(6	%)
Average commission per trade		$	14.75			$	14.49			$	0.26				2	%
Option trades as a % of total trades			43	%			43	%			0	%
Brokerage advertising expense per net new customer account (4)		$	536			$	494			$	42				9	%
Total client assets (000s)		$	7,830,545			$	7,024,623			$	805,922				11	%
Client margin balances (000s)		$	220,975			$	149,062			$	71,913				48	%

		Twelve Months Ended
		December 31,				December 31,				Change
		2010				2009				$ or #				%
Number of customer accounts
(at period end)(1)			379,400				351,200				28,200				8	%
Daily average revenue trades (‘‘DARTs’’) (2)
Retail DARTs			29,900				31,500				(1,600	)			(5	%)
Institutional DARTs			14,000				12,600				1,400				11	%
Total DARTs			43,900				44,100				(200	)			(0	%)
Customer trades per account (3)			30				33				(3	)			(9	%)
Average commission per trade		$	14.42			$	14.41			$	0.01				0	%
Option trades as a % of total trades			42	%			42	%			0	%
Brokerage advertising expense per net new customer account (4)		$	633			$	540			$	93				17	%
Total client assets (000s)		$	7,830,545			$	7,024,623			$	805,922				11	%
Client margin balances (000s)		$	220,975			$	149,062			$	71,913				48	%

optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.

Segment Information

In thousands

(Unaudited)

		Three Months Ended								Twelve Months Ended
		December 31,				December 31,				December 31,				December 31,
		2010				2009				2010				2009
Revenue
Brokerage Services		$	49,752			$	52,132			$	204,588			$	209,041
Education			6,435				8,515				29,226				25,459
Eliminations			(649	)			(525	)			(2,370	)			(1,082	)
Revenue		$	55,538			$	60,122			$	231,444			$	233,418
Income/(loss) before income taxes
Brokerage Services		$	18,777			$	23,286			$	84,246			$	96,287
Education			(484	)			(788	)			(4,188	)			(2,081	)
Income before income taxes		$	18,293			$	22,498			$	80,058			$	94,206