OptionsXpress Holdings (OXPS)

We receive the vast majority of our customer orders through the Internet. Market orders for exchange-listed securities, other than those with special qualifiers or that are outside of market size limitations, are executed at the National Best Bid and Offer, or NBBO, or better at the time of receipt by the relevant market maker or exchange. Eligible orders are exposed to the marketplace for possible price improvement or enhanced liquidity, subject to the NBBO. Limit orders are executed based on an indicated price and time priority. Market orders for Nasdaq securities, other than those that are outside of market size limitations, are executed at the Best Bid/Offer (inside market) or better at the time of receipt by the relevant market center. Eligible orders are subject to possible price improvement in the marketplace.

We aim to provide customers with the best execution of each trade, which we define as the fastest fill at the best price. We believe we differentiate ourselves from our major competitors by incorporating our dynamic technology into our order management and execution review process. For example, we have designed monitors that warn us of any instances where an order can be filled on another exchange or the best price was not achieved on a particular trade. These real-time alerts allow us to proactively re-present orders, seek adjustments on orders that were not completed at the best available price, and recognize exchange issues that might warrant a routing change.