I currently use OptionsXpress.com as my virtual trading platform. I will eventually be using OptionsHouse.com for my real account when I start trading with my real money, because they have better commission rates on option contracts. OptionsHouse's virtual trading platform currently has a bug that doesn't refresh the margin availability from options that expire. This caused me difficulties when trying to test out my credit spread trading as I would have to call the company at the end of the month to have them reset my margin. This is why I decided to use OptionsXpress's virtual account platform as it did not have this problem.
I noticed the other day that OptionsXpress actually charges ridiculously high fees for spreads with high amounts of contracts. As my account has gotten bigger I am now trading 100 to 200 contracts per spread. I noticed that OptionsXpress has been charging $200+ per spread trade in my virtual account. The same trade in OptionsHouse is only about $30 - $40. This is a lot of profit being taken away and since I plan to use OptionsHouse in the future I decided to go back and calculate the extra commissions I have spent and then credit my account with that money. I will plan to credit the extra commission each month from here on out.
The total amount of extra commission I have paid since Sept of 2009 is ~$2,500. That is a lot of extra profit. I have credited my account this money and my account is now currently at ~ $19,300.
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