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I might have to look into some of these others. In the etrade case, the timeout is only a problem when submitting a trade. I got them to allow the other pages to stay for 8 hours.
Are you sure that optionsexpress doesn't time out the actual "submit" function? I may be anal but when I ready to sell naked calls, I sit there with a real time chart (no delay), 1 second updates of the underlying stock or ETF and have the level two quote window open for the option. And I'll sit there with my finger on the mouse button for "ever" until I think the plot shows what I want and the option price is what I want, then I click submit.
I find this to be a very useful way to squeak out the last few pennies, enough to cover the commission or more.. One day I wanted to write a large number of options for $3.00. I was watching the level 2 screen and the bid price was fluctuating around 2.50 or so. There was a whole crap load of offers from 2.85 to over 3.00. Sometimes, momentarily the option would start to rise and all the offers below 3.00 disappeared and then a few would trade at 3.00 then the option would fall back. If it went down around 2.50 the offers in the 2.85 to 3.0 range would reappear.
It must have been some type of computerized trading that could move so many offers in and out in unison like that. I decided I would never get the 3.00 I wanted because of the large volume of offers in (and out) of the 2.85 to 3.00 range. Finally I changed my offer price to 2.98 and, not wanting to reveal my position, I sat there with my finger on the mouse. Sure enough the ETF started to rise and the option followed. Like before, all the offers less than 3.00 disappeared. That's when I clicked submit on the 2.98 offer. I got it !!! The trade went through. It never would have happened any other way.
Just to finish the story since I have told so much of it, I immediately turned around and prepared a bid of 1.75 to close the position. The ETF started to tank and, 12.5 minutes later I closed the position at 1.75. The net, slightly less than $16K. In 12.5 minutes. I have never done as well before or since. And I'm sure I never will.
Oh, I started out placing the order in both my etrade account and my TDameritrade account. The etrade timed out but the TDameritrade went as I descried above.
Ask me if I'm anal.
Pete
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