Spotted some errors...
Options
A right to buy stock at a specific share price. The specific share price is called the exercise price. Usually, investors purchase options at a very low price betting the share price will appreciate above the exercise price.
The description is for a Long Call Option. There are also Put Options. Also, the specific price is called the Strike Price and not the exercise price.
Minor point: Main use of Options is to hedge since Options have the same delta exposure as holding a position in the underlying. Speculators do use Options as described above but the main attraction is not "very low price" rather, it is the leverage.
On-Line Broker
In general, any broker that provides trading services to its customers over the Internet, which includes established full-service brokers such as Merill Lynch as well as a range of discount-and deep discount brokers.
On-Line Trading
Buying and selling securities using the Internet or broker-provided proprietary software that works through the Internet.
With so many brokers offering different kind of accounts (full service, deep discount, currency only, options etc), they are normally just lumped together. For example, the 16th largest brokerage in the USA is Interactive Brokers which offers both Full Service and Discount services for almost all the products (futures, options, shares, forex etc).
However, some still refer IB as a Discount Brokerage even when they offer Full Service Accounts.
Brokerage Accounts however, are divided into two kinds:
1) Full Service
2) Discount (or Deep Discount)
It is the industry standard in the USA for both to provide trading via online and offline. (in other words, 99% of brokerages provide both an online platform as well as a land line for placing trades thru the phone)
Full Service Accounts come with investment advice but has much higher commission costs while Discount Accounts come with no advice but much lower commission costs because clients only foot the bill for execution costs.
Trading access are further categorized into:
1) Direct Access
2) Online
Online Trading access refer to using the internet to place trades as one would through the telephone. Either a standalone platform is provided or the brokerage has an internet webpage.
Direct Access refer to brokerages which runs direct line to the exchanges, allowing clients to place trades directly onto the exchange itself without broker intervention. Direct Access usually comes with Level 2 quotescreen displaying real time order book, inside market and bid-ask volume.
In short:
Brokerage => Full Service/Discount Accounts => Online/Direct Access