Skip navigation

Risk Warning: Trading financial products on margin carries a high degree of risk and is not suitable for all investors. Losses can include all your initial investment. Please ensure you fully understand the risks and take appropriate care to manage your risk.

Forex Education

START TRADING

Margin Walkthrough

Assume you have opened a Live ActTrader account, and deposited $10,000. 

When you first login, you will see the 10,000 in the "Equity" column of your "Account Information" window.  You will also see that the "UsdMr" ('Used Margin') is "0.00", and that the "UsblMr" ('Usable Margin' or 'Available Margin') is 10,000, as pictured below:

marg1a

Your Usable Margin will always be equal to Equity less Used Margin. Therefore it is the Equity, not the Balance, that is used to determine Usable Margin and will determine if and when a Margin Call is reached. As long as your Equity is greater than your Used Margin, you will not have Margin Call. As soon as your Equity falls below your Used Margin, you will receive a margin call.

Now assume that you buy 20 lots of USD/JPY. Your Equity remains $10,000. Used Margin is now $1,000, because the margin requirement in an ICTS Forex account is $50 per lot. Usable Margin is now $9,000 (Equity less Used Margin, as pictured below):

marg2a

If you were to close out the 20 lots of USD/JPY (by selling it back) at the same price at which you bought it, your Used Margin would go back to 0.00 and your Usable Margin would go back to $10,000. Your Equity would remain unchanged at 10,000.

But instead of closing the 20 lots, assume instead that you purchased 10 more lots of USD/JPY, for a total of 30 lots of USD/JPY. You will now have the same Equity, but your Used Margin will be $1,500 (30 lots at $50 margin per lot). And your Usable Margin will now be only $8,500.

With this position on, you will make a large profits if USD/JPY rises.  We will illustrate a Margin Call that occurs when USD/JPY falls.  Assume that USD/JPY starts to fall.  You are long 30 lots, so you will see your Equity fall along with it.  Your Used Margin will remain at $1,500.  Once your equity drops below $1,500, you will have a Margin Call.  This means that some or all of your 30 lot position will immediately be closed at current market prices.  The closed position will show up in your Reports or History with the "MC" code next to it.

Trade with the one of the longest serving CFD Provider
Start Trading
Contact Us

We are here to serve you. Get in touch with a specialist today.

Instant account opening

Trade within minutes!

Get Started Try a Free Demo