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Note: Low and High figures are for the trading day. Traders go to great lengths to avoid margin call in forex. Therefore, understanding how margin call arises is essential for successful trading. This article takes an in-depth look into margin call and how to avoid it. You are on the wrong side of a market. Why send good money after bad? Keep the money for another day.
In order to understand a forex margin call, it is essential to know about the interrelated concepts of margin and leverage. Margin and leverage are two sides of the same coin. Margin is the minimum amount of money required to place a leveraged trade, while leverage provides traders with greater exposure to markets without having to fund the full amount of the trade.
Read our introduction to risk management for tips on how to minimize risk when trading. In other words, the account needs more funding. This tends to happen when trading losses reduce the usable margin below an acceptable level determined by the broker. Margin call is more likely to occur when traders commit a large portion of equity to used margin, leaving very little room to absorb losses.
When a margin call takes place, a trader is liquidated or closed out of their trades. The purpose is two-fold: the trader no longer has the money in their account to hold the losing positions and the broker is now on the line for their losses, which is equally bad for the broker. It is important to know that leverage trading brings with it, in certain scenarios, the possibility that a trader may owe the broker more than what has been deposited.
Below is a visual representation of a trading account that runs a high chance of receiving a margin call:. For simplicity, this is the only position open and it accounts for the entire used margin. It is clear to see that the margin required to maintain the open position uses up the majority of the account equity. Traders may operate under the false assumption that the account is in good condition; however, the use of leverage means that the account is less able to absorb large movements against the trader.
Leverage is often and fittingly referred to as a double-edged sword. The purpose of that statement is that the larger leverage a trader uses — relative to the amount deposited - the less usable margin a traderwill have to absorb any losses. The sword only cuts deeper if an over-leveraged trade goes against a trader as the losses can quickly deplete their account. When usable margin percentage hits zero, a trader will receive a margin call. This only gives further credence to the reason of using protective stops to cut potential losses as short as possible.
Top 4 ways to avoid margin call in forex trading :. DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets. Leveraged trading in foreign currency or off-exchange products on margin carries significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. We advise you to carefully consider whether trading is appropriate for you based on your personal circumstances.
Forex trading involves risk. To commence margin trading, the investor opens an account with a broker using the required percentage of the full value of the proposed trade the margin. The required percentage is calculated to cover any losses should they occur. Every broker will have different requirements, so investors will want to consider all their options before choosing a broker and starting to trade.
The main benefit of an FX trader using margin is the ability to leverage investments and increase their returns. They can use margin trading to trade in far larger sums of currency than their principal investment would usually allow. Unlike typical stock brokers, forex brokers don't, as a rule, charge interest on the money they put in. The margin size is much greater than that found in the stock market generally, with the minimum ratio being rather than , which means FX traders can leverage greater sums.
That presents FX traders with a huge advantage when it comes to realising gains in the market. Margin requirements vary depending on the broker and size of the trade. Each position will have its own specific required margin. The broker will add together all of the required margins for open positions and that total sum is the used margin. Equity is another word for the value of your account in real time. The free margin is the difference between equity and used margin and can be either:. The margin level is a percentage value calculated by the ratio of margin to available equity.
It is used by the broker to determine whether an FX trader can take a new position. If the trader continues to have losing positions, the stop-out level will be reached. In forex trading, leverage is related to the forex margin rate which tells a trader what percentage of the total trade value is required to enter the trade.
So, if the forex margin is 3. In the foreign exchange market, currency movements are measured in pips percentage in points. A pip is the smallest movement that a currency can make. However, at the same time, leverage can also result in larger losses.
Leverage increases risk, and should be used with caution. Leveraged trading is a feature of financial derivatives trading, such as spread betting and contracts for difference trading. Leverage can also be used to take a position across a range of asset classes other than forex, including stocks, indices and commodities. Calculating the amount of margin needed on a trade is easier with a forex margin calculator. Most brokers now offer forex margin calculators or state the margin required automatically, meaning that traders no longer have to calculate forex margin manually.
To calculate forex margin with a forex margin calculator, a trader simply enters the currency pair, the trade currency, the trade size in units and the leverage into the calculator. The forex margin calculator will then calculate the amount of margin required. The currency pair is trading at 1. Forex margin calculators are useful for calculating the margin required to open new positions. They also help traders manage their trades and determine optimal position size and leverage level.
Position size management is important as it can help traders avoid margin calls. Before you start speculating on the foreign exchange market, it would help to get a better understanding of technical analysis, as well as risk management , so you can better analyse price action and protect yourself from sudden market moves. In leveraged forex trading, margin is one of the most important concepts to understand. Margin is essentially the amount of money that a trader needs to put forward in order to place a trade and maintain the position. Margin is not a transaction cost, but rather a security deposit that the broker holds while a forex trade is open.
Trading currencies on margin enables traders to increase their exposure. Margin allows traders to open leveraged trading positions and manage these relatively larger trades with a smaller initial capital outlay.
If a broker offers a margin of 3. Margin level refers to the amount of funds that a trader has left available to open further positions. Trading forex on margin is a popular strategy, as the use of leverage to take larger positions can be profitable. Traders should take time to understand how margin works before trading using leverage in the foreign exchange market.
Traders need to be aware that their forex positions could be liquidated if their margin level falls below the minimum level required. Experience our powerful online platform with pattern recognition scanner, price alerts and module linking. Start trading on a demo account.