Margin Call Level

Risk Management

The margin percentage at which a broker warns you. It is a warning, not the liquidation — the stop-out level sits below it.

The margin call level is the margin percentage at which a broker warns you that your account can no longer support its open positions — commonly 100%, meaning your equity has fallen to the margin the positions require. It is a warning, not the closure. The stop-out level below it is where positions start being liquidated, usually at 50% or 20%. Two things surprise people: the warning may arrive by email you will not read in time, and in fast markets the account can travel from margin call to stop-out in seconds, so treating the call as a moment to "add funds later" is how accounts end.

Related terms

Equity Leverage Margin Stop-Out Level

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After Margin Call Level

GuideMargin Calls and Stop-Outs ExplainedBalance, equity and margin level explained — how a margin call differs from a stop-out, which position closes first, and when a gap outruns the system.

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