Margin Call & Stop-Out Calculator
See your current margin level and how much more loss your account can take before a margin call or stop-out closes your positions.
From your open positions (see the Margin Calculator)
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What is the Margin Call & Stop-Out Calculator?
Your margin level is the single number that tells you how much trouble your account is in. It's the ratio of your equity to the margin currently tied up in open positions, expressed as a percent. When it falls too far, your broker starts protecting itself: first a margin call warning, then a forced liquidation called the stop-out.
This calculator takes your equity and used margin and shows three things: your current margin level, how much more loss you can absorb before a margin call, and how much before the stop-out hits. The buffer figures are in your account currency, so you know exactly how many dollars of cushion you have left.
Margin Level % = (Equity ÷ Used Margin) × 100
Buffer to Margin Call = Equity − Used Margin × (Call Level ÷ 100)
Buffer to Stop-Out = Equity − Used Margin × (Stop-Out Level ÷ 100)
Say your equity is $5,000 and your open trades use $2,000 of margin. Your margin level is 5,000 ÷ 2,000 × 100 = 250%. With a margin call level of 100% and a stop-out at 50%, your buffer to the margin call is 5,000 − 2,000 × 1.00 = $3,000, and your buffer to the stop-out is 5,000 − 2,000 × 0.50 = $4,000. So you can lose up to $3,000 before getting the call, and $4,000 before positions start getting closed automatically.
How to Use This Calculator
Using This Calculator
- Account Equity ($) — your balance plus or minus the floating profit/loss of all open positions. This is what your platform shows as "Equity," not "Balance." Enter it in your account currency.
- Used Margin ($) — the total margin locked up by your open positions, often shown as "Margin" or "Used Margin." If you don't know it, work it out with the Margin Calculator first.
- Margin Call Level (%) — the margin level at which your broker sends a warning and usually blocks new trades. Default is 100%; check your broker's terms.
- Stop-Out Level (%) — the level at which the broker force-closes positions to stop your account going negative. Default is 50%; this varies by broker and account type.
Real-World Example
Worked Example
A trader is running several EUR/USD and gold positions and wants to know how much room is left before things get forced shut.
- Account Equity: $8,000
- Used Margin: $4,000
- Margin Call Level: 100%
- Stop-Out Level: 50%
Current Margin Level = (8,000 ÷ 4,000) × 100 = 200%
Buffer to Margin Call = 8,000 − 4,000 × (100 ÷ 100) = 8,000 − 4,000 = $4,000
Buffer to Stop-Out = 8,000 − 4,000 × (50 ÷ 100) = 8,000 − 2,000 = $6,000
At 200% the account is comfortable. The trader can lose $4,000 of floating value before the margin call at 100%, and $6,000 before the broker starts liquidating at 50%. If they closed half their positions (cutting used margin to $2,000), the same $8,000 equity would put the margin level at 400% and roughly double the loss buffer.
When to Use
Use this before and during any period where you're holding multiple positions or sizing up, especially in volatile sessions like major news releases. It turns a vague "am I overexposed?" feeling into hard numbers: the exact dollar drawdown that triggers a call and the one that triggers liquidation.
It's most valuable when you're:
- Deciding whether you have room to add another position without getting dangerously close to the stop-out.
- Holding trades over the weekend or through high-impact data and want to know your worst-case cushion.
- Figuring out how much capital to deposit, or how much size to cut, to lift your margin level back to a safe zone.
Common Mistakes
- Using balance instead of equity. Margin level is driven by equity, which moves with your open P/L. A losing position drags equity down in real time even though your balance hasn't changed yet.
- Assuming everyone uses 100% / 50%. Margin call and stop-out levels differ by broker, account type, and even by instrument. Plug in your broker's actual numbers, not the defaults.
- Thinking the margin call is the danger point. The call is just a warning. The stop-out is where positions get force-closed, often at the worst possible price during a fast move.
- Ignoring that the stop-out can cascade. Brokers may close your largest losing position first, but in a sharp move multiple positions can be liquidated in seconds.
- Forgetting swap and commission. Overnight financing and fees nibble at equity too, slowly lowering your margin level even when price hasn't moved.
Frequently Asked Questions
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