Published November 1, 2026 · Beginner education
THE IDEA, IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Margin is money a provider requires to support a leveraged position. It is not the maximum possible loss. Falling account equity can trigger a margin call or automatic position closure under the provider’s rules.
KEY VOCABULARY
- Margin
- Required collateral for a position.
- Equity
- Account balance adjusted for open profit or loss.
A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE
A position requiring $100 margin can lose more than $100. Read how the provider calculates equity, maintenance requirements and liquidation.
A COMMON MISTAKE
Confusing required margin with a safe risk limit.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
Understand liquidation rules and exposure before any real-money position.
SOURCE REFERENCES
Use these external resources to study further. Explanations here are our own; external resources may change.
- BabyPips: related source lesson ↗
- BabyPips: School of Pipsology — beginner forex curriculum ↗
- CFTC: understand forex risks ↗
RELATED VIDEOS
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