Let's imagine the situation: You've been trading forex for a while and you're starting to see some good profits. You're feeling pretty confident in your abilities and decide to increase your stakes by increasing your margin. Suddenly, things start going out of control and you find yourself in the dreaded margin call situation.
So, what is a margin called Forex? And more importantly, how to avoid it?
In this article, we are going to introduce you to this concept so that you will understand how things happen.
Margin call definition
When the margin level falls to a certain point, you get a margin call. This is a warning that you need to deposit more money in your account so you can keep trading, or else close any losing positions so you don't lose more money. The margin level is the percentage of your account balance that is available to cover losses, and the margin call level is a specific percentage of that.
For example, if your broker has a margin call level of 100%, then you will get a margin call when your margin level falls to 100% or below. At this point, you need to either deposit more money or close some of your positions so you don't lose any more money. For starters, go through forex.com review to explore more.
What causes a margin call?
A margin call is what happens when a trader runs out of money. In other words, they can't afford to trade anymore. This tends to happen when someone has been losing money and their account balance falls below the limit set by their broker.
A margin call is more likely to occur when traders commit a large portion of their equity to trade, leaving very little room to absorb losses. From the broker's point of view, this is a necessary mechanism to manage and reduce their risk effectively.
There are several reasons why you might get causes for margin calls:
- You hold onto a losing trade for too long, and as a result, your usable margin gets low.
- If you over-leverage your account, which means that you trade with too much money compared to the amount of money you have in your account.
- If your account doesn't have enough money in it, then you might have to keep trading even if the price moves against you, which can lead to bigger losses as well.
- If you don't use stops when trading, the price can move aggressively against you and cause a margin call.
Conclusion
A margin call is a dreaded event for any trader, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world. By being vigilant and keeping an eye on your margin levels, you can avoid getting yourself into a situation where you have to face a margin call.
And if you do find yourself in that position, stay calm and be patient. Trade cautiously, keep an eye on your margin levels and don't let yourself panic if something goes wrong.