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Forex Margin Calculator

A margin calculator that shows how much of your balance a leveraged position locks up, and how close a loss would bring you to a margin close-out.

From the RavixGlobal editors. Updated 26 September 2026. Our research standards

Margin calculator

Required margin
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Glass euro symbol and a glass dollar symbol balanced on a sleek scale

What the margin calculator shows

Margin is the deposit a broker sets aside while a leveraged position is open. It is not a fee, but it is money you cannot use elsewhere, and if losses shrink your account towards it the broker will close positions for you. This margin calculator converts the position to US dollars and divides by the leverage you enter.

Required margin = position value in USD ÷ leverage
Position value = lots × units per lot × price of the base currency in USD.

Worked examples

All figures are illustrative.

  • USD/CAD, 1 lot, 30:1. The base currency is the dollar, so the position is worth $100,000. Margin is 100,000 ÷ 30 ≈ $3,333.33.
  • EUR/USD at 1.0800, 0.8 lots. The position is 80,000 euros, or 80,000 × 1.08 = $86,400. At the UK/EU retail cap of 30:1 the margin is $2,880. At the US limit of 50:1 it would be $1,728.

Margin level and close-out

Brokers watch your margin level: equity divided by the margin in use, as a percentage. Suppose the account in the EUR/USD example holds $4,000 of equity. Margin level is 4,000 ÷ 2,880 ≈ 139%.

UK and EU rules require brokers to begin closing a retail client's positions when the margin level falls to 50%. Here that means equity of 2,880 × 0.5 = $1,440, a loss of $2,560. With 0.8 lots worth $8 per pip, that is a 320-pip move against you. It sounds distant; in a volatile week it may not be.

How to read the result

A lower margin figure is not a sign of lower risk. Higher leverage simply lets you open a bigger position with the same deposit, which means each pip is worth more and the account can be emptied faster. Retail caps of 30:1 on major pairs, 20:1 on gold and 2:1 on crypto exist for this reason. For sizing by risk rather than by available margin, use the position size calculator.

Leverage magnifies losses as well as gains. Most retail CFD accounts lose money. Negative balance protection for UK and EU retail clients stops losses at zero; it does not prevent them.

Sources

  • European Securities and Markets Authority, CFD product intervention measures
  • UK Financial Conduct Authority, CFD rules for retail clients

Further reading