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Leverage & Margin Calculator

This margin calculator shows how much of your balance a leveraged position locks up as collateral, so you can see how close you are to a margin call.

Prepared by the GlixoCoin editorial desk. Updated 26 September 2026. See our research method

Margin calculator

Required margin
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Precision lever lifting a stack of coins clean minimal composition

A margin calculator shows the deposit a broker holds back when you open a leveraged position. It is not a fee; it is collateral. But it tells you how much of your account is tied up and how much room is left before the broker starts closing trades.

The formula

Position value (USD) = lots × units per lot × USD value of one unit of the base currency
Required margin = position value ÷ leverage

For pairs where the dollar is the quote currency, one unit of the base is worth the price. Where the dollar is the base, as in USD/JPY, one unit is simply $1. For cross pairs the calculator asks for a conversion rate.

Worked example

Illustrative numbers. You open 0.5 lots of GBP/USD at 1.2700 with 30:1 leverage.

  1. Position value: 0.5 × 100,000 × 1.27 = $63,500.
  2. Required margin: $63,500 ÷ 30 = $2,116.67.

By comparison, 1 lot of USD/JPY is worth $100,000, so at 30:1 it needs $3,333.33 of margin whatever the yen price.

Margin level and close-outs

Margin level = equity ÷ used margin × 100%

Equity is your balance plus or minus open profit and loss. Suppose your account holds $4,000 and you open the GBP/USD position above. Your margin level starts at about 189%. If losses reduce equity to $1,058.33, the level falls to 50%, the point at which UK and EU brokers must begin closing retail positions. That is a loss of about $2,942, which on 0.5 lots is roughly 588 pips.

Maximum retail leverage on CFDs in the UK and EU (x:1)
  • Major currency pairs30:1
  • Other FX, gold, major indices20:1
  • Other commodities, minor indices10:1
  • Individual shares5:1
  • Crypto-assets2:1

Caps set by ESMA and the FCA for retail clients. The FCA does not allow crypto derivatives to be sold to UK retail consumers at all.

Reading the margin calculator result

The big figure is the collateral; the line underneath shows the full position value. The loss if the price moves against you is based on the position value, not the margin, which is why a small margin can hide a large exposure. Size the trade with the position size calculator first, then use this tool to confirm the account can support it. Financial markets explained covers why leverage limits differ between asset classes.

Higher leverage lowers the margin required but not the risk. Losses are calculated on the full position value.

Reader questions

What is a margin call?

A warning, or automatic action, when your equity falls too far relative to the margin used. UK and EU retail brokers must start closing positions at a 50% margin level.

Is margin the same as the cost of a trade?

No. Margin is returned when the position closes; costs such as the spread and swaps are not.

Sources

  • European Securities and Markets Authority, CFD product intervention measures (margin close-out and leverage limits)

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