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Trading / Leverage & Margin
Trading essentials

Leverage & Margin

Leverage lets you control a larger position with a smaller deposit. Understand how margin works, what triggers a margin call - and calculate your requirement instantly.

Margin CalculatorEstimate your required margin
Contract Size100,000
Position Value (notional)$108,460
Required Margin$216.92

For illustration only. Margin is shown in USD. Actual requirements depend on live prices and account conditions.

The basics

Leverage and margin explained

Two sides of the same coin - leverage amplifies your market exposure, margin is the deposit that backs it.

What is leverage?

Leverage lets you open a position much larger than your deposit. With 1:500 leverage, $1,000 controls a $500,000 position - magnifying both potential profits and potential losses.

Exposure = Margin x Leverage

What is margin?

Margin is the amount of your own funds required to open and maintain a leveraged position. It isn't a fee - it's set aside as collateral and released when you close the trade.

Margin = (Lots x Contract x Price) / Leverage
Worked example

How margin is calculated

Buying 1 lot of EUR/USD at 1.0846 with 1:500 leverage.

Position size
1 lot
Contract value
$108,460
Leverage
1: 500
Required margin
$216.92
By asset class

Maximum leverage available

Leverage varies by instrument and is capped to manage risk in more volatile markets.

Asset ClassMax LeverageMargin Requirement
Forex Majors1:5000.20%
Forex Minors & Exotics1:2000.50%
Metals (Gold & Silver)1:5000.20%
Indices1:5000.20%
Energy1:5000.20%
Shares CFDs1:205.00%
Crypto CFDs1:2000.50%
Risk management

Margin level, margin call & stop-out

Your margin level shows how healthy your account is. If it falls too low, protective measures kick in.

Level

Margin Level

Equity / Used Margin x 100%. The higher the percentage, the more buffer your account has.

100%

Margin Call

At a 100% margin level you're warned to add funds or reduce exposure before positions are at risk.

20 - 50%

Stop-Out

If the margin level keeps falling, positions are automatically closed (from 20% on Standard) to protect your account.

While leverage can magnify profits, it equally magnifies losses - you can lose more than your initial deposit. All PROACTIVE TECH LTD accounts include negative balance protection, but you should only trade with capital you can afford to lose. Use stop-loss orders and manage your risk carefully.

Put leverage to work, responsibly

Open an PROACTIVE TECH LTD account with flexible leverage up to 1:500 and transparent margin conditions.