How much can the market move against me before I get a maintenance margin call on my futures position?
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Your Result
Enter your equity, contracts, and margin figures, then click Calculate to see your cushion in points.
How this is calculated
Maintenance margin is the minimum equity your broker requires you to keep in the account for an open futures position. If your equity falls below it, you get a margin call.
This tool subtracts total maintenance margin, across all contracts, from your current account equity to find your dollar cushion, then converts that cushion into a number of points the market can move against you before a call.
This does not include unrealized profit or loss already in the position beyond what you've entered as current equity, so keep your equity figure current for an accurate cushion.
Brokers can and do raise maintenance margin requirements without notice, especially around high-volatility events, which shrinks your cushion even if the price hasn't moved.
Risk & liability disclaimer: This calculator produces a mathematical estimate based on the numbers you enter, not live market data or your actual broker's margin schedule. Initial and maintenance margin requirements change with volatility and broker or exchange policy, and this tool does not pull or refresh those figures automatically. Actual margin requirements and margin call procedures vary by broker, contract, and exchange, always confirm your broker's specific terms. This is not financial advice and does not guarantee any trading outcome. Trading Habits is not a broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, or tax professional, and is not affiliated with any broker, exchange, or data provider. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. You could lose more than your initial margin deposit.
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