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A margin call means your brokerage says the account no longer has enough equity to support its margin loan. You may be required to deposit cash or securities, and the firm may sell securities or other assets—possibly without contacting you first. You generally cannot choose what the firm sells, and if liquidation does not repay the loan, you still owe the deficiency.
The exact trigger, deadline, acceptable payment methods and liquidation policy come from your margin agreement and the firm’s current requirements. Treat a call as time-sensitive, not as a guaranteed grace period.
What a margin call means
In a margin account, the brokerage lends part of the money used to buy securities. Your account equity is the current market value of the securities and cash, minus the amount borrowed. The securities serve as collateral for that loan.
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A margin call occurs when your equity falls below a required level. A falling share price reduces the collateral supporting the loan. The account can also fall below its requirement if the brokerage raises its own “house” requirement or if another account condition changes. The call is a demand to restore the required equity by adding cash, depositing securities or reducing the loan through a sale.
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There is no single threshold that applies to every account. Regulatory requirements, the brokerage’s house rules, the security involved and the terms of your margin agreement all matter. A firm can set a stricter house requirement than a regulatory baseline and can change that requirement without advance notice, according to FINRA’s investor disclosure.
How a leveraged position reaches a call
Leverage magnifies the effect of a price move
Borrowing lets you control a position larger than the cash you deposited. That increases the dollar effect of both gains and losses. The loan balance does not automatically shrink when the share price drops, so a decline comes out of your equity first.
For example, suppose an account buys a hypothetical $20,000 position using $10,000 of the investor’s money and a $10,000 margin loan. If the position falls to $14,000, the loan is still $10,000 and account equity is $4,000. The investor has lost $6,000 of equity even though the stock fell by $6,000 on a $20,000 position. If the firm’s required equity percentage is higher than the account now provides, the firm issues a call. The percentage in this example is illustrative only; your agreement controls.
The trigger can be a market decline or a rule change
- Security price decline: Lower market value means less collateral and less equity.
- Concentration or security-specific rules: A firm may impose different requirements on particular securities or concentrated positions.
- House-maintenance increase: FINRA says a firm may raise its house maintenance requirement without advance notice. A call can result even when the stock price has not just moved sharply.
- Intraday requirement: A covered rule may require the account to remain above its equity level during the trading day rather than only at a daily check.
What the brokerage may do after issuing the call
Demand cash or securities
The firm can specify an amount that must be restored and identify acceptable ways to do it. Depending on the agreement and the firm’s procedures, that may include depositing cash, transferring eligible securities or selling securities to reduce the loan. Confirm the amount and deadline through the firm’s official account channel; do not rely on a message forwarded by someone else.
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Liquidate positions without waiting for you
FINRA warns that a brokerage may sell securities or other assets without contacting the customer first. A courtesy telephone call, an alert in an app or a stated deadline does not guarantee that the firm will wait until that deadline before selling. The firm is protecting its loan and may act as market conditions change.
Select which assets are sold
You may not control which security is liquidated. The firm can select securities or other assets in the account to address the deficiency. If you want to reduce exposure in a particular position, selling it yourself and promptly applying the proceeds may help avoid a firm-selected sale, but the firm is not required to wait or accept that plan.
Leave you with a debt if the sale is insufficient
Liquidation does not erase the loan automatically. If the sale proceeds, together with cash and other assets, are not enough to repay the margin debt and required amount, the account has a deficiency. You remain responsible for that shortfall. FINRA’s margin disclosure states, “You can lose more funds than you deposit in the margin account.” That warning applies because borrowed money must still be repaid after collateral is sold.
Illustrative numbers: why a call can escalate quickly
The following is a mathematical example, not a brokerage rule or prediction.
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| Stage | Position value | Margin loan | Account equity | Equity as a share of position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase | $20,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | 50% |
| After a decline | $14,000 | $10,000 | $4,000 | 28.6% |
| After a further decline to $12,000 | $12,000 | $10,000 | $2,000 | 16.7% |
At each stage, the loan remains $10,000 unless the investor repays part of it. If the applicable maintenance requirement is above the account’s equity percentage, a call can occur. If the value falls further while the investor is arranging funds, the required deposit can grow and the firm may liquidate before the investor responds.
What to do when the call arrives
- Read the account notice immediately. Record the deficiency amount, any stated deadline, the account affected and the firm’s instructions. Check the margin agreement and current account disclosures for the applicable maintenance and house requirements.
- Verify the notice through an official channel. Sign in directly to the brokerage’s website or app, or use the telephone number on an account statement. Ask the representative to confirm the live deficiency, whether liquidation has begun, which funding methods are accepted and when funds must be credited—not merely initiated.
- Calculate your available equity. Review current prices, cash, unsettled proceeds and securities that the firm treats as eligible collateral. Values can move while you are deciding, so the displayed deficiency may change.
- Choose a response you can complete promptly. Possible actions identified by FINRA include depositing cash, depositing eligible securities or selling securities you choose and applying the proceeds. Ask the firm whether a transfer, wire or specific security is acceptable before relying on it.
- Get confirmation that the call was satisfied. Keep the confirmation number, time, amount and representative’s name. A transfer that is pending or rejected does not necessarily cure the deficiency.
- Monitor the account after the deposit or sale. A new price decline, a house-requirement change or another position can create a fresh deficiency. Continue checking messages until the firm shows that the account meets its requirement.
None of these steps creates a guaranteed extension. FINRA says customers do not have an entitlement to extra time, and the firm may liquidate while a deposit or transfer is in progress.
If you cannot meet the call
The firm may liquidate without your approval
If the deficiency remains, the brokerage can sell enough assets to protect its loan, subject to its agreement and applicable rules. It does not need your trade-by-trade permission, and you may not get to select the timing or securities sold. A volatile market can make the liquidation price materially different from the price you saw when the call was issued.
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A remaining balance is still due
After liquidation, compare the sale proceeds with the loan and all amounts the firm says are due. If the account is negative, request a written statement of the calculation and payment instructions. The obligation does not disappear because the pledged shares are gone. This article does not provide legal, tax or personalized financial advice; obtain professional advice about a disputed or unaffordable deficiency.
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Maintenance requirements versus house requirements
| Requirement | What it represents | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory or baseline maintenance requirement | A minimum equity standard established under applicable rules for the relevant account and securities. | Falling below it can create a maintenance call or permit liquidation. |
| Firm house requirement | The brokerage’s own risk limit, which may be higher or security-specific. | The firm can call or liquidate at a level more conservative than the baseline. |
| Account agreement and current implementation | The documents and procedures governing your particular account, including notice and funding rules. | They determine deadlines, eligible collateral, communication practices and how the firm handles a deficiency. |
Ask the brokerage how it calculates maintenance and house requirements, which positions are subject to special treatment and which assets it may liquidate. The answers are account-specific and can change.
2026 intraday margin update from FINRA
FINRA’s article “Understanding the New Intraday Margin Requirements” says the new requirements became effective June 4, 2026. It describes a minimum equity level of 25 percent of the current market value of long margin-eligible equity securities throughout the trading day for the covered requirements.
That 25 percent figure is not a universal margin-call threshold. FINRA also allows a transition period through October 20, 2027 for firms that need more time, so implementation can differ during the transition. Your firm’s agreement and current notices determine whether and how the intraday requirements apply to your account. Do not assume that an account meeting an end-of-day test automatically meets an intraday test.
How to reduce the chance of a forced sale
- Monitor collateral, not just profit and loss. Track the account’s equity, loan balance and the firm’s maintenance or house percentage.
- Keep a cash reserve outside the position. A market decline can happen faster than a transfer can settle.
- Ask about firm-specific triggers in advance. Find out whether concentrated holdings, volatile securities or particular account types receive higher requirements.
- Read every margin notice. A requirement can change without advance notice, and an alert may be the only warning before liquidation.
- Understand transfer timing. Know which deposits are credited immediately, which are subject to holds and which securities qualify as collateral.
- Limit leverage to an amount you could repay. The practical worst case is not limited to losing your original deposit; it includes a possible deficiency after the collateral is sold.
Common misconceptions
“The firm must call me first.”
No. FINRA says a firm may liquidate without contacting you first. Notifications are not a guaranteed precondition to a sale.
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“I get the deadline printed in the notice.”
Not necessarily. A stated deadline or courtesy call does not promise that trading conditions or firm policy will allow the full period.
“I can choose which shares are sold.”
Only if you sell them yourself before the firm acts and the firm accepts the proceeds as satisfying the call. Once the firm liquidates, it may choose the assets.
“The loss cannot exceed my deposit.”
Borrowing creates an obligation beyond your cash contribution. If liquidation leaves a deficit, you owe the shortfall.
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“The 25 percent figure applies to every margin account.”
No. It is the level described by FINRA for the covered 2026 intraday requirements, with a transition period for some firms. Ordinary maintenance and house requirements can differ.
Questions to ask before using margin
- What is the current maintenance requirement for each security I hold?
- What house requirements can change without advance notice?
- Does the firm monitor equity intraday, and which rules apply during the 2026–2027 transition?
- What assets may the firm sell, and in what order or at whose discretion?
- Which deposit methods and securities are accepted, and when are they credited?
- How will the firm notify me, and can it liquidate before the stated deadline?
- How is a remaining deficiency calculated and collected?
Written answers and a careful reading of the margin agreement are more reliable than assumptions based on another investor’s account. Requirements, notices and liquidation powers are specific to the firm and account.
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