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Leverage & Margin Calculator

A margin calculator that shows the deposit a leveraged position locks up, and a worked example of how quickly a margin close-out can arrive.

Written and checked by the RavixPrime research team. Updated 26 September 2026. How we check our answers

Margin calculator

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

This margin calculator tells you how much of your account a position ties up as collateral. Choose a pair, enter the price, the size in lots and the leverage. The result is the required margin in US dollars, and the line below it shows the full position value, the number your profit and loss actually moves with.

What formula does the margin calculator use?

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

For pairs where the dollar is the quote, such as EUR/USD, one base unit is worth the pair's price. Where the dollar is the base, such as USD/JPY, one unit is worth exactly $1. For gold, a lot is 100 ounces at the gold price.

Examples at the regulatory caps

Retail leverage in the UK and EU is capped at 30:1 on major pairs and 20:1 on gold; prices below are illustrative.

  • EUR/USD at 1.0800, 1 lot, 30:1: 100,000 × 1.08 = $108,000, and 108,000 ÷ 30 = $3,600.
  • USD/JPY, 2 lots, 30:1: 200,000 × $1 = $200,000, and 200,000 ÷ 30 = $6,666.67.
  • XAU/USD at $2,300, 0.3 lots, 20:1: 30 oz × 2,300 = $69,000, and 69,000 ÷ 20 = $3,450.

How close is a margin close-out?

Margin level is equity divided by margin used. Suppose an account has $5,000 of equity and opens the 1-lot EUR/USD position above, using $3,600 of margin. The margin level starts at 5,000 ÷ 3,600 ≈ 139%.

Under UK and EU retail rules, the provider must start closing positions when the margin level falls to 50%, meaning equity of 50% × $3,600 = $1,800. That is a loss of $5,000 − $1,800 = $3,200, which at $10 per pip is a 320-pip move against the position. EUR/USD can travel that far in a volatile week. With less spare equity, the distance shrinks accordingly.

How should I read the number?

Required margin is not the maximum you can lose; it is only the deposit held while the trade is open. Losses are driven by the position value, which is 30 times the margin at 30:1. Use the position size calculator to set size from risk, then check here that the margin leaves a comfortable buffer. Offshore providers offering much higher leverage lower the margin figure but not the risk, as the broker checklist explains, and how forex trading works sets out why the caps exist.

Leverage magnifies losses as well as gains. Retail negative balance protection applies in the UK and EU, but outside those regimes you could owe more than you deposited.

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