You can also sell stocks short and potentially pocket gains if stock prices decline.” Of course, shorting stocks is subject to unlimited loss potential since there's no limit to how high the price of a stock can climb. Non-marginable stocks cannot be used as collateral for a margin loan. The SMA account increases as the value of the securities in the account appreciate, but does not decrease when the value of those securities depreciates. If the equity in a margin account falls below $2,000 due to market depreciation, that is acceptable as long as the account is at or above the maintenance requirement. Margin is not available in all account types. If the option is assigned, the writer of the put option purchases the security with the cash that has been held to cover the put. TD Ameritrade utilizes a base rate to set margin interest rates. TD Ameritrade is a trademark jointly owned by TD Ameritrade IP Company, Inc. and The Toronto-Dominion Bank. The account will remain Restricted until either the Flag is removed (which happens after 90 days) or the account value is brought above $25,000. (Uncovered call: Subject to the minimum % requirement on the underlying interest The margin requirement is the greater of the uncovered requirement for the calls or puts, plus the value of the premium received on the other, non-holding , side of the straddle, and a minimum account value of $5000. It doesn't say what i will be using nor does it confirm it's margin. For instance, the current margin requirement for initial purchase of eligible securities is 50% of the purchase amount. Be sure to understand all risks involved with each strategy, including commission costs, before attempting to place any trade. If your position value is more than your account you're probably on margin. How do I get started investing quickly with TD Direct Investing? Stock in your account can serve as collateral for a margin loan that could be used for short term financing. TD Ameritrade Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Margin is not available in all account types. Wtf? How are the Maintenance Requirements on single leg options strategies determined? How do I calculate how much I am borrowing? Futures and forex accounts are not protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Client sells 5 October 65 Straddles in XYZ Security for $4.25. *In this example, Maintenance Excess determines the funds available for trading. Generally, you can take your Funds Available for Trading and divide by the margin requirement of the security you plan to liquidate to determine the total notional value which must be liquidated to get back to positive. responsible for the content and offerings on its website. Portfolio Margin rules, methodology, and more. When this occurs, TD Ameritrade checks to see whether: Securities with special margin requirements will display this on the trade tab on tdameritrade.com when creating an order. When the security is 70%-100% of your account it requires you have 100% of the value of the security in available funds. Maintenance excess, also known as house surplus, is the amount by which your margin equity exceeds the total maintenance requirements for all positions held in your account. What are the Maintenance Requirements for Index Options? Margin trading privileges subject to TD Ameritrade review and approval. If your margin balance considering cash alternatives is negative then that is your margin balance. Non-marginable stocks cannot be used as collateral for a margin loan.