Margin account

A margin account is one that an investor holds with a broker, effectively allowing him to buy securities on credit.

A margin account is one that an investor holds with a broker, effectively allowing him to buy securities on credit. When the investor wishes to trade, he need only pay a certain percentage of the total value of the securities he is purchasing. The balance is borrowed from the broker, whose collateral is the value of the shares held in the account.

The minimum amount that must be held in the margin account is referred to as the margin requirement. This kind of arrangement works well for the investor when markets are rising as they are effectively leveraging their gains.

However, if the prices of the securities in the portfolio start to fall, the opposite is true. To cover the cost of borrowing from the broker, the investor may have to sell some of his securities. Worse still, he may get what is referred to as a margin call. If the price of an equity in the portfolio has fallen, then so has the broker's collateral, and he may want to reduce the value of the loan he has made to keep the account within its margin requirements. During the collapse of the tech bubble, many investors were unable to meet their margin calls.

Most Popular

June’s NS&I Premium Bond prize draw - are you this month’s millionaire?
Savings

June’s NS&I Premium Bond prize draw - are you this month’s millionaire?

Two fortunate NS&I Premium Bond winners are now millionaires. Find out here if you’re one of them.
1 Jun 2023
The best one-year fixed savings accounts - June 2023
Savings

The best one-year fixed savings accounts - June 2023

You can now earn 5% on 1 year fixed savings accounts - the best rate seen in 14 years. We have all the latest rates available now.
2 Jun 2023
The top healthcare funds to buy
Investments

The top healthcare funds to buy

Increasingly rapid progress in drugs and healthcare technology makes these trusts top tips, says Max King.
1 Jun 2023