Free Margin Calculator — Australia 2026
Calculate the exact margin required to open any forex, CFD, index or crypto position. Covers all ASIC leverage limits, AUD account currency and stop-loss values in one tool.
📐 Margin Calculator
| Asset Class | Max Leverage | Margin Rate | Example: 1 Std Lot AUD/USD @ 0.6500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major forex pairs (AUD/USD, EUR/USD…) | 30:1 | 3.33% | A$2,167 required margin |
| Minor forex, gold, major indices | 20:1 | 5.00% | A$3,250 required margin |
| Commodities (excl. gold), minor indices | 10:1 | 10.00% | A$6,500 required margin |
| Individual share CFDs | 5:1 | 20.00% | — |
| Crypto CFDs (BTC, ETH…) | 2:1 | 50.00% | — |
ASIC introduced these limits in March 2021. They apply to retail clients only. Wholesale clients may access higher leverage — but without negative balance protection.
What Is Margin?
Margin is the deposit your broker holds as collateral to keep a leveraged position open. It is not a fee or a cost — it is a portion of your account equity that is “locked” while the trade is open. When you close the trade, the margin is released back into your free balance.
Required Margin Formula
The formula is the same across all instruments:
Required Margin = (Position Size × Market Price) ÷ Leverage
For a 1 standard lot AUD/USD at 0.6500 with 30:1 leverage:
(100,000 × 0.6500) ÷ 30 = A$2,167
Used Margin vs Free Margin vs Equity
| Term | Definition | Example (A$10,000 account) |
|---|---|---|
| Balance | Total funds in account (before open P&L) | A$10,000 |
| Used Margin | Locked as collateral for open positions | A$2,167 (1 lot AUD/USD at 30:1) |
| Free Margin | Available to open new positions or absorb losses | A$7,833 |
| Equity | Balance + unrealised P&L on open positions | Varies with price |
| Margin Level | Equity ÷ Used Margin × 100% | Drops as losses accumulate |
Margin Call and Stop-Out Levels
Under ASIC rules, brokers must close your position when your equity falls to 50% of the required margin (the stop-out level). Most brokers issue a margin call warning before this — typically at 80–100% margin level. Once the stop-out triggers, your positions are closed automatically to prevent further losses.
Example: You have A$2,167 in used margin. If your equity drops to A$1,084 (50% of A$2,167), the broker force-closes the position. This is why having sufficient free margin matters — it gives your trades room to breathe during normal market fluctuations.
Why Position Sizing Matters More Than Leverage
Two traders can use identical 30:1 leverage but have very different risk profiles, depending on how large a position they open relative to their account. A trader with A$20,000 who opens 0.1 lots is using far less capital at risk than one with A$2,000 who opens 1 lot — even though both are at 30:1. The margin percentage of account figure in the calculator above shows you exactly how much of your capital is committed.