Margin Calculator
Contracts × per-contract margin = capital required; plus margin as % of notional.
Worked example — two E-mini S&P 500 contracts at $15,000 initial margin = $30,000 required. At a price of 5,600 (notional $280,000.00 per contract), that margin is 5.4% of notional.
How the math works
Required capital = contracts × your broker's initial margin. Margin %% of notional = margin ÷ (price × point value). Maintenance margins are lower; day-trade margins vary by broker.
FAQ
- What is the margin to trade futures?
- Initial margin is set by the exchange and adjusted by brokers; day-trade margins at retail brokers are often far lower than overnight exchange margins. Enter your broker's figure to size capital requirements.
- Why doesn't this page list current margins?
- Margins change with volatility, sometimes weekly. A stale table is worse than none; use your broker's current schedule.
- What happens if I fall below maintenance margin?
- Your broker issues a margin call or liquidates positions to bring the account back above the requirement.
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Calculators are arithmetic on contract specifications, not advice. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss. Specs from exchange sources, verified 2026-07-25 — methodology.