Have you had a margin call? Walk us through what happened

A margin call or stop-out is one of the most expensive ways to learn how leverage works, and one of the most useful stories to share so others don't repeat it.

If it's happened to you, it helps to describe:

• the position size compared with your account balance
• the margin level when your broker warned you, and when positions were closed
• whether you had a stop-loss, and why it didn't protect you (or why you didn't have one)
• what you changed afterwards

Nobody here will judge you for it; most experienced traders have a story like this. If you're new and want to understand the mechanics before it happens to you, read leverage and margin explained and ask anything that isn't clear below.