Accounts & Trade FAQs: Balances

  • What do the Current and Change columns display?

    The Current and Change columns show account balance activity for your accounts.

    • Current
      Represents the most current information for that balance field. Some fields display real-time values, while others are updated intraday or overnight. For additional balance update information, including update frequency, select the Balance Definitions links.
    • Change
      Represents the difference between the current value and the previous day's closing value. If the value in the Current column has moved in your favor compared to the previous day's value, the value in the Change column will be displayed in green with a plus sign. If the value in the Current column has moved against you compared to the previous day's value, the value in the Change column will be displayed in red with a minus sign. If there is no change in a balance field that updates real-time or intraday, the value in the Current column will be represented as $0.00. Two hyphens "- -" in the change column indicate a balance that does not update intraday or real-time throughout the day.
  • What real-time balances are available?

    If you have a cash account (i.e., a non–margin account), you can view these real-time balances:

    • Total Account Value
    • Market Value of Securities
    • Market Value of Securities – Held in Cash
    • Market Value of Securities – Held in Options
    • Options in the Money

    If you have a margin account, you can view these real-time balances:

    • Total Account Value
    • Account Equity Percentage
    • Exchange Surplus/Call
    • House Surplus/Call
    • Margin Equity
    • Market Value of Securities – Held in Cash
    • Market Value of Securities – Held in Margin
    • Market Value of Securities – Held Short
    • Market Value of Securities – Options
    • Daily Mark to Market
    • Options in the Money
  • How are real-time balances calculated?

    To calculate real-time information, Fidelity revalues the entire account, including the prices of the underlying securities. To generate real-time information, Fidelity also recalculates Margin Equity and Margin Debit to arrive at a new Total Account Value and other real-time balances.

    When real-time information is used, the account is fully marked to market. This means the entire account is revalued, beginning with the prices of the underlying securities in the account, as available and recalculating margin equity and margin debit to arrive at a new Total Account Value and other realtime balances. Remember, real-time balances are only a "snapshot" of your account taken at a particular point in time. In other words, real-time balances could be subject to wide swings from one revaluation to another, depending on market volatility and the Beta of your account.

    Real-time balances are provided for informational purposes and Fidelity is not guaranteeing their accuracy, nor is Fidelity liable for any losses due to trading decisions you make on the basis of this information.

  • When are real-time balances available?

    Securities are priced real-time. However, if the current market price is unavailable or the market is closed, Fidelity will factor in the most recent closing market value.

  • What is intraday balance activity?

    Intraday balance activity is balance activity that occurs within the day which reflects executed trades, money movement into and out of your account during the day, and other account activity. All buying power balances are updated intraday following an executed trade, money movement, or other account activity.

  • What balance information is displayed for nonbrokerage accounts?
    • Mutual fund accounts
      The Balances page displays the market value and available balance for the positions you hold as of the date and time displayed. The available balance is an intraday balance, updated periodically during the day.
    • Annuity accounts
      The Balances page for tax-deferred annuities, or the Income Value page for income and payout annuities, displays the current value of all investment options held under the annuity as of the date displayed. For payout or income annuities, this value includes the income if a payment had been made on the date shown. However, the actual amount of your next income payment depends on the performance of your investment portfolios between now and the date of your next income payment.
    • College savings plan accounts
      The Balances page displays the total cash market value of your account as of the date and time displayed.
  • How do I increase the font size of text on the Balances tab?

    To increase font size (or zoom in on the page) in most popular web browsers, press and hold Ctrl while pressing the "+" button on your keyboard. To decrease font size (or zoom out), press and hold Ctrl while pressing the "-" button. For Mac users, use the Command and "+" or "-" keys instead. You can also adjust font size using your browser's settings.