Margin trading and lending Unlock the flexibility of margin to leverage your assets

Whether you need short-term financing, or want to enhance your investing and trading power, margin loans can help you to avoid sacrificing your investment objectives.


Add MarginLog In Required

Flexible funds when you need them

Leverage the value of your investment assets to help you achieve more of your financial objectives.


Rates that work for you

With rates often lower than credit cards or personal loans, margin interest may also offer tax advantages.1


Rely on Fidelity tools and service

Comprehensive research and analysis tools plus 24/7 access to support help you make decisions with confidence.

Use margin to help meet your goals

Borrowing on margin means taking an interest-bearing loan secured by the assets in your brokerage account as collateral. Use the loan for your specific needs.

Level up your strategies


Margin can help you pursue more advanced trading.


  • Participate in short selling
  • Trade advanced options strategies
  • Hedge risk and diversify holdings
  • Respond quickly to market changes and opportunities

Learn more about margin trading

Access funds for a variety of needs


You can use your securities as collateral for a margin loan.


  • Easy application and fast decision process
  • No credit check required
  • Use the funds for whatever you'd like
  • Access cash while keeping your investment goals on track

Learn more about margin borrowing

Margin interest rates


Margin interest rates are typically lower than credit cards and unsecured personal loans; however, you should do your own comparison.


Add marginLog In Required


Special rates may be available for higher balances.
Call 800-343-3548 to learn more.


Debit balance Margin interest rate
$1 million + 7.75% (3.075% below base rate)
$500,000–$999,999 8.00% (2.825% below base rate)
$250,000–$499,999 10.325% (0.500% below base rate)
$100,000–$249,999 10.575% (0.250% below base rate)
$50,000–$99,999 10.625% (0.200% below base rate)
$25,000–$49,999 11.575% (0.750% below base rate)
$0–$24,999 12.075% (1.250% below base rate)
Fidelity's current base margin rate, effective since October 31, 2025, is 10.825%.

Calculate your opportunities


Use the Margin Calculator to view current margin requirements on existing positions and enter hypothetical trades to see their impact on margin requirements and balances.


Use the calculator

Ready to get started?


Learn more about leveraging your portfolio with margin. Get started today.


Add MarginLog In Required


Open an account

How to use and manage margin

A margin loan allows you to borrow against the value of securities you already own. It's an interest-bearing loan that can be used to gain access to funds for a variety of reasons that cover both investment and non-investment needs. For either use, carefully consider your personal situation to help determine if borrowing money makes sense for you.

Learn the ins and outs of margin trading


Margin trading allows investors to leverage existing securities to buy more, short sell, or access credit. While it can help amplify returns and diversify portfolios, it also carries significant risks, including potential losses and margin calls.


Margin trading 101

Ready to get started?


Learn more about leveraging your portfolio with margin. Get started today.


Add MarginLog In Required


Open an account

More margin resources

Avoiding and managing margin calls


Learn about margin calls, your obligations, and what you can do to help avoid them.

Requirements for day traders


If you are planning to trade in a margin account, there are special rules that apply to day traders.

Limited margin trading with an IRA


Find out more about the requirements and restrictions to be aware of.

Margin requirements


Margin requirements tell you how much equity you must have in your account to cover what you're buying (or what you hold) on margin. Learn about margin requirements, how they're determined, and when and how they change.


Learn more about margin requirements

Frequently asked questions


These are some things you should know about eligibility, qualifications, and risk as you consider using margin. Visit the Margin Trading FAQs for more in-depth information about using and managing margin.

  • How does margin work?

    A margin loan allows you to borrow against the value of the assets in your brokerage account, using them as collateral. It's an interest-bearing loan that can be used to gain access to funds to cover both investment and non-investment needs. Using margin to purchase securities allows you to acquire more shares than you could on a cash-only basis, and access to margin is required for some more advanced trading and options strategies. Or, use a margin loan similar to the way you might use a home equity line of credit to satisfy short-term liquidity needs. Watch What is margin trading? to learn more.

  • How do I add or change the margin feature on my account?

    To add or change the margin feature on your account, go to Account featuresLog In Required, find Margin, and then select Manage.

  • How does margin interest work?

    Margin interest is charged daily on all settled debit balances in your account. Interest is charged from the date the credit is extended. For debit balances created from trading activity, interest is charged from settlement date to settlement date.

    The interest rate is determined by the margin schedule, which is account specific and is based on the average daily debit balance during the interest period. Interest rate periods run for 30 calendar days beginning on the 21st day of each month until the 20th day of the next month.

    You can view your margin interest rate, interest accrued this month, and interest accrued daily under the Margin Status tab on your Balances screenLog In Required.

  • What are the benefits of margin trading?

    Using margin enables you to leverage the equity in securities you already own to purchase additional securities. A margin loan is not initiated until the cash available to trade in your account has been exhausted, and no interest is charged until you begin borrowing

    Margin can help boost your buying power, giving you the ability to purchase more securities than you can using the cash you have available for trading. Margin gives you access to advanced trading strategies such as short selling and some options strategies. Using margin can help you hedge risk and diversify your holdings, as well as respond more quickly to market changes and opportunities.

  • What are the risks of margin trading?

    Margin investing carries additional risks and may not be appropriate for everyone. Before you use margin, carefully review your investment objectives, financial resources, and risk tolerance to determine whether margin borrowing is right for you.

    You must ensure your account holds the minimum equity to cover a trade before you place it. If the equity in your account is not sufficient, or Fidelity believes the risk is too great, we can liquidate your assets at any time. If we have to make repeated account liquidations, we may restrict or terminate your account per the Customer Relationship Summary (PDF).

    Here are some of the risks you should think about before you get started:

    • Leverage risk: Leverage works as dramatically when stock prices fall as when they rise. You could suffer significant losses, including multiples of your original investment due to a decrease in market value.
    • Margin call risk: If the securities you hold fall below the minimum maintenance requirement, your account will incur a margin call, due immediately. Sometimes you may face higher maintenance minimums, especially when the securities you're using as collateral carry additional risks.2
    • Short selling is also a margin account transaction that entails the same risks as a margin call, along with some added risks, including the potential of unlimited losses, short interest fees on borrowed securities, unexpected fee changes, and unpredictable availability of the borrowed stock. Watch the video How to Short Stocks to learn more.

    It's important to fully understand the risks associated with margin trading. Read more details about these risks and how to manage them in the Trading FAQ.