Analysis

Maintenance Margin

By Ryan Silk & Lawrence Polatchek · Reviewed April 2026 · Options Trading Glossary

Minimum equity to maintain margin positions

What is Maintenance Margin?

Maintenance Margin The minimum equity required in a margin account to maintain existing positions. If account equity drops below maintenance margin due to adverse moves, a margin call is triggered. For short options, maintenance margin is recalculated daily based on the underlying price and option value. Defined-risk spreads have fixed maintenance requirements.

Complete Definition

The minimum equity required in a margin account to maintain existing positions. If account equity drops below maintenance margin due to adverse moves, a margin call is triggered. For short options, maintenance margin is recalculated daily based on the underlying price and option value. Defined-risk spreads have fixed maintenance requirements.

Related Terms

Margin Call Margin Buying Power Portfolio Margin

Written by

ApexVol Research Team

Quantitative options research

All calculations use live ORATS institutional data — the same source used by professional volatility desks.

Technical reviewer

Ryan Silk, ApexVol Founder

Reviewed for technical accuracy

10+ years trading options. Built ApexVol's pricing engine, Greeks model, and IV-rank methodology.

This guide is updated as market conditions and ORATS data change. Last revised 2026-05-12. How we research →

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