How to Check Account Balance, Equity, and Margin on MT5

Understanding what's actually happening in your trading account goes far beyond just knowing whether you're up or down on a trade. On MetaTrader 5 (MT5), your account is described through several key figures: balance, equity, margin, free margin, and margin level. Each one tells a different part of the story, and knowing how to read them correctly is essential for managing risk and avoiding unexpected situations like a margin call.

This guide explains where to find these figures on MT5, what each one actually means, and how they relate to each other in practical terms.

Where to Find Your Account Metrics on MT5

All of your key account figures are displayed in the Trade tab of the Terminal window, typically docked at the bottom of the MT5 platform. If the Terminal window isn't visible, go to the View menu and select Terminal, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T.

Within the Trade tab, look at the bottom row of the panel, where your Balance, Equity, Margin, Free Margin, and Margin Level are displayed side by side, updating in real time as your open positions fluctuate in value.

Understanding Each Account Metric

Balance

Your balance represents the total amount of money in your account, not including any profit or loss from currently open positions. It only changes when a trade is fully closed, or when you make a deposit or withdrawal. If you have no open positions, your balance and equity will be identical.

Equity

Your equity represents your account balance adjusted in real time for the current profit or loss of any open positions. If your open trades are currently profitable, your equity will be higher than your balance. If your open trades are currently at a loss, your equity will be lower than your balance.
Equity is arguably the most important figure to monitor while you have active positions, since it reflects your true account value at any given moment, not just your value if no trades were open.

Margin

Margin is the amount of money set aside by your broker as collateral to keep your open positions active. It isn't a fee or a cost, but rather funds temporarily reserved and unavailable for opening new trades while your current positions remain open. The amount of margin required depends on the instrument, your position size, and the leverage offered on your account.

Free Margin

Free margin is the amount of equity available to open new positions or absorb further losses on existing ones. It's calculated as your equity minus your used margin. When free margin runs low, your ability to open new trades becomes limited, and your existing positions become more vulnerable to a margin call if the market continues moving against you.

Margin Level

Margin level is expressed as a percentage and shows the ratio of your equity to your used margin. It's calculated as:

Margin Level = (Equity / Margin) x 100

This figure is critical because brokers use it to determine when to issue margin call warnings or automatically close positions to protect both the trader and the broker from excessive losses. A healthy margin level generally means your account has enough buffer to withstand normal market fluctuations without risking automatic liquidation.

How These Figures Work Together: A Practical Example

Suppose you deposit $1,000 into your MT5 account, giving you a starting balance of $1,000. With no open positions, your equity also sits at $1,000, and your free margin equals $1,000 as well, since no funds are currently reserved as margin.

You then open a position that requires $200 in margin. Your used margin becomes $200, and your free margin drops to $800. If this position is currently showing a $50 profit, your equity rises to $1,050, while your balance remains unchanged at $1,000 until the trade is closed.

Your margin level at this point would be calculated as ($1,050 / $200) x 100, which equals 525%. This is generally considered a healthy margin level, indicating your account has a substantial buffer relative to your current exposure.

Understanding Margin Calls and Stop Outs

If your margin level drops too low, typically because open positions are moving significantly against you, your broker may issue a margin call warning, alerting you that your account is approaching a critical threshold. If the margin level continues to fall past a further threshold, known as the stop out level, MT5 will begin automatically closing positions, starting with the most unprofitable one, to prevent your account balance from going negative.

Specific margin call and stop out percentages vary by broker and account type, so it's worth checking your account documentation or contacting TradingPRO support to confirm the exact thresholds that apply to your account.

Why Monitoring These Figures Matters

• Prevents unexpected margin calls: Regularly checking your margin level helps you react before your account approaches a critical threshold.
• Supports accurate position sizing: Understanding your free margin helps you avoid overleveraging when opening new trades.
• Provides a real-time view of true account value: Equity, rather than balance alone, reflects what your account is actually worth at any given moment while trades are open.
• Helps with risk management planning: Knowing how much margin a potential trade will require allows you to calculate exposure before committing to a position.

Common Mistakes When Monitoring Account Metrics

• Confusing balance with equity: Assuming your balance reflects your true account value while trades are open can lead to poor risk assessment.
• Ignoring margin level until it's critical: Waiting until a margin call warning appears, rather than monitoring proactively, leaves little room to react.
• Overleveraging without checking free margin: Opening multiple large positions without tracking remaining free margin increases the risk of a rapid margin level decline during volatile moves.
• Not understanding broker-specific stop out levels: Assuming a generic percentage applies without confirming your account's actual settings can lead to surprises during high volatility.

Final Thoughts

Balance, equity, margin, free margin, and margin level together tell the complete story of your MT5 account's financial health at any given moment. Learning to read these figures, and understanding how they interact, gives you a clearer picture of your actual risk exposure than simply glancing at your open position's profit or loss.

Take a moment to check the Trade tab in your TradingPRO MT5 terminal now, and get familiar with how these figures shift as market conditions change. Building this habit early makes it far easier to manage risk confidently as your trading activity grows.