User Protections - Documentation | Alpaca)%20maintained%20in%20their%20account.&text=If%20you%20exceed%20this%20amount,a%20day%20trading%20margin%20call
When I look under “Account->Balances” what number needs to be at least $25k to not get in trouble for day trading?
Is it the " Equity" I am assuming or “Effective Buying Power” or “Excess Margin” or …?
Thanks
The number to look at for determining if you can day trade is equity. This is the net sum of all cash and securities less any outstanding margin balance. This value needs to be above $25,000 at the beginning of the day when markets open to be able to trade if an account is flagged Pattern Day Trade (PDT). Remember to give yourself a bit of cushion because often there are SEC and FINRA fees, along with margin interest, debited from the account after markets close. This value is checked real time for the day trade protection rules.