# Help with understanding margin **URL:** \ **Category:** Getting Started with Alpaca\ **Created:** [January 17, 2024, 10:40am UTC](https://forum.alpaca.markets/t/help-with-understanding-margin/13479 "2024-01-17T10:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed8c4c/32.png) [@grathan](https://forum.alpaca.markets/u/grathan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 10:40am UTC](https://forum.alpaca.markets/t/help-with-understanding-margin/13479/1 "2024-01-17T10:40:13Z")
I want to trade $4k in equities each day (sell all next day and then buy $4k more), but am not sure of the math needed for account balance to avoid a margin call or any other violation. It will be a combination of Long and Short positions. I have read: > **[Margin and Short Selling](https://docs.alpaca.markets/docs/margin-and-short-selling#margin-calls)** > > In order to trade on margin or sell short, you must have $2,000 or more account equity. Accounts with less than $2,000 will not have access to these features and will be restricted to 1x buying power.This is only for Equities Trading. Margin Trading... and looks like I don’t need to wait for funds to settle with a margin account. So if we say I incur $100 maximum account equity loss daily and let’s say I replenish the account every 5 business days and let’s say those funds transfer immediately for the sake of argument. So $4500 would be enough to not get margin called and would I also avoid all possible violations? Also what is the max margin multiplier x1 do on the account dashboard? ---
**Author:** ![grathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed8c4c/32.png) [@grathan](https://forum.alpaca.markets/u/grathan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://forum.alpaca.markets/t/help-with-understanding-margin/13479/2 "2024-01-17T22:17:37Z")
> Blockquote Scenario 2- Buy $10,000 of a security with a 100% requirement DTBP is $100,000 and RegT buying power is $25,000. When the order is placed, DTBP will be reduced by 4 x 10000 ($40,000) to $60,000. RegT buying power will be reduced by 2 x 10000 ($20,000) to $5,000. > Blockquote Or would I need $18k of my own money to buy $4k worth of stock?