j. Required Maintenance Call (US Options & Futures)
Required Maintenance Call (RM Call)
A Required Maintenance (RM) call is issued when the margin equity in an account is less than the maintenance requirements.
How to meet a Required Maintenance Call?
Maintenance calls are typically due one business day after the call is issued (T+1), but IG reserves the right to require maintenance calls to be met sooner.
The fastest way to meet a maintenance call is by performing a card deposit or by depositing through Apple Pay.
However, accounts may meet a maintenance call in the following ways:
- Closing positions to generate sufficient margin release
- Market appreciation
- Transferring in securities (stocks)
Please note: Margin calls are issued cumulatively across all related USOF sub-accounts. The required maintenance call will be met once the aggregate maintenance excess across all related sub-accounts stays positive.
If you do not address a maintenance call, then the risk/margin department will intervene to resolve the call by liquidation if the customer does not.
Multiple Margin Accounts
When holding multiple related margin accounts, a Required Maintenance (RM) call is issued when the combined margin equity across all sub-accounts falls below the maintenance requirements for all positions. If a call is triggered, and the combined Maintenance Excess across all sub-accounts is negative, each sub-account will be restricted from placing trades that reduce buying power. An RM call can be met, and this restriction can be lifted, by depositing cash or securities, through market appreciation, or by closing positions in any related sub-account. However, it is considered best practice to meet the call in the effected sub-account by depositing or liquidating existing positions. The required maintenance call will be satisfied once the aggregate maintenance excess across all related sub-accounts remains positive through the due date of the RM call.
