Margin
Borrowing from a broker to hold a position, or the collateral required for it.
Where it is explained in full
Whole life insurance: what it is, who uses it, and the arithmetic nobody shows you. A life insurance policy that also holds a savings account inside it. It is sold to almost everyone and it fits a few people well. This page explains how it works and how to tell which you are, and it never tells you what to buy.
Cash secured puts and the wheel. Selling a put with cash set aside is a paid promise to buy stock at a price you chose. The wheel chains that promise to a covered call. Both deserve a full accounting.
Break even and runway: two numbers every owner should be able to say aloud. How many sales before the business stops losing money, and how many months of cash are left if nothing changes. Both are simple. Both are routinely unknown.
A definition says what a thing is; it never says whether it fits you. The guides explain how it works and name the professional who confirms it for a particular person. The No Advice Disclosure.
Words beside it
- Contribution margin
Price minus variable cost per unit. What each sale contributes toward fixed costs and profit.
- Gross margin
Revenue minus the direct cost of what was sold, as a percent of revenue.
- Margin call
The broker demanding cash or selling your holdings because your borrowing got too large.
- Marginal tax rate
The rate on your last dollar of income. The rate that matters for most decisions.
Ask about Margin
A model reads this page and answers from it. It will say when the answer is not on the page. Education, not personalized advice.