FAQ - General

Intraday Margin Buying Power represents the funds available to open positions during the trading day. It is determined by evaluating trading capacity in real time. It is based on your account’s available buying power and current positions (rather than a fixed number of trades), this value is updated throughout the day as positions and buying power change.

The displayed amount is based on securities with standard margin requirements of 25%. If a security has higher maintenance requirements, the amount available for that trade may be lower than the value displayed.

To review this value, locate the Account Info gadget in the left sidebar, or open the Monitor tab, select the Account Statement tab, and expand the Account Summary section.

Note: paperMoney® may not reflect all intraday margin features, and values and availability can differ from a live account.

The Intraday Margin Buying Power field is available only for margin accounts that support intraday margin. This feature requires a minimum account equity of $2,000 and is not available in retirement accounts.

If your account does not display this field or shows it as not available, it may either not meet these requirements or use a different margin setup. Please contact support to confirm eligibility.

Intraday Margin Buying Power can be used to open positions, even when Stock Buying Power is insufficient for the same trade.

When placing an order, the system evaluates both values and applies the greater of Intraday Margin Buying Power or Stock Buying Power to determine whether the position can be entered. After the trade is executed, buying power metrics update to reflect the position. If overnight margin requirements are not met by 8:00 p.m. ET, a Regulation T (Reg T) call may be issued. This indicates the account does not meet initial margin requirements. Meeting those requirements may involve reducing positions or adding funds or marginable securities.

In certain cases, accounts may be subject to restrictions based on prior trading activity. When this occurs, order validation may be based on the lesser of Intraday Margin Buying Power or Stock Buying Power, which can limit the ability to open new positions.

To review buying power and margin metrics, locate the Account Info gadget in the left sidebar, or open the Monitor tab, select the Account Statement tab, and expand the Account Summary section.

Trades can be placed without using Intraday Margin Buying Power when sufficient Stock Buying Power is available.

Intraday Margin Buying Power is displayed only for eligible margin accounts with at least $2,000 in equity. Accounts below this threshold do not display this field but can still place trades based on available funds.

The use of Intraday Margin Buying Power can also be limited on an account. When this is the case, orders are evaluated using the more restrictive buying power value, which can prevent trades that rely on intraday margin. To remove this setting, please contact support.

Buying power values are shown in the Account Info gadget on the left sidebar. They can also be reviewed on the Monitor tab, under the Account Statement tab in the Account Summary section.

When considering a margin loan, you should determine how the use of margin fits your own investment philosophy. Because of the risks involved, it is important that you fully understand the rules and requirements involved in trading securities on margin.

Margin trading increases your level of market risk.

Your downside is not limited to the collateral value in your margin account.

Schwab may initiate the sale of any securities in your account, without contacting you, to meet a margin call.

Schwab may increase its “house” maintenance margin requirements at any time and is not required to provide you with advance written notice.

You are not entitled to an extension of time on a margin call.

Drawings, charts, styles, etc. are saved automatically and stay the same regardless of where you log in from.

View settings, like workspaces, aren’t saved by thinkorswim® and they aren’t automatically the same between computers. To manually save view settings: 

1. Click Setup in the upper right corner.
2. Click Save Workspace as… and give your workspace a name. 
3. Click OK to save your new workspace on your current computer. 

Click Messages  in the top right corner of thinkorswim® to open your Message Center. 

Login to Schwab.com and bring up the professional/non-professional subscription agreement. 

• Non-professional users should select non-professional in the agreement, agree to the addendum, and log back in to thinkorswim® to see the updated data.
• Professional users should select professional on the agreement before chatting with thinkorswim® support for more information about real-time quotes and pricing. 

All US exchange traded equities, futures, and forex products are currently supported. A full list of product offerings is also available.

Trade Price is the average price per share, calculated based on each share’s purchase price. It includes all open positions in a symbol and is updated on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis when positions are closed. 

Cost is the average price of all open tax lots (including wash sale adjustments and specific tax lot method sales) and tends to be used when accounting for the tax implications of trades.

When using tax lot methods with non-FIFO trades (e.g., LIFO, Best Tax, etc.), using Cost instead of Trade Price will give a more accurate representation of your true Cost Basis.

Schwab does not provide tax advice. Clients should consult a professional tax advisor for their tax advice needs.

Upon exercise or assignment of an option premium, Trade Price reflects the contract’s strike price, whereas Cost reflects the strike price plus or minus the premium paid or received.

In Level I data, the Bid size and Ask size of exchange listed securities are rounded down to the nearest multiple of a standard National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) lot size based on trading price.

• At or below $250.00 uses multiples of 100.
• Between $250.01 and $1,000.00 uses multiples of 40.
• Between $1,000.01 and $10,000.00 uses multiples of 10.
• At or above $10,000.01 uses multiples of 1.
• Last size will show actual share amount.

A Bid size of 350 for a stock trading below $250 would display as 300 in Level I data since 300 is the nearest multiple of 100 when rounding down.

A stock trading at $300 with a Bid size of 350 displays as 320 which is the nearest multiple of 40 when rounding down.

With intraday charts, trades under the minimum lot size will not be displayed. A trade of 10 shares for a stock trading at $300 wouldn’t be displayed since the minimum lot size is 40.

Level II data displays the actual share size rounded down to the nearest round lot multiple.