Futures margins are a good-faith deposit using your own capital. There is no borrowing involved and no interest charged.

Stock trading margins typically involve borrowing money from a broker to purchase shares. Interest is charged on the borrowed amount.

This structural difference is important when comparing futures trading to equity margin accounts.

Excess margin is the amount of capital in your account above the total maintenance margin required for all open positions.

If excess margin becomes too low, adverse price movements may trigger a margin call.

The NinjaTrader trading platform displays excess margin within the Accounts tab of the Control Center, allowing you to monitor your available capital continuously.

Intraday margins are the minimum balance required per contract during regular U.S. trading hours.

It is commonly used by day traders and is typically lower than overnight margins. Positions must be closed before the session ends to maintain this reduced requirement.

Holding positions overnight increases your margin requirement. The shift from day trading margin to overnight margin may require additional capital.

Overnight exposure also introduces additional market risk due to news events occurring outside regular trading hours.

Being aware of session timing and margin thresholds can help you manage both risk and capital effectively.