Give me a break...they spent spongies money.....:rolleyes: Alternative sources usually mean "stock". I guess none of them have ever heard of an escrow account.
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Cleared for day trading is where you need $25000 cash balance
Margin is a completely separate thing (but you likely need margin to day trade.. in fact, they allow more margin so you can do it I believe). So you can get a margin account without that number.
Margin works like this - but the numbers won't be right, but you'll see what I mean.
Say you have $2000 in your account and no stocks...
your account will look like this:
Buying power (margin + cash balance) = $2000
Cash Balance = $2000
Then you buy $500 of AAPL and say they allow (this is the part where the numbers may be wrong) 50% margin on that... your account will look like:
Buying power = $1750 (here you get an extra $250 loan cause you own $500 of AAPL, so that's the collateral)
Cash Balance = $1500 (you have $500 in AAPL, so this amount is the same you are seeing in a cash account)
So now you can buy $1500 of stock (with commissions included) and not go into margin... same as with a cash account), or if you are brave, you can go into margin, which I don't recommend, and buy $1750 of stock)
Now you buy $1000 of SIRI (I assume this is marginable) - but since it's under a buck, they only give you 25% of the amount to be marginable)
Buying power = $1000 (ie. $500 cash + $250 from AAPL + $250 from SIRI)
Cash Balance = $500
Now you can buy $500 more of stock just as you would with a cash balance and not be in the margin (loan zone), or $1000 stock, but $500 of it would get loan charges).
Now you buy $200 of MGLG.... that likely isn't marginable...
so
Buying power = $800 ($300 cash + $250 AAPL collateral + $250 Siri collateral)
Cash Balance = $300
Now say you want $500 more of SIRI right then and there, but don't want to be on margin...
Sell $300 of AAPL, buy $500 SIRI
Cash Balance = $100 ($300 original cash + $300 AAPL = $600, then buy $500 SIRI, so $600-$500 = $100)
Buying power = $700 [$100 cash + $100 (50% of AAPL remaining) + $500 (25% of SIRI)]
So you could buy $700 of stock now, but $600 would have loan interest.
Truthfully, I never look at the buying power, I only look at the cash balance, so it's not that complicated, if you just look at the cash balance, just like you do in your account, you'll be fine. If you trade within the 3 day settlement period, you'll still get the free ride message, but it won't matter, or shouldn't... not sure what margin you get for pennies, if any). Which in that case, you may want to call the broker and see if margin will even help to get your trades without the settle restriction if you are only buying penny stocks.
Also, one other thing, there is buying power listed for marginable stocks, and not marginable.
But like I said, I don't read it.
Speaking of SIRI, here's one of my ancient charts - I drew it out in april, and only dragged out some of the lines since
it is my support/resistance chart - I think we had 3 days were prices pierced the 0.68, 0.69, 0.70 resistance...
The line has been holding for a month now...
Coulda gone in big on the last pennant, and cashed out there... but my days of going in big are gone... but next time we get something like that, I'll likely double up, which still isn't as big as I used to go, lol.
http://www.scripps.edu/~davess/siri13/SIRI.png
Wow, almost 3 billion shares have traded hands so far.
Not bad for a company that only has 385 million shares outstanding.....
I wonder how they do that???:rolleyes:
Hey Dave,
Thank you for the great explanation. It works totally different than I had imagined. I didn't realize that the cash and margin were so intertwined. I am going to read that a few more times and let it really soak in.
Again, thanks for the big explanation.....it really helped!
QASP is qasping for air too. Down to 2 cents again.
This is not a good day!!!!