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Four totals, three subtractions

Deposits and withdrawals move four totals, not one — Pakistan

An account screen shows several money figures at once and beginners read them as variations of «my money». They are four different totals joined by subtraction, and knowing which one a deposit lands in explains why a withdrawal is sometimes refused while the balance clearly has enough in it.

Balance is settled money. Equity is balance plus or minus the running result of open positions. Used margin is the sum of everything fenced off by those positions. Free margin is equity minus used margin, and it is the only figure that decides whether another trade can be opened or money can leave. A deposit raises balance, equity and free margin together; an open losing position lowers equity and free margin while the balance sits perfectly still.

The four, and what moves each

TotalHow it is computedWhat moves it
BalanceSettled money onlyDeposits, withdrawals, and trades once they are closed
EquityBalance ± running result of open tradesEvery tick of price while anything is open
Used marginSum of the reservationsOpening and closing positions; the price, through the value being divided
Free marginEquity − used marginAll of the above at once
Margin levelEquity ÷ used margin, as a percentageThe same inputs, expressed as a ratio instead of an amount

The last row is the one that produces warnings. It is not an extra pot of money — it is the same two figures divided instead of subtracted, which is why it falls when equity falls even though nothing has been withdrawn.

A deposit followed through the four

  1. The amount that actually lands

    An account is kept in a base currency. A payment sent in another one is converted by the provider on the way in, so the figure to write into a sheet is what arrived, not what was sent.

  2. Balance and equity rise by the same amount

    With no positions open the two totals are equal, so a deposit simply moves both. This is the only moment when «my money» is a single number.

  3. Opening a trade splits them

    Used margin appears — the reservation, computed as size × units per lot × price ÷ leverage — and free margin becomes equity minus it. Balance does not move at all, which surprises people the first time.

  4. Withdrawing draws on free margin

    Money can only leave from what is not fenced off and not already lost on paper. A balance of $100 with $11 reserved and a $6 running loss leaves $83 free — that is the figure a withdrawal is measured against.

The arithmetic in step 4 is where most «why can I not withdraw all of it» questions end. Nothing has been taken; it is held while a position is open. The sizing page covers how large that hold gets.

Reading the percentage instead of guessing

Margin level is equity ÷ used margin × 100. At $100 of equity against $11 reserved it reads a little over 900%. Halve the equity and it halves too, without a single new trade being placed. Watching that percentage rather than the balance is the difference between noticing a problem while it is arithmetic and noticing it when the platform starts refusing orders.

What these totals do not tell you

  • Whether a position should stay open. A comfortable percentage is not an argument for holding on.
  • What a payment route costs or how long it takes. Those are stated on the payment screen before you confirm; processing times may vary depending on the chosen payment method.
  • What the position will do next. Equity reports the present; it forecasts nothing.
  • Any guarantee about your money. Trading carries a high risk of losing money, and equity can fall to the point where positions are closed automatically.
Why is my balance unchanged while I am clearly losing?

Because balance counts settled money. The running result lives in equity until the position is closed.

Which total does a withdrawal come out of?

Free margin — equity minus everything fenced off by open positions.

Is used margin a fee?

No. It is held aside and returns to free margin when the position closes.

Why did used margin change without me trading?

The reservation is computed from units × price, so a moving price moves it.

What does the margin level percentage mean?

Equity divided by used margin. It is a ratio of two figures you already have, not a separate amount.

Does a deposit in another currency arrive at the amount I sent?

It arrives converted into the account's base currency at the provider's rate. Start your sheet from what landed.

How fast do withdrawals go through?

Most are processed automatically, and the expected time is shown before you confirm. Processing times may vary depending on the chosen payment method.

Can I see all four totals on a demo?

Yes — with virtual money and the same arithmetic, which makes it the safe place to watch them separate for the first time.

Where the totals come from

Used margin

The division that decides how much a position holds aside.

See the reservation

The running result

Points moved × money per point, at your size.

See the conversion

Before the first deposit

Which constants to copy while nothing is at stake.

See the sheet

Watch the four totals separate, on virtual money.

A free demo prints balance, equity, used and free margin exactly as a funded account does, with no time limit.

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