Margin coming Q3 2026
Margin
Liquidity at
industry-low rates
So your clients keep more of their returns.
Margin involves significant risk, including losses that may exceed your initial investment. Interest and market losses can exceed any returns, meaning clients may keep less, not more. Margin is not suitable for all investors. Review the Margin Disclosure Statement before borrowing.
Up to 6.25%
Interest rate on margin loans.1
Same-day
Cash without waiting for settlement or selling a position.
$0
No minimum loan amount. Interest and applicable fees apply.2
1 Margin interest rates range from 5.0%–6.25%, or 4.0%–5.25% for Altruist One subscribers, and are based on a straightforward spread over the federal funds upper rate. Rates are subject to change without notice. See full credit terms for details. FINRA requires a $2,000 account equity minimum.
2 See the Interest Rate Schedule and Altruist Financial LLC Fee Schedule for details.
Rates well below the industry’s biggest names
Rates shown reflect publicly published base rates from each firm as of May 2026 and are subject to change without notice. Altruist’s 6.25% rate applies to balances up to $50,000; Schwab and Fidelity’s 11.325% rates apply to balances of $25,000–$49,999. Margin rates at all three firms vary by account balance and other factors; rates at higher balance tiers may differ from those shown. See each firm’s published rate schedule for complete tier information.
Margin lending.
Set up in minutes.
100% digital
Turn on margin in a few clicks and get clients liquidity the same day.
No sale required
Help clients access cash without selling a position or waiting for settlement.
All in one place
Borrow right inside transfer, trading, rebalancing, reporting, and billing.
Daily margin alerts
Get notified when an account needs attention—in the dashboard and via email.
Every tier. Every rate.
All here.
Altruist’s margin interest rates are tiered by margin balance and structured as a straightforward spread over the federal funds upper rate.
3Altruist One is a paid subscription; subscription fees apply and are separate from margin interest. The effective cost of borrowing for Altruist One subscribers includes both the margin rate and the subscription fee. See Altruist Financial LLC Fee Schedule for details.
Rates are tiered based on margin debit balance and apply to the entire balance (rates are not blended across tiers).
How margin investing works on Altruist
Open
Open new margin accounts and upgrade existing accounts in just a few clicks.
Borrow
Use margin your way—withdraw, invest, or both. No minimum loan amount required.
FINRA requires $2,000 in account equity to maintain a margin account.
Repay
Repay the loan balance as needed, as long as margin requirements are met.
Monitor
Keep tabs on all of your margin accounts in one centralized dashboard.
Lower rates.
Let’s go.
Competitive margin interest rates. All in the platform your firm already runs on.
Frequently
asked
questions
What is a margin loan?
A margin loan is an interest-bearing loan secured by eligible securities held in a client’s brokerage account. Under Regulation T, investors can typically borrow up to 50% of the purchase price of marginable securities.
FINRA also requires a minimum “maintenance margin” of 25% of the market value of securities held in a margin account, and Altruist may require a higher amount. If the account’s equity falls below the maintenance requirement, a margin call may be issued.
How does a margin loan work?
When you open a margin account for a client, they can borrow against the value of their eligible securities without selling a single position. Instead of liquidating holdings to raise cash, the portfolio acts as collateral.
Interest charges accrue daily on the outstanding debit balance at the account’s margin interest rate.
If the value of the securities falls below the required maintenance margin threshold, a margin call may be issued, requiring the deposit of additional cash or securities, or resulting in forced liquidation of positions.
What are the uses of margin?
Margin loans can be used for real estate purchases, bridging cash needs between transactions, funding business investments, or reinvesting in a client’s portfolio, among other liquidity needs.
What are the benefits of margin lending?
Margin lending lets clients access cash without selling their investments. That means their portfolio stays intact, and because they’re borrowing rather than selling, they avoid disrupting their existing positions—including any unrealized gains they may want to preserve.
What are the risks of margin lending?
Margin lending involves significant risk, including losses that may exceed the amount initially invested. If pledged securities decline in value, Altruist may sell them without prior notice to meet a margin call, which may create unplanned tax consequences.
Interest rates are variable and accrue regardless of investment performance, and using margin to purchase additional securities amplifies both gains and losses. Margin is not suitable for all investors. Review the Margin Disclosure Statement before borrowing.
What is a margin call?
A margin call occurs when the value of a client’s securities falls below the maintenance margin requirements for the account. When this happens, the advisor—or client—must deposit additional securities or cash to bring the account back into compliance, or positions may be liquidated to meet the requirement.
On Altruist, advisors are notified via in-app alerts and daily email if any margin account needs attention, so margin calls can be promptly addressed.
What happens if a client can’t meet a margin call?
If a margin call is not met, the brokerage firm may liquidate positions in the account—without prior notice—to restore the required maintenance. Neither the advisor nor the client may be able to choose which securities are sold.
On Altruist, advisors receive proactive daily notifications so they can take action right away. However, Altruist will take action without advance notice if the margin call is not addressed after notification.
What are the interest rates on margin loans?
Altruist’s margin interest rates are tiered by margin balance and range from 5.0% to 6.25%, or 4.0% to 5.25% for Altruist One subscribers. Rates are structured as a straightforward spread over the federal funds upper rate and are publicly disclosed.
By comparison, Schwab’s published margin rates range from 10.075% to 11.825%, and Fidelity’s range from 7.50% to 11.825%. All rates are subject to change. See the full rate table above and credit terms disclosure for details.
What account types are eligible for margin on Altruist?
Full margin is available for taxable and entity accounts, including:
- Individual
- Trust
- Joint With Rights of Survivorship
- Joint Tenants in Common
- Joint Tenants by Entirety
- Joint Community Property
- Sole Proprietorship
- C Corporation
- S Corporation
- Partnership
- Non-Profit
- Estate
Certain retirement accounts are also eligible for partial margin, which allows for more flexible trading but does not permit borrowing against holdings:
- Traditional IRA
- Inherited Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- SEP IRA
- Beneficiary Traditional IRA
- Beneficiary Roth IRA
- SIMPLE IRA
Do clients have to pay back a margin loan?
Yes. A margin loan must be repaid. Interest charges accrue daily on the outstanding loan balance at the account’s margin interest rate and are charged once at the end of the month.
On Altruist, advisors can help clients manage repayment on a flexible repayment schedule. Clients should consult a tax advisor regarding the potential tax deductibility of margin interest and the implications for their overall financial situation.
How do I pay back my margin loan?
Margin loans can be repaid by depositing cash into the margin account, selling securities to pay down the debit balance, or transferring funds from another account.
On Altruist, advisors can instruct the rebalancer to raise cash or make a deposit toward the loan balance directly within the platform workflow.
What types of securities are eligible for margin?
Eligible securities typically include stocks listed on major exchanges such as the NYSE, certain mutual funds held for at least 30 days, and other marginable securities as defined by Regulation T and FINRA rules.
Not all securities qualify—options, certain low-priced stocks, and some mutual funds may be ineligible. See Altruist’s credit terms disclosure for the full list of eligible and ineligible securities.
When is margin buying power available after upgrading a cash account to margin?
Altruist intends to offer same-day buying power on upgraded accounts. Availability and timing are subject to change.
How do advisors monitor margin accounts?
A global dashboard will show all margin-enrolled accounts, filterable by those with a debit balance. It will display account balance, margin balance, net equity, excess equity (buffer before margin call), and any active margin calls or violations. Automated email and in-app alerts will also notify advisors of margin calls.
How does margin interact with the rebalancer?
If an account has a margin debit balance, the rebalancer’s cash setting is set to zero, so it doesn’t automatically sell assets to pay off the loan. Advisors can manually trigger a raise-cash workflow and choose to pay off the loan partially or in full, if desired.
How is fee billing handled for margin accounts?
Billing is based on gross assets under management (total market value), excluding any margin debit balance since the client is already paying interest on that separately. A future option for advisors who want to create or increase a debit balance on a margin account when running fee billing is planned.
Can you have margin and SBLOC on the same account?
No, it’s one or the other. Switching from SBLOC to margin requires closing the SBLOC loan with the private bank, TriState Capital Bank, after which the account becomes eligible for margin.
Margin involves significant risk and is not suitable for all investors. Borrowing on margin involves the risk of losses that may exceed the amount initially invested. A decline in the value of pledged securities may result in a margin call, and if a margin call is not met, Altruist Financial LLC may sell pledged securities without prior notice. Advisors and/or their clients may not have the right to choose which securities are sold. When margin is used to purchase additional securities, both gains and losses are amplified, and interest accrues regardless of investment performance. Margin interest rates are variable and subject to change without notice. Review the Margin Disclosure Statement before borrowing.
Margin interest rates are tiered by margin balance and based on a spread over the federal funds upper rate. Altruist One is a paid subscription; subscription fees apply separately from margin interest. See the credit terms disclosure for additional details.
Competitor rate comparisons are based on publicly published base rates from the firms named, as of the date indicated. Rates compared reflect specific balance tiers, and rates at all firms vary by balance tier and may differ from those shown. See each firm’s published rate schedule for complete tier information.
FINRA requires a minimum of $2,000 in account equity to maintain a margin account. Borrowing on margin is not available in retirement accounts; certain retirement accounts may be eligible for partial margin limited to options trading.
Statements regarding future product features, availability, or rates are forward-looking and subject to change.