How margin call and stop-out protect your account — and how to avoid them.
If your open positions were closed without you clicking Close, it almost certainly means your account hit the stop-out level. This article explains what that is, why it happens, and how to avoid it next time.
The Three Levels You Need to Know
| Level | What it means |
| Equity | Your account balance plus or minus the floating P&L of your open positions. |
| Margin Level | Equity ÷ Used Margin × 100. Shown as a percentage in MT5. |
| Stop-Out | The Margin Level threshold at which Rise starts closing positions automatically. |
What Triggered the Automatic Close
When your Margin Level drops below the margin call level, Rise sends a notification — but no position is closed yet. This is a warning to add funds or close some positions yourself.
If the Margin Level keeps falling and crosses the stop-out level, the system starts closing your positions one by one, beginning with the most loss-making, until your Margin Level is back above the threshold.
This is an automated process. It applies without prior individual notice, and it does not depend on whether you are watching the market.
Why This Happens
The most common causes:
- Position size too large relative to free margin. A small adverse move eats your margin quickly.
- No stop loss. Losing positions are left to grow without a cap.
- Several correlated trades. Multiple losing positions on related instruments compound the drawdown.
- Leverage stepped down. Dynamic Leverage or Temporary Leverage Caps increase margin requirements — see the Dynamic Leverage article.
- Overnight gaps and high-impact news. Markets can move sharply outside of your active screen time.
How to Avoid It
- Use stop loss on every trade. Decide in advance how much you are willing to lose on a position. See What are Stop Loss and Take Profit orders.
- Size positions conservatively. A common guideline is to risk no more than 1–2% of equity per trade.
- Watch your Margin Level, not only P&L. In MT5, it's shown in the Trade tab.
- Top up before key events. Add funds or reduce exposure before Friday close, Monday open, and major news.
- Don't keep adding to losers. Each added lot uses more margin and shortens the path to stop-out.
How to Check What Was Closed
- In MT5, open the History tab.
- Filter by the date in question.
- Look for the orders marked with comment "so" or "stop out" — these were closed by the system, not by you.
What Happens to My Balance
After the stop-out, your remaining balance is exactly your equity at the moment of close. Rise applies negative balance protection so your account cannot go below zero.