Forex & EA basics
What leverage changes in an EA account—and what it does not
Leverage changes how much margin may be required to hold an exposure. It does not change the cash movement of an already fixed position merely because the account label changed. The symbol’s contract and margin rules still matter.
A simple illustrative calculation
For a hypothetical instrument using a simple notional-divided-by-leverage rule, US$10,000 exposure requires US$100 at 1:100 or US$10 at 1:1000. This is an illustration, not a universal gold-CFD formula. Check the actual symbol calculation and account currency.
Follow the EA sizing rule
An EA using a fixed lot may keep the same exposure under both settings. An EA using free margin to size trades may request a different lot. Read the sizing formula before attributing a result to leverage alone.
Check the account before comparing results
Record account leverage, symbol margin, deposit currency, requested lot and accepted lot. A broker may apply instrument-specific or tiered requirements. Compare the same exposure first if you want to isolate the margin effect.
Turn the concept into a useful setting
Editable source lets you make the sizing rule explicit—for example, separate an entry-size calculation from a margin availability check. More available margin is capacity, not extra strategy skill or a guaranteed return.
Start with a free editable EA project · Explore MQLume source code
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