Definition of Balance
The total amount of money in your trading account, excluding unrealized profits or losses from open positions. Your balance only changes when a trade is closed.
At a glance
Term
Balance
URL slug
balance
Category
General
Short answer
The total amount of money in your trading account, excluding unrealized profits or losses from open positions.
Deep dives
Full A–Z glossary
Example
Apply the definition: restate “Balance” in one sentence tied to your next trade (symbol, direction, size, stop). If you cannot, re-read the definition above.
Common mistake
Common mistake: using “Balance” as loose slang while your broker/platform specification defines it more narrowly.
Professional tip
Tip: bookmark this “Balance” page and reopen it when reading broker specs so definitions stay consistent.
Practice tools:
Related terms
FAQ
The total amount of money in your trading account, excluding unrealized profits or losses from open positions.
Knowing the precise definition of “Balance” prevents platform and broker-spec mistakes—a common source of size and cost errors.
Common mistake: using “Balance” as loose slang while your broker/platform specification defines it more narrowly.