Leverage settings for brokers: per client, per group and per symbol

What leverage actually controls

Leverage sets how much margin a client needs to open a position. With leverage of 1:100, a position needs margin equal to 1% of its size. At 1:50 the same position needs 2%, and at 1:200 it needs 0.5%. The position is the same size. Only the margin held against it changes.

Margin is half of the picture. The other half is margin level: equity divided by used margin, shown as a percentage. When a client opens more or larger positions, used margin rises and margin level falls. When open positions move against the client, equity falls and margin level falls with it. That is where margin call and stop out come in.

• Higher leverage means less margin per position, so a client can open more volume with the same equity, and the account has less room before margin level drops.
• Lower leverage means more margin per position, so the client opens less volume and the account can absorb larger moves.
• Leverage does not change the profit or loss per pip on a given lot size. It changes how much of the account that lot size ties up.

Three levels of leverage: client, group and symbol

A single leverage number for the whole brokerage is simple, but it rarely fits everyone. Brokers usually add flexibility at three levels:

The levels work together. A practical setup often starts with a sensible default, adjusts individual clients where needed and uses symbol-level controls to handle instruments that move more than others.

Leverage per client: the control you will use every day

In EVO, leverage is set per client directly in the back office. Because the back office is part of EVO CRM, the person reviewing a client's profile, deposits and trading accounts can see and change that client's leverage in the same place, with no second login.

Common reasons to set leverage at client level:

• New clients start on a more conservative value until they are familiar with the platform.
• Experienced, active traders get a value that matches how they trade.
• Account reviews: if a client keeps reaching margin call, your team can lower leverage on that account.
• Special arrangements agreed by your retention desk for specific clients.

Per-client leverage sits alongside the other account controls in the back office. You can suspend an account so the client can still log in and see it but cannot trade, deposit or withdraw, or disable it so the client cannot log in at all. Leverage, spreads, limits and account status are all handled by the same team in the same system.

Leverage per group: managing many clients at once

Once a brokerage has hundreds or thousands of accounts, changing settings one client at a time becomes slow. Groups solve this: you put clients with similar profiles into a group and manage risk for the whole group together. Examples include a standard account type, a group for clients from a specific campaign or a group your dealers want to watch more closely.

In EVO, risk groups (grouping clients and managing risk per group) are coming soon, together with a dealing room for your dealers. Until then, per-client leverage combined with symbol limits and spread control covers day-to-day needs. For more on what is coming, read risk groups and the dealing room.

Per symbol: matching controls to each instrument

Instruments do not move the same way. A major currency pair, a gold contract, a stock index and a crypto pair can behave very differently in a single session. Digital currencies also trade around the clock, including weekends, so EVO streams 24/7 digital currency feeds.

This is why brokers want controls at symbol level. In EVO, the controls available for every symbol today are:

• Spread control: set and adjust the spread on every symbol, or per group once risk groups arrive.
• Limits per symbol: volume and trading limits for each instrument, so exposure on any one symbol stays within the range you choose.
• Take profit and stop loss on every order, with full control over client positions.

EVO offers 250+ symbols across forex, metals, indices, stocks, crypto and commodities, with real-time streaming and no delays, and adds any symbol you need on request. If you want different leverage on specific instruments, contact us and we will go through your setup with you.

How leverage connects to margin call and stop out

Leverage settings only make sense together with your margin call and stop out levels. In EVO you set these levels and the platform handles them automatically. Clients see balance, equity, margin, free margin and P&L live in EVO WebTrader, so they always know where their account stands.

Here is an illustrative example. Suppose margin call is set at a margin level of 100% and stop out at 50%:

1. 1A client opens a position. At 1:100 the margin is 1% of the position size. At 1:200 it would be 0.5%.
2. 2The market moves against the position and equity falls. The account with higher leverage holds more volume relative to its equity, so its margin level falls faster for the same pip move.
3. 3When margin level reaches 100%, the client gets a margin call notification on the platform.
4. 4If margin level keeps falling and reaches 50%, stop out closes positions automatically, so the account does not fall further.

Higher leverage leaves less room before these thresholds. That is not good or bad in itself, but it is why leverage, margin call and stop out should be decided together, not as separate settings.

A simple leverage policy checklist

Before you go live, write down a short leverage policy so your sales, retention and risk teams all work from the same rules:

1. 1Choose a default for new accounts and decide when it can change.
2. 2Decide who can change leverage and give only those roles permission.
3. 3Set margin call and stop out levels that match your default leverage.
4. 4Review volatile symbols and set spreads and volume limits per symbol.
5. 5Explain leverage clearly to clients on your website and in the client area, in every language you support.
6. 6Review regularly, using security logs to check that changes followed your policy.

Leverage settings in EVO Platforms

EVO runs execution in-house with built-in risk management. Leverage per client, spreads per symbol, symbol limits, margin call and stop out, TP/SL and suspended or disabled accounts all live in the back office, inside the same system as your CRM and your trading platform.

Every broker runs on its own isolated, dedicated VPS, with an IP whitelist for CRM and back office access and security logs of every action. The platform is available in English, Arabic with full RTL and German, and you can be live in less than 24 hours. EVO plans start from $2,500 per month. See pricing, read the EVO CRM and back office guide or message our 24/7 support on Telegram at @evoplatforms.

Frequently asked questions