Euro Pacific Bank

Margin Change – Risk Calculations: November 19, 2020

Last month, Interactive Brokers1 announced a change to the algorithm used to calculate a portfolio’s concentration risk. Shortly after the announcement, a decision was made to temporarily postpone the algorithm change.

On Friday, November 19, 2020, Interactive Brokers will begin phasing in a new methodology to calculate a portfolio’s concentration risk.

New Methodology

  1. Interactive Brokers will calculate the potential loss for each stock and its derivatives by subjecting them to a stress test which simulates, at a minimum, a price change in the underlying stock of +/- 30%.
  2. The requirement for the stock (and its derivatives) which projects the greatest loss in the above scenario will be compared to what would otherwise be the aggregate portfolio margin requirement, and the greater of the two will be the margin requirement for the portfolio.

How will the new change impact my portfolio?

To evaluate the full impact of this change on your portfolio so that your account may remain margin compliant, please see KB Article 2957: Risk Navigator: Alternative Margin Calculator and from the margin mode setting in Risk Navigator, select “Margin 20201119”.

Accounts that are unable to carry a position under this new margin requirement are subject to liquidations to bring the account into margin compliance.


1Euro Pacific Trader is offered by Euro Pacific Securities Inc. (“Euro Pacific Securities”), as an Introducing Broker to Interactive Brokers LLC. Interactive Brokers LLC is the custodian, technology provider, and clearing broker to all transactions executed through Euro Pacific Trader and thus the rates, conditions, and examples shown on this site may be subject to change and differ from what is displayed on Euro Pacific Trader. The rates, conditions, and examples on this site are provided on a best-efforts basis and should not be taken as final.

Euro Pacific Securities will not be held responsible for pricing and conditional discrepancies that may arise in the normal course of offering Euro Pacific Trader. Customers should always review and rely on the conditions that are shown directly on Euro Pacific Trader, and it is the responsibility of all customers to carefully review the conditions of every action before approving execution on Euro Pacific Trader.

Interactive Brokers LLC is a registered Broker-Dealer, Futures Commission Merchant and Forex Dealer Member, regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association (NFA), and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and several other self-regulatory organizations. Interactive Brokers LLC does not endorse or recommend any introducing brokers, third-party financial advisors or hedge funds, including Euro Pacific Securities. Interactive Brokers LLC provides execution and clearing services to customers. None of the information contained herein constitutes a recommendation, offer, or solicitation of an offer by Interactive Brokers LLC to buy, sell or hold any security, financial product or instrument or to engage in any specific investment strategy. Interactive Brokers LLC makes no representation, and assumes no liability to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this website.

For more information regarding Interactive Brokers, please visit www.interactivebrokers.com.

LAST UPDATED: MARCH 11, 2024

August 29, 2022: Euro Pacific Bank liquidation has commenced. Please read our formal instructions here as it is time-sensitive.

September 2, 2022: Update on pending transactions, brokerage, and account migration.

September 8, 2022: Qenta has emailed a welcome letter to all EPB clients. You can read a copy of it here.

September 16, 2022: Update on pending transactions for clients opting out of Qenta Inc. migration.

September 28, 2022: Update on pending transactions for clients opting out of Qenta Inc. migration.

September 30, 2022: Update on bank liquidation, pending transactions, and migration of assets to Qenta Inc.

October 8, 2022: Update on opt-out deadline for EPB clients who do not wish to migrate their account to Qenta Inc..

October 14, 2022: Customer Update & Townhall.

October 21, 2022: Update on Opt-out deadline - Extended.

November 01, 2022: Mutual funds & outgoing wire requests update.

December 05, 2022: Migration & liquidation update.

December 16, 2022: Comprehensive FAQ is published.

January 27, 2023: Correspondent bank update.

March 8, 2023: Migration & liquidation update.

March 31, 2023: Migration & liquidation update.

April 20, 2023: Liquidation update- Action required.

May 05, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

May 31, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

June 17, 2023: Receiver's report.

June 23, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

July 20, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

September 01, 2023: Migration & Liquidation update.

September 22, 2023: Report & Communication Portal.

September 22, 2023: Report & Communication Portal.

November 20, 2023: Progress Report (Opt-out Only).

November 21, 2023: Migration Update (Opt-in Only).

February 02, 2024: Migration & Liquidation update.

February 19, 2024: Migration & Liquidation update.

March 03, 2024: Migration & Liquidation update.

March 11, 2024: Receiver's Reports.