on my Charles Schwab account I have 2 different fields:
Day Trade Buying Power: $50,000
Available to Day Trade: $203,000
Can someone explain the different between the 2? Day trade buying power is roughly the amount of money I have in the account and available to day trade is 4x my money.
Available To Day Trade is the amount of money available to buy securities.
Per Reg T, a pattern day trader is allowed to trade four times the excess of the maintenance margin as of the closing of business of the previous day. This is called Day Trading Buying Power. Overnight margin is 50% (two times). Brokers have the right to impose lower margin limits.
FINRA offers this explanation:
The rules permit a pattern day trader to trade up to four times the maintenance margin excess in the account as of the close of business of the previous day. If a pattern day trader exceeds the day-trading buying power limitation, the firm will issue a day-trading margin call to the pattern day trader.
According to Charles Schwab support Day Trade Buying Power is money you have in your account and Available to day trade is your buying power for intraday trades (you have to liquidate by end of day).
