PORTFOLIO MARGIN

The modern composite-margin requirements that must be maintained in a derivatives account containing options and/or futures contracts. Portfolio margin accounting requires a margin position that is equal to the remaining liability that exists after all offsetting positions have been netted against each other.

For example, if a position in the portfolio is netting a positive return, then it could offset the liability of a losing position in the same portfolio. This would reduce the overall margin requirement that is necessary for holding a losing derivatives position.