Customers' Net Debit Balance

Customers' net debit balance

The total amount of credit given by NYSE member firms to finance customers purchasing securities.

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Customers' Net Debit Balance

The amount of money an investor owes on a margin loan. This is calculated as the amount the investor directly owes his/her broker. It does not account for the paper profit the investor has made on various transactions. When determining the amount owed in the case of a margin call, one generally uses the adjusted debit balance, which starts with the debit balance and subtracts the amount of applicable paper profit. The customers' net debit balance is usually called simply the debt balance, but the former term is used most often on the NYSE.