US Investors Confront Rising Risks as Margin Debt Hits $1.279 Trillion

MarketsStock market downturns present risks to leveraged investors, according to one chief economist.A futures-options trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City. Brendan McDermid/ReutersAndrew Moran3/11/2026|Updated: 3/11/20260:00U.S. investors keep borrowing money to buy the dip or take part in new stock market highs.Margin debt—loans taken out by investors from brokerage firms to buy stocks—climbed to a record high of $1.279 trillion in January, according to data from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).