This article did not adequately cover the risks of margin loans.
Even assuming you don't hold anything that gets removed from the marginable securities list and you don't get caught off guard by changes in margin requirements (they probably change at the worst possible time, during high volatility), the Interactive Brokers agreement appears to state that they can just immediately liquidate your margined securities if you fall below their margin requirements -- there might be no margin call or opportunity to add funds.
I'm sure there are other risks that I haven't even considered, but the above are enough to steer me away.
Even assuming you don't hold anything that gets removed from the marginable securities list and you don't get caught off guard by changes in margin requirements (they probably change at the worst possible time, during high volatility), the Interactive Brokers agreement appears to state that they can just immediately liquidate your margined securities if you fall below their margin requirements -- there might be no margin call or opportunity to add funds.
I'm sure there are other risks that I haven't even considered, but the above are enough to steer me away.