Check holds can last as long as two to six business days. Bankrate explains.
A check hold is the length of time a financial institution can hold funds deposited by check before it credits a customer’s account. In most cases, the customer can only use the funds once the check hold ends and the check has cleared.
The Federal Reserve requires that a bank hold most checks before crediting the customer’s account for no longer than a “reasonable period of time,” which is generally regarded as two business days for a same-bank check and up to six business days for one drawn on a different bank.
For deposits beyond $5,000, the bank must make the first $5,000 available under its general check deposit policies, but can delay availability on the remaining amount above $5,000. Other banks have additional policies stipulating how much will be made available immediately, with some banks allowing the first few hundred dollars to post before the rest of the check clears.
A bank can also place a check hold on the entire amount of the check under any of the following circumstances:
Exceptions include money orders; Treasury checks; Federal Reserve Bank and Federal Home Loan checks; cashier’s, certified, or teller’s checks; and state or local government checks. Check holds also don’t apply to funds sent by electronic wire transfer or direct deposit.
Once your check hold has lifted, you might consider placing the cash in a new savings account.
Akira just collected a $5,900 check for services he rendered to a client. He deposits the check using his bank’s smartphone app, but the check is still subject to a hold. The first $5,000 is available immediately. However, because the check is from a different bank that the one he uses, the $900 takes four more business days to clear.
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