How long does it take to sell a stock and actually get the cash?
The sale itself is instant during market hours. Settlement takes one business day, and a bank transfer another one to three. Budget about three business days in total.
Three steps, three different clocks. The sale: during market hours, a sell order on a normal stock fills in under a second. If the market is closed, the order waits and fills at the next open.
Settlement: the industry moved to T+1 in May 2024, meaning a trade settles one business day after it happens. Sell Monday, settled Tuesday. Before that it was two days, and older articles still say T+2. Weekends and market holidays do not count as business days.
Withdrawal: once settled, you request a transfer to your bank. Standard ACH transfers take one to three business days depending on the broker and the bank. Some brokers offer same-day or instant withdrawals to a debit card for a small fee.
So a sale on Monday morning typically becomes spendable cash in your bank between Wednesday and Friday. If you need money for a specific date, sell a week ahead. And if the need is recurring, it is worth keeping the amount in savings rather than in stocks in the first place.
Informational only, not financial advice. Updated September 4, 2026.
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