Updated October 9, 2026. Settled cash at Fidelity is the part of your cash balance you can use to buy in a cash account without causing a good-faith violation. It is not the same number as the total cash you see after a deposit or a sale.
Since May 28, 2024, U.S. stocks, ETFs, options, and most mutual funds settle on the next business day, called T+1. Sell a stock on Monday and the proceeds generally settle Tuesday. Sell on Friday and they settle Monday. Fidelity money-market funds settle the same day. Some bonds and non-Fidelity funds take longer. Fidelity’s trading FAQ lists the current schedule.
A deposit is a separate clock. Fidelity may let you trade with an incoming electronic deposit the same day, up to a limit, but that deposit often is not settled cash for a withdrawal until the bank collection period finishes. Fidelity says that collection is usually up to about seven business days. A bank wire is available sooner and Fidelity does not charge a wire fee, though your bank might.
In a cash account, selling a security before the purchase that paid for it has settled can be a good-faith violation. Three of those in 12 months, or one freeride, restricts the account to fully settled cash for 90 days. A margin account follows margin rules instead, including the intraday margin standards FINRA put in place on June 4, 2026.