A money market account deposit typically clears in one to two business days, but how long it takes for your MMA deposit to clear depends on how the money arrives and what your bank’s agreement says. Cash, direct deposits, and wire transfers are generally available the next business day. Personal checks usually release the first $275 by the next business day and the rest by the second business day. Larger checks, new accounts, and a handful of other triggers can extend the wait to a week or more.
How Long Each Deposit Type Takes
The method matters more than the amount for most everyday deposits.
- Cash handed to a teller: available no later than the next business day.
- Direct deposit and wire transfers: available by the next business day, because they settle through the Federal Reserve and are treated as guaranteed.
- ACH transfers from another bank: one to two business days. Same-day ACH exists, but the receiving bank decides when to post the credit.
- Cashier’s checks, certified checks, and U.S. Treasury checks: the full amount is generally available the next business day when deposited in person and you are the named payee. Deposited another way, the first $275 clears next-day and the balance follows.
- Personal checks: first $275 next business day; remainder usually by the second business day after deposit.
- Mobile deposit: many banks apply the standard schedule or add an extra day. The mobile deposit agreement controls, and it can differ from in-branch policy.
Foreign checks sit outside these rules entirely. Regulation CC does not classify checks drawn on banks outside the United States, or checks in a foreign currency, as “checks” for hold-time purposes.1Federal Reserve. Regulation CC Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks Your bank sets its own timeline, and two to four weeks is common because the item has to move through international correspondent banks.
Cutoff Times, Weekends, and Holidays
A deposit made after the bank’s posted cutoff, or on a weekend or federal holiday, counts as if it arrived the next business day. The cutoff is often 2:00 p.m. local time, but it varies by institution and by channel.2eCFR. 12 CFR Part 229 – Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks A check dropped in a night deposit box Friday evening starts its clock on Monday.
Why the Rules Are Softer for Money Market Accounts
The Expedited Funds Availability Act, implemented through Regulation CC, sets the hold ceilings most people picture when they think about federal deposit rules. Those ceilings apply to transaction accounts like checking. Money market deposit accounts are classified as savings products under federal banking regulations, so Regulation CC does not compel your bank to follow the same limits on your MMA.
Most banks apply the same or similar schedules to money market accounts anyway. But because it is voluntary, the funds availability disclosure in your account agreement is what actually governs. That document is the one to read if a deposit is taking longer than you expected. Every bank must provide it when you open the account, and it spells out hold times by deposit type, the daily cutoff, and the events that trigger extended holds.3Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. A Guide to Regulation CC Compliance If you did not save it, request a copy or check the disclosures section of the bank’s website.
When a Bank Can Hold Your MMA Deposit Longer
Even when your bank follows Regulation CC voluntarily for your MMA, several situations let it place an extended “exception hold”:2eCFR. 12 CFR Part 229 – Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks
- Checks totaling more than $6,725 in a single day. This threshold took effect July 1, 2025 and runs through June 30, 2030.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks (Regulation CC) Threshold Adjustments
- New accounts, meaning any account where each holder has been a customer for fewer than 30 calendar days.
- Redeposited checks that bounced the first time.
- Accounts overdrawn on six or more banking days in the preceding six months.
- Reasonable doubt that the check will clear.
An exception hold can add up to five extra business days for most checks, pushing availability out to the seventh business day after deposit.5HelpWithMyBank.gov. Are There Exceptions to the Funds Availability (Hold) Schedule? For checks deposited at an ATM your bank does not operate, the extension can stretch six additional business days. When an exception hold is placed, the bank must give you written notice stating the reason and the date funds will be released.
Interest Starts Before Funds Are Available
Your MMA should begin earning interest before you can withdraw the money. Banks must start accruing interest on deposits into interest-bearing accounts no later than the business day they receive credit for the funds from the paying bank or the Federal Reserve.6eCFR. 12 CFR 229.14 – Payment of Interest That means a check on hold is still earning. If your statement shows interest starting only when the hold lifts, question it.
If the Hold Lasts Longer Than It Should
Call the bank first and ask for the specific reason. Some holds are placed automatically and can be lifted once a manager reviews the deposit.
If that does not resolve it, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Complaints can be submitted online, and banks generally respond within 15 days.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint Include your statements, any hold notice you received, and a timeline of the deposit.
A depositor also has a private right of action. A bank that violates the Expedited Funds Availability Act owes actual damages plus statutory damages between $100 and $1,000 per violation, and attorney fees if you win.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 12 USC 4010 – Civil Liability Few deposit disputes reach that point, but the option exists.
One practical note when comparing banks: many release funds faster than the federal maximums, particularly for customers with established histories. If yours consistently holds to the ceiling, that is a factor worth weighing.