How much of my cash account can I safely trade without risking a good faith violation?

Calculates settled cash available in a cash brokerage account by subtracting unsettled sale proceeds from the total cash balance, and flags whether a planned purchase would rely on unsettled funds.

How is this calculated?

Settled cash equals your total cash balance minus unsettled proceeds from recent sales. If your planned purchase amount is greater than your settled cash, the shortfall is the dollar amount of unsettled funds that purchase would rely on.

Good Faith Violation Calculator

Enter Your Cash Account Balances

This applies to standard cash brokerage accounts, not margin accounts. Settlement timing can vary by broker and security type, confirm your exact settlement period with your broker.

Your Result

Fill in the fields on the left and click Check to see how much settled cash you have available and whether your planned trade relies on unsettled funds.

How this is calculated

Settled cash is money in your account that has completed the broker's settlement process. Unsettled cash usually comes from a security you sold recently that has not finished settling yet.
A good faith violation typically happens when you buy a security using unsettled funds, then sell that new position before the original sale settles.
Settlement periods have changed over time and can differ by security type and broker. Confirm your broker's current settlement period before relying on this calculation.
Repeated good faith violations can lead to your broker restricting your account to settled-cash-only trading for a period of time.
This tool only covers cash accounts. Margin accounts have separate rules, including the pattern day trader requirements (updated by FINRA in 2026) covered in the tools below.

Risk & liability disclaimer: This calculator produces a mathematical estimate based on the numbers you enter. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any trading outcome. Trading involves risk of loss, and past position sizing decisions do not predict future results. Trading Habits is not a broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, or tax professional, and is not affiliated with any broker, exchange, or data provider. We do not guarantee this tool is error-free or suitable for your situation - always verify results independently and consult a licensed professional before making any trading or financial decision. You could lose some or all of the capital you trade with.

How much of my cash account can I safely trade without risking a good faith violation?

Enter Your Cash Account Balances

Your Result

How this is calculated

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