Withdrawing Funds
Transfer settled cash from your Light Horse Securities account back to your linked bank account, free of charge.
How to Withdraw Money from Light Horse
- Open the app or log in to the Light Horse dashboard.
- Select Account (or Transfer, depending on platform) → Withdraw.
- Enter the withdrawal amount.
- Choose which Light Horse account to withdraw from and which bank account to send it to. (Only one qualifying bank account is linked per account — to change it, relink via Plaid, subject to a 1-business-day review.)
- Review the withdrawal and any associated fees, then confirm.
Withdrawal Fees and Timing
- ACH withdrawals are free. A withdrawal to a different bank account than the one that funded the original deposit may require an additional review, typically completed within 1 business day, before the transfer resumes.
- ACH withdrawals typically arrive in your bank account within 1-3 business days after the funds have fully settled.
- Your daily withdrawal limit (amount and frequency) resets each business day at 7 PM ET.
- Withdrawing via wire instead of ACH is faster but carries a fee — see Wire Transfer Instructions.
What Counts as Withdrawable Cash
Only settled, unencumbered cash can be withdrawn. The following can all reduce what's currently withdrawable:
| Exclusion | Applies to investing accounts? |
|---|---|
| Settlement period | Yes |
| Pending deposits | Yes |
| Cash held for pending orders | Yes |
| Referral stock (cash value) | Yes |
| Margin investing (minimum balance) | Yes |
| Options collateral | Yes |
- Settlement period: proceeds from selling equities or options settle on a T+1 basis (trade date plus 1 trading day) before becoming withdrawable.
- Pending deposits: a deposit must clear its ~5 business day hold — see Making a Deposit — before it, or gains from trading it, can be withdrawn.
- Cash held for pending orders: cash reserved for an open order isn't shown as withdrawable — cancel the order first to free it up.
- Referral stock: the cash value of a referral/reward stock must stay in the account for at least 30 calendar days after you receive it, even if you sell it sooner. Example: a $10 fractional reward share sold on day 2 still can't be withdrawn as cash until day 30 — the cash value is fixed at the price when you received the stock.
- Margin investing: if margin is enabled, you must maintain at least $2,000 in account value; withdrawing below that can trigger an equity maintenance call.
- Options collateral: depending on the strategy used, stock or cash may be held as collateral to cover potential assignment.
Why Did My Withdrawal Fail?
Common causes beyond insufficient withdrawable cash: an account restriction, a transfer limit, or withdrawing to a different bank than the one that funded the account. Contact support@lighthorse.io for help.
Withdrawing to a different bank account: for 60 days after a deposit, withdrawing to a different account than the one it came from may require extra verification — a brief explanation, a photo ID (front and back), and bank statements proving ownership of both linked accounts.
Account restrictions: if your account is restricted, check the app for a banner explaining why, or contact support to resolve it.
How to Cancel a Pending Withdrawal
After you requested a withdrawal, there is still some time available to change your mind and cancel it. There are three same-day cutoff times for cancellation depending on when the withdrawal was initiated — once the relevant cutoff passes, it can't be canceled and must be allowed to complete.
- Select Trade (or your account menu on web) → History.
- Under Pending, select the withdrawal.
- Select Cancel transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to withdraw money?
ACH withdrawals typically arrive in your bank account within 1–3 business days after the funds have fully settled in your Light Horse account.
Is there a fee to withdraw?
ACH withdrawals are free. Domestic wire withdrawals cost $25 and international wire withdrawals cost $50.
Why is my transferred money unavailable?
- Your bank might not process it yet. For example, if you initiated the transfer on Friday evening, your bank might not show it until Monday.
- A pending transfer was reversed due to a bank-account issue.
- A pending transfer failed from a one-time system error (no fee applies — just start a new transfer).
- Either way, you can always contact support@lighthorse.io for more details.
Why did my withdrawal fail?
Common causes beyond insufficient withdrawable cash: an account restriction, a transfer limit, or withdrawing to a different bank than the one that funded the account. Contact support@lighthorse.io for help.
Withdrawing to a different bank account: for 60 days after a deposit, withdrawing to a different account than the one it came from may require extra verification — a brief explanation, a photo ID (front and back), and bank statements proving ownership of both linked accounts.
Account restrictions: if your account is restricted, check Light Horse dashboard for a banner explaining why, or contact support to resolve it.
Can I withdraw funds I just deposited?
No — deposited funds must settle (typically 5 business days) before they're withdrawable, even if you already used instant buying power to trade with them. See Instant Buying Power.
How long must I hold referral/reward stock before I can access the cash?
The cash value must stay in the account for at least 30 calendar days from when you received it, even if you sell the stock earlier.
Can I cancel a withdrawal after I submit it?
Yes, until the same-day cutoff time for when it was initiated — after that, it must be allowed to complete.