If I Cash Out My IRA How Long Till I Get a Check?

The wait for a check can seem like an eternity. Receiving cash from an IRA withdrawal can take a few days to several weeks, depending on the account custodian. You can do a few things to speed up the process if you need to cash out your individual retirement account.

When you tell your custodian the amount of money you want, be prepared for some paperwork. Many custodians have online account services in which you can make a few entries on a computer screen. Others may handle things with paper that must be faxed, emailed or snail-mailed back and forth. Check your custodian's requirements to see if you must provide proof of your identity when taking money out of an IRA.

Your custodian will also want to know how much, if any, withholding you'd like. Some automatically withhold ​10 percent​ if you're younger than ​59 1/2​ because of Internal Revenue Service rules. You can normally request a waiver if you qualify for an exemption. But if your IRA balance is large, you may need to pay estimated taxes during the year to avoid a penalty for underpayment of income taxes when you file your return.

Selling assets in your IRA can also slow down the process. It’s no problem if your account has a large cash balance, but otherwise it may take from one to three business days to settle a security sale. If you make the request after trading hours, you will have to wait until the next business day before your custodian can arrange the sale.

You can normally cash out a mutual fund on a day's notice, but stocks and bonds have a settlement period of three business days. Precious metals may take longer to convert to cash, and selling real estate can drag on for months.

Online IRA accounts normally offer electronic money transfers to and from your bank account when you need to take money out of IRA. You can use this for withdrawals without waiting on the postal service, cutting several days out of the process. Your custodian may also offer check-writing and debit-card features in a money management account linked to your IRA.

Withdrawals from a traditional IRA that you don't roll into a qualified account are taxable as regular income, reports Charles Schwab. If you're younger than age ​59 1/2​, you might also have to pay a ​10 percent​ early withdrawal penalty on the amount you take out.

If you want to move your withdrawal into another IRA or qualified plan, you can save time and taxes by requesting a trustee-to-trustee transfer. You'll need to tell both custodians of the assets you want to move and the account numbers.

If you want to roll over an IRA through a withdrawal, you'll have ​60 days​ to contribute the proceeds to the new account or face a tax bill and possibly an early withdrawal penalty. The IRS allows ​one rollover a year​ per IRA. If you want to close yours, you might get your money faster by withdrawing the cash and then asking the custodian to shut down the account.