The Big Idea
Good faith violations and free-riding are both cash account trading violations that happen when traders misuse unsettled funds. A good faith violation occurs when you sell a security that was bought with unsettled funds before paying for it with settled cash. Free-riding is more serious — buying a security without enough settled funds to cover it, then selling that security before the original purchase has been paid for. Both violations stem from cash account settlement timing rules. Three good faith violations within 12 months results in a 90-day cash-only restriction (where you must use settled cash exclusively). Free-riding can result in immediate 90-day account freezes. These violations are common beginner mistakes that catch traders off guard, particularly those who don’t understand settlement.
Think of these violations like writing a check from a bank account that doesn’t have enough money yet, expecting your paycheck to arrive in time to cover it. Sometimes it works (the paycheck arrives, the check clears), sometimes it doesn’t (the check bounces). With trading, you’re essentially doing the same thing — making purchases on the assumption that pending sales will settle in time to cover them. The “good faith” name comes from the assumption that the purchase was made in good faith expecting cash to arrive. When you then sell the new security before the original sale settles, you’ve essentially “ridden free” — using money you didn’t actually have yet to capture short-term gains.
For active cash account traders, these rules create real friction. Modern trading platforms are designed for instant action — see a setup, click trade, repeat. Settlement timing rules force you to slow down and track which funds are actually settled vs which are pending. Most beginners learn about these rules the hard way, through their first violation. The penalty (90-day cash-only restriction) is annoying but not catastrophic; understanding the rules from the start avoids the problem entirely. Traders using margin accounts don’t face these rules because margin accounts allow immediate use of unsettled funds.
Good Faith Violation Defined
A good faith violation occurs in three steps:
- You buy a security without enough settled cash to cover it (you used unsettled funds from a recent sale)
- You sell that security
- The original sale (which created the unsettled funds you used to buy) hasn’t yet settled
The violation is selling the new security before paying for it with truly settled cash.
Why “Good Faith”?
The name comes from the assumption made when you bought the new security. The buy was made “in good faith” — assuming you’d hold the new position long enough for the original sale to settle and provide actual settled cash. By selling the new security early, you’ve broken that good faith assumption.
Detailed Example
Monday: You sell 100 shares of XYZ for $5,000. This trade settles Tuesday (T+1).
Monday: With XYZ’s $5,000 unsettled proceeds, you buy 100 shares of ABC for $5,000.
So far this is fine in a cash account — using unsettled proceeds to buy is allowed, you just can’t sell ABC before XYZ settles.
Monday afternoon: ABC moves up. You sell ABC for $5,200.
This is a good faith violation. You bought ABC with unsettled funds (from XYZ sale) and sold ABC before those funds settled.
The violation: You essentially used Monday’s XYZ proceeds twice — once to buy ABC, then again as proceeds when selling ABC — before either purchase was actually paid for with settled cash.
What Triggers Good Faith Violations
Common Scenarios
- Selling stock A, immediately buying stock B with proceeds, selling B same day or before A settles
- Day trading multiple securities in a cash account where unsettled funds chain through trades
- Re-entering a position you just exited, then exiting again before settlement
- “Doubling up” on day trades where unsettled proceeds keep getting reused
What’s Not a Violation
- Buying with truly settled cash (no violation regardless of when you sell)
- Holding a position bought with unsettled funds until original sale settles
- Selling original position multiple times same day, never buying with proceeds
- Using a margin account (different rules apply, generally no good faith violations)
The Tracking Challenge
The challenge for cash account traders is keeping track of which funds are settled vs unsettled. Most brokers display this clearly:
- “Settled cash” — Available immediately for any purchases
- “Funds available to trade” — Includes settled cash plus unsettled (with restrictions)
- “Funds available to withdraw” — Only settled cash
Active cash traders should monitor settled cash before making sequential trades.
The Penalty for Good Faith Violations
The Three-Strike Rule
Three good faith violations within a 12-month rolling period triggers a 90-day cash-only restriction. During this restriction:
- You can only use settled cash for purchases (cannot use unsettled funds at all)
- You’re effectively limited to using fully cleared cash
- This severely restricts active trading
- The 90 days runs from the third violation
What Happens During the Restriction
You can still trade, but you can’t take advantage of any pending settlements. If you sell something Monday, you literally cannot buy something else until Tuesday after settlement. Active trading becomes impractical.
After the Restriction
Once 90 days pass, normal cash account rules resume. The violation count effectively resets — though brokers may keep records.
Why Three Strikes?
The first two violations are essentially warnings. The third triggers actual consequences. This gives traders opportunities to learn without immediately facing major restrictions.
Repeat Offender Treatment
Some brokers may impose stricter penalties on traders who repeatedly hit the three-strike threshold. This varies by broker.
Free-Riding Defined
Free-riding is more serious than good faith violations. It occurs when:
- You buy a security WITHOUT having settled cash to pay for it
- You sell that security to generate cash
- You use the sale proceeds to “pay for” the original purchase
Essentially, you’re trying to capture short-term price movement without ever actually paying for the position with your own money.
The Classic Example
Monday: You have $0 in your account. You place an order to buy 100 shares of XYZ for $5,000. The order fills (some brokers allow this, expecting funds to arrive).
Monday afternoon: XYZ moves up to $52. You sell 100 shares for $5,200.
You’re trying to use the $5,200 sale proceeds to pay for the original $5,000 buy, capturing the $200 profit while never actually depositing money.
This is free-riding — you “rode” the trade for free, never putting up your own capital.
Why It’s a Violation
Free-riding violates the requirement that cash accounts use settled funds. You can’t pay for a Monday purchase with funds that don’t exist until you sell it later. The system requires you to have actual settled funds available when you buy.
How Brokers Detect It
Modern broker systems automatically detect free-riding patterns. The system flags accounts where:
- A buy occurred without sufficient settled funds
- The same security was sold before the buy could settle
- Sale proceeds were the source of funds for the original buy
The Penalty for Free-Riding
Single Violation Consequences
Free-riding can trigger a 90-day cash-only restriction immediately on first violation. Some brokers freeze accounts after free-riding incidents, requiring resolution before normal trading resumes.
Regulatory Concerns
Free-riding violates Regulation T (the Federal Reserve regulation governing margin and credit). It’s a regulatory issue, not just a broker policy issue. Repeat free-riding can result in:
- Account closure
- Reports to regulators
- Difficulty opening accounts at other brokers
Why More Serious
Free-riding is more serious than good faith violations because:
- It involves never paying for the original purchase
- It’s an explicit Reg T violation
- It allows trading without capital, which the regulations specifically prohibit
- It’s harder to do “accidentally” — usually represents clear intent to game the system
How These Rules Differ
| Aspect | Good Faith Violation | Free-Riding |
|---|---|---|
| Funds situation at buy | Used unsettled funds (from earlier sale) | Insufficient funds at all |
| Source of payment for buy | Eventual settlement of earlier sale | Sale of new security (paying for itself) |
| Severity | Less severe | More severe |
| First violation penalty | Warning only | Often immediate restriction |
| Three-strike rule | 90-day restriction after 3 violations | Often single-violation consequences |
| Regulatory framework | Settlement rules | Regulation T violation |
| Typical violator | Active trader using unsettled funds | Trader trying to game the system |
Examples of Violations
Example 1 — Sarah’s Good Faith Violation
Sarah has $5,000 settled cash plus 100 shares of XYZ stock.
Monday morning: She sells XYZ for $5,000. Now she has $5,000 settled + $5,000 unsettled = $10,000 total available.
Monday morning: She buys 200 shares of ABC for $10,000 (using all $10,000). She used $5,000 settled and $5,000 unsettled.
Monday afternoon: ABC moves up. She sells 100 shares for $5,200, leaving 100 shares.
This is a good faith violation. She bought ABC with unsettled funds (from XYZ sale) and sold ABC before XYZ’s sale settled.
If she’d held all 200 ABC shares until Tuesday (when XYZ’s sale settles), no violation. If she’d only sold 100 ABC shares — those bought with the $5,000 settled cash, not the unsettled funds — that gets complicated and might not be a clear violation, but most brokers track aggregate settled vs unsettled and would flag this.
Result: First strike. Two more in 12 months trigger restriction.
Example 2 — Jake’s Free-Riding
Jake has $0 in his cash account, but the broker allows him to place a buy order anyway.
Monday: He buys 100 shares of MOMO for $5,000.
Monday: He sells those 100 shares for $5,300 — making $300 profit.
He never deposited the $5,000 to pay for the buy. He used the $5,300 sale proceeds to settle the buy obligation.
This is free-riding. Result: Immediate 90-day cash-only restriction. The broker may also flag the account for closer monitoring.
Example 3 — Maya’s Compliant Trading
Maya has a cash account with $20,000 settled cash. She wants to actively trade but understands the rules.
She structures her day:
- Morning: Buys $10,000 of stock A using settled cash (no issues)
- Mid-morning: Sells stock A for $10,300, creating $10,300 unsettled proceeds
- Notes: She still has $10,000 settled (untouched)
- Late morning: Buys $10,000 of stock B using her remaining settled cash
- Afternoon: Sells stock B for $10,200, creating more unsettled proceeds
- End of day: She has $0 settled, $20,500 unsettled (from both sales)
No violations. Each buy used settled cash, not the unsettled proceeds. Tomorrow she has $20,500 settled cash to start fresh.
By alternating between using settled cash and waiting for settlement, she can effectively trade about half her account daily without violations. This is the practical reality of cash account day trading.
How to Avoid These Violations
1. Use a Margin Account
Margin accounts allow same-day use of unsettled proceeds. Most active traders use margin accounts specifically to avoid these settlement-based restrictions. The trade-off is the PDT rule for active day trading.
2. Track Settled vs Unsettled Cash Carefully
Most modern brokers display both clearly. Before each trade in a cash account, verify you’re using settled cash for purchases.
3. Avoid Selling Newly-Purchased Securities
If you bought with unsettled funds, hold until the original sale settles. Then you have settled funds and can sell freely.
4. Plan Your Trades
Know your settled cash balance before starting a trading day. Plan trades that use settled cash for purchases and don’t require selling new positions before settlement.
5. Wait Out the Settlement
If you’re not sure whether you have enough settled cash, wait. T+1 is only one business day. The patience prevents violations.
6. Use Different Accounts for Different Strategies
Some traders use cash accounts for long-term holds and margin accounts for active trading. This keeps the rules simple within each account.
The Broker’s Role
How brokers handle these violations varies:
Automatic Tracking
All major brokers automatically track settled vs unsettled cash and flag potential violations. You’ll usually see warnings if a trade would create a violation.
Some Brokers Block
Some brokers prevent the violation from happening — they won’t let you submit orders that would create violations.
Others Allow and Penalize
Other brokers allow the trades but record violations. The customer faces consequences (warnings, eventual restriction).
Notification Practices
After a violation, most brokers notify you via email or in-account messages. They explain what happened and warn about additional violations leading to restrictions.
Resolution Options
If you receive a violation in error or have unusual circumstances, contact the broker. Sometimes violations can be reviewed or removed if there were broker-side issues.
Common Mistakes
- Not knowing the rules. Most beginners don’t learn until they get violations.
- Confusing margin and cash account rules. Margin accounts don’t have these violations.
- Reusing day trade proceeds in cash accounts. Multiple round trips with unsettled funds chains.
- Not tracking settled cash. Trading without checking what’s actually settled.
- Free-riding accidentally. Buying without funds and selling same day.
- Three good faith violations in a year. Triggers 90-day restriction.
- Misunderstanding the timer. 12-month rolling window for good faith strikes.
- Trying to trade through restrictions. Settled-cash-only severely limits active trading.
- Switching to margin too late. After multiple violations create record.
- Withdrawing unsettled cash. You can’t withdraw funds until they settle.
The Big Picture
Good faith violations and free-riding are cash account rules that catch many beginners.
Here’s what to remember:
- Both violations involve misusing unsettled funds
- Good faith: selling new security before original sale settled
- Free-riding: buying without funds, selling to “pay” for buy
- Three good faith violations in 12 months = 90-day restriction
- Free-riding can trigger immediate restrictions
- T+1 settlement is the timeframe involved
- Margin accounts don’t have these violations
- Track settled vs unsettled cash carefully
- Most brokers automatically detect and flag violations
- The rules exist because of settlement period mechanics
These violations exist because cash accounts have a fundamental rule: you can only buy with settled cash. Settlement timing creates situations where unsettled funds appear available but really aren’t yet. The good faith and free-riding rules prevent traders from gaming this gap.
The most common violation is the good faith situation. Active cash account traders often want to trade quickly through proceeds, not realizing each leg requires the previous one to settle first. Without margin, this creates inevitable violations for active styles.
The 90-day restriction is annoying but not catastrophic. You can still trade — just only with truly settled cash. Three months of slower trading isn’t great for active traders but doesn’t end their trading career.
Free-riding is more serious because it represents trying to capture profits without putting up capital. The system requires actual capital deployment, not financial sleight-of-hand. Free-riding violations can lead to account closures and regulatory issues.
The simple solution for active traders: use a margin account. This eliminates settlement-based restrictions but introduces PDT rules. The trade-offs differ but the friction is removed.
For traders who prefer cash accounts (no margin call risk, simpler accounting, no interest costs), the rules are manageable with awareness. Track your settled cash. Don’t sell newly-purchased securities until original sales settle. When in doubt, wait until tomorrow.
Modern brokers help with tracking. Settled cash is usually displayed prominently. Warnings appear when trades might create violations. The rules don’t catch you blind if you pay attention to what your platform shows.
The progression for active cash account traders:
- Beginners: get a violation, learn the rules
- Intermediate: track settled cash carefully, mostly avoid violations
- Advanced: switch to margin account for active trading
This progression is natural. The rules force learning. Once learned, the choice between cash account constraints and margin account flexibility becomes clear.
One final practical note: if you have less than $25,000 and want to actively day trade, you face a tough choice. Cash account day trading creates violation risk through settlement chains. Margin account day trading faces PDT rule. Neither option is great for small active traders. The honest answer is usually to either:
- Accept the constraints of cash account trading and trade less actively
- Switch to less restrictive markets (futures, forex) without these rules
- Build capital first through swing trading until you reach $25,000
Trying to actively day trade small US stock accounts inevitably creates regulatory friction. The rules aren’t going away. Plan accordingly.
Related Terms
- T+1 Settlement — Why these rules exist
- Margin vs Cash Accounts — Margin avoids these violations
- What Is the PDT Rule? — Margin alternative restriction
- What Is Day Trading? — Style affected most
- What Are Trading Commissions? — Other cash account costs
← Back to the Complete Trading Terms Glossary
Focus on the process. Trust the stats. Stay consistent.