# How Quick Could You Withdraw A $100,000 From A Bank Account? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2019, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264 "2019-06-29T16:17:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/21 "2019-07-02T23:00:33Z")
I worked in a Big 4 bank that was the largest branch size they maintained. We regularly gave out $100,000k in cash, e.g. to check cashing businesses, but they always either had to request it at least 24 hours in advance or had a recurring agreement. There were some times when someone would request a large amount randomly and I only remember us outright refusing once because we didn’t have the cash on hand. Otherwise we could do it if we had a recent large deposit. Cash transactions over $10,000 require you to fill out a currency transaction report. For many businesses this is routine and not a sign of anything illegal. We could also fill out a suspicious activity report, most commonly if they are structuring to avoid the CTR (e.g. multiple $9000ish transactions, or changing their request when told they had to do a CTR. It’s all electronic paperwork, the purpose is not for the bank to determine legitimate use of cash but to provide a paper trail in any future legal proceedings. ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/22 "2019-07-02T23:08:42Z")
I once withdrew $8000 to buy a car in cash. I stopped in a few days earlier to ask about it, because, just like the OP, I had no idea what the limits actually were. I was told that for amounts lower than $50,000, no appointment was required. Amounts more than that would require a few days notice. That’s just my branch office, though. Now, if you already had the $$ in your safe deposit box, I’m pretty sure you could get any amount at pretty much any time the bank is open… which is why I am always confused that drug dealers keep so much cash in their homes and/or vehicles. Seems like an obvious mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/23 "2019-07-02T23:58:56Z")
I withdrew around $12K in cash from a local branch with no advance notice or appointment. No one had any issue with it and there were no special forms on my end other than the usual withdrawal slip. I’m sure there’s both a practical limit and a policy to how much you could get, but I didn’t ask what it was. I suspect if you had 4-5 accounts at different institutions with enough cash you probably could have gotten $100K in a day without anyone stopping you or raising an eyebrow. I’m pretty confident you could pull out $25K at each without no more than a phone call and a reasonable explanation (engagement ring, classic car, Vegas vacation). ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/24 "2019-07-03T03:51:23Z")
Lots of things are done by cash in Asian. I’m sure it could be done just by walking into a bank. I’ll do the experment if someone will wire me the money. You’ll get it back, I promise! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/25 "2019-07-03T14:44:53Z")
> [@UnwittingAmericans](#): > > No bank is going to have that much cash on hand Wrong. Your suburban branch may not have $100k in cash in the vault, but wherever the main downtown branch in most metropolitan cities exists, will definitely have that much cash on hand. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/26 "2019-07-03T14:55:19Z")
I’d have to sell or reverse mortgage my house to come up with that. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/27 "2019-07-03T15:08:01Z")
We transferred some investments. Deposited that check, next day had a cashiers check for 281,000. No problem. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/28 "2019-07-03T15:13:04Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Banks have the right to ask you what it’s for, for IRS reporting, and apparently can deny it if they don’t think there’s a legal purpose involved. I’m sure they can ask, and I am sure they have to report it to the government, but I find it difficult to believe they can say “we aren’t going to give your money” if I tell them it is none of their business why I want it. That there is a box on the form they have to fill out doesn’t create any obligation on my part. I just say “put down Refused”. If the IRS sends me a registered letter asking me why I want the money, I reply that it is none of their business. If they want to audit me, I show up with the last ten years of my tax returns and tell them to knock themselves out. It’s against the law to lie to the authorities. “No answer” isn’t a lie. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/29 "2019-07-03T15:34:36Z")
I’m wondering what the teller would say if I withdrew $100,000 and when asked replied, “I no longer trust this nations financial institutions.”? ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/30 "2019-07-03T16:37:43Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’m wondering what the teller would say if I withdrew $100,000 and when asked replied, “I no longer trust this nations financial institutions.”? I should imagine the response would be something like, “OK, cool.” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/31 "2019-07-03T16:40:41Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > We transferred some investments. Deposited that check, next day had a cashiers check for 281,000. No problem. But that’s not cash. The banks regularly move hundreds of thousands of dollars around via checks or electronic transfers. If you wanted to turn that into cash, how long would it take? > [@kayaker](#): > > I’m wondering what the teller would say if I withdrew $100,000 and when asked replied, “I no longer trust this nations financial institutions.”? “Oh Kayaker, always making those weird jokes :D” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/32 "2019-07-03T17:39:06Z")
Bank? Hell, I just gotta root around in my couch cushions. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/33 "2019-07-03T18:34:17Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > But that’s not cash. The banks regularly move hundreds of thousands of dollars around via checks or electronic transfers. If you wanted to turn that into cash, how long would it take? > “Oh Kayaker, always making those weird jokes :D” If I wrote a check for 100,000 for cash it would clear.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/34 "2019-07-03T18:50:09Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > If I wrote a check for 100,000 for cash it would clear.😃 I honestly can’t tell if you understand the question. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/35 "2019-07-03T18:52:38Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > We transferred some investments. Deposited that check, next day had a cashiers check for 281,000. No problem. Done similar. They sure fought tooth and nail to keep those funds on deposit, but we persevered. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/36 "2019-07-03T19:04:14Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > “Oh Kayaker, always making those weird jokes :D” Not really a joke. **Maserschmidt** commented that a bank could ask the purpose of the withdrawal and decline the transaction if the purpose wasn’t “legal”. I can’t imagine someone admitting that they were purchasing a couple kilos of coke, or a sex slave, but I once said that my $8k withdrawal was for “a party” (I bought a boat). What if the stated purpose is wacky, though. “I’m putting my savings into the production of a perpetual motion machine that will solve all of our energy problems” for example. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/37 "2019-07-03T20:07:03Z")
The teller would think: “I make $12/hour, what do I care this person buys?” ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/38 "2019-07-03T20:28:12Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I honestly can’t tell if you understand the question. Yes I had that amount in my checking account. If the bank were open I could get the cash. If it was in the middle of the night ,no. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/39 "2019-07-03T20:47:03Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > What if the stated purpose is wacky, though. “I’m putting my savings into the production of a perpetual motion machine that will solve all of our energy problems” for example. As long as the reason is legal, I don’t see why they’d care. I believe the purpose of that form is to help the government keep an eye out for money laundering (and people getting caught in scams) > [@eenerms](#): > > Yes I had that amount in my checking account. If the bank were open I could get the cash. If it was in the middle of the night ,no. That’s the question. Can you get 100,000 dollars, in cash, today. As you stated, you can. The question has nothing to do with the amount of money in your account, but if your bank has that much cash on hand and if they don’t, how long will it take for them to get it? ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264/40 "2019-07-03T20:49:36Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > As long as the reason is legal, I don’t see why they’d care. I believe the purpose of that form is to help the government keep an eye out for money laundering (and people getting caught in scams) > That’s the question. Can you get 100,000 dollars, in cash, today. As you stated, you can. The question has nothing to do with the amount of money in your account, but if your bank has that much cash on hand and if they don’t, how long will it take for them to get it? I think Wells Fargo would have the money. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quick-could-you-withdraw-a-100-000-from-a-bank-account/836264.md?page=3)