Where should I hold business sale proceeds while I decide what to do?
While decisions are pending, the usual priorities are safety of principal, access when bills come due, and clarity about how each account is protected. Bank deposits, Treasury securities and cash held through a brokerage are protected in different ways, and the protection depends on the product, not on who sells it.
FDIC insurance covers deposits at insured banks per depositor, per bank, per ownership category, up to a legal limit and subject to FDIC rules. Opening accounts at another branch of the same bank does not add coverage. A money market deposit account at an insured bank is a deposit; a money market mutual fund is an investment and is not FDIC-insured. Brokerage sweep and cash programs differ from one another, so confirm in writing where the cash sits and how it is protected.
Reviewed by Bay Area Wealth Advisors. Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Educational information only — not individualized financial, tax or legal advice.