A customer's account at a brokerage. There are three kinds of brokerage accounts. The most basic kind is a cash-management account, into which investors place money in order to make trades. There must be enough money in the account to cover the trade at the time of its execution (including both the price of the security and the commission), or the investor must be able to pay for the trade within three days (which is called the settlement date). Some brokerage firms accept credit cards to fund cash accounts, but the most require cash or a personal check. Such an account is often a good substitute for a bank account.