Practical answers about US bank holidays, banking hours, ACH and wire transfers, direct deposit and payroll timing, checked against official sources.
Banking Insights answers the questions that come up around the banking calendar: why a deposit is late, what happens when payday lands on a holiday, why a transfer sits in “pending” over a long weekend. Each article starts with the answer, uses real dates from the Federal Reserve schedule and links to the official source behind every rule.
For quick checks, use the live bank status, the bank holidays by year or the business days calculator.
Bank Holiday Updates
Fed closures on Fri, Dec 25, 2026 and Fri, Jan 1, 2027 leave four business days in each week. Last settlement days: Thu, Dec 24 and Thu, Dec 31.
Direct Deposit & Payroll
Check the calendar first: payroll ACH does not settle on weekends or Fed holidays. A settled deposit is due by 9 a.m. your bank's local time.
Direct Deposit & Payroll
Direct deposit can't settle on a Fed holiday, so pay moves to the business day before or after. Your employer decides, within state rules.
Banking Hours
Payments follow the Federal Reserve's calendar, not the federal government's. Saturday holidays, executive orders and shutdowns close offices, not FedACH.
ACH & Wire Transfers
Pending means started but not settled. ACH settles only on Fed business days, so a Friday transfer before a Monday holiday settles Tuesday.
Banking Explained
Three calendars, not one. The Fed closes on Columbus and Veterans Day when stocks trade; the NYSE closes on Good Friday when payments settle.