Checking your phone at 8:30 AM to see is there today bank holiday is a specific kind of panic. Maybe you have a check to deposit that actually needs a teller, or perhaps you’re just hoping for a day off work that you somehow missed on the calendar. Honestly, it happens to the best of us. Whether it's a random Monday in May or a mid-week surprise in January, bank holidays have this weird way of sneaking up on people.
Today is Tuesday, January 13, 2026. If you are in the United States or the United Kingdom, the short answer is no. It’s a standard business day. But "no" isn't always the full story because banking isn't just about the doors being locked. It’s about the Federal Reserve, the Clearing House Automated Payment System (CHAPS), and how money moves behind the scenes while you're just trying to buy groceries.
Is there today bank holiday? Let's look at the 2026 calendar
Timing is everything. In the US, the next major shutdown is coming up fast. Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, January 19, 2026. That’s less than a week away. When that hits, the Federal Reserve Bank closes its doors. This isn't just a day off for tellers; it’s a total pause on the rails that move your money.
If you're in the UK, you’ve got a long wait. After the New Year’s Day break, the next time the banks officially take a breather isn't until Good Friday on April 3, 2026. That’s a massive gap. It’s why people get so confused this time of year—there’s a long stretch of "normal" days where we all just sort of forget that the banking system has its own internal clock.
The weird logic of "Observed" holidays
Ever notice how sometimes a holiday is on a Sunday but the bank stays shut on Monday? That’s the "observed" rule. Basically, if a federal holiday like July 4th lands on a Saturday, banks often close the Friday before. If it’s a Sunday, they take Monday. This ruins schedules. It’s the primary reason people keep searching is there today bank holiday even when they know the date of the actual holiday.
In 2026, many of the big hitters—like Juneteenth (June 19) and Veterans Day (November 11)—fall during the work week. This makes the schedule a bit more predictable than last year, but it still catches people off guard when they try to wire money for a house closing or wait for a direct deposit that’s suddenly "late."
✨ Don't miss: Why the Air France Crash Toronto Miracle Still Changes How We Fly
Why the Federal Reserve matters to your wallet
Most people think a bank holiday just means the physical branch is closed. I wish it were that simple. It’s actually about the Federal Reserve System. When the Fed closes, the ACH (Automated Clearing House) network essentially hits a pause button.
Think about it this way.
You send a Zelle payment or a Venmo transfer. Usually, it feels instant. But if it’s an official bank holiday, that money might sit in a digital purgatory. It’s "pending." It’s not that the internet is broken; it’s that the settlement layers—the actual movement of "real" money between institutions—require the Fed’s lights to be on.
What stays open?
- ATMs: These are the unsung heroes. They don't care about holidays. You can almost always get cash or deposit checks, though the check won't actually "clear" until the next business day.
- Mobile Apps: You can check your balance, but don't expect your "available balance" to update if you're waiting on a transfer from another bank.
- Online Transfers: Moving money between your own accounts at the same bank usually works fine. Moving it to your friend’s account at a different bank? That’s where you run into the holiday wall.
The 2026 US Federal Reserve Holiday Schedule
To save you from constantly wondering is there today bank holiday, here is the actual roadmap for the rest of this year in the United States.
January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Everything is shut.
February 16: Presidents' Day (Washington's Birthday). This is a classic "wait, is the post office open?" day. (The answer is usually no).
May 25: Memorial Day. The unofficial start of summer and a hard stop for all financial institutions.
June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day. This is still a relatively new federal holiday, so it still catches a lot of businesses by surprise, though banks are strictly observant now.
July 3: Independence Day (Observed). Since the 4th is a Saturday, the Fed takes Friday off. Watch out for this one!
September 7: Labor Day.
October 12: Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day. Interestingly, not all private businesses close for this, but the banks almost always do.
November 11: Veterans Day.
November 26: Thanksgiving Day.
December 25: Christmas Day.
🔗 Read more: Robert Hanssen: What Most People Get Wrong About the FBI's Most Damaging Spy
Global differences: Why your international wire is stuck
If you're doing business with someone in London or Tokyo, the question is there today bank holiday becomes a lot more complicated. For example, the UK has "Bank Holidays" that don't align with US "Federal Holidays" at all.
Early May Bank Holiday (May 4, 2025) and the Spring Bank Holiday (May 25, 2026) are big ones in Britain. If you’re trying to send a wire transfer from New York to London on May 4th, it’s going to sit there. The US bank is open, the wires are screaming across the Atlantic, but the receiving bank in the UK is effectively "gone fishing."
I’ve seen real estate deals get delayed by 48 hours because someone forgot that August 31st is a bank holiday in England and Wales. It’s a mess.
The nuance of state-level holidays
Just to make things more annoying, some states have their own holidays. Ever heard of Patriots' Day? If you're in Massachusetts or Maine, it’s a big deal in April. While the Federal Reserve might be open, your specific local branch might be operating on limited hours or closed entirely because of a state-recognized event. Always check the local branch's Google Maps listing—they are surprisingly good at updating those "Special Hours" tags these days.
How to handle your money when the banks are shut
So, you found out the answer to is there today bank holiday is "yes." What now?
💡 You might also like: Why the Recent Snowfall Western New York State Emergency Was Different
First, don't panic about your bills. Most credit card companies and utility providers know the calendar. If your bill is due on a holiday, they usually count the payment as "on time" if it arrives the next business day. But "usually" is a dangerous word.
- Check your "Available Balance," not your "Current Balance." On a holiday, your current balance might show money that hasn't actually cleared yet. Don't spend it until the status changes.
- Use Digital Wallets. Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal often allow for peer-to-peer transfers that feel instant even when banks are closed, although getting that money out of the app and into your actual bank account will still be delayed.
- Plan for the Friday Slide. If you need a check to clear by Monday morning, and there’s a holiday, you really needed to deposit that thing by Thursday afternoon.
The psychology of the bank holiday
Why do we still have these? In a world of 24/7 digital banking, the idea of "closing the bank" feels like a relic from the 19th century. Honestly, it kind of is. But these pauses are built into the code of our financial system. They provide a "settlement window" that allows for auditing and system maintenance that can't happen when billions of dollars are flying around every second.
Plus, let’s be real: tellers and back-office staff deserve a break too.
Actionable steps for the next holiday
If you’re reading this because you just realized you’re stuck without a bank today, here is what you do.
- Verify the specific holiday: Look at the list above. If it’s not on there, your bank might just have weird local hours or a plumbing issue.
- Check the App: Most modern banking apps (Chase, BoA, Wells Fargo) will have a banner at the top if they are observing a holiday.
- Wait until 9:00 AM ET: Most banking systems "reset" or process batches at the start of the New York business day. If your money isn't there by then on a non-holiday, then you have a real problem.
- Schedule ahead: For the upcoming MLK Day on January 19, set your transfers to go out by Friday, January 16.
Banking is slow. The world is fast. Knowing the schedule is the only way to make sure those two things don't crash into each other and leave you with a declined card at the worst possible moment.