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Day order and GTC

In one line: How long your order stays alive: until the end of the day, or until you cancel it.

A day order expires when the trading day ends. Good-'til-cancelled (GTC) stays open until it fills or you cancel it. The SECThe US stock market regulator. notes brokers may still put a time limit on GTC orders.

Forgotten GTC orders can fill months later at a moment you did not expect. Check your open orders.

Related

Sources & studies

  1. Investor.gov (SEC): Day order
  2. Investor.gov (SEC): Good-'til-cancelled order

Order typesLimit orderStop order

Last checked: 2026-11-04 · Educational, not financial advice.

Education only, not financial advice. No signals. Backtests are hypothetical: real trading can be worse. Past results don't predict future results.