If you already know you want a cash account, you're not moving money over from another account, and you just want to know what actually happens — here it is, without the extra detail.

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1. Pick a brokerage. Any self-directed brokerage in your country works for this. Each one has its own sign-up flow, but the general shape is the same everywhere.

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2. Start the application and choose "cash account." This is the simplest account type there is — no borrowing involved, no special approval needed. The application usually asks for the basics: identification, address, employment info, and a government ID number (SIN in Canada, SSN in the US).

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3. Fund it with a straightforward deposit. Since there's nothing to transfer in, this is just moving money from a bank account into the new brokerage account — the same way you'd move money between two bank accounts. No paperwork about "in-kind" transfers, no waiting on another institution to release anything.

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4. Wait for the deposit to clear. Depending on the method, this can take anywhere from same-day to a few business days.

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5. Link a bank account for future deposits. Most brokerages let you connect a bank account directly, so future deposits don't require re-entering banking details each time.

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6. Optional: set up automatic contributions. If the plan is to add money on a regular schedule — every payday, for example — this is where that gets set up, so deposits happen on their own going forward.

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7. That's it — the account is open and funded. From here, the cash sits in the account until it's used to buy something. Opening the account and deciding what to hold in it are two separate steps.