Some threads ago there was a discussion of whether or not Schwab updated their online accounts immediately. I made two transactions this morning (one buy and one sell) and when Schwab Online showed the transactions were completed (just a few seconds), I did a Quicken update. The new balances were downloaded into my Schwab and as soon as I clicked on "Accept", the new balances showed up in my Portfolio. I think that is as immediate as you can get.