Can a bank or credit union hold a check of any amount for any length of time? Our credit union told my step son that his IRS refund check of a little better than $3000 would be held for a month and now he is concerned that a check that he his getting back from a retirement fund for about $6000, that they may tell him the same thing. He has his own account with the credit union. I didn't think that they could hold checks anymore?