Most players mess around with heists for cash, then wonder why they're still broke when the big toys show up. The stock market is where things get silly. Not "investor" silly—more like "I can steer prices with a mission trigger" silly. If you want a clean roadmap for GTA 5 Money without grinding the same setups forever, you've gotta understand how the game's markets actually react, and when they don't.
LCN vs BAWSAQ and the waiting game
You'll see two exchanges on your phone: LCN and BAWSAQ. LCN is basically your personal sandbox, tied to what happens in your single-player world. BAWSAQ is the online one, so it can feel a bit less predictable because it's connected to the wider player base. Either way, prices don't jump the second you pull the trigger. That's the part that trips people up. The quickest way to force movement is time-skipping at a safehouse. You don't even have to commit to saving—open the sleep option, back out, and the clock still nudges forward. Trevor's long naps make him the go-to when you're trying to speed-run a rise or a rebound.
When to start and why Lester matters
Don't start this whole routine when you're scraping together pocket change. The returns are percentage-based, so the bigger your pile, the more ridiculous it gets. A lot of folks wait until after a major heist payout, like The Paleto Score, so the bankroll is worth moving around. Then you use Lester's assassination missions like a cheat code. He hands you the "cause" of the crash, and the market hands you the "effect." The rhythm is simple: buy the rival before the hit, sell after the spike, then buy the company you just wrecked once it's at rock bottom and ride the recovery.
Three assassinations that can change everything
In the Hotel Assassination, you're targeting Bilkinton's leadership, so Betta Pharmaceuticals is the usual play beforehand. Put all three characters' cash into BET on BAWSAQ, run the mission, then sleep until you see that profit peak—often around a 40–50% bump. Cash out, then switch gears: grab Bilkinton (BIL) on LCN while it's battered. Give it a few in-game days and it can climb back hard. The Multi-Target Assassination is the big one if you've got the nerves for the timer. Load into Debonaire (DEB) on LCN first, finish the hits, wait a couple days, and sell once you're sitting around the 50–60% mark. After that, buy Redwood (RWC) while it's down and be patient; that rebound is where the wild gains can happen, sometimes a few hundred percent if you don't panic-sell early. For the Vice Assassination, Fruit is the classic pre-mission buy, since the target's connected to its competitor's pain.
Keeping it smooth and scaling it up
The real trick is staying disciplined: don't keep refreshing the app every minute, don't sell the second you see green, and don't forget to spread the same moves across all three characters. Use sleep to step time forward in chunks, check your portfolio, and only act when the swing looks like it's topped out. And if you're the kind of player who'd rather spend your time driving, fighting, and messing about instead of micromanaging every dollar, some people top up their grind with services like RSVSR so they can focus on the fun parts while still keeping their wallet ready for whatever they want to buy next.
