diff --git a/application/account_facts_publisher.py b/application/account_facts_publisher.py
index 5be61e8..c91cad2 100644
--- a/application/account_facts_publisher.py
+++ b/application/account_facts_publisher.py
@@ -207,6 +207,10 @@ def build_firstrade_account_snapshot(
         raise AccountFactsPublishError("snapshot_time_invalid")
 
     cash_balance = balances.get("cash_balance")
+    # Use exact available_cash only when cash_balance is absent — still a real
+    # provider cash figure, never synthesized from equity or buying power.
+    if cash_balance is None:
+        cash_balance = balances.get("available_cash")
     cash: list[dict[str, str]] = []
     if cash_balance is not None:
         cash.append({
diff --git a/tests/test_account_facts_publisher.py b/tests/test_account_facts_publisher.py
index 127e5ae..0c1d8f1 100644
--- a/tests/test_account_facts_publisher.py
+++ b/tests/test_account_facts_publisher.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ def test_rejects_qrs_amounts_outside_exact_decimal_contract(value):
 def test_allows_cash_to_be_absent_without_synthesizing_it():
     data = observation()
     data["balances"]["cash_balance"] = None
+    data["balances"]["available_cash"] = None
 
     payload = build_firstrade_account_snapshot(
         data, load_account_facts_publish_config(config()), account_scope="us"
@@ -124,6 +125,22 @@ def test_allows_cash_to_be_absent_without_synthesizing_it():
     assert payload["cash"] == []
 
 
+def test_falls_back_to_available_cash_when_cash_balance_absent():
+    data = observation()
+    data["balances"]["cash_balance"] = None
+    data["balances"]["available_cash"] = "240.00"
+
+    payload = build_firstrade_account_snapshot(
+        data, load_account_facts_publish_config(config()), account_scope="us"
+    )
+
+    assert payload["cash"] == [{
+        "currency": "USD",
+        "cash_balance": "240.00",
+        "source_tag": "provider.cash_balance",
+    }]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("overrides", "reason"),
     [