Quick Answer
For larger stock gains, save assassination missions that are not required for story progress until late game. More cash before investing means the same percentage movement produces a larger return.
The short rule is simple: do the required Hotel Assassination when the story demands it, keep the other Lester side assassinations for after major heist money, and treat each trade as a save-check-wait-sell process rather than an instant payout.
Money Route
| Timing | Focus |
|---|---|
| Early game | Spend lightly; keep weapons, armor, and supplies covered |
| Midgame | Preserve heist gains as investment capital |
| Before assassinations | Save manually and invest across all three protagonists |
| After assassinations | Wait for movement, sell, then consider the reverse opportunity |
| Post-story | Buy properties, garages, collection cars, and expensive extras |
Money Planning Checklist
- Keep optional assassination missions untouched until you have real capital from later story progress.
- Finish the setup that gives you the biggest cash pool first, then spread the trade across all three protagonists.
- Make a manual save before buying, another before selling, and do not confuse stock timing with 100% cleanup wandering.
- Use the Heist Payout Calculator if you are still deciding whether to spend or hold heist money.
Before You Invest
- Make a manual save before each linked mission.
- Handle all three protagonists, not just the active one.
- Wait in-game time if the price movement is not complete.
- Confirm the mission-stock relationship before buying.
- Keep the money route separate from 100% cleanup so goals do not conflict.
Property Spending
Buy assets that unlock activities or improve routing before purely expensive collection purchases. In the early game, task stability is more valuable than owning every property immediately.
FAQ
Should I do all Lester assassination missions after the story?
Not all of them need to wait until the very end of the game, but the standard high-profit route is to do the required Hotel Assassination during the story and save the optional ones until you have much more money to invest.
Why did my assassination mission profit look low?
The common causes are investing too early with too little capital, buying the wrong stock, selling before the movement finishes, or only moving money with one protagonist instead of all three.
When should I spend heist money?
Spend only what removes friction from the current route. If the purchase is optional and you still have high-return stock missions left, holding the cash is usually stronger than buying a collection item early.
What should I do with heist money after each job?
After a story heist, restock armor, ammo, and mission essentials first. Then hold the rest as investment capital unless a purchase clearly unlocks a useful route, property activity, or setup advantage.
Do I really need all three protagonists for the stock route?
Yes if you want the biggest total return. The same percentage move becomes much more meaningful when every character participates.
What if I already did some assassinations early?
You can still finish the story and keep using normal money routes, properties, and heists. You just lose the maximum late-game stock leverage, not the entire save.
