What Autopilot can see in your brokerage account, and what it can't

I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Before you connect anything to anything, you should know exactly what it can see and exactly what it can do. Here's ours, including the parts people find uncomfortable.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

What the connection is

You authenticate with your brokerage through their own login flow, and what comes back to us is a token, not your password. We don't store your brokerage password because we never receive it.

Some brokerages use a signed trading authorization instead or in addition, a limited power of attorney that lets an adviser send orders in your account. Either way, the authority is limited and specific. How this works end to end is in How Autopilot connects to your brokerage and what it can see and do.

What we can see

Enough to manage the allocation you gave us. That means your holdings and balances in the connected account, and the activity in it, because you can't rebalance toward a target without knowing what's there.

We can see manual trades you make in that account. That isn't surveillance, it's the mechanism: the help center describes Autopilot detecting manual sales and processing a rebalance to resynchronize. If you don't want that visibility, use a separate account for your own trading.

We can see the account's value, which is why the app can tell when its own balance figure and your brokerage's disagree.

What we can't do

Withdraw money. Move money to another account. Change your brokerage settings or your login. Trade outside the allocation you set.

The last one is worth sitting on for a second. Allocation is a permission. It tells us how much of the account we may use. Holdings outside it are untouched, which is covered in Will Autopilot sell stocks I already own.

How to cut it off

You revoke the connection in the app, and you can also revoke third-party access from your brokerage's own settings. Doing it from the brokerage side is the belt-and-braces version, because it doesn't depend on us at all. Trading stops immediately either way.

How often to review app permissions in general is in How often to review connected app permissions, and leaving entirely is in How to reduce, withdraw, stop or leave.

The uncomfortable part, said plainly

Connecting any third party to a brokerage account is a real decision with real risk, and no amount of reassuring language changes that. What you can do is make it an informed one: check the adviser registration yourself, understand that the authority excludes withdrawals, and know how to revoke it. That's the framework in What to check before you connect a brokerage account.

Frequently asked questions

What information can Autopilot see about my brokerage account?

Holdings, balances and activity in the connected account, which is what managing an allocation requires. That includes manual trades you make in that account, because the Portfolio rebalances around them.

Does Autopilot have my brokerage password?

No. You authenticate through the brokerage's own login flow and what we receive is a token. Some brokerages use a signed trading authorization instead.

Can Autopilot withdraw money from my account?

No. The authority granted covers sending orders, not moving money. Autopilot is not a broker-dealer and does not hold client assets.

What permissions does Autopilot need from my brokerage?

Enough to read the connected account and send orders within the allocation you set. Never the ability to withdraw, transfer, or change your brokerage settings.

Start Investing

Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.

Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.

Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by the companies listed, described, or featured on its site. Company logos or trademarks used do not imply endorsement and are the property of their respective owners.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.

Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.

Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.

Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.

Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.

For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.

Autopilot does not hold client assets and cannot withdraw or transfer funds. Connection methods and permissions vary by brokerage and may change. You may revoke access through the Autopilot app or through your brokerage's own settings.