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Why did Autopilot sell, or buy, something in my account?
Why did Autopilot sell, or buy, something in my account?.
I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. You open your brokerage app, see a trade you didn't make, and want an explanation. There are five reasons it happens and you can usually tell which one in under a minute.
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.
One: the Portfolio changed
The most common reason. A Portfolio changes when its source changes. A tracker built on quarterly filings changes when a new filing posts. A monthly strategy changes at its rebalance. A weekly one changes weekly.
When the Portfolio changes, we send the orders and your broker fills them. Your account follows the Portfolio, so the trade you're looking at is the Portfolio moving.
Two: a rebalance
Prices move, so weights drift away from the Portfolio's targets. Bringing them back means trimming what grew and adding to what lagged, which produces same-day buys and sells in different securities. That looks like activity and it's maintenance. The mechanics are in How rebalancing works when you follow a Portfolio.
Three: you changed something
Raising your allocation deploys more money. Lowering it sells down to the new level. Deleting a Portfolio sells its holdings and returns the funds to your brokerage account, typically the same day depending on timing.
Adding a second Portfolio also changes what your account holds, which is covered in Following more than one Portfolio.
Four: you traded by hand inside the allocation
This is the one that surprises people. If you sell a position the Portfolio is tracking, the Portfolio will generally try to rebalance back toward its targets, which can mean repurchasing what you just sold. The help center says a rebalance to resynchronize typically processes within one to three business days after manual sales are detected.
If you don't want a name repurchased, blacklisting it excludes it from future purchases and the Portfolio rebalances using the available funds across other positions. Full detail in Selling by hand while you follow.
Five: a constraint at your broker
An order that can't fill, a security the broker restricts, an unsettled balance, or a fractional limit can all change what actually lands in your account versus what the Portfolio called for. Those show up as partial fills or cash sitting undeployed rather than as mystery trades, and they're in How Autopilot handles uninvested cash in your account.
How to check a specific trade
Open your brokerage app's trade history or activity tab. That's the record of truth, because your broker executed it and we didn't. Match the date against a Portfolio change, a rebalance, or something you did. If none of those explain it, message support in the app with the date and the security.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Autopilot sell my stock?
Usually because the Portfolio changed or rebalanced, because you lowered an allocation or deleted a Portfolio, or because a manual trade of yours triggered a resynchronizing rebalance.
Why did Autopilot buy this stock?
The Portfolio added it, a rebalance moved weight toward it, or you sold it by hand and the Portfolio repurchased it while moving back toward its targets.
What triggers a trade in my Autopilot account?
A Portfolio change, a rebalance, a change you made to an allocation, a manual trade inside the allocation, or a broker constraint changing what can fill.
How do I find out why a trade happened?
Check your brokerage's trade history, since your broker is the one that filled it, then match the date to a Portfolio change or something you did. If it still doesn't add up, message support with the date and security.
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.
Trade timing and execution are handled by your brokerage. Client holdings may differ from a Portfolio due to timing, fractional availability, cash, brokerage constraints and manual trades. Portfolio changes may create taxable events in a taxable account.