Pilots
Zack Fincher's Portfolios on Autopilot: Cruise Control and Long Nostalgia
Zack Fincher's Cruise Control and Long Nostalgia Portfolios on Autopilot, and how to follow them in your own brokerage.
I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Zack Fincher runs two very different Portfolios. One is about as traditional as a Portfolio gets. The other is a bet on nostalgia.
Here's each one.
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.
1) Who Zack is
Zack Fincher is an independent Pilot who creates and manages both Portfolios.
The description says Zack is a former broker who worked the trade desk and brokerage operations at one of the largest investment banks, believes in making finance more open, and built the approach from colleagues, clients, and more than 10 years of firsthand mistakes.
2) Cruise Control - Retirement
Built on traditional portfolio construction, not a theme. Global stocks, US Treasuries laddered across different maturities, and a small gold sleeve, meant to compound over long holding periods.
For those unaware, a ladder spreads bonds across different maturity dates, so they don't all come due at once. The description says it requires tolerance for both stock and bond swings, and that it's designed for a tax-advantaged account, where rebalancing and reinvested dividends don't create a tax bill along the way.
3) Long Nostalgia
A bet on what the description calls one of the most durable consumer behaviors: people paying premium prices to reconnect with the past. It owns companies with business models that are hard to replace and valuable intellectual property.
That's the whole description. It's an interesting idea, and a short one, so look at the holdings in the app to see how it's expressed.
4) How to choose between them
Cruise Control is a diversified, long-horizon core. Long Nostalgia is a concentrated consumer theme.
I want to be honest with you. Those do different jobs, and some people would hold a core like the first and a small theme like the second. Don't mistake the theme for a core.
5) Where Cruise Control fits
If you're thinking about retirement accounts, how Autopilot works with them is in Does Autopilot work with a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA?, and the other retirement-minded Portfolios are in Is there an app that follows a retirement glide path in my own brokerage?.
6) How following works
Pick a Portfolio, connect the brokerage you already use, and allocate money. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to send orders to the account you already have. When the Portfolio changes, we send them and your broker fills them. The money stays put.
A flat cash subscription, not a percentage of your balance. Per our Form CRS dated February 2026, Basic Tier has no Base Advisory and Licensing Fee, and Premium Tier is $29.99 to $199.99 a quarter or $99.99 to $699.99 a year. Pilot subscriptions are separate and add on for each Pilot you subscribe to. Because it's a flat dollar amount, it's a bigger share of a small account than a big one, so do the math at your balance.
TLDR: Zack Fincher runs two Portfolios on Autopilot. Cruise Control - Retirement is a traditional mix of global stocks, laddered Treasuries, and a little gold, designed for tax-advantaged accounts. Long Nostalgia is a concentrated bet on companies that sell the past at premium prices.
Frequently asked questions
Zack Fincher portfolio
Zack Fincher, an independent Pilot, runs two Portfolios on Autopilot: Cruise Control - Retirement, a traditional mix of global stocks, laddered Treasuries, and gold, and Long Nostalgia, a consumer theme built around people paying to reconnect with the past.
Zack Fincher Autopilot
Both of Zack's Portfolios are on Autopilot. Cruise Control is designed for tax-advantaged accounts and long holding periods. Long Nostalgia is a concentrated theme with a short description, so check its holdings in the app.
How can I follow Zack Fincher's portfolio in my own brokerage?
Pick a Portfolio in the app, connect the brokerage you already use, and allocate money. When the Portfolio changes, Autopilot Advisers sends the orders and your broker fills them.
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.
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