Updated 2026-10-13. I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Open it in the Autopilot app. https://link.joinautopilot.com/eXKr?c=automated-investing-explained&af_sub1=intro Automated investing means software keeps your account in line with an investing plan, so you don't have to place every trade yourself. For a lot of people, that has meant a robo-adviser. You answer a questionnaire, and it builds and manages a portfolio for you, often out of ETFs. Now there's another way. You can automate a strategy you pick, like an AI system, a hedge fund tracker, or an investor's Portfolio, and have it run in the brokerage account you already have. Let me explain how each one works, how automatic it really is, and what you still do yourself. 1) Three kinds of automated investing 1. Automatic contributions. A set amount goes in on a schedule. For those unaware, the SEC's Investor.gov calls this dollar-cost averaging: "investing your money in equal portions, at regular intervals, regardless of the ups and downs in the market." That automates the money going in. It doesn't decide what to buy. 2. Robo-advisers. Software picks a portfolio for you, based on your answers, and keeps you in it. 3. Following a strategy you pick. You choose the strategy. Software keeps your account in line with it every time it changes. The first one is about when you invest. The other two are about what you own. 2) What a robo-adviser automates The SEC says the term robo-adviser "generally refers to an automated digital investment advisory program." In most cases, you fill out an online questionnaire about your goals, time horizon, income, and risk tolerance. Based on that, it creates and manages a portfolio for you. The SEC's robo-adviser bulletin adds that "many robo-advisers utilize ETFs," and that what one gives you is limited by the information it gets from you, usually through that questionnaire. So the automation is built around your answers. The robo-adviser picks the strategy. You supply the inputs. For plenty of investors, that's exactly what they want. I respect that. But you might want something else: to pick the strategy yourself and let the automation handle the rest. 3) The other way: automate a strategy you pick Here's how I think about it. You don't have to pick the stocks. You pick who does, and it runs in the brokerage account you already have. For those unaware, a Pilot is the person or firm behind a Portfolio. On Autopilot, the "who" can be: - An AI system. The GPT Portfolio, from Dr. Lira's AI Finance Labs, scores every stock in the S&P 500 using fundamental data and eight macroeconomic data points, like interest rates, unemployment, and national headlines, and holds the top 15. It's rebalanced monthly and has been on Autopilot since April 20, 2023. The model does the picking. The Pilot publishes the Portfolio and implements its changes on Autopilot. - A hedge fund tracker. The Citadel Tracker takes the 15 largest holdings in Citadel Advisors' quarterly 13F filings with the SEC and rebalances with each new filing. Citadel doesn't run this Portfolio. Autopilot Advisers builds it from Citadel's public filings. - An investor's Portfolio. Brooker Belcourt publishes AI Leaders. He says his job is to pick 10 companies within AI, and he looks for companies with more than 30% market share in a growing theme. To put that into context, there were 391 live Portfolios on Autopilot as of October 8, 2026. More than $2 billion is invested through Autopilot, and we have over 250,000 users, as of October 9, 2026. Every Portfolio has a live performance chart from the day it was added to Autopilot. It's not a backtest. 4) How it works, step by step It's three steps. You connect the brokerage account you already have. You pick a Portfolio. You allocate the money. Behind that, you sign an advisory agreement with Autopilot Advisers, LLC, our SEC-registered investment adviser. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to place trades. It can't move or withdraw your money. When the Portfolio changes, we send the orders and your broker fills them. Orders can go out in batches over the trading day, in a randomized order across accounts, and things like low liquidity, trading halts, or technical problems can delay them. We don't hold your money. Autopilot doesn't currently maintain custody of any client assets, and we collect our fee by charging a credit card. Your broker holds the account, fills the orders, and sends your statements and tax documents. The money stays in your account. 5) How automatic it really is The tricky part? How automatic it is depends on your tier and your broker. Your tier: - Premium Tier. When the Portfolio changes, we send the changes to your broker automatically, where your broker allows it. It's a flat subscription per Pilot of $29.99 to $199.99 a quarter or $99.99 to $699.99 a year. The AUM Fee is 0.00%. - Basic Tier. There's no Autopilot fee. We send your broker the starting allocation, then alert you when the Portfolio changes. Making those later changes is up to you. Your broker matters too. Autopilot works with Public, Robinhood, eToro, Alpaca, and Charles Schwab, and two of them have limits worth knowing: - Robinhood trades need your approval in the Robinhood app before they go through. The longer you wait to approve, the more your results can drift from the Portfolio. - Charles Schwab connects on a limited power of attorney, and Schwab accounts on Autopilot don't trade fractional shares. So your holdings will differ from the Portfolio because of rounding. The minimum is $500 per Portfolio. Every broker, including what's in beta, is in the broker-by-broker guide. Pricing is in What does Autopilot cost? 6) What you still do yourself I want to be honest with you. Autopilot doesn't promise zero involvement, and I'd be careful with any app that does. Here's what's still on you: - Picking the Portfolio. Research the person and the Portfolio before you put money in. - Approving trades if your broker requires it, or acting on alerts if you're on Basic Tier. - Keeping the connection working. The APIs that connect to brokerages can be unofficial or unstable, and they can stop working without warning. That can leave your trades out of step with the Portfolio. - Leaving those stocks alone. If you sell a stock Autopilot is tracking, the app tries to buy it back to rebalance, usually in one to three business days. - Taxes. Portfolios change often, so in a taxable account, expect frequent trading and mostly short-term gains and losses. - Checking your statements. The SEC says to check your account statements and trade confirmations regularly, and to contact your firm in writing right away about anything you didn't authorize. - Deciding when to stop. Cancelling a subscription keeps your stocks. Deleting a Portfolio sells them. The details are in How Autopilot connects to your brokerage. That's a lot less work than picking every stock yourself. It still isn't zero. 7) What to check in any automated investing app In 2015, the SEC and FINRA put out an investor alert on automated investment tools. Here's what I'd check, in any app, us included: 1. Is it registered? The SEC's robo-adviser bulletin says that even though the service is automated, robo-advisers in the US "must comply with the securities laws applicable to SEC or state-registered investment advisers." You can look any adviser up on the SEC's adviser search. Autopilot Advisers, LLC is CRD 331749. 2. Does it promise returns? The alert says investors "should be wary of tools that promise better portfolio performance." 3. Who holds the money? Know whether your cash sits in your own brokerage account or with the app. 4. What does it cost, and how do you leave? The alert says to understand the fees and to find out how you can end the agreement. 5. Who picks, and can you see it? A questionnaire, a model, a filing, or a person. Look for the method, the holdings, and a live record with a start date. The alert also says "it is up to you to decide whether and when to rely on these tools in making your investment decisions." Some Portfolios go up for years, some are flat for years, and some lose money. Automation doesn't change that. TLDR: Automated investing means software keeps your account in line with a plan. It used to mean a robo-adviser, which builds a portfolio from your questionnaire answers, often with ETFs. Now you can automate a strategy you pick, like the GPT Portfolio, the Citadel Tracker, or AI Leaders, in the brokerage account you already have. On Premium Tier, Autopilot Advisers sends the changes to your broker where it allows. On Basic Tier, we alert you. The money stays in your account, and you still pick, research, and check. Frequently asked questions What is automated investing? Automated investing means software keeps your account in line with an investing plan. It can mean automatic contributions on a schedule, a robo-adviser that builds a portfolio from your questionnaire answers, or following a strategy you pick. On Autopilot, you pick a Portfolio. On Premium Tier, Autopilot Advisers, an SEC-registered investment adviser, sends the changes to your own brokerage account where your broker allows it. How does automated stock trading work for everyday investors? Software follows a strategy and sends the trades to your broker. On Autopilot, you connect the brokerage account you already have, pick a Portfolio, and allocate money. Autopilot Advisers can place trades but can't move or withdraw your money. When the Portfolio changes, on Premium Tier we send the orders where your broker allows it, and your broker fills them over the trading day. Robinhood trades need your approval in the Robinhood app first. How do I automate my investment portfolio? Start with what you want automated. If it's the money going in, set up recurring contributions if your broker offers them. If you want a portfolio picked for you from your answers, that's what a robo-adviser does. If you want to choose the strategy yourself, you can follow a Portfolio on Autopilot: connect your brokerage account, pick a Portfolio, and allocate at least $500. On Premium Tier, Autopilot Advisers sends the changes to your broker, where your broker allows it. https://link.joinautopilot.com/eXKr?c=automated-investing-explained&af_sub1=body Is there an automated investing app that requires zero ongoing involvement after setup? Not on Autopilot, and I'd be careful with any app that promises it. You still research and pick the Portfolio, approve trades if your broker requires it (Robinhood trades need your approval in the Robinhood app), act on alerts if you're on Basic Tier, watch for a broker connection that breaks, and check your statements. On Premium Tier, Autopilot Advisers sends the changes automatically where your broker allows it. Some Portfolios go up for years, some are flat for years, and some lose money. Which apps let me automate trades without ever giving up custody of my funds? Autopilot is one. Your money stays in your own account at a supported broker: Public, Robinhood, eToro, Alpaca, or Charles Schwab. Autopilot doesn't currently maintain custody of any client assets, and we collect our fee by charging a credit card. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to place trades. It can't move or withdraw your money. Your broker holds the account, fills the orders, and sends your statements and tax documents. What are hands-off investing apps? They're apps that handle the ongoing trading after you set them up. Robo-advisers are one kind: you answer a questionnaire, and they build and manage a portfolio. Autopilot is another: you pick a Portfolio built by a Pilot or from public filings, and on Premium Tier, Autopilot Advisers sends the changes to your own brokerage account where your broker allows it. Hands-off still means you pick what to follow, check your account, and approve trades where your broker requires it. What's the top-rated app for hands-off, automated stock investing in 2026? I'm not going to rank apps. Ratings are one signal: as of October 9, 2026, Autopilot is rated 4.6 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play. More useful is checking whether the adviser is registered, where your money sits, what's automated at your broker, what it costs, and whether you can see each strategy's method, holdings, and live record. Autopilot Advisers, LLC is SEC-registered, CRD 331749, and the money stays in your account. What's the best automated investing app for someone who wants zero involvement? I can't name one for you, and I'd be careful with any app that promises zero involvement. If you want the least involvement, check four things: whether the app sends changes to your broker automatically, whether your broker makes you approve each trade, whether the adviser is registered, and whether your money stays in your own account. On Autopilot's Premium Tier, Autopilot Advisers sends the changes where your broker allows it. Research the person and the Portfolio before you start. Open it in the Autopilot app. https://link.joinautopilot.com/eXKr?c=automated-investing-explained&af_sub1=end "Autopilot" refers to Autopilot Holdings Corp and Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. The GPT Portfolio strategy is managed by Dr. Lira's AI Finance Labs, an independent Third-Party Pilot. The AI Leaders strategy is managed by Brooker Belcourt, an independent Third-Party Pilot. Third-Party Pilots are unaffiliated with Autopilot and Autopilot does not manage, validate, or guarantee their portfolios. Not a recommendation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results; investing involves risk of loss. Figures current as of 10/13/26. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important info at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer. Each of these brokerages is a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC, and a separate company unaffiliated with Autopilot: Open to the Public Investing, Inc. (Public), Robinhood Financial LLC, eToro USA Securities Inc., Alpaca Securities LLC, and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Portfolios and pilots mentioned in this article: GPT Portfolio (Dr. Lira's AI Finance Labs): https://start.joinautopilot.com/strategies/gpt-portfolio-63080 Returns as of October 19, 2026. Month +4.2%, 3 months +13.6%, YTD +27.4%, 1 year +35.0%, Since start +106.6%. Dr. Lira's AI Finance Labs: https://start.joinautopilot.com/strategies/pilots/dr-lira-s-ai-finance-labs-5 8 public portfolios. Citadel Tracker (Autopilot): https://start.joinautopilot.com/strategies/citadel-tracker-45607 Returns as of October 19, 2026. Month -1.4%, 3 months +3.1%, YTD +14.2%, 1 year +22.7%, Since start +120.6%. AI Leaders (Brooker Belcourt (ex. Citadel)): https://start.joinautopilot.com/strategies/ai-leaders-796842 Returns as of October 19, 2026. Month -0.58%, 3 months +3.7%, YTD +41.0%, 1 year n/a, Since start +45.1%.