How to Auto-Sync Your Brokerage Account with Portfolio Genius

Q: Do I need a Premium subscription for auto-sync?

Yes, automatic brokerage sync is a Premium feature ($20/month). Free and Lite users can still import portfolios via CSV upload or screenshot extraction.

Portfolio Genius can automatically sync your brokerage holdings, transactions, and cash balances—no CSV exports, no manual data entry. This guide walks you through connecting your brokerage account via Plaid, importing your portfolio, and managing your connection going forward.

New to auto-sync? Read our auto-sync announcement for an overview of how it works and why we built it.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

A Premium subscription ($20/month)—auto-sync is a Premium feature
A supported US brokerage account (Plaid connects to 2,400+ institutions including Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, Robinhood, and more)
Your brokerage login credentials ready (you'll enter them directly into Plaid's secure window)

Step-by-Step Guide

The entire setup takes about two minutes. Here's exactly what to do:

STEP 1

Navigate to Settings > Connected Brokerages

Open Portfolio Genius and go to your Settings page. Scroll down to the Connected Brokerages section. If you're not a Premium subscriber, you'll see an upgrade prompt here instead.

STEP 2

Click “Connect”

Click the Connect button to start the Plaid Link flow. This opens a secure modal window provided by Plaid—Portfolio Genius never handles your credentials directly.

STEP 3

Search for Your Institution

In the Plaid Link window, type the name of your brokerage. Plaid supports 2,400+ US financial institutions including Chase, Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Vanguard, Robinhood, E*TRADE, Interactive Brokers, Merrill Lynch, and many more.

STEP 4

Authenticate with Your Brokerage

Enter your brokerage username and password directly into Plaid's secure window. Your credentials are encrypted with AES-256 and sent directly to your brokerage—Portfolio Genius never sees, stores, or has access to your login information. You may also need to complete multi-factor authentication if your brokerage requires it.

STEP 5

Select Which Accounts to Import

If your brokerage has multiple accounts (e.g., a brokerage account and an IRA), Plaid will show them all. Select the accounts you want to connect. Once linked, each account appears in your Connected Brokerages settings.

STEP 6

Click “Import Portfolio”

After the Plaid Link window closes, your institution appears in your Connected Brokerages list. Click “Import portfolio” next to each account you want to track. Portfolio Genius creates a new portfolio with all your holdings, transactions (up to 24 months), and cash balances—fully synced and ready to analyze.

That's it. Your portfolio is now connected and will stay up to date automatically. New trades, dividend payments, and balance changes flow in without any manual work.

What Gets Synced

Auto-sync imports comprehensive data from your brokerage, giving Portfolio Genius a complete picture of your investments:

Holdings

Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, and crypto—with share quantities and cost basis for every position

Transactions

Buys, sells, dividends, and fee activity going back up to 24 months of history

Cash Balances

Available cash and settled funds in each connected account

Ongoing Updates

Plaid webhooks push changes automatically, with a daily fallback sync and on-demand “Sync Now” option

Managing Your Connection

Once your brokerage is connected, you can manage it from Settings > Connected Brokerages. Here's what you can do:

View Sync Status

Each connected institution shows its current status—whether it's syncing normally, needs re-authentication, or has encountered an error.

Manual “Sync Now”

Don't want to wait for the automatic sync? Click Sync Now to pull the latest data from your brokerage immediately.

Re-Authentication

If your brokerage credentials expire or you change your password, the status will show “needs re-authentication.” Click the reconnect button to re-authenticate through Plaid—your portfolios stay intact.

Disconnecting

You can disconnect any institution at any time. This removes the Plaid connection and unlinks the associated portfolios. Your portfolio data remains in Portfolio Genius but will no longer sync automatically.

Troubleshooting

Running into an issue? Here are the most common problems and how to fix them:

My Institution Isn't Listed

Plaid supports 2,400+ US institutions, but some smaller or international brokerages may not be available yet. Try searching by different name variations. If your brokerage isn't supported, you can still import your portfolio via CSV export.

Sync Errors

The most common cause is expired credentials. Go to Settings > Connected Brokerages, check the status, and re-authenticate if prompted. If the error persists, try disconnecting and reconnecting the institution.

Missing Positions

Some brokerages don't report certain asset types (like options or futures) through Plaid. If positions are missing, try a manual Sync Now first. If they still don't appear, the asset type may not be supported by your brokerage's Plaid integration.

Prices Don't Match My Brokerage

Portfolio Genius uses Tiingo for real-time pricing, while your brokerage may use a different data provider. Small price differences are normal and typically resolve within a few minutes as quotes converge. Holdings quantities and cost basis come directly from your brokerage via Plaid.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does auto-sync update my portfolio?

Your portfolio syncs automatically via Plaid webhooks whenever your brokerage reports changes (new trades, dividends, etc.). There is also a daily fallback sync, and you can trigger a manual sync at any time by clicking “Sync Now” in your settings.

Is it safe to connect my brokerage account?

Yes. All authentication happens through Plaid's secure interface using AES-256 bank-level encryption. Portfolio Genius never sees or stores your brokerage credentials. We only receive read-only access to your holdings data and can never execute trades on your behalf.

Can I connect multiple brokerage accounts?

Yes. You can connect as many brokerage accounts as you like. Each connected institution appears separately in your Settings, and you can import individual accounts as separate portfolios. This makes it easy to track investments across multiple brokers in one place.

What should I do if my sync shows an error?

Most sync errors are caused by expired credentials. Check your Connected Brokerages in Settings—if you see a “Needs Re-authentication” status, click the reconnect button to re-authenticate through Plaid. If the problem persists, try disconnecting and reconnecting the institution.

Do I need a Premium subscription for auto-sync?

Yes, automatic brokerage sync is available to Premium subscribers ($20/month). Free and Lite users can still import portfolios via CSV upload or screenshot extraction.

What types of assets does auto-sync support?

Auto-sync imports stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, crypto, and cash balances. Transaction history (buys, sells, dividends) going back up to 24 months is also imported automatically.

Ready to Connect Your Brokerage?

Set up auto-sync in under two minutes. Your portfolio will stay current automatically—no more CSV exports, no more stale data.

Get Started Free View Premium Plans

Compare Portfolio Trackers

vs Multiple vs Multiple vs Empower All Comparisons

Related Features

Real Time Analytics Ai Recommendations All Features