How does PortfolioPilot know how much cash I have in my accounts?
PortfolioPilot retrieves your cash balance - along with all your holdings - through read-only access when you connect your brokerage or investment accounts via our trusted security partners: Plaid, SnapTrade, and Yoddle.
How it works:
- When you connect an account, we request read-only permission to view your holdings, balances, and transaction history
- PortfolioPilot never has write access - we cannot move, withdraw, or trade any funds on your behalf
- Cash balances are pulled directly from your brokerage and refreshed each time your account syncs
- All data is protected with 256-bit encryption and bank-level security measures
What triggers an "Idle Cash" alert? If PortfolioPilot detects a significant uninvested cash balance in one of your accounts, it flags it as "Investable Cash" in your recommendations. This is designed to help you put idle capital to work, but you cannot ignore a cash recommendation directly.
If the cash is intentional (e.g. an emergency fund or short-term savings), the right approach is to place it in a separate Asset Group so it's excluded from investment recommendations. You can also adjust your idle cash notification threshold in Settings → Email alerts → "Idle cash notifications".
If you're using the Demo Portfolio: All "Idle Cash" alerts in demo mode are generated from sample data only. They do not reflect any real account or connection - the demo exists purely for educational purposes.
If your cash balance looks incorrect:
- Try a manual sync on the Track page
- Disconnect and reconnect the account if the issue persists
- Contact support@portfoliopilot.com if you need further help
Learn more about how we keep your data secure at the Security page