How to Automate Investing in the Brokerage Account You Already Have
Surmount Blogs
Automate a rules-based strategy in the account you already have, step by step.
By the Surmount Editorial Team. Updated October 2026.
You can automate investing without moving your money by connecting your existing brokerage account to a strategy platform that places trades for you when the strategy's rules say so. Your money stays at your broker, and you can disconnect at any time.
Surmount lets you automate investing strategies inside the brokerage account you already have.
The short version
Pick a strategy with clear rules, or build your own without code.
Connect a supported brokerage account with read and trade access.
Review the trades the strategy plans, then switch it on.
Check in monthly: what it holds, how it is doing against a simple benchmark, and whether it still fits your goals.
What are the ways to automate investing?
Approach | Where your money sits | Who picks the rules | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
Robo-advisor | Usually an account you open with the robo-advisor | The provider, based on a questionnaire | Hands-off, broad index portfolios |
Strategy platform with its own brokerage, for example Composer | An account at the platform's affiliated broker-dealer (Composer Securities LLC, per Composer's site, Sep 2026) | You, or a strategy you pick | People happy to open a new account |
Strategy platform that connects to your broker, for example Surmount | Your existing account at a supported broker, or a new Surmount account | You, or a strategy you pick | People who want to keep their current broker |
Which brokers can I connect?
As of October 2026, Surmount's brokers page lists E*Trade, TradeStation and Alpaca for stocks and ETFs. You can also open an internal Surmount account, where advisory services come from Quantbase, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser and wholly owned subsidiary of Surmount, and brokerage and custody come from Alpaca Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Robinhood is not supported.
How do I set it up?
Create a free account (about 2 minutes, per surmount.ai).
Browse strategies in the marketplace, or build one in the no-code builder. Each strategy page explains its rules in plain language.
Connect your brokerage account using the broker's own sign-in. Surmount asks for trading access only.
Choose how much of the account the strategy runs, review the planned trades, and switch it on.
The strategy rebalances on its own schedule. You can pause it or disconnect at any time.
What does it cost?
Per surmount.ai/pricing on Oct 27, 2026: Free (internal Surmount account), Core at $5 a month (1 connected external account, paper trading), Plus at $10 a month (up to 3 external accounts, no-code and ETF builders), and Pro at $30 a month (unlimited accounts, all builders including code and AI). Your broker's own fees still apply.
What are the risks?
A strategy follows its rules in every market, including bad ones. Automation keeps you on plan, and losses are still possible.
Backtests show how rules would have behaved in the past and can look better than live results.
Taxes: frequent rebalancing in a taxable account can create short-term gains.
For connected external accounts, Surmount acts as a technology provider, so you stay responsible for choosing the strategy.
FAQ
Do I have to move my money? No. With a connected account, your money stays at your broker.
Can I automate a Robinhood account? Not with Surmount today, but this is an effort that's in progress. Supported brokers are listed on the brokers page.
Can I stop at any time? Yes. Pause the strategy or disconnect the account from your dashboard.
Do I need to code? No. The no-code builder is on the Plus plan and above; coding is optional on Pro.
Is this financial advice? No. You choose the strategy and the amount that you feel comfortable with.
Not investment advice. All investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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