How to Connect Your Brokerage to an AI Assistant (2026)
Last updated June 2026
Short answer
ChatGPT and Claude cannot see your brokerage account on their own. To connect one, you use a separate tool in one of three ways: a purpose-built app that links your broker and lets you chat (Walnut, PortfolioPilot), an MCP connector that gives an assistant read or trade access (Alpaca, Interactive Brokers, Walnut), or the developer route through a broker API. The safest options keep credentials at your broker and default to read-only.
Asking ChatGPT or Claude about “my portfolio” gets you generic answers, because the assistant has no access to your real holdings or live prices. Connecting your brokerage changes that: the conversation becomes about your actual positions, performance, and risk. Here are the ways to do it, how access and security work, and where Walnut fits.
What to look for when connecting a broker to AI
- Credential safety. The connection should use a regulated aggregator (SnapTrade, Plaid) so your broker login is never stored by the AI tool.
- Read-only by default. The assistant should analyze your account without the ability to move money unless you explicitly enable and approve trades.
- Which assistant it works with. Some tools have a built-in AI; others let you use Claude or ChatGPT through an MCP connector.
- Broker coverage. Whether your specific broker is supported for read, and separately for trade.
- Setup effort. A hosted app is a few clicks; the developer route needs code and maintenance.
- Honest disclosures. The tool should be informational, not claim to be registered investment advice.
The three ways to connect a brokerage to an AI assistant
1. Purpose-built apps (connect your broker, then chat)
These link your existing brokerage and add an AI layer you talk to, with no code. Best for most people.
- Walnut. Connects most US brokers through SnapTrade, then lets you analyze and manage the account by chatting through Claude, ChatGPT, or a built-in assistant, plus build thematic baskets. Read-only by default; trades require your approval. Free tier.
- PortfolioPilot. Connects your accounts and gives AI-generated portfolio analysis and recommendations. Read and advice focused; execution stays at your broker. Free and premium tiers.
- Mezzi. Aggregates accounts and layers AI insights with a tax-aware lens. Read focused. Subscription.
2. MCP connectors (for Claude Desktop or ChatGPT power users)
MCP connectors expose a brokerage to an assistant directly. Best if you already work inside Claude or ChatGPT.
- Walnut MCP connector. Gives Claude or ChatGPT read access to your connected portfolio plus basket tools, hosted so there is no server to run. Trades stay approval-gated.
- Alpaca MCP server. Official, open-source server with real-time data, paper trading, and live execution by AI agents, for Alpaca brokerage accounts. Requires self-hosting.
- Interactive Brokers. IBKR offers AI-integration options, and the community has built open-source MCP connectors (for example ibkr-gateway) for read and trade on IBKR accounts.
3. The developer route (build it yourself)
For people who code and want full control.
- SnapTrade API. Multi-broker read and trade aggregation you wire into your own agent.
- Plaid. Account aggregation for read access across institutions.
- Alpaca API. Programmatic brokerage access for fully custom automation.
What does not apply
Robo-advisors like Betterment and Wealthfront hold your money themselves and do not expose it to an outside AI assistant. And ChatGPT or Claude used alone, with no connector, cannot see your holdings at all.
At a glance
| Option | Type | Connects your broker | AI access | Trades | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut | Purpose-built app | Most US brokers (SnapTrade) | Claude, ChatGPT, or built-in | Read + you approve | Free tier |
| PortfolioPilot | Purpose-built app | Yes | Built-in AI | Read / advice | Free + premium |
| Mezzi | Aggregator + AI | Yes | Built-in AI | Read | Subscription |
| Alpaca MCP | MCP connector | Alpaca accounts | Claude / agents | Read + trade | Free (open source) |
| IBKR (community) | MCP connector | Interactive Brokers | Claude / agents | Read + trade | Free (open source) |
| SnapTrade / Plaid API | Developer route | Many brokers | Your own build | Varies | Usage-based |
How we evaluated these
We compared each option on five things that decide whether it is both useful and safe: credential handling (does your broker login ever leave the broker), default access level (read-only versus trade-enabled), which assistant it works with, broker coverage for read and for trade, and setup effort. We did not rank by raw feature count, because a connector that can trade but stores your credentials is not an upgrade over a read-only one that does not.
Read-only vs trade-enabled access (the security part)
This is the distinction that matters most. A read-only connection lets the assistant see your holdings, performance, and fees, and analyze them, without the ability to move money. A trade-enabled connection can also place orders. Neither should ever require handing your broker password to the AI tool.
The Model Context Protocol, the open standard introduced by Anthropic in late 2024, was designed around exactly this: scoped, permissioned access to external data and tools. Reputable brokerage integrations (Walnut, and Alpaca's official MCP server) lean on regulated aggregation and read-only defaults, so the assistant gets context without getting the keys.
Where Walnut fits
Walnut is one option in the first category: it connects your existing brokerage through SnapTrade, then lets you analyze and manage it by talking through Claude, ChatGPT, or its built-in assistant, and it also exposes an MCP connector for people who prefer to stay inside Claude Desktop. It is read-only by default, every trade needs your approval, and you keep your existing broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser. If you mainly want a second opinion and advice, PortfolioPilot is worth a look; if you are a developer wiring up your own agent, the Alpaca or SnapTrade APIs are the route.
From there you can ask about a specific stock, an ETF you hold, or a theme you want exposure to, against your real portfolio.
Try Walnut on top of your broker
Connect any major US broker in a few clicks, then talk to your real portfolio through Claude, ChatGPT, or Walnut's built-in AI. Read-only by default; you approve every trade.
FAQ
Can ChatGPT or Claude see my brokerage account?
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Not on their own. ChatGPT and Claude cannot see your holdings or live prices by default, which is why they give generic answers. You connect your account through a separate tool: a purpose-built app like Walnut or PortfolioPilot, or an MCP connector that gives the assistant read access to your real positions.
What is the safest way to connect a brokerage to an AI assistant?
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The safest designs use a regulated aggregator (such as SnapTrade or Plaid) so your login credentials stay at your broker and are never stored by the AI tool, and they default to read-only access. Confirm whether the tool can place trades and under what controls before you connect. Walnut is read-only by default and never trades without your explicit approval.
Can the AI place trades, or only read my portfolio?
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It depends on the tool. Most connections are read-only, which lets the assistant analyze holdings, performance, and fees without moving money. Some tools also support execution. Walnut keeps read access by default and requires you to approve every order; Alpaca and IBKR connectors can place trades for accounts at those brokers.
Do I need to know how to code to connect my brokerage to AI?
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No. Purpose-built apps like Walnut handle the connection in a few clicks with no code. The developer route (raw broker APIs, or running an open-source MCP server yourself) does require setup and technical comfort, which is why most people use a hosted app instead.
Which brokerages can connect to an AI assistant?
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Through an aggregator like SnapTrade, most major US brokers connect for read access, and a smaller set (Public, Alpaca, Schwab, Tradier, Webull) also support trade execution. Alpaca and Interactive Brokers have their own AI and MCP integrations. Robinhood connects for tracking but is read-only through SnapTrade.
What is an MCP connector?
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MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard, introduced by Anthropic in late 2024, that lets AI assistants connect to external data and tools. An MCP connector for a brokerage exposes your account to an assistant like Claude so it can read positions and, in some cases, place trades.
Walnut is informational and is not an investment adviser. Tool features, broker support, and pricing change; verify current details on each provider's site before connecting an account.