Comparing approaches: Information alerts vs. automated copy trading
When it comes to benefiting from politicians' stock trading activities, there are two primary approaches: receiving actionable information (InsiderTrader.pro) or setting up automated copy trading (Autopilot). Each serves different investor needs and preferences.
InsiderTrader.pro monitors and reports stock trades made by members of Congress and other government officials through email alerts. It provides rich contextual information to help you make your own informed trading decisions.
Autopilot is an investment app that automatically copies the trades of various successful investors, including politicians and investment managers like Warren Buffett. It connects to your brokerage account and places trades on your behalf based on public disclosures.
| Feature | InsiderTrader.pro | Autopilot |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Information alerts on politician trades with context | Automated copying of trades in your brokerage account |
| Cost | $9.99 per year | $9.99+ per month (approx. $120-$240+ per year) |
| Investment Control | Full control - you decide which trades to follow | Limited control - trades are automatically executed |
| Contextual Information | Extensive - price changes, analyst ratings, committee info, etc. | Basic - primarily focused on trade execution |
| Trade Selectivity | Pick and choose specific trades to follow | All-or-nothing approach per portfolio you follow |
| User Involvement | Active - requires reviewing alerts and making decisions | Passive - set it and forget it |
| Implementation Effort | Manual trading required | Automated - no manual trading needed |
| Additional Data | Committee memberships, bill voting history, price changes since disclosure | Generally limited to the trade information itself |
The cost difference between these services can significantly impact your investment returns, especially for smaller portfolios:
| Annual Investment | InsiderTrader.pro Fee Impact | Autopilot Fee Impact |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | ~1% of portfolio ($9.99) | ~12-24% of portfolio ($120-$240) |
| $5,000 | ~0.2% of portfolio ($9.99) | ~2.4-4.8% of portfolio ($120-$240) |
| $10,000 | ~0.1% of portfolio ($9.99) | ~1.2-2.4% of portfolio ($120-$240) |
| $50,000 | ~0.02% of portfolio ($9.99) | ~0.24-0.48% of portfolio ($120-$240) |
As shown above, for a $1,000 annual investment, an automated service like Autopilot would require you to earn 12-24% returns just to cover the subscription fees, while InsiderTrader.pro would only require 1% returns to cover costs.