Robo Portfolio FAQs
FAQs
-
Ally Invest Robo Portfolios are constructed using exchange-traded funds. Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are investments designed to track the performance of an index, such as the S&P 500. In its simplest form, an ETF provides many of the characteristics of a mutual fund, but trades like a stock on an exchange, meaning it can be bought and sold anytime during trading hours. Due to their structure, ETFs are low-cost, transparent, and tax-efficient, providing the ideal investment vehicles for Ally Invest Robo Portfolios.
-
To switch your portfolio type, visit your Investment Profile and select Make Changes.
Use the form to adjust your investment, then select Submit. Based on your input, we'll recommend the portfolio type best suited to your goals. If your current portfolio type remains the best match, it's the only option displayed. Select Keep to maintain your current portfolio type, or, if a different portfolio type is recommended, choose Select to accept our recommendation. In either scenario, select Explore Other Options to review or choose other portfolio types.
After choosing your portfolio type, select Confirm to keep your current profile, or Accept Change to accept a new one.
A rebalancing occurs if a new portfolio type is selected, and your new portfolio takes effect within a few days. No changes are made if you retain your current portfolio type.
-
We maintain cash in your account to provide diversification to your overall asset allocation. Our cash holdings earn a competitive interest rate that will help your investment growth and ensure peace of mind in a volatile market.
-
Ally offers tax-optimized portfolios, which are typically suited for people who have investments in non-IRA taxable accounts, especially those in higher tax brackets. These portfolios include municipal bonds, an asset class that offers tax advantages through current income that’s exempt from federal income taxes and, in some cases, state and local taxes.
-
No. All trades made in your robo portfolio will be made at the discretion of Ally Invest Advisors.
-
No. There are no advisory fees, annual charges or rebalancing fees for our cash-enhanced portfolio, and 30% of your portfolio is set aside as an interest-earning cash buffer. All you need is $100 to get started.
If you don't have a cash-enhanced portfolio, here’s what you should know about the advisory fee:
- Fees are based on the daily total equity balance of the account
- They’re calculated daily, prorated and aggregated for every calendar day, then billed monthly to your account
- The fee is charged within the first 10 days of the month for the previous month, and all fees will be clearly noted on your monthly statement
If you want to switch to a portfolio with an interest-earning cash buffer instead of paying an advisory fee, give us a call at 1-855-880-2559.
-
Ally Invest Advisors Inc. offers the following variety of account types:
- Individual
- Joint
- Custodial
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- Rollover IRA
-
Accounts managed by Ally Invest Advisors Inc. are offered through our affiliate broker dealer, Ally Invest Securities LLC.
Ally Invest Securities LLC clears and settles trades through Apex Clearing Corporation, an unaffiliated clearing company. Ally Invest Advisors Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Both Ally Invest Securities and Apex Clearing are members of FINRA and SIPC.
-
Expense ratios show how much an exchange-traded fund (or ETF) is charging for its own internal advisory, brokerage, fees and other expenses. Not covered by the annual advisory fee, these charges are deducted from the ETF’s net asset value and are standard expenses all ETF shareholders pay.
Expense ratios can vary by ETF. The expense ratios of the ETFs used in our Socially Responsible portfolios can be up to double those of other portfolio fund options.
-
We offer four different portfolio types.
Core
Highly diversified across domestic, international and fixed-income assets. You can choose the amount of risk you are comfortable with, from conservative to aggressive.
Income
This portfolio type offers higher dividend yields, while maintaining a more conservative risk profile.
Tax optimized
If you make after-tax contributions to an investment account, this type of portfolio can help maximize your investments.
Socially responsible
Similar to our core portfolio, with greater weight given to companies that benchmark providers note as having strong environmental, social or governance qualities.
Two versions are available for each portfolio type:
Cash-enhanced. 30% of your portfolio is set aside as an interest-earning cash buffer – all with no advisory fees.
Market focused. We’ll invest about 98% of your money into the market and charge a 0.30% annual advisory fee.
-
View today's rate and more details about the cash buffer
For the cash-enhanced portfolios, the cash we set aside earns a competitive variable interest rate and is meant to balance out potential risk should market conditions change. We'll rebalance and add more money to your other investments as your cash grows, but your portfolio will always have about 30% cash.