Altruist RIA Custodian and Portfolio Management API
Altruist RIA custodian and portfolio management REST API for registered investment advisors (RIAs) and wealth management developers to programmatically manage client accounts, portfolios, trades, and reporting through Altruist's commission-free custodian platform — enabling automated account opening, rebalancing, trading, performance reporting, and client communication through an API-first wealth management custodian. Enables AI agents to manage account opening for client onboarding automation, handle portfolio rebalancing for automated model portfolio automation, access trade execution for order management automation, retrieve performance reporting for client portfolio analytics automation, manage cash management for uninvested cash optimization automation, handle fee billing for RIA advisory fee calculation automation, access model portfolio for asset allocation automation, retrieve tax-loss harvesting for tax optimization automation, manage client reporting for statement and report generation automation, and integrate Altruist with CRM, financial planning, and compliance platforms for end-to-end RIA practice automation.
Score Breakdown
⚙ Agent Friendliness
🔒 Security
RIA custodian. SEC, FINRA, SIPC, Reg BI. OAuth2. US. Client investment portfolio and account data. Highly regulated.
⚡ Reliability
Best When
An RIA, wealth management fintech, or investment platform wanting AI agents to open client accounts, manage portfolios, execute rebalancing trades, and generate performance reports through Altruist's commission-free custodian platform.
Avoid When
RIA REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Altruist serves SEC or state-registered RIAs only; automated non-RIA API access assumption creates unauthorized access; automated must have active RIA registration and Altruist custodian agreement. FINRA RULES ON AUTOMATED TRADING: Automated trade execution via RIA API is subject to FINRA Rule 4512 and SEC best execution requirements; automated unrestricted algorithmic trading assumption creates compliance risk; automated must implement FINRA-compliant trade review workflows. FRACTIONAL SHARES FOR REBALANCING: Altruist supports fractional shares for model portfolio rebalancing; automated whole-share-only assumption creates rebalancing drift; automated should use fractional shares for precise model portfolio alignment. ACCOUNT OPENING KYC REQUIREMENTS: New client accounts require AML KYC verification (CIP); automated instant account opening assumption creates pending_kyc_review state; automated must handle KYC review delay in onboarding workflow.
Use Cases
- • Opening and managing client investment accounts programmatically for RIA onboarding automation agents
- • Executing portfolio rebalancing and model portfolio trades for automated wealth management automation agents
- • Accessing client portfolio performance data and generating reports for RIA client communication automation agents
- • Integrating Altruist with financial planning tools for RIA workflow and compliance automation agents
Not For
- • Non-US investment accounts (Altruist is US RIA custody only)
- • Retail consumer brokerage accounts without RIA relationship (Altruist is advisor-driven)
- • Institutional prime brokerage (Altruist serves RIAs with typical AUM $1M-$500M+)
Interface
Authentication
Altruist uses OAuth 2.0 for API authentication. REST API with JSON. Los Angeles, CA HQ. Founded 2018 by Jason Wenk and Chris Carayannopoulos. Products: Account custody, portfolio management, trading, performance reporting, model portfolios, tax-loss harvesting, billing, client portal. SDKs: None public. Commission-free custody for RIAs. Raised $169M (Series D 2022). FINRA member, SIPC covered. FDIC insured cash sweep. Competes with Schwab Advisor Services and Fidelity Institutional for RIA custody.
Pricing
Los Angeles CA. Commission-free custody. $1/account/month. FINRA, SIPC. RIA technology partner for API.
Agent Metadata
Known Gotchas
- ⚠ RIA REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Altruist API requires SEC or state-registered RIA with Altruist custodian agreement; automated non-RIA developer access assumption creates unauthorized access; automated must be registered RIA or their approved technology partner
- ⚠ KYC REVIEW CREATES ONBOARDING DELAY: New client accounts require AML CIP (Customer Identification Program) review; automated instant account access assumption creates pending_kyc state; automated onboarding must handle KYC review period (typically 1-3 business days)
- ⚠ BEST EXECUTION REQUIREMENTS: Automated trade execution must comply with SEC Regulation Best Execution; automated unrestricted algorithmic trading without best execution analysis creates compliance violation; automated trading must include execution quality monitoring
- ⚠ REG BI APPLIES TO RECOMMENDATIONS: AI-generated investment recommendations to retail clients are subject to Regulation Best Interest; automated model portfolio assignment without suitability analysis creates Reg BI violation; automated must implement suitability review workflow
- ⚠ TRADING MARKET HOURS CONSTRAINT: Altruist equity trades execute during NYSE/NASDAQ market hours; automated 24/7 trade execution assumption creates after-hours_order_pending state; automated must handle market hours constraints and overnight order queuing
Alternatives
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Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-03-07.