If you’re looking for an unbiased portfolio analysis tool for long-term investing, don’t rely on your broker. Your broker is laser-focused on getting you to trade – because this is how they make money. Your broker wants you to trade today – whether you actually reach your long-term investment goals is, at best, a distant afterthought.
That’s why independent portfolio tracking platforms are an investor’s best friend. Thanks to open banking, investors can nowadays securely link your account to a third party portfolio tracking platform. It’ll give you unbiased portfolio insights and tracking tools. Operating on a monthly subscription model, a portfolio tracker app can offer a clean, unbiased view of your investments free of ulterior motive to push you into action.
In a world full of noise and hidden agendas, objective insight is your greatest asset.
How Brokers Make Money: Beware the Incentives
In recent years, the broker narrative has shifted—from competing on low fees to advertising “commission-free” trades. But make no mistake: brokers aren’t offering free services out of generosity. Instead, they profit from payment for order flow, selling your trades to high-frequency firms that capitalize on price spreads. So while it feels like you’re trading for free, there’s still a hidden cost. In short, your broker only makes money when you trade—which is exactly what they want you to keep doing.
High transaction activity leads to underperformance
Frequent trading almost always works against investors.
Costs add up—even without commissions, brokers earn from bid/ask spreads on every trade.
Complexity increases, and with it, the risk of poor decisions; studies consistently show that overconfident, active investors underperform those who stick to a disciplined, long-term strategy.
That doesn’t mean you should never cut your losses—just do it with intention, not impulse. As Warren Buffett famously put it: Rule No. 1 – Don’t lose money. Rule No. 2 – Don’t forget Rule No. 1.
Unlike Your Broker, a Portfolio Tracker Works for You
Unlike brokers, portfolio trackers have no conflict of interest. Their subscription-based model aligns with your long-term success—not your trading volume. If your portfolio is in good shape, they won’t nudge you to act. Instead, you’ll get unbiased insights into performance, risk, and diversification—tools designed to help you stay the course, not chase trades.
Smarter Tools, Better Tracking
Modern portfolio trackers often offer analysis and management features far beyond what brokers provide. Many even specialize—focusing on areas like transaction insights or fundamental metrics. In short, they’re built for depth, not sales. Here are a few ways portfolio trackers outshine traditional broker platforms:
Modern user experience 🤩
Contrary to many brokers’ legacy user interface, portfolio trackers will provide you with a fresh, portfolio-centric user experience. Navigation between portfolios and different portfolio views is generally quick and frictionless, whereas many legacy broker user interfaces look as if they were designed in the past century.
Investment portfolio consolidation: See everything in one place 📊
Most investors have multiple accounts—and a growing need for a unified view of their entire portfolio. Yet brokers often fall short: while some allow you to link external accounts, few offer true performance tracking or insights across all holdings. Portfolio trackers, by contrast, are built for consolidation. They integrate with multiple aggregation services to give you a clear, accurate picture of your total investment landscape.
A portfolio analysis tool for portfolio optimization 🛠️
Rather than feeding you the latest news to get you to pull the trigger, some portfolio analysis tools even offer institutional grade portfolio optimization features. For example, such a feature can let you gauge the impact of a trade on your portfolio split, risk or quality. Your benefit: Improve your portfolio with each trade.
Portfolio tracking 👀
Similarly, you can get powerful portfolio tracking tools that will save you tons of time. For example, some portfolio trackers will monitor your portfolio diversification for you. Or, they will let you set alerts on stocks to better manage your entry and exit levels.
Sustainability and impact 🌱
A few portfolio analysis tools will even cover sustainable investing. This is unsurprising given the strong interest in impact investing. According to Morgan Stanley’s Sustainable Signals survey, 84% of private investors and a whopping 96% of millennials express interest in impact investing.
Your Portfolio Deserves a Second Opinion
In a landscape where brokers profit from your activity, not your outcomes, independent portfolio trackers offer a much-needed shift toward transparency and alignment with your goals. By removing the hidden incentives to encourage trading, these tools empower you to invest more thoughtfully and stay focused on long-term results. Open banking has made it easier than ever to take control of your financial future—securely, independently, and without the noise. When it comes to building lasting wealth, unbiased insight isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
Important Notice
This article is not investment advice.
We believe the information contained in this text to be reliable but do not warrant its accuracy or completeness. Opinions, estimates, and investment strategies and views expressed in this document constitute our judgment based on current market conditions available data and are subject to change without notice. Please consider your full financial situation prior to making an investment decision.