In the classic film Margin Call starring Kevin Spacey, the movie’s fictional CEO of the firm says, “There are three ways to make a living in this business: be first, be smarter, or cheat.”
Mainstreet investors have felt for years that smart money has left them with the short end of the stick.
Best selling financial author Michael Lewis of the book “flash boys” says the U.S. stock market is rigged in favor of high-speed electronic trading firms.
High-frequency trading firms and their “payment for order flow” counterparts control vast amounts of information Portfolio Insider seeks to disrupt. Their mission is to provide anyone with the same level of investment-grade analytics previously guarded by hedge fund elites.
- Know what the power brokers are investing in with dark flow algorithms,
- Access powerful real-time data analytics
- Gain insights with nanosecond options flow with full depth of book
- More affordable than Wall Street type competitors
- An emerging platform
- Faces competitive threats from Factset, Bloomberg, Refinitiv, and others.
Portfolio Insider Ratings at a Glance
According to CNBC popular trading apps like Robinhood and others rely on high frequency trading firms like Virtu or Citadel Securities and these trades are executed on dark pools instead of a stock exchange like the NYSE.
The underlying issue is that these high frequency “dark trades” lack transparency according to critics of the model. According to the CFA institute, roughly 40% of all stock trading is now done outside of exchanges in these dark pools limiting transparency for ordinary investors.
As of the past year there are now more than 50 dark alternative trading systems registered with the securities and exchange commission and very little visibility into large blocks of orders into popular investments.
Portfolio Insider leverages years of engineering expertise building algorithms to track a significant quantity of dark flow and real time options data at lightning fast speeds for investors.
Below is a Portfolio Insider review.
If you think about it, much if not most profitable moves in the financial markets can be attributed to two factors: actionable information and quick access to such. This applies whether you’re talking about deeply established blue-chip firms or extremely speculative small cap stocks.
Take the latter as an example. What separates winners in this highly fraught space from the litany of losers? Nine times out of ten, the answer is superior information. Those who trade small cap stocks successfully know which signs to look out for and most importantly, when to enter and when to exit.
Indeed, you can’t be consistently successful in the equities sector unless you have an inside edge. That’s exactly the type of data that Portfolio Insider provides. With its proprietary technology, Portfolio Insider gives you the latest scoop regarding where the true market influencers are directing their funds.
Boasting an impressive technology architecture, Portfolio Insider leverages over 500+ REST cloud API’s to gain unique insights into nearly 20,000 mutual funds, with research reports from over 200 brokerages produced by more than 3,300 analysts amounting to over 500,000 pages of research every day. In addition their partnership with Nasdaq gives them one of the deepest nanosecond options order flow tools in an easy to use cloud interface unlike an archaic terminal.
In this manner, Portfolio Insider gives you access to the top tools of the trade like many quant funds and investment banks thus improving your odds of spotting investment opportunities before the overall market gets the delayed information.
To take advantage of Portfolio Insider’s services you can start off as a free user with non real time data or you can request a live demonstration. From there, a representative from the company will walk you through the available premium services, directing you to what is most appropriate for your needs.
Admittedly, this is a different approach from other wall street terminals or investing platforms, which have an à la carte membership contract upfront. To find out which service is best for you, you may reach out to the Portfolio Insider team at support@portfolioinsider.com or call (323) 483-4014.
To give you some context as to what you might expect from the competitive landscape, Capital IQ pricing starts at $13,000 per user per year with a minimum of 3 users. The cost of an annual Factset subscription is $12,000 per year and the cost of Thomson Reuters Eikon is $22,000 per year but a stripped down limited version could drop to $3,600.
As an emerging technology platform, Portfolio Insider does not have a very extensive social media presence relative to established competitor services. Thus, It’s difficult to determine its level of customer service. However, it’s also fair to point out that Portfolio Insider does not apparently have complaints online or via their public Twitter profile from users.
While it may be challenging to extract good reviews from a technology business due to many factors, people usually never waste an opportunity to trash a company that provided them inferior service.
One of the beautiful aspects of the advancement of connectivity technologies is that you can take your applications anywhere you go. It’s no different with Portfolio Insider. The platform not only democratizes critical information that was previously only available to Wall Street’s elite, it’s also flexible, accommodating even the most non-traditional schedules.
Moving forward, this is going to be critical because of the likely changes in the post-pandemic economy. While millions have returned to the office, there are also many others that remain hesitant. It’s possible that we could see a paradigm shift in the American work culture, which indirectly benefits Portfolio Insider’s flexibility.
On the other hand, the lack of public reviews regarding its mobile app makes a comprehensive determination difficult. Therefore, if you have specific questions, please reach out to its customer service team.
A common question that might come up regarding Portfolio Insider or other similar platforms is the value proposition. Since all publicly available stocks and fundamental data is available through exchanges the answer comes down to the user experience and API’s.
Portfolio Insider data as a service API marketplace is built natively to run in Amazon AWS and lower the high cost associated with legacy market data infrastructure.
Built and managed by developers, their product roadmap is enhanced every two weeks and their data is sourced from the leading providers such as Nasdaq, S&P and Morningstar as well as Portfolio Insider’s own proprietary financial data.
This frees you up to your ultimate end goal: making money in the stock market.
Portfolio Insider’s core benefit is democratization. Previously, only elite institutional traders had quick access to the latest market-moving news and developments. Now, with Portfolio Insider’s platform, you can enjoy the same tools and information that the smart money use.
Beyond giving you insights to what billionaire investors are doing with their money, Portfolio Insider connects you to the information provided by over 500 application programming interfaces (APIs). APIs are software intermediaries that allow multiple applications to “talk” to each other. A good example is a ride-sharing app that facilitates your transportation needs without you talking to a human being.
It’s the same principle with Portfolio Insider but with valuable insights to trading developments. Not only that, the platform features an integrated artificial intelligence protocol, signaling the likely interpretation of certain dynamics in the stock and derivatives markets. This distinct combination of intelligent actionable information -- not just a regurgitation of data -- is what gives Portfolio Insider its competitive edge.
Like any technology-based application, Portfolio Insider incorporates the latest online security measures to safeguard its members’ data. At time of writing, no negative customer reviews about this aspect -- or any other component of the business -- have materialized.
For specific questions regarding security, you should reach out to Portfolio Insider directly or review their privacy policy.
It’s the fact of life that the well-heeled and connected have privileges that the average Joe or Jane can only dream about. At least when it comes to investing, though, Portfolio Insider balances the playing field. Through its advanced technologies and streamlined interface, this platform democratizes information and access, allowing you to trade on level terms with elite institutions.
Portfolio Insider vs Competitors
While Portfolio Insider provides groundbreaking utility, it’s not the only information-driven platform in town. Before you pull the trigger on it, you should consider how it stacks up against the competition.
- Access to insights: At its core, it’s not uncommon to see other platforms and even brokerages offer access to what major market influencers are doing. But the difference with Portfolio Insider is that you receive insight as to what the information means, not just the data itself. This makes it incredibly valuable to those who want to up their investing acumen.
- Focus versus expansion: Another attribute that separates Portfolio Insider from other investment-related services is its focus. The company’s core business is the democratization of real time data. It’s not a brokerage service nor is it a hands-off money manager. This enables Portfolio Insider to concentrate on its specialty rather than being a jack-of-all-trades.
- Track record: Admittedly, Portfolio Insider lacks the track record of competing Wall Street platforms. On the other hand, this isn’t always a negative. Thanks to advancing technologies, innovative ideas are transitioning from the paper phase to actuality. The democratization of finance is one of these concepts that is becoming a real factor that everyday folks can leverage.
Portfolio Insider Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Portfolio Insider free?
It depends, they offer a free tier with delayed market data and limited access to dark flow orders or options data, please check with its customer service team to find the premium service with real time data that’s right for you.
Is Portfolio Insider a broker?
No. Rather, Portfolio Insider is a silicon valley type fintech company with actionable information that facilitates higher-success-probability for investors.
Methodology
For brokerage reviews, Benzinga created a weighted scale based on the following criteria: usability, services offered, customer service, education, research, mobile app, account minimums and fees. We aim to provide the most up-to-date, impactful and trustworthy reviews. For an in-depth look at our process, read the full methodology process.
User Reviews
Steve
If you use their option flow feature to scalp options you can be profitable
Ted Schlitz
Not a good one, after receiving little customer support I decided to cancel prior to the six-month agreement for a full refund, I never received the refund
Tim
They will not honor the money back guarantee.Total scam.
Chuck Clark
Help Desk needs major improvement. Calls to help desk go unanswered. Email support needs major upgrade and no response
T.S.
RUN FOREST RUN!!! THIS IS A SCAN
Robert
HORRIBLE. Scam. Won't honor refund guarantee. Won't respond to request. Tried everything. Can we file class action? Total crap-deserves a -10K rating.
Johnson
This is a scam site. Benzinga should be ashamed for this review. This is utmost corruption
Husain
^ months full refund if not satisfied. NOT Honored. After 2 months in their website seemed to be not what was promised. . They would not respond to request for refund. no response to emails. Just another CON. Stay away!
Al
They're a full-out fraud. They will not respond to any refund request. The names of the people on the staff keep changing; old email addresses no longer work; there is only a machine-answering system for telephone inquires.
Ronald
Will not honor money back guarantee. Impossible to contact. The 2 owners started scamming the elderly with company called Metals.com, changed name to Retirement .com, then Portfolio Insider, then Elite Flows. Run, don’t walk away
Ron Snyder
This is a crap service available in other places for a fraction of the cost. The company does not honor its money back guarantee.
Martin
This entity is a scam
Martin
This entity is a scam
Max Diaz
Lost money and can't get my refund processed that was promised on the contract
Randy
Three months into my money back guarantee i tried to cancel but i've fallen on deaf ears. This is a complete rip off and i have lost $4995.00. This is the first time i've actually lost every penny i put in.
Marty Wright
SCAM!!!
Bob
Veterans stay away. Bad service. Will honor their refund stated policy.
Bob
Absolute a bad service. Attention veterans, be very cautious of this program. I have been seeking a refund but no response.
Carl
I did not receive my refund as promised within 6 months. They lied to get me to sign up. I gave it a chance because of the refund policy but they never honored their policy nor have they returned any email or call to customer service, even Luke.
Keith
This company does not honor its commitment to customers. I have been trying to contact them ever since their platform quit working in September 2021, and they do not respond. Do not subscribe to this company. You will be sorry. t
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About Joshua Enomoto
His distinct writing style of distilling convoluted data into relatable and compelling narratives has earned him recognition among several investment-related publications.