Functionally an Alpaca Securities LLC (“Alpaca”) account is no different than any other brokerage account. However there are important differences and limitations that you should be aware of which may influence your decision to open an account.

Online Only

All interactions with Alpaca will be either online, via email, or through programming code that you must write. Access to Alpaca by telephone is extremely limited.

The initial setup for your account will be through a web interface; there is no ability to open an account using paper documents and you must agree to sign all opening account documents electronically through the web interface.

When the account is setup, you are provided with a customer dashboard to link bank accounts, transfer funds to or from your bank, view account information, open orders, your account balance, your securities positions, trade confirmations, account statements, and tax documents.

Not a Full Service Broker

Alpaca does not provide certain services that other full service brokers provide, such as the ability to transfer securities positions and account balances from or to another broker, open a joint account, open an IRA account, or open an account for an entity or trust. Alpaca does not support incoming ACAT transfers in general but under request they will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

You Must Be Capable of Writing Your Own Code

When placing trades using code, you must write your own program to place trades through the Alpaca API. We support most programming languages and have sample code available to modify to meet your own needs. Currently your program must run on your own computer and access the API through a commercially available internet service provider. Alternatively, you could purchase access to and run your program on a cloud service or place trades manually through your dashboard.

Please note that there are specific risks associated with running your own automated code which can be found here.

Finally, all investments involve risk and the past performance of a security, or financial product does not guarantee future results or returns. Keep in mind that while diversification may help spread risk it does not assure a profit, or protect against loss, in a down market. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities, or other financial products. Investors should consider their investment objectives and risks carefully before investing.