When you make changes to your Guideline portfolio, any required reallocations are generally processed within 1-3 business days from when the submission is received. However, certain scenarios may increase processing time.
Pending activity, like payroll contributions, may affect the timing of portfolio allocation updates, as all account transactions must settle before a reallocation can occur.
Additionally, because we submit trades before values (prices) are finalized at the end of the trading day, the value is estimated and Guideline adds a "trade buffer” to the targeted trading amount. If the sale is less than the buffered amount (undersell), we may need to sell additional securities on subsequent days.¹ In times of market volatility, this could result in a delay of when your portfolio changes will apply. Please see the Trade Process in our Terms of Service for additional information on how Guideline handles trades.
When does reallocation apply?
When you change your portfolio, Guideline’s system will automatically determine whether your investments must be reallocated.
If you elect an entirely new portfolio, whether by selecting a different managed portfolio or custom portfolio, a reallocation will occur. However, if you change just the allocation amount (the percentage you have invested in each fund) but no new funds are added to your portfolio, a rebalance will only occur if your total portfolio drift exceeds 5%.
If the requested changes result in less than a 5% drift (or your balance is less than $250), no reallocation will be initiated. Instead, upcoming contributions are allocated to bring the funds in your portfolio to the new target amounts.
How often can I change my portfolio?
Once a reallocation is fulfilled, there is a 30-calendar-day restriction before any further reallocations will be received and completed.
As a result, any requests to change your portfolio again will not occur until this timeline has passed.
¹ If the sales proceeds are less than the dollar amount, Guideline will sell additional securities on subsequent days until the total amount of the sales proceeds (based on the Market Close Price) equals the dollar amount. In the event your account has pending activity, trade execution may be delayed until the activity settles in your account. Pending activity can include, but is not limited to, payroll contributions, processing of fees, processing of loan payments, disbursement requests, and automatic portfolio rebalancing.