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Posted February 4, 2026 at 12:15 pm
The way investors interact with their portfolios is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. Ask IBKR, a breakthrough AI-powered tool that eliminates the traditional barriers between questions and answers. Instead of clicking through multiple dashboards, generating complex reports, or configuring endless filters, the investor simply asks questions in plain English and receive instant, data-driven answers. Whether the investor wants to compare performance to the S&P 500, analyze their sector exposure, or identify your top dividend payers, Ask IBKR delivers fast, actionable insights right from any screen inside the platform.
Ask IBKR supports comprehensive portfolio queries across five key areas. Portfolio Metrics analyze performance versus benchmarks, identify valuation trends, and track outperformance streaks. Allocation Analysis helps review sector weights, cross-sector returns, and instrument types. Holdings Exploration uncovers dividend payers, country exposures, and top positions. Activity Tracking monitors interest and fees, trading activity, and cash flows. Finally, Performance Attribution shows how sectors contribute to returns versus indices like the S&P 500. The investor can also compare performance across multiple accounts, find which securities performed the best, with more features to come.
What sets Ask IBKR apart is its intelligence. As the investor types, the tool offers intelligent query suggestions and auto-completes key parameters like benchmarks, timeframes, and account selection—so the investor can ask smarter questions, faster. This intelligent assistance helps the investor discover analytical possibilities they might not have considered, transforming Ask IBKR from a tool that answers known questions into one that inspires new lines of inquiry.
The platform is designed to analyze the account over flexible timeframes like MTD, YTD, 1M, and 1Y. Ask IBKR also evolves with the investor needs—user feedback actively guides which questions are supported next, ensuring the tool becomes increasingly valuable over time.
Accessing Ask IBKR in IBKR Desktop is simple and can be done in two ways. First, navigate to the Sitemap and under the Research section, select Ask IBKR. The tool will open as a new window on the screen with a clean, intuitive interface.
Source: IBKR Desktop
On the left side, there are categories to choose from. The center of the screen displays prepopulated portfolio insight questions for quick access, while a search bar above allows the investor to type custom queries.
Source: IBKR Desktop
Alternatively, Ask IBKR can be accessed from any screen by clicking the Search bar in the top left corner. The Ask IBKR section appears instantly with populated questions, allowing the investor to get insights without interrupting their workflow.
Let’s walk through a practical example. Suppose the investor wants to understand how your portfolio performed last month. They type “How did my portfolio perform last month?” into the search bar. As they type, Ask IBKR offers intelligent suggestions and auto-completes parameters to accelerate the query.
Source: IBKR Desktop
Source: IBKR Desktop
Once the question is submitted, Ask IBKR generates an interactive graph displaying the portfolio’s performance compared to the selected benchmark across the entire month.
The investor can hover their cursor over any point on the graph to view exact performance figures for specific days, allowing them to correlate performance with market events or trading activity. Below the chart, detailed tables provide additional portfolio performance data, giving both the big picture and granular details needed for thorough analysis.
Source: IBKR Desktop
This seamless experience—from question to actionable insight in seconds—represents the future of portfolio management. Stop searching through endless screens and reports and start asking questions that lead to smarter investing with Ask IBKR.
For more information on Ask IBKR please see the Traders’ Academy video lesson.
For specific platform feedback and suggestions, please submit it directly to our team using these instructions.
If you have an account-specific question or concern, please reach out to Client Services.
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The analysis in this material is provided for information only and is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. To the extent that this material discusses general market activity, industry or sector trends or other broad-based economic or political conditions, it should not be construed as research or investment advice. To the extent that it includes references to specific securities, commodities, currencies, or other instruments, those references do not constitute a recommendation by IBKR to buy, sell or hold such investments. This material does not and is not intended to take into account the particular financial conditions, investment objectives or requirements of individual customers. Before acting on this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Interactive Brokers, its affiliates, or its employees.
The Ask IBKR tool provides data-driven insights for investment portfolios but does not guarantee success; users should be aware of market risks, data accuracy limitations, and the need for personal responsibility in investment decisions, and should consult a qualified financial advisor as needed. IBKR does not provide financial advice or recommendations.
Ask IBKR does not have intelligence. Machines do NOT have intelligence!