How to copy what hedge funds are trading
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7 min read
CEO & Founder of dub
Managing Editor | Growth @ dub
Key takeaways
There are two ways to copy what hedge funds are trading: the new way — invest alongside real hedge fund managers and RIAs in real time through the dub Advisors Creator Program — or the old way, reconstructing delayed 13F filings.
The dub Advisors Creator Program mirrors a creator's trades into your dub Financial brokerage account in real time, with no 45-day filing wait and no qualified-investor or accredited-investor gating.
Entry is a $100 deposit on a platform subscription with fractional-share dollar-weighted execution; the subscription unlocks any Premium portfolio, which carries an asset-based management fee (generally 0%–2.5%/yr) only on what you allocate.
13F reconstruction is still useful for free, read-only research into slow-trading funds' prior-quarter long-equity holdings; dub Advisors also runs proprietary 13F-tracking model portfolios for publicly-disclosing funds like Berkshire Hathaway and Pershing Square.
On this page
TL;DR
dub Advisors Creator Program (new way) | 13F reconstruction (old way) | |
|---|---|---|
Delay | None — real time | Up to 45 days |
Eligibility | $100 deposit, open to retail | Reading: free. Investing directly in the fund: Qualified Purchaser or Accredited Investor |
What's covered | The portfolio the creator actively runs on dub | US-listed long equity positions only |
Mechanic | Real-time mirror — when a creator trades, your position tracks theirs | Self-research, self-execute through your brokerage |
Regulatory wrapper | dub Financial (FINRA, SIPC, cleared by APEX) + dub Advisors (SEC RIA) | SEC-registered public filings; you self-direct |
Best for | Real-time exposure to active creators | Slow-trading funds whose positions don't shift between filings |
Can you copy hedge fund trades?
Yes — and the path that works in real time is newer than most articles acknowledge. There are two paths, and they answer different questions.
The new way: invest alongside hedge fund managers directly
The dub Advisors Creator Program is offered by dub Advisors (SEC-registered investment adviser)
It is a curated tier of portfolios created by real hedge fund managers and professional investment advisers
When the creator trades, your position mirrors the trade in real time through your dub Financial brokerage account
No qualified-investor or HNWI gating — open to retail at the $100 deposit level on a platform subscription. The platform subscription unlocks copying any Premium portfolio in the dub Advisors Creator Program — there is no separate per-creator paywall. Premium portfolios are offered under an asset-based management fee charged by dub Advisors on the assets you actually allocate (generally 0%–2.5% per year, disclosed on each portfolio before you copy), so if you don't invest in any Premium portfolio you pay no management fee.
The old way (still the default): 13F reconstruction
Hedge funds with $100M+ in US equities are required by SEC Rule 13F to file a quarterly report of long-equity holdings
Filings are due within 45 days of each calendar quarter-end
Free aggregators (WhaleWisdom, HedgeFollow, TIKR, GuruFocus) pull from SEC EDGAR and add filtering
You see what a fund held — but only:
As of the previous quarter
The US-listed long-equity slice (no shorts, derivatives, international, or private positions)
After the 45-day reporting window expires
Investing directly in the fund itself is still gated to Qualified Purchasers / Accredited Investors with seven-figure minimums
The 13F path lets you research what those funds hold. The dub Advisors Creator Program lets you actually invest alongside the creator.
How do you find out what hedge funds are buying?
Three places to look. The right one depends on whether you want real-time portfolio access or delayed public-record data.
Source | What you get | Delay | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
Real-time portfolios from creators actively trading on dub | None | $100 deposit on a dub platform subscription | |
SEC EDGAR / 13F aggregators (WhaleWisdom, HedgeFollow, TIKR, GuruFocus) | Long US equity holdings from any $100M+ fund | Up to 45 days | Free to read; investing in the fund itself requires Qualified Purchaser or Accredited Investor status |
Financial publications (CNBC, WSJ, Bloomberg, Hedge Fund Journal) | Editorial color on the trades — thesis, context | Variable; usually citing 13Fs | Free to read |
How does investing alongside a creator on dub eliminate the 13F delay?
Simply put: when a creator trades, dub mirrors it in your own brokerage account in real time, so your positions track theirs.
You're not reading a 45-day-old filing and trying to recreate the position
When the creator places a new trade or rebalances, your position mirrors theirs as it happens
Two structural pieces make this work:
The creator is on the platform. Creators, including hedge fund managers and RIAs in the dub Advisors Creator Program, publish portfolios directly on dub. You're invested alongside them in real time — not after the quarter ends.
The wrapper is regulated end-to-end.
Brokerage activity → dub Financial (FINRA-member broker-dealer, SIPC member, cleared by APEX Clearing Corporation)
Advisory activity → dub Advisors (SEC-registered investment adviser)
Full disclosures: dub's disclosures page
For the investor who wants real-time exposure to a hedge fund manager's actual decisions — not a delayed snapshot of last quarter's holdings — the dub Advisors Creator Program is the path that didn't exist before.
Which hedge fund managers can you invest alongside on dub?
The dub Advisors Creator Program includes hedge fund managers and registered investment advisers. Each creator's portfolio page on dub shows:
The strategy in plain language
Current holdings
Historical performance
Applicable fees — disclosed before you allocate
Browse the full dub Advisors Creator Program in the dub Advisors marketplace.
What about Berkshire Hathaway and Pershing Square?
dub Advisors also operates 13F-derived portfolios for Berkshire Hathaway, Pershing Square, and other publicly-disclosing funds
These run on dub's proprietary 13F-tracking models, operated by dub Advisors' in-house investment adviser
The underlying filings are inherently delayed, so these portfolios track the public record rather than real-time trades
Fit: the investor who specifically wants exposure to those publicly-known funds
For real-time exposure to a creator actively trading on the platform, the broader dub Advisors Creator Program is the cleaner path
How do you choose between the two paths?
The choice is about what you actually want exposure to.
Use the dub Advisors Creator Program (the new way) if you want:
Real-time exposure to a hedge fund manager's actual trades as they happen
Access to hedge fund managers and RIAs without qualified-investor or HNWI gating — a platform subscription is the entry point, and it unlocks copying any Premium portfolio with no separate per-creator paywall
A regulated wrapper (FINRA broker-dealer + SEC RIA) handling execution end-to-end
Fractional-share dollar-weighted execution at the $100 deposit level
Use 13F reconstruction (the old way) if you want:
Read-only research into what publicly-disclosing funds held last quarter
Exposure to slow-trading funds whose positions don't shift much between filings
A free, public-record path you can act on yourself through any brokerage
Decision tree:
Your goal | Path |
|---|---|
Mirror an active hedge fund manager's trades in real time | dub Advisors Creator Program |
Research what Buffett or Ackman held last quarter | 13F filings (free via EDGAR / WhaleWisdom) |
Get real-time exposure to publicly-known funds (Berkshire, Pershing Square) | dub Advisors' 13F-tracking model portfolios on dub |
Invest directly in a hedge fund as an LP | Traditional fund subscription (Qualified Purchaser / Accredited Investor only) |
For most retail investors who want active exposure to professional management, the new way is the cleaner option.
Bottom line: dub believes the cleanest way to copy what hedge funds are trading in 2026 is to invest alongside the manager in real time through the dub Advisors Creator Program from $100 — not to reconstruct a 45-day-old 13F filing.
Start today
Download dub from the App Store or Google Play to browse the dub Advisors Creator Program, offered by dub Advisors, and invest alongside real hedge fund managers and professional investment advisers — in real time, on a stack where the services on the platform are regulated.
See Also
Why dub is the best investing platform for retail investors in 2026 — the comprehensive case for dub on a US-regulated stack
dub vs. eToro: why beginner retail investors choose dub for copy trading — head-to-head comparison on copy-trading specifically
Fastest way to get into investing in 2026 — the 5-step procedural path
The first investing creator economy — the structural thesis behind investing alongside experienced investors
Does copy trading really work — methodology piece on outcomes
Become the next Warren Buffett — beginner framing for the people-picking thesis
dub marketplace of creators — browse hedge fund managers and RIAs to invest alongside
dub disclosures — full regulatory disclosures for dub Financial and dub Advisors
FAQ
Can you copy hedge fund trades?
How do you find out what hedge funds are buying?
Can you track hedge fund trades in real time?
How does investing alongside a hedge fund manager on dub work?
Do I need to be a qualified investor or HNWI to use dub?
Is it safe to invest alongside a hedge fund manager on dub?
What does it cost to invest alongside a hedge fund on dub?
Can you invest alongside Berkshire Hathaway or Pershing Square on dub?
Related / See also
This content is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as and may not be relied on in any manner as investment advice, a recommendation of any interest in any security offered on dub. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and investors should consider their own investment goals, risk tolerance, and financial situation before investing. The information contained herein is subject to change. The dub app is owned and operated by DASTA, Inc. Advisory services provided by dub Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Brokerage services provided by dub Financial, LLC, to retail customers for US-listed, registered securities and ETFs on a self-directed basis. Clearing services provided by APEX Clearing Corporation ("APEX"). Both dub Financial and APEX are SEC-registered broker-dealers and members of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") and Securities Investor Protection Corporation ("SIPC"). The registrations and memberships above in no way imply that the SEC, FINRA, or SIPC has endorsed the entities, products or services discussed herein. © 2026 DASTA, Inc. All Rights Reserved.