diff --git a/backend/src/controllers/portfolio.go b/backend/src/controllers/portfolio.go
index d2747d2c..bd4534ec 100644
--- a/backend/src/controllers/portfolio.go
+++ b/backend/src/controllers/portfolio.go
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@ import (
 	"backend/src/services"
 	"net/http"
 
+	// "fmt"
+
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+
+	"backend/src/models"
 )
 
 type PortfolioController struct {
@@ -21,20 +25,26 @@ func NewPortfolioController(portfolioService *services.PortfolioService, etradeS
 
 // CopyPortfolio copies the target user's portfolio to the current user's portfolio
 func (etc *PortfolioController) CopyPortfolio(c *gin.Context) {
-	targetUserID := c.Param("target_user_id")
-	currentUserID := c.Param("current_user_id")
+	currentUserID := c.Query("current_user_id")
+	targetUserID := c.Query("target_user_id")
 
-	// get current user's portfolio. If it doesn't exist, return error
+	// get current user's portfolio. If it doesn't exist, create empty portfolio
 	currentUserPortfolio, err := etc.portfolioService.GetUserPortfolio(currentUserID)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"message": "Current User does not have an existing portfolio"})
-		return
+		// create empty portfolio for the user
+		emptyPortfolio := &models.UserPortfolio{}
+		newPortfolio, createErr := etc.portfolioService.CreateUserPortfolio(currentUserID, emptyPortfolio)
+		currentUserPortfolio = newPortfolio
+		if createErr != nil {
+			c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": "Failed to create empty portfolio", "errorMessage": createErr.Error()})
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	// get target user's portfolio. If it doesn't exist, return error
 	targetPortfolio, err := etc.portfolioService.GetUserPortfolio(targetUserID)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"message": "Target User does not have portfolio to copy"})
+		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"message": "Target User does not have portfolio to copy", "errorMessage": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -59,6 +69,7 @@ func (etc *PortfolioController) CopyPortfolio(c *gin.Context) {
 	}
 
 	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, updatedPortfolio)
+	// c.JSON(http.StatusOK, copiedPortfolio)
 }
 
 // GetUserPortfolio returns the user's portfolio
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/portfolio.go b/backend/src/routes/portfolio.go
index a102542d..2ebfad57 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/portfolio.go
+++ b/backend/src/routes/portfolio.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func SetupPortfolioRoutes(router *gin.Engine, db *gorm.DB) {
 
 	portfolioRoutes := router.Group("/portfolio")
 	{
-		portfolioRoutes.PUT("/:target_user_id/:current_user_id", portfolioController.CopyPortfolio)
+		portfolioRoutes.PUT("", portfolioController.CopyPortfolio)
 		/* different than getportfolio in etrade, returns single object for simplicity
 		keep etrade getportfolio route to match actual Etrade data
 		use either call depending on what you need
diff --git a/backend/src/services/portfolio.go b/backend/src/services/portfolio.go
index 70de204b..065a6c78 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/portfolio.go
+++ b/backend/src/services/portfolio.go
@@ -22,6 +22,24 @@ func (os *PortfolioService) CopyPortfolio(currentUserPortfolio models.UserPortfo
 	var newPositions []models.Position
 	targetPositions := targetPortfolio.Positions
 	for _, position := range targetPositions {
+		// check if position exists in currentUserPortfolio.positions (matching by position.Ticker)
+		positionExists := false
+		var matchingPosition models.Position
+		for i, p := range currentUserPortfolio.Positions {
+			if p.Ticker == position.Ticker {
+				positionExists = true
+				matchingPosition = currentUserPortfolio.Positions[i]
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		// if position exists, update the quantity -> skip to next position
+		if positionExists {
+			matchingPosition.Quantity += position.Quantity
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// if position doesn't already exist, copy the position
 		newPosition := models.Position{
 			UserPortfolioID: currentUserPortfolio.ID,
 			PositionID:      position.PositionID,
@@ -66,3 +84,13 @@ func (os *PortfolioService) GetUserPortfolio(userID string) (*models.UserPortfol
 	}
 	return &portfolio, nil
 }
+
+// CreateUserPortfolio creates a new portfolio for the user.
+func (os *PortfolioService) CreateUserPortfolio(userID string, portfolio *models.UserPortfolio) (*models.UserPortfolio, error) {
+	portfolio.UserID = userID
+	err := os.DB.Create(portfolio).Error
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return portfolio, nil
+}
diff --git a/frontend/pages/Copy/CopyTradesPage.tsx b/frontend/pages/Copy/CopyTradesPage.tsx
index aa67bbbb..0fd839c8 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/Copy/CopyTradesPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/Copy/CopyTradesPage.tsx
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ import {
   AuthNavigationProp,
 } from '../../types/navigationTypes';
 import { CopyRouteParams } from '../../types/types';
-// import { User } from '../../types/types';
-// import { copyTrades } from '../../services/copy';
+import { copyTrades } from '../../services/copy';
 
 function CopyTradesPage() {
   const { session } = useSession();
@@ -38,7 +37,8 @@ function CopyTradesPage() {
     }
 
     try {
-      // await copyTrades(session?.user.id as string, user.username);
+      await copyTrades(session?.user.id as string, user?.id);
+      // Alert.alert(`session?.user.id: ${session?.user.id} | user.id: ${user?.id}`);
     } catch (error) {
       Alert.alert('Error', 'Failed to copy trades');
       return;
@@ -69,10 +69,16 @@ function CopyTradesPage() {
         <View style={styles.inputGroup}>
           <Text style={styles.boldLabel}>Investment Amount</Text>
           <TextInput
-            style={styles.input}
-            value={`$${investmentAmount}`}
-            onChangeText={setInvestmentAmount}
             keyboardType="numeric"
+            value={`$${investmentAmount}`}
+            onChangeText={text => {
+              if (text.startsWith('$')) {
+                text = text.slice(1);
+              }
+              text = text.replace(/[^0-9]/g, '');
+              setInvestmentAmount(text);
+            }}
+            style={styles.input}
           />
           <Text style={styles.smallText}>
             This investment will proportionally copy this investor’s portfolio.
@@ -92,10 +98,16 @@ function CopyTradesPage() {
           <View style={styles.stopLossContainer}>
             <Text style={styles.label}>Investment Falls Below</Text>
             <TextInput
+              keyboardType="numeric"
               value={`$${stopLossAmount}`}
-              onChangeText={setStopLossAmount}
+              onChangeText={text => {
+                if (text.startsWith('$')) {
+                  text = text.slice(1);
+                }
+                text = text.replace(/[^0-9]/g, '');
+                setStopLossAmount(text);
+              }}
               style={styles.input}
-              keyboardType="numeric"
             />
           </View>
         )}
diff --git a/frontend/reducers/onboarding/onboardingReducer.ts b/frontend/reducers/onboarding/onboardingReducer.ts
index bb6dc5b7..d0150442 100644
--- a/frontend/reducers/onboarding/onboardingReducer.ts
+++ b/frontend/reducers/onboarding/onboardingReducer.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const onboardingSlice = createSlice({
     financialGoalsShortTerm: [],
     financialGoalsLongTerm: [],
     financialLiteracy: [],
-    isOnboarding: 'normal', // 'onboarding', 'normal', 'makingPost'
+    isOnboarding: 'onboarding', // 'onboarding', 'normal', 'makingPost'
   },
   reducers: {
     updateFirstName(state, action) {
diff --git a/frontend/services/copy.ts b/frontend/services/copy.ts
index 7131449f..a99e7ca2 100644
--- a/frontend/services/copy.ts
+++ b/frontend/services/copy.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { Redirect } from '../types/types';
 
 export const copyTrades = async (currentUserId: string, targetUserId: string) => {
   const response: AxiosResponse<Redirect> = await axios.post<Redirect>(
-    `http://${API_LINK}/portfolio/${currentUserId}/${targetUserId}`
+    `http://${API_LINK}/portfolio?current_user_id=${currentUserId}&target_user_id=${targetUserId}`
   );
   return response.data;
 };