M1 built its platform around a single idea: investors should be able to design their own strategy and then let automation handle the daily discipline of sticking to it. Its signature “Pies” system lets investors set target allocations across stocks and ETFs, and from there M1 handles the fractional-share purchasing and rebalancing needed to keep a portfolio on target. That same automation extends across every account type M1 offers, from a first taxable brokerage account to a dedicated retirement plan.
That combination of control and automation is what sets M1 apart from both pure robo-advisors and traditional self-directed brokers. Investors aren’t handed a one-size-fits-all model portfolio, but they also aren’t left to manually calculate how to rebalance every time they add money — M1’s dynamic rebalancing directs new deposits toward underweight holdings automatically.
Who is M1?
M1 describes itself as a finance super app, built to combine investing, borrowing, and spending on one platform since its founding in 2015. The company has grown to more than 400,000 clients and over $14 billion in client assets, with recognition from outlets including Investopedia and Forbes for its customizable portfolios and custodial account options.
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M1 is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC, and its account lineup covers individual and joint brokerage accounts, Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs, trust accounts, custodial accounts for minors, a High-Yield Cash Account, and crypto trading through a partnership with Bakkt. M1 also offers pre-built Expert Pies for investors who want a professionally designed starting allocation they can still customize over time.
What M1 does best
A handful of features make M1 stand out from a typical brokerage:
The Pie system for custom portfolios
Investors set a target percentage for each holding inside a Pie, and M1 automatically buys fractional shares to match those percentages, with up to 100 slices per Pie for granular customization. Pies can also be nested inside other Pies, letting investors build a layered strategy — say, a retirement allocation made up of several smaller, themed Pies — without losing sight of the overall target.
Dynamic rebalancing on autopilot
New deposits are automatically directed toward underweight holdings, so a portfolio drifts back toward its target allocation with every contribution instead of requiring manual rebalancing.
Margin loans against your portfolio
M1 Margin Loans let investors borrow against their portfolio’s value for added flexibility, a feature that’s useful for investors who want access to liquidity without selling their holdings.
A high-yield cash account with strong FDIC coverage
M1’s High-Yield Cash Account pays a competitive APY with FDIC insurance extended up to an aggregate total well beyond the standard single-bank limit through its partner bank network.
Spend and borrow alongside investing
M1’s broader platform extends beyond investing to borrowing and everyday spending, letting clients manage a portfolio, a margin loan, and a cash account without leaving the same app or re-entering financial information for a separate provider.
Products and pricing at a glance
| Product | What it is | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage accounts | Individual, joint & custodial accounts with Pies | Commission-free |
| Traditional, Roth & SEP IRA | Retirement accounts with automated Pies | Commission-free |
| High-Yield Cash Account | FDIC-eligible cash with competitive APY | Up to 3.35% APY |
| M1 Margin Loans | Borrow against portfolio value | From 5.90% |
| M1 Plus | Optional membership with added perks | Optional annual fee |
What customers say
Customers consistently describe the Pie system as the feature that keeps them on M1 long after trying other brokers, pointing to how satisfying it is to watch a portfolio rebalance itself automatically with every new deposit. Investors who manage custodial accounts for their kids also highlight how straightforward M1 makes it to set up and hand off an account once a child reaches adulthood.
The combination of investing, cash, and borrowing in one app draws steady praise as well, with customers noting that having a margin loan option tied directly to their portfolio removed the need for a separate line of credit for larger purchases.
Investors who’ve used multiple Pies to separate goals — retirement, a taxable brokerage, and a custodial account for a child — mention that keeping each strategy in its own visual Pie made it easier to track progress toward different goals without mixing them together.
Who M1 is best for
M1 is an excellent fit for disciplined, long-term investors who want to design their own allocation strategy and then let automation enforce it with every deposit. It’s also a strong option for parents who want a straightforward custodial account, and for investors who want portfolio-backed borrowing without juggling a separate lender. Investors coming from a more traditional broker also mention that M1’s visual Pie layout makes portfolio construction easier to understand at a glance.
Price and value
M1 charges no trading commissions and no management fees on its core Pie-based investing, making the ongoing cost of building a custom portfolio essentially the price of any regulatory pass-through fees. The High-Yield Cash Account adds value at no extra cost, giving investors a competitive place to hold cash while they decide where to deploy it next.
M1 Margin Loans round out the value proposition for investors who want liquidity without disrupting their portfolio, offered at a rate that’s generally competitive with other portfolio-backed lending options on the market. Because Pies apply automatically to every new deposit, investors also save the time they’d otherwise spend manually placing trades to maintain a target allocation.
Verdict
M1 gives disciplined investors a rare combination of real customization and genuine automation, backed by SIPC and FDIC protections across its accounts — as with any investing platform, all investing involves risk.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, for investors who want to design a custom portfolio and let automation handle rebalancing with every deposit, all without paying trading commissions.
M1 charges no commissions or management fees on its core investing accounts, with an optional M1 Plus membership adding extra perks for active users.
Yes. M1 is a member of FINRA and SIPC, with securities protected up to $500,000 and cash in the High-Yield Cash Account FDIC-eligible through partner banks.
Pies are customizable portfolios where investors set target allocations across stocks and ETFs, and M1 automatically buys fractional shares to match those targets.
Yes. M1 offers custodial accounts for children under 18, making it straightforward for parents to invest on a child's behalf.
M1 gives investors full control over their portfolio's holdings while still automating rebalancing, rather than assigning a fixed model portfolio.
M1 is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and has served investors since its founding in 2015.
