M1 Finance Review 2026

Last updated: February 2026 ยท Automated Investing
4.3
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†
out of 5
โšก Quick Verdict

M1 is the best platform for systematic, automated long-term investing. If you want to build wealth through regular contributions with zero effort after setup, nothing matches M1's Pie system. Not for active traders.

Start Investing on M1 โ†’
CommissionsFree. M1 Premium at $3/mo
Min. Deposit$100
Account TypesIndividual, IRA, Roth IRA, Trust, Custodial
Regulated ByFINRA / SIPC
Best ForAutomated DCA investing, long-term portfolio building, set-and-forget investors

Who Is M1 Finance For?

Long-term investors who want automated portfolio management without paying robo-advisor fees. Ideal for DCA investors building index fund or dividend portfolios on autopilot.

Pros and Cons

โœ… Pros
+ Pie-based portfolio automation is brilliant for DCA
+ Fractional shares on any stock or ETF
+ Automatic rebalancing keeps allocation on track
+ M1 Borrow: portfolio-backed loan at competitive rates
+ M1 Checking integrates with investment account
+ Expert pies from financial professionals available
โš ๏ธ Cons
โˆ’ No options trading โ€” purely for stock/ETF investing
โˆ’ Single daily trading window limits tactical moves
โˆ’ Not designed for active trading
โˆ’ Customer support is email-only
โˆ’ Basic research tools

Commissions & Fees

Free. M1 Premium at $3/mo
No commissions, no management fees. Automated rebalancing and fractional shares included.

M1 Finance in Depth

M1 Finance's Pie-based investing model is genuinely innovative. You define target allocations (e.g., 40% VTI, 30% VXUS, 30% BND), and every deposit automatically buys fractional shares to maintain those percentages. Automatic rebalancing sells overweight slices and buys underweight ones with new deposits. The Expert Pies library offers pre-built portfolios by risk tolerance, strategy (dividend growth, factor investing, ESG), and time horizon. M1 Borrow lets you borrow against your portfolio at 5-5.5% โ€” significantly cheaper than margin at most brokers โ€” useful for large purchases without liquidating investments. The single daily trading window is actually a feature for long-term investors who don't want to be tempted into market timing.

Ready to open a M1 Finance account?
Takes about 5 minutes. No minimum deposit required on most accounts.
Start Investing on M1 โ†’