M1 Finance Review & Rating USA 2021

Our M1 Finance USA review has found that there is not much in the way of a new customer offer per se when you sign up with the broker. If you have signed up to the broker of your own volition then there is strictly speaking no new customer offer. However, if you were referred to the site by a friend or family member you are eligible for a $10 new customer offer. Once you have chosen from the M1 Finance open account options you will then be able to claim the $10 bonus should you have been referred to the site and have used their referral link.

So as you can see the offer is by no means mind-blowing but it is at least something. Many brokers don’t offer you any form of a new customer offer. So at least in this regard, there is some incentive to be referred to the site by a friend or family member. If you are perhaps looking for a broker with a more enticing new customer offer you may want to go to our SoFi Invest review and SogoTrade review.

How a broker’s website functions is an integral part of a user’s experience with them. If the site is unappealing, difficult to navigate and lacks any intuitive element then users may not feel the need to join such a site. Our M1 Finance review found that when you first enter the site you notice that it has a rather simplistic feel to it. The actual aesthetic of the site is somewhat underwhelming and could definitely do with some touching up we felt during our M1 Finance Review.

However, when you use the site you will quickly come to find that the overall usability and ease of access is acceptable. The site gives you no problems while trying to navigate to the information you need. The dropdown menus are well organised and make understanding what the broker has to offer convenient. Aside from the drop-down menus at the top of the homepage, there is also ample information located at the bottom of the page that gives you all the necessary information on the broker itself and their terms of use and the various educational elements on how to use their products. Furthermore, navigating to the M1 Finance open account options is also a breeze.

Overall, while the site may not have an extravagant look to it, it makes up for it where it matters – in the actual usability of the site. As such, we believe they have done enough to earn praise for the sites overall navigability and crisp interface.

During our M1 Finance Review we noted that opening an account with M1 Finance is solely restricted to US citizens (or those holding a green card). Even those with a long term visa in the US may not open an M1 Finance account. You will be required to provide personal information such as proof of address, an I.D number etc. Our M1 Finance review has taken the time to find out what M1 Finance open account options are available.

M1 Finance Basic Account

The basic M1 Finance open account option entitles you to use the sites intelligent automation to make investments for you. You also won’t have to invest any money when opening this account. Furthermore, the borrowing interest rate is a low 3.5% which we think is more than fair. However, you can only access a line of credit once you have $10000 in your account.

M1 Finance Plus Account

The M1 Finance open account Plus option is essentially just the premium version of the previous account but it does require you to sign up for $125. With this account, you will receive borrowing interest rates of as low as 2% which can go as low as 1,5%. Furthermore, you receive 1% cashback when you spend on this account.

Brokerage Accounts

The brokerage M1 Finance open account option is also appealing in its own right. You have the choice between an individual brokerage account or a joint brokerage account. The individual brokerage account means that you as the individual have sole control over your account. You may buy and sell stocks, bonds, ETFs and other investment types.

The joint brokerage M1 Finance open account option would see you have equal ownership of your account with another person. These types of accounts are usually applicable for couples or parents. You may even just want to manage the account for an elderly family member.

Trust Accounts

You may be interested in opening up a trust account with M1 Finance, in which case you would need to set it up via the broker’s paper account opening process. They will send you the necessary forms to fill out and once you have done so you will then be able to manage your account in the same way that you would manage a standard M1 Finance taxable brokerage account.

Overall, the account options are fairly standard if not a little short on a few options. However, the M1 accounts you can open are great for low-interest rates when you take a line of credit from the broker.

The current M1 Finance trading platforms are strictly for US citizens to make use of. Aside from that, the M1 Finance offers its clients the standard web trading platform as well as a mobile version of the site. Our M1 Finance review has taken the time to analyze both the mobile and website platform to find out how convenient and efficient they are.

Website Based Platform

As we have previously mentioned in our usability section, the website platform is accessible, easy to navigate and efficient. Further still, it is intuitive in meeting your information demands on the site. Borrowing, investing and spending are all easy to execute on the site and there are no misleading menus or links that make your life difficult. Overall, the website based platform is definitely the strongest facet of the broker’s site as it makes everything as clear and accessible as possible for its users.

Mobile Trading Platform

Our M1 Finance review has come to find that the overall consensus on the broker’s mobile app appears to be average at best. However, we investigated the mobile platform ourselves and found that the app reflected the same accessibility and efficiency as the website based platform. Furthermore, we found that you could do all the things you can do on the website platform from opening and funding your account, to altering the way you allocate your pies.

Overall, the platforms on offer at M1 Finance are simple, yet effective. Most of what you can achieve on the website platform you can do on the mobile app. This makes investing and trading all the more easy as you can do it on the go during the course of a busy day! If you want to get a feel for what other platforms are out there, it’s worth checking out our Stash review. You’ll also find a very simple platform at Vanguard USA, especially good for the smaller portfolio.

While M1 Finance does not specifically state that you need to fund your account, you will be wanting to start somewhere in terms of your investment. Getting your payment method set up is the next step after your opening your account with the broker. Our M1 Finance review has taken a look at how you can make your first deposit and how to make a withdrawal on the site. Again, it should be noted that payments can only be made by US citizens or green card carriers.

Deposits

M1 Finance review USA has found that the only real option to make your deposits is also subsequently, one of the most common forms of payments. The broker suggests that you link your bank account to your M1 Finance account. To make your first deposit you will need to go to the “invest” button under the menu tab for “how it works’ at the top of the page. Once you have done so, you will connect via PLAID by searching for the name of your banking institution whereby you will input your online banking details. These deposits can only be made from American banks by American citizens.

Should the bank that you use not appear in the list of banks on the site you will need to enter the details manually which will include the name of the bank, account type, and your account and routing numbers. Within 2-3 business days, you will receive micro-deposits to verify your bank account. After you have completed this process making your first deposit is easy. You can also set up a recurring deposit by simply selecting the “deposit” button on the main page and set your own recurring deposit schedule. You then need to choose the amount that you wish to deposit on the schedule regularly. Select submit and you have set up your recurring deposit.

Withdrawals

Making a withdrawal with M1 Finance is very straightforward. All that is required of you is to navigate to the ‘funding” tab near the top of the website homepage. You will then be taken to a new page where you need to click on “withdraw’. Enter the amount you wish to take out of your account, submit, and you have completed your withdrawal.

A recurring withdrawal can also be set up should you so choose. In very much the same process as a recurring deposit.

Having a quality customer service keeps your clientele happy and feeling as though they are genuinely being looked after. This is not new information but it remains an important fact when it comes to any business. Our M1 Finance review has taken the time to analyze how helpful and efficient the broker’s customer service is and how you might contact them on a daily basis.

As it stands it would appear that M1 Finance only has two means for official customer support which is limited to email and phone. As we noted in our pros and cons, the lack of a live webchat with a member of the customer support staff is disappointing, to say the least. You can also seemingly contact them via Facebook messenger. Should you wish to get in contact via email their address is [email protected] Furthermore, you can reach the customer support team via their telephone number which is (312) 600-2883.

Overall, the customer support appears to function adequately but again, it is not a great look that the broker does not have a live web chat as most people prefer the simplicity and convenience of such a form of contact.

It is absolutely crucial that a broker you decide to use is above board in terms of its regulations and security. Our You need not fret over the safety of using M1 Finance, as the broker is regulated by all the necessary financial bodies. Our M1 Finance review has revealed that the broker is registered with all the fundamental financial agencies. Namely, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which is a federal government agency. Furthermore, they are also a member of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). It is important that the M1 Finance opinions here are positive, as the regulation of the broker and the protection of your investment funds is of paramount importance.

In terms of protecting their client’s deposits and funds that are already in their accounts, the SIPC will protect clients in the case that M1 Finance cannot afford to fulfil their financial commitment. The SIPC will cover clients up to $500,000 and up to  $250,000 in cash.

As you can see, there is no real concern here in use the M1 Finance platforms as they are covered from every angle.

During our M1 Finance review we identified only one current promotion that US clients can make use of. There is the referral program that we mentioned earlier, whereby if you refer a friend or family member to the M1 Finance site and they use your referral link you are eligible to claim $10. You will be able to claim this bonus once the friend you have referred has completed the sign-up process and have funded their account.