In the world of long-term investment, new technology is bringing users the ability to gain in new ways. One is M1 Finance, which is a low-fee long-term investment app that helps to automate investments for those who use it to get in and out of various markets. Here’s an M1 Finance review going over some of the finer points of using this platform for investments.
M1 Finance Review: A Piece of the Pie
One of the neat functions of M1 Finance is its “investment pies” – a visual setup that helps to showcase what’s happening in a given portfolio.
It’s easy to see individual investments as a slice of a greater whole in the investment pie, and that leads to more capable pivoting in terms of market navigation.
That concept helps people to balance their investments, and diversify against financial threats.
By providing the option to look at a visual ‘pie,’ M1 Finance offers the principle of data visualization for more precise allocation.
Pie ‘wedges’ can be stocks, bonds or ETFs.
Then there are templates in the form of expert pies, that users can look at to create their own recipes.
A Hands-Off System
The automation tools in M1 Finance take a lot of the labor and detail out of the process of investment.
Some call this a ‘hands-off approach,’ where it’s easier to do more with your money without spending hours hunched in front of a screen.
For example, users can tweak risk/reward settings, and get in and out of market-traded instruments quickly and easily.
Features like smart transfers help to facilitate this kind of trading and investment strategy.
M1 Plus members can use this tool to move money around, into and out of brokerage accounts, IRAs, money market accounts, and other individual pots of money.
In addition to the investment pies, there’s a lot more visualization provided by the app.
Users can check out credit limits, look at billing for lines of credit, and see investments change in real time.
They can inspect things like pending trades, and pursue rebalancing with a single click.
Some things, like tax loss harvesting, may have to be done manually, but it’s easy to view items like dividend reinvestment and micromanage your funds that way.
Users can also trade fractional shares, which is a lifesaver when you want to own a small piece of a very expensive asset.
All in all, M1 Finance provides that streamlined experience that average investors want and need, in order to successfully navigate the markets.
M1 Finance Mobile App
Another big selling point is M1 Finance’s mobile application and how it works with desktop functions.
Available for Android and iPhone, this app lets users trade and transfer and, as mentioned above, provides key information for due diligence
There’s also multifactor authentication, a must-have for cybersecurity.
Low Fees
Unlike some actively managed brokerage accounts, M1 Finance has no monthly fees or management fees.
There is no minimum balance, either, for small investors who want to wade into the waters carefully.
There are no per-trade fees that take money out of your gains in a ‘churning’ scenario.
Parking Money
Users can park money in the M1 Spend system, a free account for cash on hand. An owner’s reward card provides cashback offers with an annual fee attached.
Then there’s the M1 Borrow line of credit for margin trading, which has to be done carefully, but can form part of a successful investment strategy.
Finally, as mentioned, the M1 Plus option provides other services for active traders.
As for customer service, M1 Finance has phone support and email responses available.
All of this contributes to M1 Finance’s appeal as a modern online brokerage platform competing with others in its industry.
Part of the appeal of a particular brokerage tool is name recognition, and that name recognition goes along with the reputation that a platform has in the community.
Word-of-mouth is important in how investors approach certain platforms and which ones they eventually choose to manage their money.
With that in mind, the above shows how M1 Finance integrates an excellent range of investment options with good support and functionality for members and users.
Take a look at whether M1 Finance is right for your investment strategy.
