Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 23, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. M1 Finance’s advisory service is run by M1 Advisory Services LLC, which is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser and is not a broker-dealer, so the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 requires it to act as your fiduciary there. A separate firm in the same corporate family, M1 Finance LLC (CRD 281242), is an active FINRA member broker-dealer that the Advisers Act fiduciary standard does not cover. Its own Form CRS states: “When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
How it’s registered
From M1 Advisory Services LLC Form CRS (as of July 2026): “M1 Advisory Services LLC (“M1”) (“Adviser”, “Firm,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an investment adviser.”
M1 Finance’s brokerage app and its advisory service are two separate SEC filings: this page, like the already-live fee page, describes the advisory entity, M1 Advisory Services LLC (CRD 249787), not the broker-dealer M1 Finance LLC that holds the account.
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
On commissions: “The Firm’s personnel are compensated through salary and employment-based compensation unrelated to the investment recommendations delivered through M1 Advisor.”
Fiduciary status by capacity
| Capacity | Registration | Standard you’re owed | Can earn commissions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As your investment adviser | SEC-registered investment adviser | Fiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940) | No (asset-based advisory fee: $1,000 a year, 0.20% on a $500,000 account) | M1 Advisory Services LLC Form CRS, as of July 2026 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. M1 Finance discloses a published fee that runs $1,000 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from M1 Finance’s own fee disclosure before deciding whether the standard of conduct here changes your answer.
If the answer above changes your mind about staying, read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors, or use a dated termination letter once you decide.
Compare your next step
Just comparing fees? Keep reading the fee guide.Optional next step
Explore an adviser match
Compare the services and the full fee before deciding whether to hire anyone.
- No fee to request a match
- No obligation to hire
Expect questions about your situation, your name, email and phone, and phone verification by text. A match is not guaranteed.
The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide is paid when you submit the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. This is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
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How our partner relationships workCompare an adviser match before you decide
Ask about the full fee, what it covers and how the adviser is paid. A match is an introduction, not a recommendation from Clear Money Guide.
- Free matching service
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The matching service is run by WiserAdvisor, an independent advisor-matching company. It opens on their site, asks for your ZIP code and a few questions, and matches you with 2 to 3 vetted advisors. It is free to you. WiserAdvisor states the service is built for portfolios of $250,000 and above. By submitting, you consent to emails, phone calls and text messages from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisors, so expect to be contacted. Advisers pay for the introduction. Clear Money Guide is paid when you complete the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. There is no obligation to hire anyone.
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- M1 Advisory Services LLC Form CRS (as of July 2026): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_249787.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, M1 Advisory Services LLC (CRD #249787): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/249787
- M1 Advisory Services LLC, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/249787/PDF/249787.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 23, 2026, quoting directly from M1 Finance’s own current Form CRS, with the source linked above; any distinction we could not independently confirm this session is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading the firm’s own Form CRS. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
What does it take to open an account? See M1 Finance’s minimum investment, straight from its own Form ADV Part 2A brochure.
Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full M1 Finance review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.
How does this compare? See how 127 advisory firms are registered, from each firm’s own SEC record.
Already with M1 Finance and weighing a move? How to leave M1 Finance covers what it costs to transfer out.