M1 BUILT-IN MARGIN ACCESS

Borrow in seconds.
Pay back as you please.

with M1 Plus

Leverage up to 50% of your portfolio’s value while you stay invested. Get built-in access to margin lending when you have $2,000 or more invested in your taxable brokerage account. Rates start at just 7.25%1 for M1 Plus members.

Always consider the risks before using Margin. To learn more, see our margin account risk disclosure. 

Borrow at low, fixed rates

With M1, you get the same low rate, no matter how much you borrow. 

7.25%

with M1 Plus

8.75%

without M1 Plus

E*Trade:

14.20%

Fidelity

13.575%

Charles Schwab

13.575%

Vanguard

13.75%

Competitor base rates shown. Loan balance determines competitors’ effective rate. Information on competing brokerages was accessed from each brokerage’s website in March 2024. 

M1 rates are current as of March 2024. M1 Plus margin rate is subject to a paid annual subscription. Get M1 Plus for $3/month.

Tap into the power of your portfolio 

Borrow against your portfolio
Use your securities as collateral to borrow.

Get liquidity without selling
Use up to 50% of your portfolio’s value without triggering taxable events.

No extra paperwork
Margin access is built-in—there’s no application required to get started.

Score a competitive fixed rate
Unlike other brokerages, our rates are the same no matter how much you borrow.

Repay at your own pace
Meet maintenance requirements and pay back your principal whenever you want; you’re only billed for interest monthly. 

Flexible funds to
invest or spend

Stay invested while you spend. Margin can be used for just about anything—consolidating debt, making a big purchase or taking advantage of investment opportunities.  

Strategic borrowing for savvy investors

Margin gives you a line of credit based on investments in your portfolio. Unlike a credit card or a personal loan,3 it’s secured by your investments, so there’s no minimum payment or late fees. You’re billed for interest monthly—you can pay back the principal when you please.  

M1 Margin rate:

7.25% – 8.75% 

Average credit card APR:

20.75%*

Average personal loan interest rate:

11.48%**

As of March 2024 

Your M1 margin HQ  

Find built-in margin on the Borrow tab. From here, you can:

Your margin questions,
answered

Looking for more detail? Visit the M1 Help Center.

A Margin Loan is a type of secured loan that allows you to borrow against the value of the securities you already own in your M1 Individual Brokerage Account, Joint Brokerage Account, and/or Trust Account. It is an interest-bearing loan that uses your underlying securities (eg. stocks, ETFs, bonds or mutual funds) as collateral to act as a flexible line of credit when you need it.   

Any M1 client who has $2,000 or more invested in an M1 Individual Brokerage Account, Joint Brokerage Account, or Trust Account is eligible for an M1 Margin Loan. 

The portfolio line of credit is automatically available to you the next business day after you meet the eligibility requirements and there is no application process or paperwork needed.

All M1 Individual and Joint Brokerage Accounts come with a margin feature by default. Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs and Custodial Accounts are not eligible for Margin Loans. Trust Accounts without a Margin and Short Agreement are not eligible for Margin Loans.   

Always read the associated disclosures for margin lending. M1’s margin base rate is variable and tracks the Federal Funds Rate. When the Federal Funds Rate goes up or down, the M1 base rate will follow.  

If your portfolio value declines, your account can trigger a maintenance call and we may need to sell a portion of your portfolio to cover the loan. 

If you use proceeds to buy additional securities in your M1 portfolio, the potential losses in your portfolio will be magnified.  

 
Learn more about these and other risks in our Margin Disclosure. 

If your account value drops so that your equity value is below our maintenance threshold, M1 will issue a maintenance call. When a maintenance call is issued for your account, you will either need to deposit additional cash or sell a portion of your portfolio to resolve the maintenance call. 

1 M1 Margin Loans are available on margin accounts with at least $2,000 invested per account. Not all securities are available for M1 Margin Loans and the amount that may be borrowed against a security is subject to change without notice. Available margin amount(s) of M1 Margin Loans may require greater than $2,000 per Brokerage Account. Not available for Retirement and Custodial accounts. Margin rates may vary.  

2 Funds available in minutes in M1 Spend or M1 Invest accounts, may take up to 6 business days in external banks. 

3 Learn the difference between a Margin Loan and a Personal Loan: https://m1.com/margin-loan-vs-personal-loans/.