Yes, you can move stocks from Robinhood to M1 via ACATS; only whole shares transfer and not eligible assets may be sent as cash.
Moving your portfolio between brokerages sounds tedious, but the process is automated and predictable. This guide walks through what moves, what turns into cash, fees you might see, and a step-by-step playbook to keep your plan on track.
What Actually Moves During A Brokerage Transfer
Most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs can shift “in-kind,” meaning the positions stay intact during the Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS) handoff. Fractional positions don’t ride along, and some security types aren’t accepted at the destination. The table below gives a quick scan before you start.
| Asset Or Item | Transfers? | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Whole shares of U.S. stocks/ETFs | Yes | Move in-kind through ACATS to your new account. |
| Fractional shares | No | Sold at the delivering firm; cash proceeds arrive at the new account. |
| Crypto | No | Held at a separate crypto entity; not part of ACATS. You’d need a wallet transfer, sell, or keep it separate. |
| Options | No | Not accepted at M1; either let them expire, close, or exclude in a partial move. |
| Mutual funds/OTC/foreign | Usually no | Often not eligible at M1; common paths are liquidation or keeping them at the old firm. |
| Cash balance | Yes | Sweeps with the transfer or arrives after residuals settle. |
| Dividends paid after the move | Yes | Late dividends and interest get “swept” to the new account later. |
How To Move Shares From Robinhood Into M1 (Step-By-Step)
1) Prep The Accounts
Open the matching account type at M1 (taxable, Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, etc.). Confirm your legal name, SSN, and contact info match the delivering account exactly. Mismatched data is the top reason for delays.
2) Decide Full Or Partial
A full move shifts everything eligible. A partial move lets you choose symbols and share counts. Use a partial move if you want to leave options, crypto, or specific lots behind.
3) Handle Fractionals And Not Eligible Assets
Only full shares flow through ACATS. If you hold fractional slices or instruments that the destination doesn’t accept, plan for sales at the delivering broker and the tax impact that follows. You can also wait and let the system liquidate the leftovers as part of the process, but planning the timing is cleaner.
4) Start The Request At M1
In M1, start an ACATS “transfer in.” You’ll select the firm, match the account type, and choose full or partial. If partial, you’ll enter tickers and share counts. Submit once your roster looks right.
5) Sit Tight While The Handoff Runs
During the window, the positions being moved are locked from trading. Fresh dividends, interest, or new tax lots created during the window can show up a bit later as residuals.
6) Rebuild Your Pie (If You Use One)
When shares land, put them inside your Pie or keep them “outside” if you prefer to manage them separately. If cash arrives from fractional sales, you can redeploy it with a single rebalance.
Fees, Costs, And Who Pays What
Delivering brokers often charge an ACATS-out fee. M1 doesn’t charge to receive assets. Some brokers run promotions to offset outbound fees, and promos change from time to time. Always check the current pages before you press submit.
Common Cost Items
- ACATS-out fee at the delivering broker: budget around $100 per account at many app-based brokers.
- IRA closure charge at the delivering broker: some firms add a retirement account closing fee.
- Taxes from forced sales: fractional slices or not eligible holdings that must be sold can trigger capital gains or losses.
Timing: How Long The Move Takes
For standard assets, ACATS tends to wrap up in about one trading week. Non-ACATS items or data corrections add time. The table below outlines the common stages so you know what to expect.
| Stage | What You See | Typical Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Submission | Request filed at M1 with account match and transfer choice. | Day 0 |
| Validation | Receiving and delivering firms verify your data. | Day 1–2 |
| Position freeze | Moving lots are locked; you can’t trade those shares. | Day 2–5 |
| Delivery | Whole shares appear at M1; cash shows as it settles. | Around Day 5–7 |
| Residual sweep | Late dividends/interest roll in after the main move. | Next 1–30 days |
Smart Ways To Avoid Transfer Headaches
Match The Account Types
Individual to Individual, Roth to Roth, Traditional to Traditional. Cross-type moves break. If you’re changing account type, do it with a rollover or conversion, not ACATS.
Pause New Buys During The Window
Fresh trades can spawn new tax lots that won’t be included in the original file. That leads to a second sweep or a bounced request. Stop scheduled buys for a short spell so the file stays stable.
Mind The Hold On New Deposits
Many brokers place a short hold on fresh deposits before they can exit. Wait until that hold clears before you kick off a move.
Check Margin And Borrowing
If you’re borrowing against the account, make sure the receiving account can allow the positions and any debit. If not, pay down the balance or choose a partial that avoids trouble.
Know How Crypto Fits
Crypto that lives in a separate entity doesn’t transfer through ACATS into a standard brokerage account. You can keep it where it is, sell and move cash, or use a wallet route if both sides allow it.
What Happens To Fractional Slices
Fractionals don’t travel through ACATS. They’re sold and the cash follows the main delivery. At M1, once the cash lands, Auto-Invest can redeploy according to your Pie targets, or you can place buys by hand.
Full Move Or Partial Move?
Full move: clean and simple when every holding is eligible as a whole share. All eligible assets shift, leftovers get liquidated, and your old account usually closes.
Partial move: you pick the tickers and share counts. Handy when you want to keep specific assets or time gains and losses across tax lots.
Taxes And Recordkeeping
Sales of fractional pieces and not eligible instruments can create reportable gains and losses. Cost basis and holding periods come over with the ACATS data, but statements from the delivering firm still matter at tax time. Download PDFs before you start so you have a complete record.
After Shares Arrive, What Next?
Slot Positions Into A Pie
Move each holding into your target Pie or keep it outside if you want to manage it separately. If you’re new to Pies, you can build one, set targets, and use Auto-Invest to keep allocations on track.
Reinvest Residual Cash
Late dividends and small cash sweeps appear in batches. Sweep them into your allocations on your next rebalance or deploy them as single buys if you prefer more control. Small credits can batch before you see them. Check after your next statement.
Verify Cost Basis
Within a few weeks, confirm lots and dates match your records. If a lot looks off, message customer service with the symbol and the tax lot date from your old statement.
Helpful Links While You Plan
Read the ACATS-out fee details and M1’s notes on what transfers. For timelines, plan the window around earnings dates or planned deposits.
If The Transfer Gets Rejected
Most rejections trace to data mismatches or unsettled activity. Start with the basics: the name on both accounts must match character-for-character, including middle names and suffixes. The account type must match too. If the delivering account is a Roth IRA, the receiving account needs to be a Roth IRA as well. Fixing the mismatch and resubmitting usually clears the issue within a few days.
Another blocker is fresh activity. New deposits and unsettled trades can stall the file. Wait for the deposit hold to age off and for trades to fully settle before resending. If a single symbol is the snag, re-file as a partial move and leave that one behind for now. You can always liquidate it later and send cash.
IRA And Other Tax-Advantaged Accounts
ACATS works for many retirement accounts, but the receiving account must be the same tax type. Direct rollovers and conversions use different workflows. If you want to convert Traditional to Roth, do that at the receiving firm after assets land, not during the handoff. Keep copies of year-end statements from the delivering custodian so your 5498 and 1099-R forms are easy to reconcile.
Some firms add a one-time IRA closure fee when you move a retirement account. Once the move finishes, review beneficiaries and re-elect dividends or Auto-Invest settings so the account behaves the way you expect.
Corporate Actions During The Window
Stock splits, mergers, and special dividends can cross the wires mid-transfer. The clearing firms handle these with adjustments after the main delivery. If you see a placeholder share count or a temporary cash credit, give the system a few business days to reconcile. If it still looks off, send customer service a message with the symbol, date, and what changed at the issuer.
Bottom Line
You can move a portfolio from the app-based broker to M1 with an ACATS request in M1. Plan for full shares to move, fractional pieces to turn into cash, and a timeline near one trading week for standard assets. With a small bit of prep, the move is straightforward.