Quick Verdict · who it fits
Motto fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale financial services concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$56K - $245K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$35K
System size (Item 20)
154 +2
Years in business
10+ yrs
Model Motto's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
154
Total units open
2
Units opened last year
January 1 – April 9, 2026
19
Units closed last year
January 1 – April 9, 2026 period
-17
Net unit growth
January 1 – April 9, 2026 ; -57 for full year 2025
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Motto ranks against 29 Financial Services peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
48th pct · of 29 peers
Franchise fee
51st pct · of 29 peers
System size
58th pct · of 29 peers
Financial Services industry averages
Avg investment
$58K - $182K
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
450
Franchises analyzed
29
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motto | Disclosed | $35K | $56K - $245K | — | 154 |
| The Retirement Income SourceSimilar price | Disclosed | $25K | $100K - $226K | 0% | 27 |
| Ameriprise Financial ServicesBiggest system | Disclosed | $2K | $10K - $138K | 72–91% | 3,738 |
| Brightway InsuranceTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $25K | $43K - $187K | — | 351 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
The 2025 FDD prices the initial franchise fee at $2,500, one of the lowest in our library, then sets the royalty at 30% to 60% of revenue. The franchised side of the system has shrunk by 574 offices in three years while the franchisor projects zero new ones.
Investment Guide
A franchise net worth requirement and a liquid capital requirement measure two very different things — and most rejected applicants fail the one they never checked. Here's how the math works at every investment tier.
Financial Analysis
Item 19 hands you an average revenue number and stops there. Here's the step-by-step way to haircut that top-line, layer in COGS, labor, occupancy, the fee stack, and debt service, and land on the profit you'd actually take home.
Motto requires a $35,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $55,700–$244,750, per the most recent FDD on file.
Motto franchises are sold by Motto Franchising, LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the corporate structure, including any parent companies and predecessors.
Yes. Motto discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of $2,500 fixed plus 25 BPs per transaction per month, capped at $1,000 per transaction and an advertising fund contribution of $350/month on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Motto has 154 total locations, with 2 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt