Provision record
Acorns · Acorns Terms of Service · View original document ↗

Investment Risk Disclaimer — No Guaranteed Returns

Low severity Common · 287 of 352 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Acorns explicitly states that investing through their platform can lose you money, and they make no promise about returns or performance.

This analysis describes what Acorns's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This disclaimer allocates investment risk to the user and defines the scope of Acorns' performance obligations as limited to service provision rather than outcome guarantees. The provision establishes the baseline understanding that investment outcomes depend on market conditions rather than platform performance.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Aug 5, 2026

The updated terms clarify FDIC insurance protections for Acorns Checking depositors. The prior disclosure stated that Acorns Checking itself is not FDIC-insured; the updated language states that balances held with Lincoln Savings Bank or nbkc bank, including those in Acorns Checking accounts, are insured up to $250,000 per depositor through these member banks, with separate coverage for joint account owners. The updated terms preserve the disclosure that funds may be placed at other FDIC-insured depository institutions through a deposit network service. The revised ATM language specifies access to 'over 55,000 fee-free ATMs' rather than a general reference to the AllPoint Network.

View change record →

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
4
Months Monitored
Apr 18, 2026
First Seen
Apr 18, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 4261 other provisions on other platforms.

Change history

removed May 12, 2026

Removal of explicit investment risk and no-guarantee disclaimers from the main Terms of Service may reduce the prominence of critical risk warnings to users.

View full change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

All investment risk is borne solely by you as the user — Acorns takes no responsibility for losses, and this disclaimer may limit your ability to claim damages from investment losses in any arbitration or legal proceeding.

How other platforms handle this

Glassdoor Medium

We employ physical, electronic, and managerial measures to safeguard the data we collect online. However, no company can fully eliminate security risks, so we cannot make guarantees about any part of our services.

Netflix Medium

ANY INTERACTIONS WITH ADVERTISERS, INCLUDING THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH INTERACTIVE ADVERTISEMENTS, ARE AT YOUR OWN OPTION AND RISK AND YOU AGREE THAT NETFLIX IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES...

Datadog Medium

When you access or use a Third-Party Service, you are interacting with the applicable third party, not with Datadog, and you do so at your own risk.

See all platforms with this clause type →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
INVESTING INVOLVES RISK. THE VALUE OF AN INVESTMENT WILL FLUCTUATE AND CAN GO DOWN AS WELL AS UP. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. ACORNS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL ACHIEVE A PARTICULAR LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE OR THAT YOU WILL NOT LOSE THE MONEY YOU INVEST.

Excerpt from Acorns's Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: Investment risk disclaimers are required under SEC and FINRA regulations for registered investment advisers (Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Rule 206(4)-1 advertising rules) and broker-dealers (FINRA Rule 2210 on communications with the …

Insight

Unlock the full institutional analysis

Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • Securities And Exchange Commission (sec)
    Regulates securities markets and investment platforms. Can investigate broker-dealers, investment advisers, and trading platforms for violations of securities laws.
    Who can file: Anyone with knowledge of a possible securities law violation
    What you need: Description of the potential violation, names of individuals or companies involved, relevant dates, and any supporting documents or evidence
    What to expect: Tips are reviewed by SEC staff. The SEC may open an investigation but is not required to take action on every tip. Whistleblowers may be eligible for financial awards if the tip leads to enforcement.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Acorns Terms of Service
Entity
Acorns
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 18, 2026
Last verified
April 18, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002887
Document ID
CA-D-00171
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
3556a6294c711a9f21e9724c15204e0cd4633d587f15678cae73f7e8ac9a9bb4
Analysis generated
April 18, 2026 10:31 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Acorns
Document: Acorns Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-002887
Captured: 2026-04-18 10:31:41 UTC
SHA-256: 3556a6294c711a9f…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/acorns/acorns-terms-of-service/provision/CA-P-002887/investment-risk-disclaimer-no-guaranteed-returns/
Accessed: Sept. 8, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Low
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Acorns's Investment Risk Disclaimer — No Guaranteed Returns clause do?

This disclaimer allocates investment risk to the user and defines the scope of Acorns' performance obligations as limited to service provision rather than outcome guarantees. The provision establishes the baseline understanding that investment outcomes depend on market conditions rather than platform performance.

How does this clause affect you?

All investment risk is borne solely by you as the user — Acorns takes no responsibility for losses, and this disclaimer may limit your ability to claim damages from investment losses in any arbitration or legal proceeding.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 287 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Acorns?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Acorns.