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Insight & Updates

Stay informed with the latest insights, industry trends, and expert perspectives on self-directed retirement investing.

How a Self-Directed IRA Can Help Investors Think Beyond the Stock Market

The stock market is great. We have nothing against it. But not every investor wants to invest in the stock market with every last dollar, either. That includes money in your retirement account. So, what can you do to hold retirement assets outside the stock market? Simple. Acquire a Self-Directed IRA. This method of arranging …

Can You Really Buy Real Estate with a Self-Directed IRA Without Breaking IRS Rules?

Imagine it: rather than stocks in your IRA, you hold real property. A single-family home generating monthly rent. Raw land, growing in price via appreciation. Whatever it is, the answer is yes: it’s possible to buy real estate within your Self-Directed IRA without breaking IRS rules. But what will investors need to know about this …

Using a Self-Directed Roth IRA for Raw Land Strategies

Want to feel secure in your retirement? Imagine a Roth IRA that owns land. Roth IRAs, as you know, are after-tax accounts that don’t require additional tax payments when you make withdrawals once hitting retirement age. And since land is scarce, holding raw land within a Self-Directed Roth IRA gives you the peace of mind …

Can a Self-Directed IRA Help You Beat Market Volatility?

Every market swing reminds investors just how little control they have over what happens next. But a Self-Directed IRA is different. You can use it to hold assets that don’t necessarily move in lockstep with Wall Street. That’s one of the biggest reasons these accounts have gained attention in recent years. Investors want steadier ground. …

Why Real Estate Feels Different Inside a Self-Directed IRA

They say that buying a house feels different than renting, because if it’s your first time, the feeling of ownership changes things. Now the house is yours. But what about when your IRA owns a piece of investment property? How does that change things? Holding real estate inside a Self-Directed IRA is indeed different than …

How Can a Self-Directed IRA Support a More Hands-On Retirement Plan?

You like to get your hands dirty? Welcome to the club. Here at American IRA, we’re all about self-direction. That means Self-Directed IRAs, or retirement accounts where you get to pick what investments end up inside them. But how does that work exactly? How can a Self-Directed IRA make your retirement feel more “hands-on”? And …

How Safe is a Self-Directed IRA? Breaking Down Custodians, Compliance, and Investor Risks

Everyone wants a safe retirement. The question is, what’s the best way to create a safe retirement? For many investors, the answer to that question is Self-Directed IRAs in which you can choose the investments you hold. For other investors…well, they sound like they’re a little too far off the beaten path. So how safe …

Should Investors Still Consider a Self-Directed Traditional IRA?

Is “traditional” always better? Not necessarily. Sometimes, sure. Other times, traditional simply means an old way of doing things. But the specific case of the Self-Directed Traditional IRA is a bit more complicated than these paradigms. There are reasons to contribute to a Traditional IRA, after all, and it will always help retirement investors to …

What Really Happens After Your Roth IRA Buys a Non-Traditional Asset

You know the traditional retirement assets. Stocks. Bonds. Index funds. And these can be great for many—you can even use them in a Self-Directed IRA. But what if you want something a little less traditional? What if you have experience with tax liens? Specific expertise with real estate? Then you may want a Self-Directed Roth …

Can a Self-Directed IRA Generate Rental Income for Retirement?

Pop quiz. What does it take to retire? The answer is simple: generating more money in passive income every month than you spend. That’s the whole equation. For many retirement investors, the answer for generating that income is in the form of property that generates rental income. A Self-Directed IRA—in which you hold real estate—is …