Insight & Updates

People have to live somewhere—and if you’re an investor, that works in your favor. As of 2021, there were about 82 million single family homes in the U.S., mostly owner-occupied. But renting a single-family home is a viable option for many. And from the investor’s perspective, holding a Real Estate IRA—or a Self-Directed IRA—is a …

A Self-Directed Solo 401(k) is a retirement account designed for self-employed individuals or business owners with no full-time employees, giving them control over investment decisions, including alternative assets. However, what sets a Self-Directed Solo 401(k) apart is the ability to make investment decisions without relying on a traditional financial institution’s pre-approved options. Instead, account holders …

A Self-Directed Coverdell Education Savings Account is a tax-advantaged ESA (education savings account) to help individuals invest for the long-term education expenses of a beneficiary, such as a child. These accounts make it possible to make tax-advantaged investments—and with self-direction, it’s possible to place those investments in real estate, private notes, precious metals, etc. That’s …

A Single Member IRA LLC is when you use a Self-Directed IRA to purchase an entire LLC that you set up, which gives you easier access to using that LLC’s checking account to make investments. It’s a flexible and affordable way to make retirement investments through your Self-Directed IRA without tons of red tape and …

Imagine owning a property that generates rent every month—rent that collects simply and easily into an IRA. As you focus on other things—family, work, friends—that property continues to generate a yield, giving you a hands-off way to invest in retirement. Well, that’s how rental real estate properties within a Self-Directed IRA work. And it may …

Headlines to open 2025 saw precious metals like gold heading to all-time highs. All sorts of economic news, such as tariffs and geopolitical saber-rattling, contributed to this. Which makes us wonder: are precious metals in a Self-Directed IRA a safe hedge for investors who worry about shaky economic headlines? And if so, why is that? …

If we asked you to define flexibility, we wouldn’t blame you if you talked about stretching your legs. Many investors don’t think about flexibility with their retirement accounts. They want a set-it-and-forget-it approach. But a Self-Directed Roth IRA offers a sort of flexibility you don’t always get out of your retirement accounts—the ability to use …

A Self-Directed SEP IRA, or a Self-Directed Simplified Employee Pension IRA, is a unique retirement account built for small business owners. Featuring high contribution limits and plenty of flexibility for investors, they can be ideal alternatives for 401(k) plans. However, there are some specific rules and quirks you’ll want to keep in mind if you’re …

Maybe you noticed: Bitcoin went over $100,000 for the first time recently. For investors who have been keeping their eyes on the market, further eyebrows were raised when BlackRock recommended a 2% allocation as a “reasonable range.” In other words? A new asset class is upon us. And if you want to keep more of …

A Self-Directed IRA can be a very powerful thing. With it, you can invest in real estate, private loans, and more—and you can start to guide your retirement in the direction you prefer. But it all starts with a simple question: how do you get started? And for many, that’s the barrier. They want to …