We all have our internal “scripts” for why some people become rich. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Or “that person just got lucky investing in a single stock. If I was that lucky, I’d be rich too.” But the truth is, many investors increase their odds for success because they take […]
When your IRA is managed by an entity of your employer’s choosing, you may be limited to traditional options. When you choose to open a Self-Directed IRA, however, the range of options becomes much broader. With a Self-Directed IRA, you are afforded the freedom to invest in non-traditional assets. In this guide, we will outline […]
When we talk about Self-Directed IRAs and how it’s possible for investors to use them for all sorts of alternative asset classes, many people think about traditional stocks. If there is so much freedom possible with a Self-Directed IRA, why can’t an investor simply use a retirement account to invest in whatever stocks they please? […]
Some of the most frequent questions we get here at American IRA deal with the differences between retirement accounts. What separates them? What do they stand for? What are their peculiar rules? And because it’s important to establish these ground rules, we sometimes respond to these answers with a round of FAQ. Today, we are […]
Self-Directed IRAs go back as far as the first Traditional IRAs, authorized by Congress in 1974. Since then, many people have taken advantage of these retirement accounts to build a sizeable nest egg for their retirement. Yet you’d be surprised at how many people don’t know the full range of potential asset types they can […]
Before you open a Self-Directed IRA, it’s imperative that you understand that your investments are your responsibility. Of course, you may have enlisted the help of a financial advisor, and you are required to secure a custodian for your account. Understanding that you have more responsibilities with a Self-Directed IRA is paramount; however, remember that […]
For most retirement investors, the idea of using a Tax Lien to generate retirement income might seem like a foreign idea. After all, most people are not Tax Lien investors. But as CNBC noted a few years back, “more than $14 billion in property taxes goes unpaid across the United States.” It’s a larger asset […]
For people thinking about retirement, one of the top questions is how to get started. But with some Self-Directed IRA accounts, the question shifts tremendously when you reach a certain age. That’s especially true with a Self-Directed Roth IRA, one of the few after-tax retirement accounts. Because you can invest after-tax money into a Self-Directed […]
When an investor holds real estate within a Self-Directed IRA, the temptation is to think of it like any other transaction. That means that you may want to step in and collect rent yourself. But when you have the tax advantages of an IRA working in your favor, there are certain rules that separate you […]
For many people, retirement investing is not about selecting a portfolio or trying to get the best investment. It’s about reducing something that cuts into your returns: fees. Large fees have undone a lot of great investment decisions in the past—even if someone selects a well-performing asset, that asset can be cut down by the […]