The SEP IRA, or Simplified Employee Pension plan IRA, is essentially a way for employers to put aside money for their employee’s retirement. Think of it as an easy way to create a retirement benefit within your company. However, even if you do have a small company—or even a company of one—it can be an […]
Paperwork. Unless you have a slightly odd passion for it, it is likely not your favorite phrase in the world. And yet for many of us, paperwork is essential. It stores our more important information, it executes our most important contracts, and it finalizes our most important investments. The good news is that if you […]
In the world of retirement investing, it is always better to start earlier. Doing so allows you to take advantage of compounding returns, which is a fancy way of saying that the earlier you start, the more your tree can grow. But in the world of Self-Directed IRA investing, you might hear this aphorism: “The […]
As a parent, there may be nothing you do that is more important than invest in the education of your child. But not every parent knows how to maximize their investment dollar. Fortunately, there is an account known as a Coverdell Savings Account, or a Coverdell ESA (education savings account) that you can use to […]
A recent article in Forbes highlighted the different assets investors can own through a Self-Directed IRA: cryptocurrency, precious metals like gold and silver, startups, tax liens, and even foreign currencies. Yet when it highlighted real estate, Forbes noted, “there are a variety of special rules that govern investing in real estate via a Self-Directed IRA.” […]
The concept is simple: by holding an alternative asset class like precious metals in a retirement account, investors can hedge against other assets, such as stocks and bonds. But is it really as simple as that? As it turns out, when you use a Self-Directed IRA to hold precious metals—sometimes referred to as a “Gold […]
Many of us are familiar with the concept of a 401(k). It is a retirement plan that we typically get through an employer—and that employer often offers matching on our contributions, incentivizing us to make contributions throughout our working life. For this reason, a Solo 401(k)—especially a Self-Directed one—may not sound intuitive. That is why […]
Most retirement investors enjoy flexibility. With a Self-Directed Roth IRA, for example, many investors enjoy the idea that the money they put into that account can then grow tax-free. Because taxes are paid on the front end (investors do not get a tax deduction for contributing to a Roth IRA), investors then have the flexibility […]
Within the last month, we saw some incredible things happen on Wall Street. Most notably, a group of Reddit users known as “Wall Street Bets” took on the hedge funds in attempting a short squeeze on GameStop stock. This temporarily took over the financial headlines and had investors all over the world asking all sorts […]
What retirement accounts are best for which people? That is tough to define. What we can do here at American IRA is tell you all about what an account can do, and who might qualify for that account. One such account, for example, is the Self-Directed SEP IRA, which is a powerful way for investors […]