Posted about 10 years ago

Who’s Really in Control of Your Retirement Account?

Every day we talk to people who believed, when they setup their Self-Directed IRA elsewhere, that they were getting complete control of their Individual Retirement Account or 401(k).

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Then the reality sinks in. Although they have widened their investment options, their Retirement Accounts are still under the control of a custodian to make and manage their investments.

They feel inhibited because:

1. They are charged transaction fees and often a percentage of their account value.

2. They must deal through the custodian to make ALL of their investments.

3. They must deal according to their custodian’s timelines rather than their own.

4. Lastly, often they are forced to buy metals from one source with no freedom to shop around for the best pricing option, or they can only invest in investments through the custodian; and therefore have to transact and prepare all of the resulting paperwork through their custodian.

If this sounds sadly familiar and you want complete control consider a Checkbook IRA or a Solo 401(k). This is truly a self-controlled retirement account. With these two types of accounts you can manage your own investment. This means you can invest freely in any non-prohibited investments, pay minimal custodial fees and act immediately on any investment you choose without having deal with a third party and ask permission!

If that sort of freedom interests you, research checkbook controlled IRA’s or checkbook controlled solo 401(k)s.

Peter F. Rizzo | President