A — Tax-advantaged

The self-directed IRA, explained without the sales pitch.

A self-directed IRA is an ordinary IRA with a custodian willing to hold assets beyond stocks and funds. The tax rules are the same ones you already know. What changes is what's inside — and how much attention custody deserves.

Talk it through Compare with a taxable account

At a glance

Account type: Self-directed IRA
Funding: Rollover · transfer · contribution
Assets held by: Qualified custodian
Penalty-free access: Age 59½
Insured: No
Fees: Published in writing before you sign

Contribution limits and distribution rules are set by the IRS and change. Confirm current figures with a tax professional.

§ Mechanics

What actually moves.

A direct rollover never touches your hands

Funds go institution to institution. That matters: if a distribution is paid to you and not redeposited in time, it can be treated as taxable income, and possibly an early-withdrawal penalty. Direct transfers avoid the question entirely.

The custodian holds the assets, not us

The account is opened in your name with a qualified custodian. You get statements from them directly. We help you set it up and decide on an allocation — we don't take possession of your assets, and we can't move them.

Fees are stated up front, in dollars

Setup, annual custody, and any trading spread are written down before you commit. If a fee schedule is vague or only appears after you've funded an account, that's the thing to push on.

Getting out is part of the plan

Ask about the exit before the entry. Liquidation timelines, transfer-out fees, and how a distribution is processed all matter more than they sound like they do on the way in.

§ Risk

The case against doing this.

A retirement account is money you're unlikely to replace. Digital assets have drawn down more than 70% from a peak on several occasions, and recovery timelines have run for years. If a fall of that size would change your retirement date, the sizing is wrong — or the asset is.

There's also concentration risk: an IRA that holds one asset class has no internal ballast. And custody, however well handled, is a real operational risk that a bank deposit simply doesn't carry.

We say this on the product page on purpose. Read the full disclosures before you decide.

§ Enquiry

Start with a conversation.

No obligation, and no account is opened from this form.