A Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) is a tax-advantaged account that allows you to save for retirement. This type of account gives you more flexibility by expanding your IRA investment options to include certain alternative investments. It also gives you more control over your investments by allowing you to manage them yourself. With a Self-Directed IRA, your investment options are not limited to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and similar asset classes that you’re usually restricted to with traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.

Potential benefits of investing with a Self-Directed IRA

Investing in alternative assets can be beneficial as it enables you to diversify your portfolio with assets from a variety of industries with typically low correlation to the stock market. Along with helping protect your portfolio against an economic downturn, alternative assets can also help protect your gains against inflation, as paper assets (such as bonds and equities) are most vulnerable to inflation. Making a direct investment into something that will produce income or provide an opportunity for a gain in value can remove middle-men and reduce fees.

A Self-Directed IRA can be helpful in maximizing your tax-efficient investment strategy.  Investments that spin-off interest and short-term capital gains are giving you taxable income that is taxed at your marginal tax rate, up to 37%. These investments are best held in your retirement accounts. Investments that give you returns in the form of long-term capital gains are taxed at, oftentimes, a lower rate of 0%, 15%, or 20%. These advantages, in addition to the tax benefits that come with holding an IRA, make Self-Directed IRAs an appealing option for many investors, regardless of experience level.

Direct investment is when an investor commits liquid capital into a deal or investment fund. Such would be as cash, check, wire, or ACH transfer.