Insight

With a Self-Directed IRA, you Choose your own Investments

With a Self-Directed IRA, you Choose your own Investments | cpa in baltimore city | Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra

If you’re the type who would rather order ala carte rather than a set entrée, you might prefer a “self-directed” IRA. With this option, you may be able to amp up the benefits of a traditional or Roth IRA by enabling them to hold nontraditional investments of your choosing that can potentially offer greater returns. However, self-directed IRAs present pitfalls that can lead to unfavorable tax consequences.

Estate Planning Benefits

IRAs are designed primarily as retirement-saving tools, but if you don’t need the funds for retirement, they can provide a tax-advantaged source of wealth for your family. For example, if you name your spouse as beneficiary, your spouse can roll the funds over into his or her own IRA after you die, enabling the funds to continue growing on a tax-deferred basis (tax-free in the case of a Roth IRA).

You Control the Investments

A self-directed IRA is simply an IRA that gives you complete control over investment decisions. IRAs typically offer a selection of stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Self-directed IRAs (available at certain financial institutions) offer greater diversification and potentially higher returns by permitting you to select virtually any type of investment. The investment types include real estate, closely held stock, limited liability company interests and partnership interests, loans, precious metals, and commodities (such as lumber and oil & gas).

Self-directed IRAs offer the same estate planning benefits as other IRAs, but they allow you to transfer virtually any type of asset to your heirs in a tax-advantaged manner. Self-directed Roth IRAs are particularly powerful estate planning tools because they offer tax-free investment growth.

Beware the Prohibited Transaction Rules

The most dangerous traps for self-directed IRAs are the prohibited transaction rules. These rules are designed to limit dealings between an IRA and “disqualified persons,” including account holders, certain members of account holders’ families, businesses controlled by account holders or their families, and certain IRA advisors or service providers.

Among other things, disqualified persons may not sell property or lend money to the IRA, buy property from the IRA, provide goods or services to the IRA, guarantee a loan to the IRA, pledge IRA assets as security for a loan, receive compensation from the IRA, or personally use IRA assets.

The penalty for engaging in a prohibited transaction is severe: the IRA is disqualified and all of its assets are deemed to have been distributed on the first day of the year in which the transaction takes place, subject to income taxes and, potentially, penalties.

This makes it virtually impossible to manage a business, real estate or other investments held in a self-directed IRA. So, unless you’re prepared to accept a purely passive role with respect to the IRA’s assets, this strategy isn’t for you.

 

As always, please do not hesitate to call our offices for additional information and to speak to your representative if you’re considering a self-directed IRA and how this could affect your situation.

 

© 2021

 

Related Insights

Make year-end tax planning moves before it’s too late! - estate planning CPA in Harford County MD - Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra

Estate & Wealth Transfer Planning

Make year-end tax planning moves before it’s too late!

With the arrival of fall, it’s an ideal time to begin implementing strategies that could reduce your tax burden for both this year and next. One…
Planning your estate? Don’t overlook income taxes - Estate Planning CPA in Elkton MD - weyrich, cronin and sorra

Estate & Wealth Transfer Planning

Planning your estate? Don’t overlook income taxes

The current estate tax exemption amount ($13.61 million in 2024) has led many people to feel they no longer need to be concerned about federal…
Watch out for “income in respect of a decedent” issues when receiving an inheritance - tax accountant in washington dc - weyrich, cronin and sorra

Estate & Wealth Transfer Planning

Watch out for “income in respect of a decedent” issues when receiving an inheritance

Most people are genuinely appreciative of inheritances, and who wouldn’t enjoy some unexpected money? But in some cases, it may turn out to…

Connect with us

Use the form below to send us an email. WCS responds directly to all inquiries and general questions within 24 hours of posting.

This contact form is deactivated because you refused to accept Google reCaptcha service which is necessary to validate any messages sent by the form.