Retirement Solutions - Self Directed IRA

is A Self-Directed IRA right for you?

Planning your retirement can be challenging, particularly in today’s economy. The ups and downs of the stock market alone should be enough to convince most investors of the importance of diversifying their retirement investments into a Global Asset Allocation (Stocks, Bonds, Commodities & Foreign Exchange). A Self-Directed IRA provides the opportunity for true diversification – something that most banks, brokerage firms and others that offer IRAs typically do not allow.

Of course, a Self-Directed IRA can invest in the mainstream investments such as stocks, mutual funds, and the like. It can even hold a brokerage account for trading. But it also allows investments in non-traditional or alternative investments such as Foreign Exchange, real estate, private limited partnerships, commodities, precious metals and more.

A Self Directed IRA offers tremendous investment flexibility, and investors can transfer IRAs held with mutual fund companies, banks, brokerage firms and other financial institutions into one IRA – and get the convenience of receiving one comprehensive statement to monitor all their investments. Not only will it save time, it may even reduce annual fees.

For those that have changed jobs or recently retired, rolling over from a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan to a Self-Directed IRA will offer greater choice and control.

Benefits from Tax-Deferred (OR Tax-Free) Growth

The single most powerful benefit offered by an IRA account is that it allows investments to grow on a tax-deferred basis in a traditional IRA or on a tax-free basis if you qualify for a Roth IRA. By utilizing the tax advantages IRAs have to offer, an investor is capable of significant growth beyond that of similar investments made outside of an IRA.

Other ways to garner significant growth in an IRA are to:

1. Make contributions annually
2. Start contributing to an IRA as early as possible
3. Rollover retirement savings when you change or leave a job

By utilizing the tax-deferred or tax-free benefits afforded by IRAs, investment earnings are able to grow at a much faster rate than those without this tax status.

We offer an IRA to meet every need -

• Traditional IRAs in which annual contributions may be fully or partially deductible and earnings are tax- deferred (usually when the individual is in a lower tax bracket during retirement).
• Roth IRAs in which annual contributions are not deductible, but withdrawals can be made at any age, tax-free and penalty-free.
• Rollover IRAs which allow retirement funds from another IRA or from an employer-sponsored retirement plan to remain tax-deferred until the time of withdrawal.
• SEP IRAs for small businesses in which the business contributes the same percentage of compensation for all eligible employees
• Simple IRAs for small businesses which permit employees to defer part of their salary on a tax-advantaged basis, as well as optional employer contributions.

Regardless of the type of IRA you choose, a Self-Directed IRA offers these features:

• Competitive IRA fees
• Flexibility to hold public and private or alternative investments – including precious metals, real estate, closely-held stock and more
• Ability to consolidate IRA assets
• Online account access to view account activity and balances
• Easy-to-read account statements

Setting up a Self-Directed IRA is easier than you think. VCG is proud to direct clients to consider opening Self-Directed IRAs through Sterling Trust Company.

Sterling Trust Company is one of the nation’s leading independent trust companies specializing in the administration of self-directed IRAs that offer the ability to hold alternative and private placement investments. Few financial institutions are set up to handle these in retirement accounts, so we wanted a leader with experience that offers proven efficiency and cost-effective service.

More on Sterling Trust Company:

STC Company Information

How To Guide

IRA Savings Comparison

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