| Are your retirement funds shrinking with the | | | | retirement accounts, there's usually someone |
| current economic crisis looming? Well if it makes | | | | called an "investment adviser" who manages the |
| you feel any better, you're not the only one | | | | whole account and makes all the decisions about |
| feeling the effects of a slumping economy. But | | | | the transactions that take place in it. Operating |
| how would you like to learn how you can change | | | | this way, the adviser may not always act in the |
| this, and get back to increasing the bottom line of | | | | best interests of the account holder. |
| your retirement account, all by switching to a self | | | | And with a self directed IRA, you are allowed to |
| directed IRA? | | | | invest in a wide array of assets. Stocks, |
| If you are unhappy with the returns you're | | | | mortgages, franchises, partnerships, and private |
| currently getting with your IRA or 401K account, | | | | equity are just a few of the possible assets you |
| you can rollover the funds into a self directed IRA | | | | can invest in. This will allow you to keep a diverse |
| (otherwise known as a self managed IRA). A self | | | | portfolio, giving you more possibilities to increase |
| directed IRA requires the owner of the account, | | | | your returns. |
| as oppose to an account adviser, to make all | | | | Currently, real estate is one of the safest |
| decisions regarding every investment funded by | | | | investments out there using a self-directed IRA. |
| the IRA. Hold on, don't let me scare you away | | | | With the current spike in foreclosures, many |
| just yet... | | | | people have been forced to abandon their homes |
| Although this may sound a bit scary now, it's | | | | because they cannot make their mortgage |
| actually a good thing. The account holder is not | | | | payments. As a result, all of these people are |
| SOLELY responsible for every transaction that | | | | looking for affordable housing, whether they want |
| takes place in the account. An eligible "trustee" or | | | | to rent or get one with no money down. So, the |
| "custodian" is required by IRA regulations to hold | | | | demand for housing is considerably high at this |
| the assets in the self directed IRA on behalf of | | | | time. |
| the owner. | | | | How can you capitalize on this situation? If you |
| So basically how it works is: The custodian or | | | | have a decent amount of money saved up in |
| trustee listens to what the account holder wants | | | | your retirement account, you can leverage that |
| and then acts accordingly. The owner of the self | | | | money by rolling over the funds into a self |
| managed IRA is in full control of all the assets and | | | | directed IRA (usually with no penalty fees) and |
| transactions. The trustee or custodian is | | | | investing those funds in real estate property. |
| responsible for filing all the necessary paperwork, | | | | In fact, you can even find turn key solutions |
| keeping all required records, getting you financial | | | | where you only have to provide the funds, and a |
| reports, and all that good stuff. | | | | custodian will take care of EVERYTHING ELSE. |
| Can you see how this can be better than using a | | | | This includes the paperwork, the property search, |
| 401K account or a regular IRA to build your | | | | the renovations and repairs, the search for a |
| retirement security? With these kinds of | | | | buyer, and so on. |