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For 40 years, The Entrust Group has provided account administration services for self-directed retirement and tax-advantaged plans. Entrust can assist you in purchasing alternative investments with your retirement funds, and administer the buying and selling of assets that are typically unavailable through banks and brokerage firms.
A self-directed IRA is an individual retirement account that gives you complete control over your investment choices. Unlike other IRAs, you’re not limited to stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. This means you can take advantage of investing in alternative assets - such as real estate, LLCs, mortgage notes, precious metals, and tons of other alternative assets
It’s a common misconception that the only investments allowed in a retirement account are stocks, bonds, CDs or mutual funds. In reality, more investment options have been available since 1975, when IRAs were introduced as part of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. With the passage of the Small Business Jobs Protection Act of 1996, Congress allows certain precious metals to be held under an IRA.
Benefits of a self-directed IRA include the tax-deferment of earnings on investments purchased by contributions to the accounts. Additional benefits include potential tax-deduction for contributions and potential tax-free distribution of earnings depending on the type of IRA. To receive the retirement tax benefits the account must be governed by a Trust document that contains the rules stated under the IRS. Investments must also be held by an approved institution for the IRA investor to avoid taxation, like Entrust.
Typically, financial institutions offer investments under the umbrella of an IRA to attract investors to the investments they offer. Self-directed IRA providers, on the other hand, do not offer any investments. Instead, they offer the services of providing the necessary documentation, trust or custody services of the investments and perform the required government reporting for the IRA.
Yes. It's up to the investor to locate, investigate and determine the investment that they choose to hold under their IRA. This platform allows for access to a broader range of investments available to the IRA holders and not be limited to the investments the financial institution offers. Some examples of popular investments chosen by IRA holders include real estate, mortgage notes, precious metals, private placements and other alternative investments.
Here are some of the alternative investment options that our current clients have taken advantage of with their self-directed IRA:
There are only three types of investments that are not permitted within a self-directed IRA: life insurance contracts, collectibles (with some exceptions for coins and metals), and S corporations.
The most popular accounts include Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. In addition to retirement plans, Entrust also administers self-directed Health Savings Accounts and Educational Savings Accounts. These plans help reduce costs for health and education expenses and provide a way to save on a tax-deferred basis.
A Traditional IRA allows individuals to put aside tax-deferred money for retirement. Contributions may be used as a tax deduction if the individual is eligible. The earnings on the contributions grow tax-free but will be taxed upon distribution. A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account that is funded with post-tax dollars (no deduction). All earnings including interest, capital gains, and dividend income, grow tax-deferred. However, yearly eligibility requirements based on income must be met to determine the eligibility to contribute.
Yes, our small business plans offerings include SEP and SIMPLE plans as well as the Individual 401(k) plans which are for employers who employ only owners and their spouses.
A SEP IRA (or Simplified Employee Pension plan) is a profit sharing type of plan that allows for a contribution of up to 25% of each employee’s compensation. A SIMPLE IRA (or Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) is an employer retirement plan that has similar characteristics to a 401(k). The difference is the plan is not subject to the additional yearly mandatory compliance test that typical 401(k) plans are subject to as well as the maximum contributions are lower. Lastly, an Individual 401(k), is designed for employers who only employ owners and their spouses.
Since Entrust does not offer, provide nor endorse investment, it is up to the client to conduct proper due diligence with the investments they choose. Entrust does not and cannot guarantee any investment.
The uninvested cash held in an Entrust Individual Retirement Arrangement is placed only in government-insured institutions and is insured up to $5 million. The uninvested cash is available to fund an investment for the account permitted by the IRA Custodial Agreement. Entrust does not offer any investments or investment advice. As stated in disclosures provided to IRA holders, Entrust does not guarantee any investment(s) chosen by the account IRA holder. The custodian of all IRAs held at Entrust is The Entrust Trust Company which is regulated by the State of Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions where the Trust Company is chartered as a non-depository bank in compliance with 26 U.S. Code Section 408 Individual Retirement Accounts
To comply with the IRS reporting requirements, plan assets must be valued at fair market value, not cost. According to the IRS, the Fair Market Value (FMV) is value of a property or asset, based on what a knowledgeable, willing, and unpressured buyer would likely pay to a knowledgeable, willing, and unpressured seller in the market. Entrust being the custodian of the IRA requires different levels of asset valuation depending on what purpose the valuation is being used for.
It is always recommended to seek the assistance of a tax, investment or legal expert before entering into any transaction so that they can guide you through the information you need to know to make an informed decision. These professionals can help your source your investment, conduct proper due diligence and discuss risks and rewards. If you decide that self-directing is for you, The Entrust Group can help you get started.
Some of the main components of our services include providing the necessary documentation and performing the annual required government reporting for your IRA. Our team of professionals understands the self-direction process first-hand, and they are here to help be sounding board to answer all your IRA rules. To serve you in your area, Entrust has more office locations than any other self-directed IRA administrator. We help clients and professionals understand the broad spectrum of alternative investment options, including industry tips and strategies, as well as the benefits of self-directed investing.
There is a $50 fee to establish an account. There are other fees associated with a self-directed IRA at Entrust: annual recordkeeping, purchase and sale of asset and transaction fees. Click here to view our fee schedule.
Documentation will vary depending upon the asset being purchased. However, the documentation required will be the same as if you were purchasing the asset in your non-retirement account. The only thing to keep in mind is that it is your IRA that is making the investment and not you personally. You are merely directing the Custodian to invest in an investment on your behalf.
There are three basic steps to begin self-directing your IRA funds:
Once you have opened your self-directed IRA, you need to decide how you want to fund your account. Choose one of three options to get started with your investments: an IRA transfer from another IRA, a direct rollover from an employer plan, or a contribution to your new IRA.
A transfer is a direct movement of assets from your previous IRA custodian to another such as Entrust. If you are transferring your IRA from another institution, the transfer request will be initiated by Entrust who will be receiving the funds. This can only be done between like IRAs (i.e., Traditional to Traditional, Roth to Roth etc.) There no limitations on the number of transfers you can conduct.
A direct rollover is
To transfer your current IRA savings account to a self-directed IRA, Entrust will initiate the transfer once we receive your request to do so. You must first establish an IRA of the same type at Entrust. Entrust will also need a copy of your current IRA statement from the other financial institution.
In some plans there is a provision called an in-service distribution which will give you access to vested employer contributions that have been in your account for a period of 2 years. Once you have determined with your employer that you can directly rollover your funds, the first step is to establish an IRA at Entrust. Your pre-tax dollars will need to be rolled over to a Traditional IRA. If you have a designated Roth account in your 401(k) you will need to establish a Roth IRA to receive those funds.
Your cash will sit in a non-interest bearing checking account in your IRA and the account is FDIC insured.
You can transfer funds as often as you wish between any of your IRAs of the same type at any financial institution.
A recharacterization is a mechanism that allows a taxpayer to move a current year’s contribution from one type of IRA to a different type of IRA. This transaction is not taxable and must be completed prior to the tax return due date, including extensions. In most cases, the deadline is October 15 if someone filed their taxes timely.
IRA excess contributions occur when an IRA holder makes a contribution that is not eligible. Other types of circumstances can cause an excess contribution. Rollovers in IRAs that are beyond the statutory 60-day period or rollovers that exceed beyond the limit of one per twelve-month period is reclassified as a current year contribution to the receiving IRA. While not automatically considered an excess contribution, it is treated as an excess contribution especially if the amount exceeds what is allowed according to law.
You are not required to recharacterize the full contribution. A taxpayer may recharacterize any portion of a contribution. Since the earnings or loss associated with the amount must be recharacterized, the proportionate percentage of earning or loss must be moved along with the contribution.
There is no limit on the number of recharacterizations a taxpayer can conduct in a tax year. There is, however, a deadline on when this transaction must be completed. That is the taxpayer’s tax return due date, plus extension. There is a special rule however that if the tax payer files their taxes timely they get the automatic tax extension to recharacterize. In this case, since the tax payer may have filed their tax return already, an amended return will need to be filed.
Here are two examples of taxpayer benefits.
Example 1: A SIMPLE IRA owner has been contributing for eight months. Without knowing the rules, he transferred his SIMPLE IRA assets to his Traditional IRA at another administrator to consolidate his investments. He was told later by his CPA that this was a violation of the rules. To correct the error, the taxpayer may recharacterize the Traditional IRA assets back to the SIMPLE IRA – as if the transaction never transpired. The administrator, at the end of the year, will report the transactions to the IRS and the IRA holder, showing the movement of the assets.
Example 2: A Roth IRA holder makes a contribution and later finds out that he was not eligible to make a Roth IRA contribution because he exceeds the Modified Adjusted Gross Income limits to contribute to the Roth IRA. He may recharacterize his Roth IRA contribution to the Traditional IRA since there is no income limit when determining eligibility for Traditional IRA contributions.
Yes. Your IRA may obtain a non-recourse loan, but keep in mind that in a non-recourse loan, you may not use your personal credit to facilitate the loan. The IRA is the borrower of the note and deed of trust, and the loan documents are signed by Entrust on behalf of the IRA at the direction of the IRA holder.
No, using an IRA asset to secure a personal loan is prohibited. Any amounts on an IRA pledged for a loan becomes taxable.
The contract must be vested in the name of the retirement plan because the IRA and the IRA holder are two separate entities. The proper way to handle this is to start a new contract using the correct vesting.
No. However, you can request the funds in your IRA to be sent to you as a distribution.
The property doesn’t have to be rented as long as the IRA has sufficient cash to pay for all the expenses related to the property. If there is insufficient cash to cover the expenses, the IRA holder has the option to rent the property, transfer funds from another IRA, make a contribution, or liquidate other IRA assets to pay for the expenses. Additionally, investors can fix and flip homes or hold on to rental properties for a flow of passive income with a Real Estate IRA.
No, but Entrust does permit the IRA owner to receive the rental income for record keeping, but the actual funds must be sent to Entrust for depositing. You cannot pay yourself income from profits generated from your IRA’s rental property as it is considered self-dealing.
No, it is not required. Some of our clients, however, choose to use a property manager for the purpose of consolidating the various expenses. Another advantage, if you are partnering with others, is that your tenants do not have to write multiple rental checks to the various investors. They just write one to the property manager, who then distributes the percentages accordingly.
If the property is being managed by a property manager, the property manager collects the rent and sends it to Entrust for deposit, along with the profit and loss statement. It is preferred if the profit and loss statement is sent monthly. If a property management company is not managing the property, the rental income should be deposited directly to the IRA account.
Essentially it’s your IRA that owns the property and not you personally. Any income or expenses from an asset within your IRA must be received and paid via the IRA. You cannot use personal funds to pay for expenses incurred by the asset within your retirement account. See IRS Code 4975 for more information.
You have a few options: Make your yearly contribution to your IRA account if you are eligible to make one, transfer funds from another IRA account, liquidate other IRA assets to free funds, get a non-recourse loan, or sell the asset.
First, verify that the title can be held in the name of the IRA. Some countries require that land be held in the name of an entity. In this situation, you may need to establish an entity to proceed with the purchase. It is best to involve a legal counsel and other advisors knowledgeable of the specific the country’s laws before purchasing offshore property. You should allow for additional time to close an offshore real estate transaction.
Consult with your real estate professional, legal and tax advisors to assist you with performing the necessary due diligence on the property to fit your individual needs. Some things to do are:
A non-recourse loan is a loan that is secured only with collateral, which is usually the property. If the borrower (IRA) defaults, the lender can seize the collateral, but cannot seek to collect from anyone else including the IRA holder—The lender has no recourse—for any further compensation, even if the collateral does not cover the full value of the defaulted amount. In this situation, the IRA holder does not have personal liability for the loan. The IRA owner must do the research to source out non-course loan lenders.
“Unrelated business income” is income from a trade or business, regularly carried on (showing frequency and continuity), that is not substantially related to the purpose of a retirement account. The Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) was created by the Congress to level the playing field for businesses established under the umbrella of a tax-exempt entity, not to have a competitive advantage over other businesses outside of a retirement plan. Both should shoulder their tax responsibility.
Unrelated Debt-Financed Income (UDFI) is generated when an IRA borrows money to purchase real estate. UDFI is the result of Acquisition Indebtedness on the portion the IRA investment purchased using a loan. Having UDFI also will require filing an IRS Form 990-T.
No, a Precious Metals IRA, or Gold IRA, is a type of self-directed IRA that invests and holds precious metals. When you choose to invest in precious metals with your IRA, you determine all aspects of the investment, including the type and kind of metal, the dealer from whom the metals are purchased, as well as the approved depository at which the metals will be stored.
Precious metals can be held in your IRA in the form of physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion products. The precious metals allowed in an IRA must meet their respective minimum fineness requirement:
Please refer to the Precious Metals Center webpage for more information on which metals are allowed in a Precious Metals IRA.
Yes. When you establish an IRA with Entrust, you may invest your IRA funds into any alternative assets permitted under the Internal Revenue Code.
No. You can only fund your account in the following ways: cash contribution, cash, and in-kind rollover or transfer from another custodian to Entrust.
Technically, you do not own the physical metals; your IRA owns them. You may take a distribution in-kind at any time. However, it is a taxable event and you may be subject to the early withdrawal penalty.
Some IRAs allow certificates. However, Entrust does not allow precious metals certificates.
You may not take possession of the metals while they are held in the IRA. Metals purchased in an IRA are transferred directly into the depository in the name of the IRA. However, you may take a distribution of the precious metal assets, which is a taxable event and you may be subject to the early distribution penalty. There may be some restrictions for international holdings.
Entrust annually reports the value of the IRA to the IRS. Nothing else is reported to the government.
There are four fees associated with a self-directed IRA at Entrust: establishment, annual recordkeeping, purchase and sale of asset and transaction fees. There is also an annual storage fee from the depository you choose. Depending on the depository, these fees range from an average of $95 to $300. Click here to view our fee schedule.
Entrust does not sell or promote any products or vendors. Precious metals may be purchased from any dealer of your choice. Entrust strongly suggests that you perform a thorough due diligence on the dealer for security, including their business ratings, the dealer history, dealer affiliations, and proper review of the terms of agreement and pricing.
Yes, you may purchase from multiple dealers of your choice.
Because it is a self-directed IRA, you will need to negotiate the purchase price and the type of metals with the dealer yourself.
Yes, any past employer or individual retirement plan can be rolled over or transferred to Entrust.
