Articles
New 2019 U.S. GAO Report on IRA Prohibited Transaction Exemptions
The Government Accountability Office ("GAO") issued their most recent report on self-directed IRAs and concluded that the IRS and DOL should do more to collaborate on prohibited transactions in IRAs. The report and the GAO's work was an excellent analysis of some of...
Properly Completing IRS Form W-9 for Your IRA/LLC or Checkbook Control IRA
Many self-directed IRA investors use an IRA/LLC (aka "checkbook-controlled IRA") to hold their self-directed IRA investments. For an overview, see my video here. When using the IRA/LLC structure, the name of the LLC is on title to the assets, and the LLC’s bank...
Three Unique Benefits of Health Savings Accounts You Never Knew
HSAs (“Health Savings Accounts”) are growing in popularity as Americans are discovering significant tax savings with these accounts. Why are they popular? There are many reasons why; some well known and others not so well known. Let's start with the primary benefits...
Critical Beneficiary Designation Rules for Your IRA or Other Retirement Accounts
When you establish an IRA, 401(k), or other retirement account you are required to designate the beneficiary of that account so that the institution/custodian holding the account knows who will receive the account upon your death. You will die one day (sorry for the...
Buying a Retirement Home With Your Self-Directed IRA
A common self-directed IRA question is, “Can I buy a future retirement home with my IRA?” Yes, you can buy a future retirement home with your IRA, but you need to understand the rules and drawbacks before doing so. First, keep in mind that IRAs can only hold...
How to Fund Your Start-Up with Self-Directed IRA Investors
There are 28 trillion dollars in retirement plans in the United States. Do you know that these funds can be invested into your business? Yes, it’s true, IRAs and 401(k)s can be used to invest in start-ups, private companies, real estate, and small businesses....
Pay the IRS or Lose Your Passport
The IRS recently announced that the State Department will be denying passports, and may revoke yours if you have a "seriously delinquent tax debt." A seriously delinquent tax debt is where you owe more than $52,000 (including interest and penalties). While this law...
Investing in Real Estate with an IRA: The Most Overlooked Opportunity in Real Estate
IRAs are the most overlooked opportunity in real estate. Let me explain. First, there are over 9 Trillion Dollars in IRA accounts in the U.S. This number is staggering and makes IRAs one of the largest sections of investable cash in the world. Source,...
Roth IRA Distributions Before Age 59 ½
Every Roth IRA account owner knows that the main benefit of the Roth IRA is that there are no taxes due on withdrawals taken after the account owner is 59 ½. However, what taxes or penalties apply to distributions taken before the Roth IRA owner reaches 59 ½? Roth IRA...
2018 Tax Reporting for Your Self-Directed IRA
Self-Directed IRA investors should be aware of their self-directed IRA tax reporting responsibilities. Some of these items are completed by your custodian and others are the IRA owner’s sole responsibility. Here’s a quick summary of what should be reported to the IRS...