The 5 Best Investments in My Self-Directed IRA

For those that have taken the plunge and rolled their IRA over into a self-directed IRA, a number of investment options are now at your fingertips. The question then becomes: what should you invest in? While the answer is going to differ depending on your own personal interests and acuities, these are some of the most exciting options available.

#1. Real Estate

Real estate is hot right now and the market for the right kind of investor is fantastic. It’s going to take a willingness to get your hands dirty. There are a number of dilapidated or run-down properties that are not up to rental codes all across the country. But the property itself has never been more valuable. Anyone willing to restore the property to livable conditions can make a killing flipping it or renting it out.

IRA money can provide the starting capital to do this, especially when combined with a non-recourse loan. Non-recourse loans require that you only provide 35-50% of the money down. A savvy investor can use that to stretch their IRA capital across multiple properties.

#2. Business Equity

Investors looking to purchase equity in a business can make excellent returns to fatten their IRA. The one restriction is that the business must be a completely separate venture from yourself and certain family members. That also means that there are restrictions on your personal involvement in the business. You may also be required to pay UBIT (unrelated business income tax). You’ll want to make sure that a financial advisor or lawyer oversees the legalities, but a number of individuals are using their IRA to successfully invest in business equity.

#3. Private Lending for Real Estate Ventures

Any means of jumping on the real estate bandwagon right now is a smart move. This is largely because there is such a huge demand for housing and rental properties. It remains a huge need for many areas, so even those that aren’t willing to deal with restoring the properties themselves, overseeing the repairs, or dealing with tenants can still make a good amount of money simply lending to those who will.

#4. Cryptocurrencies

Despite their reputation for volatility, many believe that cryptocurrencies are the wave of the future. The reason for this is that the distributed ledger technology on which they are based provides a decentralized approach to preventing counterfeiting. While most cryptocurrencies are tied to the relative success of Bitcoin, many others are attempting to fix the many serious problems that Bitcoin has. Investing in these ventures through ICO’s is a high-risk high-reward prospect that, if successful, will pay off major dividends.

#5. LLC Shares

Investing in shares of LLCs provides an excellent opportunity for passive income. Again, it’s a matter of doing the research and vetting the company, but for those that want to take a hands-on approach to their IRA, it also provides an excellent opportunity to see steady returns. You’ll want an attorney to take a look at the operating agreement so that it doesn’t conflict with federal restrictions on IRAs, but if set up properly, it will give you the opportunity to earn a solid passive income.


Last Updated: 
March 16, 2018

Scott Royal Smith is an asset protection attorney and long-time real estate investor. He's on a mission to help fellow investors free their time, protect their assets, and create lasting wealth.

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