{"id":840212,"date":"2026-10-08T08:17:04","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T08:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/?p=840212"},"modified":"2026-10-08T08:17:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T08:17:04","slug":"best-platforms-for-alternative-investing-in-a-retirement-account-charge-a-flat-fee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/best-platforms-for-alternative-investing-in-a-retirement-account-charge-a-flat-fee_840212.html","title":{"rendered":"Best Platforms for Alternative Investing in a Retirement Account Charge a Flat Fee"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Best<\/a><\/div>\n
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Self-Directed IRA platform for alternative investments in a retirement account<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
IRA Financial stands out among the best platforms for alternative investing in a retirement account, giving Self-Directed IRA investors access to real estate, private companies, crypto and precious metals for a flat $495 a year.<\/div>\n

SIOUX FALLS, SD – October 8, 2026 –<\/strong> Investors comparing the best platforms for alternative investing in a retirement account often find that fees tied to account value rise as their real estate, private equity or crypto holdings grow; IRA Financial, the best of them, charges a flat $495 annual fee for its Self-Directed IRA with no setup fee, regardless of account size.<\/p>\n

The idea traces back to 2008, when tax attorney Adam Bergman, Esq., was researching retirement options for a client and found the answer in a law library in about two hours: the tax code doesn’t spell out what an IRA is allowed to own, only a short list of what it can’t. Real estate, private businesses, promissory notes, tax liens, cryptocurrency and qualifying precious metals were all permitted, yet most traditional brokerages didn’t offer them. Bergman founded IRA Financial in 2010 to close that gap.<\/p>\n

Four factors separate a strong platform from a weak one: the range of assets it allows, how fees are calculated, how quickly investors can act on a deal, and whether tax and compliance help is available. IRA Financial offers all four, from real estate, private placements, crypto and precious metals to checkbook control and an in-house tax and compliance service.<\/p>\n

The rules matter as much as the platform. The IRS bars IRAs from holding collectibles such as art, antiques, gems, most coins and alcoholic beverages, as well as life insurance. An IRA also can’t engage in prohibited transactions with disqualified persons, a group that includes the account owner, their spouse, parents, children and grandchildren, and the spouses of their children and grandchildren. Selling property to the IRA, borrowing from it or personally using an asset it owns all count. If a prohibited transaction happens at any point during the year, the IRS says the account stops being an IRA as of the first day of that year and is treated as fully distributed at fair market value. That’s why checkbook control, which lets investors close deals directly from an IRA-owned LLC without waiting on custodian approval, works best when paired with in-house tax and compliance support.<\/p>\n

Fee structure matters more over time than it appears at signup. In a recent IRA Financial analysis of a $250,000 Self-Directed IRA growing 8% a year, the account reaches about $539,731 after 10 years. At a flat $495 a year, administration costs total $4,950 over that decade. At a tiered, asset-based custodian charging $1,000 to $1,500 a year as the balance climbs, the same account pays about $12,500, or $7,550 more, for the same administrative work.<\/p>\n

“The mistake I see most often is assuming the custodian is checking the deal for you,” said Adam Bergman, Esq., founder of IRA Financial. “Many custodians will process whatever paperwork you send them. They aren’t asking whether the seller is your son-in-law or whether you plan to stay in the vacation home for a week. Those are the details that blow up an IRA, and they should be reviewed before the money moves, not after.”<\/p>\n

Investors can learn more or open an account at irafinancial.com. IRA Financial’s Self-Directed IRA costs a flat $495 per year, with no setup fee and no fee that scales with account balance or property value.<\/p>\n

About IRA Financial<\/strong><\/p>\n

Founded in 2010 by tax attorney Adam Bergman, Esq., and headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, IRA Financial helps investors use Self-Directed IRAs and Solo 401(k) plans to invest in real estate, private businesses, cryptocurrency, precious metals and other alternative assets alongside traditional stocks and funds. Its mission is to give investors greater flexibility, transparency and freedom in how they invest their retirement savings, backed by flat-fee pricing and in-house tax and compliance expertise. The company serves investors in all 50 states, with more than 27,000 active accounts, over $8 billion in assets under administration and a 97% client retention rate. Learn more at irafinancial.com.<\/p>\n

This release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or investment advice. Investors should consult a qualified professional before making alternative investments with retirement funds.<\/em><\/p>\n

Media Contact<\/span>
Company Name:<\/strong> IRA Financial<\/a>
Contact Person:<\/strong> Tony Unkel
Email:<\/strong> Send Email<\/a>
Address:<\/strong>5109 S Broadband Ln
City:<\/strong> Sioux Falls
State:<\/strong> SD
Country:<\/strong> United States
Website:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.irafinancial.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Self-Directed IRA platform for alternative investments in a retirement account IRA Financial stands out among the best platforms for alternative investing in a retirement account, giving Self-Directed IRA investors access to real estate, private companies, crypto and precious metals for … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[401,425,451,427,404],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-840212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-Business","category-Finance","category-Law-Legal","category-Personal-Finance","category-US"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840212\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}