Advanta IRA Trust – Real Estate IRAs

Self-Directed IRAs offer investors unique opportunities to diversify and purchase tangible assets in retirement accounts. Several Real Estate IRA companies have combined efforts to track investment purchases of
real estate or real estate type assets in IRA accounts in Florida.  Real estate type assets would include notes/mortgages (private lending), tax certificates or LLCs that purchase real estate. Read the rest of this entry »

The old saying goes opportunity is the mother of invention, and it definitely holds true for investors in today’s economy .  The bank’s pain can be an investor’s gain. We have seen many IRA investors purchase bank foreclosures or REOs, but there is another opportunity with a large upside available to investors.

Many banks have decided not to hold their troubled debt properties to foreclosure, and have opted to instead sell the note and mortgage as an asset.  These troubled debts are usually sold at a deep discount, offering the investor great opportunities.  Different scenarios for the investor include restructuring the debt with the borrower, or holding the note to complete the foreclosure process.  While this investment strategy is not for the new investor,  it can be a smart move if you get professional due diligence on the asset. Read the rest of this entry »

A growing investment and strategy in a Self Directed IRA’s are Single Member LLC’s sometimes called IRA LLCs or Checkbook LLCs.  Single Member LLC’s present a very unique opportunity for the savvy investor. Single Member LLC’s are often referred to as Checkbook Control LLC’s.  This is due to the fact that the IRA owner has the ability to write checks on behalf of the LLC. Read the rest of this entry »

Understanding and following the rules of Roth IRA’s is complicated enough in its own right, trying to keep up with the yearly changes makes it even more difficult.  Although there weren’t too many changes to IRA rules for 2011 there are
a few significant ones that should be noted. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are under 59.5 years old, you are probably aware that you cannot take distributions from your IRA without paying a 10% penalty to the IRS for early
withdrawal.   However, there are situations that would allow for penalty free distributions.   Keep in mind, unless it is a Roth IRA, you will still have to pay ordinary income taxes on the distribution.   However, assuming you fit one of the
criteria below, you can avoid the 10% penalty. Read the rest of this entry »

Energy demands and rising commodity prices continue to dominate our economy.  The opportunity is there for your IRA to invest in energy resources.  Investors can take advantage of this opportunity by in investing their retirement fund in non-traditional assets via their self-directed IRA.

For over a Century, Americans have been involved in investing in energy.  There are two primary investments purchased in IRAs – mineral right deeds and LLCs that invest in energy products (wells, technology or exploration).  There is an opportunity for tremendous growth in these industries.  The IRA offers the opportunity of tax free growth on investment profits. Read the rest of this entry »

     Over the years, there have been several times when a client has been in a perplexing dilemma regarding liquidity of their IRA owned asset and their IRA Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).   At age 70.5 (unless it is a Roth IRA), people are supposed to start pulling money out of their IRA and pay taxes on the distribution.   If they fail to take this RMD, which is based on the value of the account and the age of the IRA holder, there is a 50% penalty (of the RMD amount).  While RMD’s are based on the aggregate of all your IRA’s, regardless of how many custodians you have, the RMD can be taken from any (or all) of the custodians.  It does not need to come out proportionally from each custodian.  

  Read the rest of this entry »

In our changing economic times, it is more important than ever to focus on our retirement planning and financial futures.  For most of us, we have never seen the wild ride that the financial markets have shown us the last few years.  Just as we check our calories, blood pressure and weight on a regular basis, how are we doing with our finances?   It may be time for a routine check-up.

Studies have shown us the average American spends more time annually on vacation planning than on financial planning.  There was also a survey by Aetna claiming 31 percent of pre-retirees would rather clean their bathroom or pay bills than plan for retirement.  Allstate used to have an ad that claimed last year Americans spent 19 hours planning for their retirement. That’s about the same amount of time they spent planning their Thanksgiving dinner. 

So how do we get started and what are our choices today?  Unfortunately, retirement planning is not something the faint of heart can jump right into, but it can be done and with a little practice, it does get easier.  Here are some tips:

Read the rest of this entry »

Press Release – February 15, 2011.  Dave Owens, CPA, CES is proud to announce his newest publication, TFS Briefs.  TFS Briefs focuses on current news and technical topics that will help investors save money by thinking outside the box in their investment approach, particularly in terms of retirement planning.  These Briefs will be used by individual investors as well as professionals, including accountants, attorneys, financial planners and realtors.  The first four Briefs have been posted online and cover the topics of Prohibited Transaction, Required Minimum Distributions, IRA Contributions 2011 and 1031 Exchanges.  To read the current TFS Briefs, please visit www.tfsBriefs.com. 

TFS Briefs is written to examine topics used by individuals interested in understanding and taking control of their financial situation, covering topics ranging from investing in real estate, retirement planning, and changes in tax law.  Going forward, TFS Briefs will be written monthly and disseminated to subscribers.   To subscribe to TFS Briefs, please visit www.tfsBriefs.com. 

Dave Owens, CPA, CES is Managing Member of Entrust Freedom, LLC and  can be reached at 239-333-1031 or owens11@entrustfreedom.com.

How do we make our financial decisions? Why do we invest the way we do and what is the benefit?  I think the current economy has put a cold dose of reality in every type of investor.  Many of us now realize that when our parents were harping on hard work and telling us what the world used to be like, they were not kidding. Oh my gosh, did I say my parents were right? Read the rest of this entry »