Real Daily Relays Insight from McManus on Self-Directed IRAs

 

Real Daily, which seeks to enrich, enlighten and empower readers to make informed choices that will positively impact their financial lives, recently published the article, “5 Reasons You Need a Self-Directed IRA.” The piece, which cites insight from McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus, begins with an overview:

·           Self-directed retirement accounts, known as a self-directed individual retirement arrangement (IRA), were created in 1999 by an act of Congress after intensive lobbying of small business owners and associations.

·           The beauty of a self-directed IRA is it allows you to invest up to $6,500 into a tax-deferred account where you control the investments. Many of those investments include alternative vehicles not available in a traditional IRA.

·           These alternative investments include real estate, private mortgages, private company stock, oil and gas limited partnerships, precious metals, horses, and intellectual property.

The first reason why one should consider opening a self-directed IRA is higher returns. Per the article, “The number one reason investors use self-directed IRA accounts is the ability to pursue much higher returns compared to stocks and bonds. If you make a 25% return on a real estate investment and are able to build on that profit cumulatively for 10, 30, or 30 years it can be life-changing.” The story goes on to quote McManus:

“If you understand investments, particularly in certain segments, you can take advantage of higher yields and maybe less volatility,” John O. McManus of the estate-planning firm McManus & Associates in New York and New Providence, New Jersey told NerdWallet.

McManus has invested in real estate and other assets through a self-directed IRA for about 15 years, he says.

A self-directed IRA also lets McManus invest in companies that aren’t publicly traded, which “a mutual fund will not allow you to do,” he says. But, he warns, “this is not a game for the unsophisticated.”

The following four reasons to consider a self-directed IRA include:

·       Better diversification

·       Investing in private equity

·       Putting assets to work

·       Investing in cryptocurrencies

Click here to read the full article, including more information about the five arguments in favor of a self-directed IRA, as well as the risks of self-directed IRAs.

To discuss your investment strategy as it relates to your wealth management plan, call McManus & Associates at 908-898-0100.