Self-Directed IRA
Alternative Asset Access
Traditional IRA structure with a specialized custodian — real estate, private notes, private companies, precious metals.
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Build Retirement Wealth on Your Terms — Not Wall Street's.
Self-directed accounts, Roth strategy, and Social Security coordination for business owners, real estate investors, and self-employed professionals.
Retirement Investing in Assets You Actually Understand
A standard employer 401(k) limits you to a menu of mutual funds. For business owners, real-estate investors, and self-employed professionals, that leaves significant strategy on the table.
Self-directed accounts open the door to retirement investing in real estate, private notes, private operating companies, and precious metals — alongside or instead of stocks and bonds. The flexibility is real. So are the rules — prohibited-transaction missteps can disqualify the entire account.
Choosing the right vehicle is the easy part. The harder questions are which dollars to put where, in what order to draw them down decades from now, and how to coordinate retirement accounts with taxable accounts, business equity, Social Security, and your estate plan. That coordination is what we do.
Who It's For
Coordinated Retirement Planning Is For You If…
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You own a business and your retirement contributions are smaller than they should be.
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You have an old 401(k) sitting at a previous employer.
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You're 5–15 years from retirement with a large pre-tax balance and no Roth strategy.
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You invest in real estate and want IRA dollars to participate.
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You're approaching Social Security age and unsure when to claim.
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Your spouse has their own retirement accounts and no one is coordinating both.
The Coordinated Approach
The Vehicles and the Strategy
Picking the account is one decision. Funding it, investing it, drawing it down tax-efficiently, and passing the remainder to heirs are four more. We coordinate all of them.
Self-Directed Roth IRA
Tax-Free Growth
Same alternative-asset flexibility, funded with after-tax dollars. Qualified distributions — including all growth — tax-free. No RMDs in the owner's lifetime.
Solo 401(k)
Maximum Contributions + Control
For self-employed individuals and owner-only businesses. Significantly higher contribution limits than a SEP. Roth option built in. Plan loans available.
SEP IRA
Simple for Variable Income
Lowest-friction setup for solo or small-team businesses. Up to 25% of net self-employment income with no ongoing filings.
Defined Benefit Plan
High-Income Owners
Designed for 50+ business owners with high, stable income — can shelter $200K+ annually, far above other limits.
Roth Conversion Strategy
Multi-Year Ladders
Convert pre-tax balances to Roth during low-income years — gap years before Social Security or business-loss years.
Social Security Timing
Claim Strategy
When to claim, spousal coordination, tax-efficient sequencing with other income sources.
Withdrawal Sequencing
Which Bucket First
Taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free buckets drawn in the order that minimizes lifetime tax.
Estate Coordination
Beneficiary + Trust
Retirement accounts pass by beneficiary form, not will. We coordinate them with your trust so the SECURE Act doesn't blindside heirs.
Our Process
How a Retirement Engagement Works
01
Account Audit
We catalog every retirement account — current, former, spouse's, and self-employment — and any taxable accounts feeding the same goal.
02
Strategy
We model contribution structure, conversion opportunities, and the order of withdrawals — projected 20–30 years out.
03
Implementation
Plan setup, custodian transfers, contribution automation, and beneficiary updates — coordinated with your CPA.
04
Annual Review
Tax law, income, and goals change. We re-run the model annually and adjust contributions, conversions, and allocations.
Free Guide
The Coordinated Wealth Blueprint
7 costly financial planning mistakes affluent families make — covering tax planning, estate planning, retirement, asset protection, trusts, business succession, and generational wealth transfer.
Serving the DMV & Nationwide
Bowie, the DMV, and Nationwide
Federal employees, government contractors, and private-sector professionals across Maryland, DC, and Virginia each face a unique mix of TSP, FERS, 401(k), and self-employment retirement options. We know the local landscape.
For clients outside the region, retirement planning is fully remote — secure video meetings, electronic document workflows, and coordination with custodians anywhere in the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Build Retirement Wealth — Common Questions
Coordinated Disciplines
Related Planning Areas
The Legacy Wealth Brief
One high-impact wealth strategy, delivered every week.
Insights on tax planning, estate planning, retirement income, business ownership, and generational wealth.
Your Retirement Should Work as Hard as You Did.
Schedule a complimentary 30-minute call. We'll review your accounts, identify gaps, and show you the one or two changes that would matter most.