Many of you have been humming along at your jobs, contributing to employer-sponsored retirement plans and happy with that. But not all plans are equal and not all employers match your contributions. Some plans are great: You contribute up to the max allowable to bulk up your retirement and create a better quality of life when you are ready to hang it up. Others may not have such a great retirement plan, but you don't know any better and you don't have an investment professional proposing other options.

Self-Directed IRAs (SDIRAs) come with a lot of benefits, if you follow the rules and conduct due diligence on your investments. Real estate professionals are well-poised to take advantage of these benefits. Their real estate knowledge, experience, and access to good deals can be leveraged to reap the benefits of SDIRAs. But most aren’t taking advantage of the opportunity to build retirement wealth and grow their business at the same time.

If you have changed jobs or retired and have left savings in a former employer's retirement plan (e.g. 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 (b)), you can move these funds to a self-directed IRA and invest in real estate without loss or penalty. Real estate investments in self-directed IRAs grow tax-deferred or tax-free until withdrawal. This means that when your property generates income or is sold, these profits are not taxed at the time because they go back to the IRA. It is not until you start taking distributions at retirement that the income will be taxed, depending on the type of plan you have.

Can you imagine— a future where your retirement is secured by physical property. A future where you know that no matter what the stock market looks like, there is a tangible asset you and your retirement can rely on.

That’s why investing in real estate is such a popular strategy. Unlike stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, it’s something you can touch, something you can feel, something you can depend on— no matter what happens. That’s the kind of security most people want in a retirement investment.

During the month of February, there’s a lot of focus on love, hearts, friendship, and— yes, self-directed IRAs. Besides googling what to buy your significant other, everyone’s researching how to open an account to get that tax break before April 15^th rolls around or how to transfer their account to save on high fees. As a marketer, I’m always curious what people are looking for during holidays and national events— they influence people in ways you wouldn’t expect. It’s interesting to see what influences search trends, but what does this have to do with self-directed IRAs and fees?

You’ve got a lot of freedom with a self-directed IRA, but you do have a few rules you need to follow. Investing in real estate with your self-directed IRA is a lot like investing in real estate outside of your IRA— except the IRS prohibits a few things (per IRC Section 4975). These investment rules are really the biggest differences between IRA investing and the traditional real estate purchase— aside from the incredible tax benefits.

As much as we all wish retirement plans were free of charge, they aren’t. Companies that provide services for retirement plans ALWAYS charge fees in some way, even if it’s not clear how.  After all, they have to cover basic business costs to service your account, so they always find a way.

Even so, you’ll sometimes see promotions by big banks where they offer great benefits like making a contribution to your account or promises to match your retirement savings, all while promoting these accounts as free— don’t be fooled. There is no such thing as a free IRA.

If you’re self-employed or a small business owner looking for a way to save for retirement, SEP IRAs are an excellent option to consider. Easy to set up and maintain, SEPs are retirement saving without the hassle —plus the added bonus of much higher contribution limits, so you can save and invest more, faster.

So wait, that’s easier set-up and more savings? If that sounds like your dream IRA, here’s what you need to know:

If you need to sell real estate held in your self directed IRA, you’ve come to the right place. It’s not hard, you just have to know what to do. Most real estate IRA investors need to do it at some point, whether to make a tidy profit after fixing up a run-down property or a long-term buy and hold that’s finally paid off. But, as with all IRA investments, following the rules and proper procedures is the best way to get your transaction completed correctly and with ease. Ready to begin? Read on:

 Raw or vacant land— another way many investors chose to diversify their retirement, compounding the flexibility of a self-directed IRA with the flexibility of untapped potential. You can buy and hold the property, develop the land for resale, rent it out for farming or solar energy— there are almost endless options. But, as with all IRA investments, there are some things to keep in mind when investing in this tax-advantaged account— and they can make the difference between massive and meager returns. Here are 3 to anticipate when investing: