Equity Trust Company

Equity Trust Fees

Our mission is to help investors make tax-free profits through education, innovation and a commitment to understanding their individual needs. Equity Trust and its affiliates have been at the forefront of the self directed retirement plan industry for more than 35 years. More than 41,000 investors trust Equity Trust to provide custodial services for their self directed IRA and 410(k) needs.

It's not just a self directed IRA. It's an Equity Trust self directed IRA. Learn What Sets Equity Trust Apart from Others


Unbeatable Value

Some IRA custodians have such complicated fee structures that you would need a team of accountants and advisors to help you get it all straight! With our all-inclusive fee schedule, there are no hidden fees or surprise charges. It’s very simple and easy to understand: we have NO TRANSACTION FEES for normal processing (excluding online brokerage commissions). Be sure to read the fine print in other custodians' fee disclosures!

Services Other Custodians Equity Trust Company

Each purchase of an asset.

$25 per purchase may be charged.

Included!

Each sale of an asset.

$25 per sale.

Included!

Annual record keeping on un-invested cash balances.

Another custodian takes .0045% of your earned interest! *

ETC charges no such fees!

Roth conversions, re-characterizations and re-registrations.

A charge of up to $75 for each process!

Included!

Purchase or setup of secured or unsecured notes.

You might pay $65 for this service elsewhere.

Included!!

Transfer or other adjustments of existing notes or mortgages.

Are you willing to pay up to $100 for this service with another custodian??

Included!

Purchase, sale or re-registration of real property.

This can cost as much as $175 per transaction with other custodians!

Included!

Quarterly fees for asset administration on notes/deeds/real estate.

Other custodians charge up to $8 PER ASSET each quarter!

Included!

Reprocessing of incomplete documents.

You could pay $25 to reprocess your documents elsewhere.

Included!

Investment review or “research.”

Some custodians charge as much as $150 per hour for this service!

Included!

* For example, while looking for a good investment deal, you may have $100,000 in uninvested cash in your account, accumulating interest. You would lose $450 of your earned interest annually for administrative charges on that uninvested cash.

Fees Comparisons

The examples below are based on common, hypothetical account values and transactions. The fee structures represent an accurate depiction of the costs associated with these examples, both at Equity Trust and at other companies in the self directed IRA industry.

Scenario One:

  • Open an IRA account with a $45,000 transfer
  • Assume that the funds stay in cash for six months before finding a deal
  • Purchase a note in month seven
Item Equity Trust Company Company A Company B

Account setup

$50

$50

$50

Annual maintenance fee

$300

$250

$257.50

Processing fee on purchase

n/a

$95

$65

Asset administration / holding fees

n/a

n/a

$16

Safekeeping of documents

n/a

n/a

$80*

TOTAL COSTS

$350

$395

$468.50

* A mortgage and a note.

Scenario Two:

  • Open an IRA account with a $150,000 transfer
  • Assume that the funds stay in cash for six months before finding a deal
  • Purchase a house in month seven
  • Ten checks need to be written for property taxes, maintenance, etc.
Item Equity Trust Company Company A Company B

Account setup

$50

$50

$50

Annual maintenance fee

$440

$825

$550

Processing fee on purchase

n/a

$95

$100

Asset administration / holding fees

n/a

n/a

$16

Safekeeping of documents

n/a

n/a

$40

Check charges

n/a

$50

n/a

TOTAL COSTS

$490

$1,020

$756


Scenario Three:

  • Open an IRA account with a $250,000 transfer
  • Assume that the funds stay in cash for six months before finding a deal
  • Purchase two houses in months seven and nine
  • Sell one of the houses in month eleven
  • 20 checks need to be written for property taxes, maintenance, etc.
Item Equity Trust Company Company A Company B

Account setup

$50

$50

$50

Annual maintenance fee

$600

$1,125

$750

Processing fee on purchase

n/a

$190

$200

Processing fee on sale

n/a

$95

$100

Asset administration / holding fees

n/a

n/a

$32

Safekeeping of documents

n/a

n/a

$80

Check charges

n/a

$100

n/a

TOTAL COSTS

$650

$1,560

$1,212

Equity Trust Annual Fee Schedule

Portfolio Value Standard Fee
$0-14,999 $190.00
$15,000-24,999 $260.00
$25,000-49,999 $300.00
$50,000-99,999 $360.00
$100,000-199,999 $440.00
$200,000-299,999 $600.00
$300,000-399,999 $640.00
$400,000-499,999 $920.00
$500,000-599,999 $1,500.00
$600,000-699,999 $1,600.00
$700,000-799,999 $1,700.00
$800,000-899,999 $1,750.00
$900,000-999,999 $1,800.00
$1,000,000-OVER $1,850.00
One Time Set-up Fee $50.00

Please note the following:
  • The annual fee is assesed in the 1st Quarter of each year.
  • There are no transaction or distribution fees.
  • The fee schedule does not include brokerage commissions.
  • The complete termination fee is $200.00.
  • The partial termination fee is $75.00.
  • The per asset re-registration fee for all non-traditional assets removed from the account due to partial or complete account termination/transfer is $100.00.
  • The above fees are effective from January 1 to December 31 of any given calendar year. All fees are subject to change.
  • IRA maintenance fees are not prorated.
  • Any investment fees are taken from your account on the day an investment is processed unless you pre-pay the fees. Fees cannot be reimbursed.

Account Descriptions

Accounts for Minors

Special maintenance fees apply to Equity Trust accounts opened on behalf of children and teenagers under the age of 18. When a minor opens an Equity Trust account valued at $10,000 or less, a $50 one time set-up fee is assessed along with a $190 maintenance fee that covers regular account servicing for three years. After three years, $190 will be assessed again for each subsequent three-year period until the child reaches age 18 or the account exceeds $10,000. Once the child reaches age 18 or the account exceeds $10,000, the account converts to the regular maintenance fee schedule and is billed annually.



Family Plan

The Family Plan allows a minimum of four members of the same family to open Equity Trust accounts on the same day with only one $50 setup fee. For example, a father, daughter, grandfather, and uncle of the same family can open four Equity Trust self-directed IRAs for only $50. Those family members would normally pay $200 in setup fees, but with the Family Plan they pay only $50. All required documents must be submitted at the same time. The following relationships qualify as family members:

  • Father and mother
  • Sons and daughters
  • Grandparents
  • Grandchildren
  • Cousins
  • Aunts and uncles
  • Brothers and sisters
  • Stepbrothers and stepsisters
  • Stepfather and stepmother
  • Step-grandparent
  • In-laws family members

Family members who are "second removed" - such as second cousins or second aunts or uncles - do not qualify.

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