Take Control of Your Future With Equity Trust Company
With Equity Trust Company you can take advantage of truly self-directed IRA benefits (compounding interest and tax-free profits), while investing in both traditional and non-traditional investments. Invest in assets you are most familiar with to secure your financial future. Our mission at Equity Trust Company is to help investors make tax-free profits through education, innovation and a commitment to understanding their individual needs. You can start experiencing the benefits today...
Why Equity Trust is the Preferred Choice
- 33 years of experience assisting investors to create tax-free wealth
- Manage close to $3 billion in IRA assets to help clients secure their financial future
- More than 140 self-directed IRA specialist serving clients
- Personalized account management teams and 800-number for every client
- Low all-inclusive fee schedule, with no hidden fees (see Fees Comparisons)
- Access to online account management tool, eVANTAGE, 24-hours a day
- Quick and accurate investment processing with the fastest turnaround times in the industry
- Education on self-directed investing to help you eliminate taxes from the equation
- 92% of Equity Trust clients are likely to refer friends and colleagues to Equity Trust
- The industry's only company offering online trading of public securities, member NASD
- Highly regulated - clients can trust Equity Trust with their investments
- Best of all, Equity Trust will walk you through each transaction and make sure it's handled correctly
Why risk your retirement by dealing with an inexperienced firm? Go with proven success, invest with Equity Trust.
Hundreds of investors a month are choosing Equity Trust as their IRA custodian. They know they are getting unparalleled service, safety, security and control, and an unbeatable value. If you are considering another IRA custodian, there are some important questions you should ask.
Unparalleled Service
Equity Trust clients can become more successful investors because they have chosen the self directed IRA custodian with the best service delivery in the industry.
- With more than 33 years of experience, we know the real estate industry like no one else and can guide our clients through the process self-directed IRA real estate investing.
- We have the industry’s fastest processing of transactions – 99.7% are handled within 24 hours.
- We have 150+ specialists, continually and extensively trained to provide consistently accurate information, ready to answer all your questions and meet your individual needs.
- We handle more than 350,000 phone calls per year and, on each and every one, we do everything we possibly can to assist our clients in getting their deals done quickly and done right.
- Equity Trust clients can diversify their IRA portfolio with stocks, bonds or mutual funds, using our online trading, avoiding the hassle of transferring assets between different accounts at different IRA custodians.
- Our Client Service Team is available to answer your questions Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm (ET).
- Equity Trust clients save precious time and gain greater control over their assets and their deals using our free Online Access Service.
- Check all account balances
- Download forms and applications
- 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Saves your most precious commodity…time.
- Equity Trust clients can count on accurate and timely government reporting of contributions, rollovers, withdrawals, 1099R, 5498, etc.
- Several IRAs can be consolidated into one account, resulting in reduced administrative fees.
- Equity Trust clients receive ongoing information, training and education through our free e-newsletter and e-seminars, as well as through our affiliate, Retirement Education Group.
Safety, Security & Control
Nothing is more important than the confidence that your investments are in safe hands. Equity Trust clients are completely confident in trusting their assets to us because we are a Trust Company - highly regulated and insured.
Unlike other companies who expect you to entrust your retirement assets to some administrator who is thousands of miles from their home office and is new to the business, Equity Trust has been in the business of self directed IRA investments for more than 31 years. Equity Trust clients are not comfortable entrusting their assets to a local, unproven IRA administrator who may not be around for the long-term.
Equity Trust Company is a passive IRA custodian. We do not provide investment advice, nor do we sell any investment products. You will never have to worry about conflicts of interest or pressure techniques to buy or sell investments. Clients at Equity Trust will never be solicited. At Equity Trust, we believe that you are the best steward for your assets.
Equity Trust clients have full control over their financial future. Our self directed IRAs provide clients complete flexibility to change and diversify their investments whenever they choose. With a wide range of investment choices, an Equity Trust self directed IRA can help meet your retirement objectives. In addition to listed investments (stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, etc.), we offer our clients the ability to invest in special assets such as:
- Real Estate
- Promissory Notes
- Mortgages / Deeds of Trust
- Tax Liens/Sale Certificates
- Equipment Leasing
- Mobile Homes
- Private Placements
- Limited Partnerships (LPs)
- Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
- Among others (see IRA Investments)
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 uninvested cash balances. | Another custodian takes 45% of your earned interest! * | ETC charges no such fees! |
| Safekeeping of all security and property positions. | As much as $40 per year, per document! | Included! |
| 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 us 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
- Keep assets in cash for six months, prior to 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 | $292.50 | $257.50 |
| Record keeping compensation on uninvested cash | n/a | $101.25 | n/a |
| Processing fee on purchase | n/a | $50 | $65 |
| Asset administration / holding fees | n/a | n/a | $32 |
| Safekeeping of documents | n/a | n/a | $80* |
| TOTAL COSTS | $350 | $493.75 | $484.50 |
* A mortgage and a note.
Scenario Two:
- Open an IRA account with a $150,000 transfer
- Keep assets in cash for six months, prior to 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 |
| Record keeping compensation on uninvested cash | n/a | $337.50 | n/a |
| 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 | $1357.50 | $756 |
Scenario Three:
- Open an IRA account with a $250,000 transfer
- Keep assets in cash for six months, prior to finding a deal
- Purchase two houses on 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 | $1125 | $750 |
| Record keeping compensation on uninvested cash | n/a | $562.50 | n/a |
| 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 | $2022.50 | $1212 |
Questions You Should Ask an IRA Custodian
Not all self directed IRA custodians are the same. Your retirement savings are far too important to your financial future to put them at risk. If you are considering another IRA custodian or IRA administrator, you should make sure you are satisfied with the answers you are given to these questions:
- How long have you been in business?
- What are your financial resources? Can I see your financial statements?
- How are you regulated?
- How are you insured? Do you have error-and-omissions insurance?
- Do your annual fees include all charges or are there any hidden fees for transactions or for “administration costs” of “uninvested cash”?
- What are your hours of operation?
- Do you have online brokerage as part of your company for my diversified investments?
- What sort of training and education do you provide for your staff?
- What sort of training and education do you provide for your clients?