Not many people have had the chance to hear about my favorite charity, Chair the Love – a 501(c)3 that helps provide wheelchairs and other mobility related items and services to those in need in Central Florida and throughout the world. Every year, Chair the Love hosts their Chair the Love Dinner and Auction to raise money for their cause. Normally, I volunteer at the event, but today, I got to attend as a guest – lucky me!  

I walked through the doors of the Maitland Civic Center, and was immediately greeted by smiling volunteers, helping me down the registration line. They made checking in simple and quick! The registration process was seamless – it even included a way to cast my auction bid through my cell phone – a convenient 21^st century touch!

When it comes to investing, everyone looks for an angle – a way to “beat the market” and get sizable returns with little risk.

Unfortunately, with publically traded stocks and bonds, there is never an opportunity to make a purchase at a discount, below market, or at wholesale.  Of the almost $7 trillion in IRAs, almost all investors chose to invest in lockstep based on advice from paid advisors, money managers, or through personal research.  The fact that you are interested in notes, purchased at a discount, provides a great deal of separation from the masses.

As the CEO of NuView Trust, I have the unique opportunity of speaking in front of scores of CPAs, attorneys, financial planners, real estate brokers and agents, as well as just plain investors, about the power and prohibitions of self-directed IRAs. One of the most common questions I get is, “I only have a small IRA, so what are my choices for self-direction and how could I get started?”

1. You must invest in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds to be compliant with the IRA

Not true – Since 1975 the rules for IRA investments have been relatively consistent, as long as you avoid collectibles and life insurance, most other assets can legally be held in an IRA. It is a Wall Street myth that has caused the general public to ignore the potentially higher returns of private, non-traditional investments.