IRA Financial Trust Company

What IRA Financial Trust Company does

IRA Financial Trust Company is a FinTech non-banking IRA trust company headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, founded in 2010 by Adam Bergman. The company administers self-directed retirement accounts that enable individuals and small business owners to invest in alternative assets — including real estate, private equity, cryptocurrencies, precious metals, private placements, and tax liens — alongside traditional public-market instruments such as stocks and ETFs, all within a single tax-advantaged account. Its product suite spans Self-Directed IRA, Checkbook IRA (IRA-owned LLC with checkbook control), Solo 401(k), ROBS, IRAfi Crypto, Self-Directed HSA, Self-Directed Coverdell ESA, SEP IRA, and SIMPLE IRA, supported by an integrated IRA Compliance Shield service that includes prohibited transaction review and an IRS Audit Guarantee.

The underlying technology is a web-based platform (app.irafinancial.com) supporting self-serve account opening, account management, fund transfers, and real-time trading across both alternative and public-market assets. Distribution combines a self-serve product-led motion with a consultative sales layer offering free expert consultations for complex products such as ROBS and Checkbook IRAs. Marketing is driven by an extensive content engine including a blog, video content, guides, a podcast network, and newsletter, optimized for organic SEO.

The business model is subscription-based: IRA Financial charges a flat annual administration fee per account and explicitly avoids asset-value, investment, distribution, and conversion fees, making pricing independent of account balance. As of FY2025/2026, the company serves 27K+ active accounts holding $8B+ in assets, reports a 97% client retention rate, and achieved 60%+ account growth and 25%+ AUA growth in 2025 versus 2024. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held and founder-controlled, with no disclosed parent, subsidiaries, venture funding, or M&A activity.

Name

IRA Financial Trust Company

Legal name

IRA Financial Trust Company

Website

https://irafinancialtrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IRA Financial Trust Company is a FinTech non-banking IRA trust company administering self-directed retirement accounts that hold alternative assets (real estate, private equity, crypto, precious metals) alongside public-market securities for individual investors and small business owners, charging a flat annual fee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Directed Retirement Account Administration

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Directed Trust & Trust Advisory Services (FSAAANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Personal Trust & Fiduciary Administration (FSAEAKAA)

Keywords

• Self-directed retirement accounts
• Self-directed IRA administration
• Checkbook IRA services
• Solo 401(k) solutions
• Alternative asset retirement

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Account Administration Fees: IRA Financial charges a flat annual fee for account administration services. Unlike traditional custodians that charge fees as a percentage of assets under management (AUM), IRA Financial's fee structure does not increase as the account balance grows. The company has eliminated most other fees including asset value fees, investment fees, distribution fees, and conversion fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IRA Financial Trust Company is a non-banking IRA trust company that administers self-directed retirement accounts, including Self-Directed IRAs, Checkbook IRAs (via IRA-owned LLCs), Solo 401(k)s, ROBS, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Self-Directed HSAs, and Coverdell ESAs. The platform enables individual investors and self-employed business owners to hold alternative assets (real estate, private equity, crypto, precious metals, private placements, tax liens) alongside traditional assets (stocks, ETFs) within a single tax-advantaged account, supported by in-house compliance and tax services.

Product overview

IRA Financial operates a unified self-directed retirement platform offering multiple account types — Self-Directed IRA, Checkbook IRA, Solo 401(k), ROBS, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Self-Directed HSA, and Self-Directed Coverdell ESA — that enable investment in both alternative assets (real estate, private equity, private placements, cryptocurrencies, precious metals, tax liens, investment funds) and traditional assets (stocks, ETFs) within a single tax-advantaged account. The platform is built around a flat-fee model with in-house compliance services including an IRS Audit Guarantee, positioning itself as a comprehensive retirement solutions provider for both individual investors and business owners seeking greater control and access to non-traditional investments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% client retention rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Equity Trust Company: Equity Trust is one of the largest self-directed IRA custodians, administering alternative-asset retirement accounts (real estate, private equity, crypto, precious metals). Most directly comparable to IRA Financial given overlapping product suite, target customer (individual investors seeking alternatives), and directed trust model.
• Millennium Trust Company: Millennium Trust is a leading self-directed IRA custodian offering alternative asset administration, including private equity, real estate, and secured lending. Directly competes with IRA Financial on product breadth and target market of individual investors and small business owners.
• The Entrust Group: The Entrust Group is a self-directed IRA administrator specializing in alternative investments such as real estate, private placements, and promissory notes. Closely comparable to IRA Financial in the checkbook IRA/self-directed IRA space with similar target customer segments.
• Pensco Trust Company: Pensco Trust is a long-established self-directed custodian serving clients holding alternative assets in retirement accounts. Comparable to IRA Financial for individual investors seeking diversified retirement portfolios beyond traditional stocks and bonds.
• American Estate & Trust: American Estate & Trust is a self-directed IRA custodian specializing in alternative investments including real estate, precious metals, and private placements. Directly comparable to IRA Financial for the same alternative-asset, individual-investor niche.
• NuView Trust Company: NuView Trust is a self-directed retirement account custodian offering self-directed IRAs, HSAs, and Solo 401(k)s with alternative asset support. Closely overlaps IRA Financial's product suite and target market of individual and self-employed customers.

Emerging players

• Rocket Dollar: Rocket Dollar is a digital-first self-directed IRA/ Solo 401(k) platform enabling alternative investments via checkbook control. Directly competes with IRA Financial's Checkbook IRA and Solo 401(k) products, with a more fintech-native onboarding experience.
• Alto (AltoIRA): Alto is a modern self-directed IRA platform offering crypto, private equity, and alternative investments via streamlined digital onboarding. Competes with IRA Financial's IRAfi Crypto and Self-Directed IRA offerings, particularly for younger, digitally-native investors.
• BitIRA: BitIRA specializes in cryptocurrency retirement accounts, allowing investors to hold Bitcoin and other digital assets in self-directed IRAs. Directly competes with IRA Financial's IRAfi Crypto product in the crypto-in-retirement niche.

Broad incumbents

• Charles Schwab: Schwab is a major incumbent brokerage offering a broad range of retirement accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s) with traditional investment access. While it does not emphasize self-directed alternative investing, its scale and brand could pressure IRA Financial if it expands alternative-asset support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheIRAFinancial
• Facebookfacebook.com/irafinancialtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ira-financial-trust-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IRA Financial Trust Company