IRA Resources, Inc.
IRA Resources, Inc. is a self-directed IRA custodian that administers over $2 billion in retirement assets for individual investors holding alternative assets such as real estate, private placements, and LLCs through flat-fee account structures.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersWalnut Creek, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What IRA Resources, Inc. does
IRA Resources, Inc. (IRAR) is a self-directed IRA custodian serving individual investors who hold alternative assets inside retirement accounts. Founded in 1996 by Liane Bathey and headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, the firm currently administers over $2 billion in assets under custody (AUC) for approximately 7,500 active account holders, having assisted more than 21,000 investors since inception. Its core product set spans self-directed Traditional, Roth, SIMPLE, and SEP IRAs, plus Solo 401(k) plans, Health Savings Accounts, and Coverdell ESAs, all designed to accommodate non-publicly-traded holdings such as real estate, private equity, private placements, notes, LLCs, and cryptocurrencies.
The operational backbone is its wholly-owned, South Dakota-chartered non-depository trust company, IRAR Trust Company (established 2018), which provides in-house custody and eliminates dependence on third-party custodians. All account servicing staff hold the Certified IRA Services Professional (CISP) designation, and the firm maintains regulatory oversight from the South Dakota Division of Banking. The company's go-to-market runs primarily through direct-to-consumer acquisition supplemented by referral and association partnerships, including an exclusive Self-Directed Retirement Plan arrangement with the California Association of REALTORS and a multi-year partnership with the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) formalized in December 2023.
Revenue is generated predominantly through per-asset flat fees rather than AUM-based pricing. The published schedule charges $199 for the first asset, $75 for each additional asset per account, $899 annually for a Solo 401(k), a one-time $100 account setup fee, and per-transaction charges ranging from $50 to $175 (e.g., for real-estate purchases, sales, and funding). The company has remained privately held and bootstrapped through its 30-year history with no disclosed outside funding rounds, while posting approximately 26% year-over-year business growth and 25% growth within its real-estate segment.
IRA Resources, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IRA Resources, Inc.
- Legal name
- IRA Resources, Inc.
- Website
- https://iraresources.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- IRA Resources, Inc. is a self-directed IRA custodian that administers over $2 billion in retirement assets for individual investors holding alternative assets such as real estate, private placements, and LLCs through flat-fee account structures.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IRA Resources, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Self-Directed Retirement Account Custody
- NAICS
- Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fund Custody & Transfer Agency Services (FSACAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fund Accounting & NAV Services (Asset Servicing) (FSAAAOAF), Fund Custody & Depositary Services (UCITS/AIFMD & Mutual Funds) (FSAFAHAD), Directed Trust & Trust Advisory Services (FSAAANAK)
Keywords
Where IRA Resources, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Walnut Creek
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
IRA Resources, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Annual Custodial Fees: Flat annual fee per asset held in the IRA, not based on account value. First asset: $199/year, additional assets: $75/year each. Billed semi-annually.
- Account Establishment Fee: One-time setup fee of $100 for new account opening
- Transaction Fees: Fees for processing purchases, sales, or exchanges of assets. Real estate transactions: $175 per asset. Non-real estate: $50 per asset. Additional services include wire transfers ($30), check requests ($10), notary ($15), and special services ($100/hour)
- Solo 401(k) Plan Fees: Annual fee of $899 for Solo 401(k) plans including plan document, online recordkeeping platform, and unlimited assets with no transaction fees
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Self-Directed IRA - Annual fee: $199 first asset, $75 each additional asset. One-time setup: $100. |
| Subscription | Annual | Solo 401(k) - $899 annual fee for entrepreneurs with no employees |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Transaction Fees - Real estate: $175, Non-real estate: $50 per asset |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
IRA Resources, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IRA Resources, Inc. (IRAR Trust Company) is a self-directed IRA custodian that enables individual investors and small business owners to hold alternative assets—including real estate, private placements, promissory notes, tax liens, and LLCs—within tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE IRAs and Solo 401(k) plans. The company provides custodial recordkeeping, transaction processing, IRS compliance reporting, IRA LLC / Checkbook Control structures, and educational resources on prohibited transactions and SDIRA rules. IRAR charges per-asset flat annual fees rather than value-based pricing, with separate setup and transaction fees.
Product overview
IRAR Trust Company offers a unified self-directed retirement account platform centered on alternative asset investments, primarily real estate. The core product line includes Self-Directed Traditional and Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, and Solo 401(k) Plans. These accounts enable investment in real estate (direct property, REITs, notes), private placements, private equity, promissory notes, tax liens, and LLC/Checkbook Control structures. The company differentiates through per-asset flat-fee pricing ($199 annual for first asset, $75 each additional) rather than asset-value-based fees, and serves over 7,500 account holders with more than $2 billion in assets under custody. As a non-depository trust company regulated by South Dakota, IRAR provides custodial services, transaction processing, IRS compliance reporting, and educational resources without providing investment advice.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Self-Directed Traditional IRA Tax-deferred individual retirement account allowing alternative asset investments including real estate, notes, private equity, and LLCs with checkbook control, for individuals seeking tax-advantaged diversification beyond public-market securities.
- Self-Directed Roth IRA Tax-free growth individual retirement account for qualified distributions, allowing alternative asset investments within the same framework as the Traditional SDIRA.
- SEP IRA Simplified Employee Pension IRA for small business owners allowing tax-deductible contributions and alternative asset investments within the same self-directed framework.
- SIMPLE IRA Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees IRA designed for small businesses with lower contribution limits and mandatory employer contributions, supporting alternative asset investments.
- Solo 401(k) Plan Self-directed 401(k) retirement plan for self-employed individuals with no employees, featuring unlimited assets with no transaction fees, an online recordkeeping platform, and an included plan document at $899 annually.
- IRA LLC / Checkbook Control Limited Liability Company structure established within an IRA providing direct signing authority over retirement funds, enabling faster real estate transactions and reduced administrative fees.
- Real Estate IRA Custody Custodial services for residential and commercial properties, single- and multi-family homes, international property, mortgage notes, and REITs held within self-directed IRAs, with $175 per-transaction fees for real estate purchases, sales, and exchanges.
- Online Account Management Portal Secure online platform for client account access, transaction submission, fee payments, and IRA/Solo 401(k) account management, including online registration, forms, and document upload capabilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Save over 50% on annual fees compared to competitors
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use IRA Resources, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
IRA Resources, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
IRA Resources, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- National Association of REALTORS (NAR)coreIRAR is the official provider for Self-Directed Retirement Plans with NAR, America's largest trade association representing 1.5 million+ members. This partnership enables IRAR to market to NAR members, provide educational resources, and receive referrals from Realtors and their clients. Partnership announced December 6, 2023.
- California Association of REALTORScoreIRAR is the only provider for retirement plans with the California Association of REALTORS, one of the largest chapters of NAR. This exclusive status positions IRAR as the preferred SDIRA custodian for California Realtors.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
IRA Resources, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Rocket Dollar: Rocket Dollar is a venture-backed fintech SDIRA platform emphasizing online account opening and checkbook-control LLCs with a modern UX. It targets the same real estate and alternative-asset IRA use case as IRAR but competes on digital experience rather than personal-consultation sales.
- Alto IRA: Alto IRA is a fintech SDIRA custodian offering low-cost alternative-asset retirement accounts with streamlined digital onboarding. Targets a younger, tech-savvy investor segment that overlaps with IRAR's individual investor base, but at lower price points and with less hands-on service.
- Checkbook IRA: Checkbook IRA specializes in IRA LLC / checkbook-control structures for real estate and alternative-asset investors — a specific feature IRAR also offers. It represents the specialized competitor on the LLC product line that IRAR markets as a core differentiator.
Direct peers
- Kingdom Trust Company: Kingdom Trust is a South Dakota-chartered custodian offering self-directed IRAs across alternative assets including real estate, private equity, and digital assets. Direct competitor in the same regulatory regime as IRAR's IRAR Trust Company and overlapping on the alternative-asset IRA value proposition.
- New Direction IRA: New Direction IRA is a self-directed IRA custodian specializing in alternative assets (real estate, private equity, LLCs, promissory notes) with a comparable flat-fee pricing model. Directly competes with IRAR for individual investors and small-business retirement accounts seeking alternative-asset custody.
- uDirect IRA Services: uDirect IRA is a smaller self-directed IRA custodian focused on real estate and alternative-asset custody for individual investors. It targets the same Realtor-adjacent customer base as IRAR and competes primarily on price and service quality in the same niche.
- Equity Trust Company: Equity Trust is a leading self-directed IRA custodian offering similar alternative-asset custody (real estate, private placements, notes) and is frequently cited alongside IRAR in SDIRA fee comparison tools. It competes head-to-head on price and asset breadth within the Realtor and individual investor segments IRAR serves.
- The Entrust Group: The Entrust Group is one of the largest self-directed IRA custodians in the U.S., offering Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, and Solo 401(k) accounts holding real estate, private equity, notes, and other alternatives. IRAR's President Jason Craig previously served as President and COO there, making it the most directly comparable peer in product, customer, and regulatory profile.
Broad incumbents
- Millennium Trust Company: Millennium Trust is a larger, broader custodian offering self-directed IRAs alongside a wider portfolio of custody and asset-servicing products. Competes with IRAR in alternative-asset IRA custody but operates at greater scale and with more diversified service lines beyond the SDIRA niche.
- Charles Schwab (Schwab Retirement Services): Schwab is a dominant incumbent IRA provider for traditional securities; while it does not custody alternative assets like direct real estate, it represents the default IRA relationship IRAR's customers often transfer away from and sets customer expectations on digital UX.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
IRA Resources, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceIRA Resources, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
IRA Resources, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IRA Resources, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
IRA Resources, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
IRA Resources, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IRA Resources, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about IRA Resources, Inc.
What does IRA Resources, Inc. do?
IRA Resources, Inc. (IRAR Trust Company) is a self-directed IRA custodian that enables individual investors and small business owners to hold alternative assets—including real estate, private placements, promissory notes, tax liens, and LLCs—within tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE IRAs and Solo 401(k) plans. The company provides custodial recordkeeping, transaction processing, IRS compliance reporting, IRA LLC / Checkbook Control structures, and educational resources on prohibited transactions and SDIRA rules. IRAR charges per-asset flat annual fees rather than value-based pricing, with separate setup and transaction fees.
Is IRA Resources, Inc. a public or private company?
IRA Resources, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was IRA Resources, Inc. founded?
IRA Resources, Inc. was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is IRA Resources, Inc. based?
IRA Resources, Inc. is headquartered in Walnut Creek, United States, in the North America region.
How does IRA Resources, Inc. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Annual Custodial Fees are the primary driver. The others are account Establishment Fee, transaction Fees and solo 401(k) Plan Fees.
Who are IRA Resources, Inc.'s main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Rocket Dollar, Alto IRA and Checkbook IRA. Direct peers are Kingdom Trust Company, New Direction IRA, uDirect IRA Services, Equity Trust Company and The Entrust Group. Broad incumbents are Millennium Trust Company and Charles Schwab (Schwab Retirement Services).
Does IRA Resources, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for IRA Resources, Inc..
What industry is IRA Resources, Inc. in?
IRA Resources, Inc.'s product category is Self-Directed Retirement Account Custody. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACAHAG, Fund Custody & Transfer Agency Services, with a secondary code of FSAAAOAF, Fund Accounting & NAV Services (Asset Servicing). Its NAICS code is 525 and its SIC code is 6199.