What Retirement Industry Trust Association does

Retirement Industry Trust Association (RITA) is a Colorado-incorporated, Sarasota-based nonprofit professional trade association founded in 1987 to expand opportunities for Americans to save and invest for retirement through self-directed accounts. RITA serves three membership constituencies: Regular Members (state or federally chartered trust companies, banks, and approved non-bank trustees and custodians administering self-directed retirement accounts), Service Members (ancillary providers offering custodial deposit products, cybersecurity, legal, software, and valuation services, paying $2,500 in annual dues), and the newer RITA Ally tier for adjacent industry firms. The association also serves individual investors and self-directed retirement professionals as a secondary audience through its Find a Custodian directory and educational content.

RITA's product portfolio centers on membership services plus proprietary education and certification assets. Core offerings include bi-annual industry conferences, the IRA Advanced Institute (described as the only advanced SDIRA training program of its kind), the Self-Directed Industry Professional (SDIP) certification, free member webinars, an online member portal with industry guidelines and recorded content, and a Find a Custodian directory connecting investors with member firms. The organization operates on standard association management software (Novi AMS) rather than proprietary technology. RITA's strategic posture combines D.C.-based legislative advocacy — most visibly through the March 2025 Secure Our Savings 2.0 Coalition and prior SECURE Act support — with industry self-regulation enforced via a member Code of Ethics and IRS/DOL compliance standards.

RITA's revenue model is subscription-led, combining tiered annual membership dues (Regular Member fees scale with self-directed account AUM and are not publicly disclosed), flat $2,500 Service Member dues, bi-annual conference and institute registration ($1,195–$2,795 per attendee depending on membership status), webinar pricing ($99.95 for non-members, free for members), and Silver/Gold-tier conference sponsorships. Go-to-market is sales-led through direct member recruitment, industry advocacy outreach, and event-driven member engagement; marketing spans the ritaus.org website, member portal, email newsletters, social media, and earned media. The organization employs 11–50 people under Executive Director Mary Mohr and President Barbara Van Zomeren, with named enterprise members including Ascensus, STRATA Trust, Millennium Trust, Sunwest Trust, and Citibank.

Name

Retirement Industry Trust Association

Legal name

Retirement Industry Trust Association

Website

https://ritaus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RITA is a 1987-founded nonprofit trade association serving U.S. banks, trust companies, and ancillary providers in the self-directed retirement industry. It generates revenue from tiered membership dues, bi-annual conferences, the IRA Advanced Institute, and the SDIP certification, while advocating in D.C. for SDIRA choice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Trade Association Services (Self-Directed Retirement Industry)

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB)

Keywords

• Self-directed retirement plans
• IRA custodian membership
• Retirement industry education
• Trust company association
• Alternative asset custody

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: RITA generates revenue through annual membership fees from Regular Members (banks and trust companies administering self-directed retirement accounts), Service Members (ancillary service providers), and RITA Ally members. Regular Members pay dues based on total self-directed retirement account assets held. Service Members pay $2,500 annual membership fees billed in January.
2. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue generated from registration fees for bi-annual conferences, IRA Advanced Institutes, and webinars. Conference registration ranges from $1,195-$1,395 for members and $2,595-$2,795 for non-members. IRA Institute registration ranges from $1,195-$1,500.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Companies can sponsor RITA conferences and webinars, with sponsorship packages available at Silver and Gold tiers. Sponsors gain access to key decision makers at bi-annual conferences and receive opportunities to present on webinars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RITA is a professional trade association that delivers tiered membership programs, the IRA Advanced Institute training and SDIP Certification, bi-annual industry conferences, and webinars to regulated banks, trust companies, third-party administrators, and ancillary service providers in the U.S. self-directed retirement plan industry. It also maintains a Find a Custodian directory and free investor education resources that connect consumers with vetted SDIRA custodians for alternative asset administration.

Product overview

Retirement Industry Trust Association (RITA) is a professional trade association for the self-directed retirement industry, founded in 1987. The organization offers a portfolio of membership-based products and services centered around education, certification, and industry advocacy. Core offerings include membership programs (Regular, Service, and RITA Ally categories), the Self-Directed IRA Institute training program leading to SDIP Certification, bi-annual conferences, webinars, a member portal with exclusive resources, and a Find a Custodian directory service. RITA serves regulated banks, trust companies, third-party administrators, and industry-related professionals, providing alternative asset administration guidance for real estate, precious metals, cryptocurrency, and other IRS-allowable investments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RITA Membership Programs Trade association membership tiers giving banks, trust companies, TPAs, and ancillary service providers access to industry guidelines, member directory listing, legislative and regulatory updates, advocacy through RITA's D.C. lobbyists, and discounted registration at RITA conferences, IRA Institutes, and webinars.
• IRA Advanced Institute Multi-day advanced self-directed IRA training program described as the only one of its kind in the industry, covering alternative assets, prohibited transactions, precious metals, real estate, LLCs, UBTI, audits, legal requirements, and fraud reduction; available to members at $1,195 ($1,395 with the Fundamentals Test) and non-members at $1,500.
• Self-Directed Industry Professional (SDIP) Certification Professional certification for SDIRA industry practitioners requiring a 100-question exam grounded in IRS Publication 590 A & B tax codes, obtained by completing the IRA Institute course and the Fundamentals Test; webinars earn 1 continuing education credit toward certification.
• RITA Conferences Bi-annual industry conferences featuring speakers, panels, and roundtable sessions on legislative and regulatory developments in the self-directed retirement plan industry; the Fall 2026 conference is scheduled for October 28-29, 2026 in New Orleans, LA with registration at $1,195 (member early bird) up to $2,795 (non-member regular).
• RITA Webinars Regular 1-hour webinars addressing prominent self-directed retirement plan industry issues; free for RITA members and $99.95 for non-members, with each webinar earning 1 continuing education credit toward the SDIP certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2025, RITA provided education to record levels of attendees for Conferences and IRA Institutes.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Secure Our Savings 2.0 CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025RITA joined the Secure Our Savings 2.0 (SOS) Coalition, an alliance of advocates and businesses dedicated to protecting Americans' retirement savings as Congress deliberates on comprehensive tax overhaul. RITA's participation led to positive legislative results. The coalition advocacy efforts aim to prevent limitations on IRA investment choice, specifically opposing Sections 138312 and 138314 of the House Reconciliation Bill that would prohibit IRAs from investing in most alternative assets and limit contributions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Retirement Association: The leading professional association for retirement plan professionals, offering conferences, certifications (QPFC, QKA), and advocacy. Directly comparable to RITA in mission (advancing the retirement industry through education, credentialing, and lobbying) and member profile (advisors, third-party administrators, plan sponsors).
• Insured Retirement Institute: A leading association for the retirement income industry, providing advocacy, research, and education to financial services firms. Comparable to RITA in serving the broader retirement ecosystem through conferences, advocacy, and certification programs.
• SPARK Institute: A trade association focused on retirement plan advisors, TPAs, and recordkeepers. Comparable to RITA as a niche trade association serving retirement industry professionals with conferences, advocacy, and member benefits around the retirement value chain.
• Financial Services Institute: Represents independent financial services firms and independent broker-dealers. Comparable to RITA in serving financial intermediaries with advocacy, compliance support, and conferences - both model revenue on member dues plus non-dues events and sponsorship.
• Investment Adviser Association: The leading trade association for SEC-registered investment advisers. Directly comparable to RITA in operating as a niche trade association serving RIA-style firms with regulatory advocacy, compliance resources, and educational programming.

Broad incumbents

• ICI (Investment Company Institute): The leading association for regulated investment companies (mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds). Comparable to RITA as a much larger financial services trade association using the same membership, advocacy, and educational content model.
• SIFMA: The leading trade association for broker-dealers, investment banks, and asset managers. Comparable to RITA in operating as a financial services trade association with policy advocacy, conferences, and educational content at much greater scale.
• American Bankers Association: Represents US banks and savings institutions. RITA's bank members overlap with the ABA constituency, and ABA provides similar advocacy, education, conferences, and compliance resources at much greater scale.
• National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA): Represents insurance and financial services professionals across the US. Comparable to RITA in operating a member-services model with conferences, advocacy, and educational programming serving individual financial professionals and firms.

Others

• AICPA: The largest professional association for CPAs, providing conferences, certifications (CPA, CGMA), and member benefits. Comparable to RITA in operating a scaled professional association revenue model with conferences, certification, and member dues - but in the accounting vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RITA
• Xx.com/ritaorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Retirement Industry Trust Association