The IRA Club

What The IRA Club does

The IRA Club is a Chicago-based private financial services company founded in 2008 that administers self-directed individual retirement accounts (SDIRAs) enabling investors to hold alternative assets—real estate, private equity, precious metals, private placements, lending, oil and gas, and cryptocurrency—within tax-advantaged retirement wrappers. Its core technology comprises a web-based member portal for account administration and IRS reporting (Forms 5498 and 1099-R), the Investor's Row marketplace connecting members with alternative investment sponsors, and an integrated trading account powered by iFlip Invest for stocks and ETFs. The company also offers a Checkbook IRA LLC structure, Solo 401(k), SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, and Self-Directed HSA products to serve self-employed investors, and maintains a resource directory of non-recourse lenders to support real estate financing within IRAs.

IRA Club monetizes through a flat annual membership/administration fee—described as among the lowest in the SDIRA industry with no performance fees and no income or capital gains tax charged within the IRA—and a transaction-based facilitation fee on each investment made through the Investor's Row platform. Distribution is a hybrid model combining direct inside sales, a self-serve online onboarding funnel, a referral/affiliate program targeting financial advisors, CPAs, real estate brokers, and investment sponsors, and event-driven acquisition through conferences such as the New Orleans Investment Conference, webinars, and a branded podcast. The company operates exclusively in the United States, has 11-50 employees, and is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, venture funding, or institutional investors identified in available sources.

Name

The IRA Club

Legal name

IRA Club

Website

https://iraclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The IRA Club is a Chicago-based self-directed IRA administrator, founded in 2008, enabling individual investors and small businesses to hold alternative assets—real estate, private equity, precious metals, and crypto—within tax-advantaged retirement accounts via its member portal and Investor's Row marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Directed Retirement Account Administration

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Pension Funds (52511), Pension Funds (525110)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Retirement & Pension Wealth (401(k)/IRA/SIPP/Superannuation Retail) (FSAAAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fund Depositary (UCITS/AIFMD & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAAOAC), Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF)

Keywords

• Self-directed IRAs
• Retirement account administration
• Alternative asset investing
• SDIRA custodian services
• Self-directed retirement accounts

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership / Account Administration Fees: IRA Club charges a flat annual fee for self-directed IRA account administration, custodial oversight, IRS reporting (Forms 5498 and 1099-R), and member benefits including prohibited transaction analysis and a personal account specialist. The flat fee model is designed to be among the lowest in the industry, with no percentage-of-assets fees.
2. Investor's Row Facilitation Fee: IRA Club discloses that it receives an investment holding/technology facilitation fee for each member who invests through the Investor's Row platform. This represents a transaction-based revenue stream tied to investment activity within the platform's marketplace.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The IRA Club administers self-directed retirement accounts (Traditional, Roth, SEP, Solo 401(k), Self-Directed HSA, Checkbook IRA, Crypto IRA) that allow account holders to invest retirement funds in alternative assets such as real estate, private equity, precious metals, private placements, lending, oil and gas, and cryptocurrencies. The company provides custodial oversight, IRS reporting, prohibited transaction analysis, and a curated Investor's Row marketplace connecting members with alternative investment sponsors.

Product overview

The IRA Club is a platform offering self-directed retirement account administration, centered on its Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) product that enables investment in alternative assets. The platform provides multiple account types including Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, Solo 401(k), Self-Directed HSA, SIMPLE IRA, Checkbook IRA, and Crypto IRA. The company supplements its core SDIRA offering with the Investor's Row marketplace platform connecting investors with alternative investment opportunities, and integrates with the iFlip Trading Platform for traditional securities trading. IRA Club differentiates through a flat fee model with $500 minimum balance and 0% performance fees, emphasizing compliance with IRS rules including prohibited transaction analysis as a member benefit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Investor's Row: Platform featuring alternative investment opportunities for self-directed IRA investors, including syndications, crowdfunding, real estate, lending, and oil/gas investments.

Products and services

• Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) Self-directed retirement account administered by The IRA Club that allows account holders to invest retirement funds in alternative assets not typically available through traditional IRAs, including real estate, private equity, precious metals, private placements, lending, oil and gas, and cryptocurrency.
• Traditional IRA Tax-deferred self-directed retirement account where contributions may be tax-deductible and earnings grow tax-deferred until withdrawal, available with The IRA Club's flat-fee administration and prohibited-transaction analysis.
• Roth IRA After-tax self-directed retirement account where contributions are made with post-tax dollars, allowing tax-free growth and qualified withdrawals, administered by The IRA Club for alternative-asset holdings.
• SEP IRA Simplified Employee Pension IRA for self-employed individuals and small business owners, allowing higher contribution limits than Traditional IRAs and used to invest in alternative assets through The IRA Club.
• Solo 401(k) Self-directed 401(k) plan for self-employed individuals with no employees, offering higher contribution limits and loan provisions, administered by The IRA Club for alternative-asset investing.
• Self-Directed HSA Health Savings Account offering triple tax advantages, administered by The IRA Club and investable in alternative assets for long-term growth.
• Checkbook IRA (Checkbook IRA LLC) Self-directed IRA structure in which the account holder has checkbook control over the IRA LLC, enabling direct investment transactions without custodian approval for each deal.
• Crypto IRA Self-directed IRA allowing investment in cryptocurrencies and digital assets within a tax-advantaged retirement account administered by The IRA Club.
• Investor's Row Marketplace Marketplace platform within The IRA Club that connects self-directed IRA investors with alternative-investment sponsors offering syndications, crowdfunding, real estate, lending, oil and gas, and stocks/ETFs opportunities.
• IRA Club Member Trading Account (iFlip integration) Integrated trading platform for IRA Club members to access stocks and ETFs within their self-directed accounts, powered by iFlip Invest.

Quantifiable outcome

• Flat fee model with 0% performance fees and $0 income tax or capital gains tax charged within the IRA
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Non-Recourse LendersminorOthersIRA Club provides a resource center directory of non-recourse lenders for its members, enabling real estate and alternative investment financing. These lenders specialize in providing loans to self-directed IRA holders for investment property acquisitions.
• Wounded Warrior ProjectminorOthersIRA Club is a proud supporter of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), donating a portion of its profits to help provide essential resources and services to wounded veterans and their families.
• Make-A-WishminorOthersIRA Club supports Make-A-Wish, an organization dedicated to creating magical moments and lasting happy memories for children and their families. The company donates a portion of its profits to this cause.
• Plantations InternationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlantations International's Thailand mango plantation offering is featured on IRA Club's Investor's Row platform, providing accredited investors access to an alternative asset class in commercial agriculture. The partnership enables IRA Club members to diversify into agricultural land investments marketed as providing inflation resilience and passive income.
• C-SUITE NETWORKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerC-SUITE NETWORK will co-present alongside IRA Club at the New Orleans Investment Conference to discuss emerging trends in alternative investing, asset class evaluation, structuring investments within IRAs, and risk management strategies.
• iFlip InvestcoreTechnology or IntegrationiFlip Invest is integrated with IRA Club as the trading platform for stocks and ETFs within self-directed IRAs. IRA Club members have access to an IRA Club Member Trading Account powered by iFlip. IRA Club also redirects members to iflipinvest.com/ira-club for stocks and ETF investment opportunities, and the company participates jointly in conferences.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• iFlip Invest: Trading platform partner integrated with IRA Club for stock and ETF execution inside SDIRAs. Not a direct competitor but a critical infrastructure and ecosystem participant.

Direct peers

• Rocket Dollar: Tech-forward SDIRA and Solo 401(k) provider focused on checkbook-control retirement accounts for alternative investing. Directly comparable in product set, with a more venture-capitalized growth posture.
• Alto IRA: Self-directed IRA platform offering access to alternative investments including crypto, real estate, and private equity with a streamlined digital onboarding experience. Directly comparable to IRA Club on alternative-asset SDIRA positioning.
• Strata Trust Company: Specialized self-directed IRA custodian serving individual investors and financial professionals with alternative-asset retirement accounts. Comparable to IRA Club on SDIRA administration and prohibited-transaction support.
• Equity Trust: One of the largest self-directed IRA custodians in the US, offering SDIRAs with broad alternative-asset menus including real estate, private equity, and notes. Directly comparable to IRA Club on core product and target customer.
• uDirect IRA Services: Self-directed IRA administrator providing low-cost flat-fee retirement accounts for alternative investments. Closely comparable to IRA Club on flat-fee pricing philosophy and target investor profile.
• Entrust Self-Directed IRA: Self-directed IRA custodian offering Traditional, Roth, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs invested in real estate, private equity, and notes. Comparable to IRA Club on core SDIRA custodian services.
• Accuplan Wealth Management: Self-directed IRA custodian offering flat-fee retirement accounts with alternative-asset menus including real estate and private placements. Comparable to IRA Club on product positioning and target market.

Broad incumbents

• Millennium Trust Company: Large multi-product custodian offering self-directed IRAs alongside traditional custody and exchange funds. Overlaps with IRA Club on the SDIRA product line but operates a much broader institutional asset-servicing franchise.
• Charles Schwab IRA: Mass-market brokerage offering Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs, serving as the dominant incumbent for traditional IRA investors. Relevant as the mainstream competitor IRA Club differentiates against on alternative-asset access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7jC8AMsj8OYkeGViMatZpA/videos?app=desktop&view=0
• Facebookfacebook.com/iraclubchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ira-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The IRA Club