Midland Trust

What Midland Trust does

Midland Trust Company, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, is a self-directed IRA custodian and 1031 exchange service provider that was acquired by Equity Trust Company in 2023 and now operates as Equity Institutional Services within the Equity Trust family of companies. The company serves individual investors, investment sponsors and fund managers, and registered investment advisors by enabling retirement-account capital (IRAs and Individual 401(k)s) to be deployed into alternative investments such as real estate, private placements, private lending, precious metals, hedge funds, and private stock — asset classes that traditional custodians typically exclude. Its technology platform consists of a Client Portal for account management, the Midland Pro / Equity Pro portal for financial professionals, and the Equity OnePath digital onboarding system that allows investors to complete applications and subscription documents simultaneously with sponsor paperwork, with investment confirmation targeted within 24-48 hours. The company also provides private fund custody (full custody and document custody) and qualified intermediary services for 1031 property exchanges through a separate Equity 1031 Exchange entity.

Revenue is generated through recurring administrative fees charged to IRA investors for account custody and administration, plus transaction fees for processing investments, subscriptions, and fund transfers. The go-to-market is hybrid: a B2B, relationship-driven motion serving investment sponsors and RIAs through dedicated service teams (no call center), combined with direct-to-consumer acquisition for individual investors via the website, educational content, and the digital account-opening flow. The combined Midland/Equity Trust entity reports $71 billion in assets under custody and administration as of June 30, 2025, and 51-100 employees support the Midland Trust operations.

Name

Midland Trust

Legal name

Midland Trust Company

Website

https://midlandtrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Midland Trust, now part of Equity Trust Company, is a self-directed IRA custodian serving individual investors, investment sponsors, and RIAs with alternative-asset custody, private fund services, and 1031 exchange qualified intermediary services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Directed IRA Custody Services

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Trust Services (Trustee, Agent & Escrow Roles) (FSAEAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate & Institutional Trust Services (FSAAANAB), Fund Custody & Transfer Agency Services (FSACAHAG)

Keywords

• Self-directed IRA custody
• Alternative investment retirement
• 1031 exchange services
• Private fund custody
• Directed custodian services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Myers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custodial Account Fees: Administrative fees charged to IRA investors for account custody and administration services. The IRA investor pays administrative fees while investment sponsors receive services at no cost.
2. Investment Processing Fees: Fees associated with processing investments, including subscription agreement processing and fund transfers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Midland Trust provides self-directed IRA custody and administration services that enable investors to hold alternative assets (real estate, private placements, private lending, precious metals, private stock, hedge funds) within tax-advantaged retirement accounts. The company also acts as a directed custodian and qualified intermediary for 1031 property exchanges, and delivers private fund custody and document custody services to investment sponsors and RIAs.

Product overview

Midland Trust, now part of the Equity Trust family of companies, offers a comprehensive suite of self-directed retirement account services. The core offering is a Self-Directed IRA platform that enables investors to diversify retirement portfolios across alternative assets including real estate, precious metals, private stock, private lending, and hedge funds. The product ecosystem includes the Client Portal for account management, Equity OnePath for streamlined investment onboarding, and Private Fund Custody services for investment sponsors. Supporting tools include the RMD Calculator, educational resources through Midland University, and the Midland Pulse Podcast. The company serves individual investors, financial professionals, and institutional clients through integrated digital platforms and dedicated service teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Self-Directed IRA Tax-advantaged retirement account that allows investors to hold alternative investments including real estate, private stock, precious metals, private lending, private placements, and hedge funds. Targeted at individual investors seeking to diversify retirement portfolios beyond traditional stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
• Checkbook IRA LLC A self-directed IRA structure that gives the account holder checkbook control over IRA funds for direct investments without custodian approval for each transaction. Targeted at investors making frequent alternative investments who want greater transactional control.
• Trading Accounts Self-directed brokerage accounts for trading equities, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures, and forex within retirement accounts. Targeted at individual investors and trading professionals who want to combine traditional market trading with self-directed IRA services.
• Individual 401(k) Solo 401(k) retirement plan for self-employed individuals and small business owners with higher contribution limits than IRAs. Targeted at self-employed individuals and small business owners who want to hold alternative investments inside a tax-advantaged retirement plan.
• Private Fund Custody Custodial services for private funds including full custody (asset and cash custody, processing purchases/liquidations) and document custody (physical custody of original documents). Targeted at investment sponsors, fund managers, and RIAs needing a qualified custodian for alternative investments held in retirement accounts.
• Document Custody Physical custody service for original investment documents for private funds and organizations. Targeted at investment sponsors and private funds that need secure physical storage of original subscription and investment documents.
• 1031 Exchange Services Qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred 1031 property exchanges, enabling investors to defer capital gains taxes when exchanging investment properties. Targeted at real estate investors selling investment property who want to defer capital gains.
• Equity Institutional Services Capital raise facilitation service for investment sponsors, enabling investors to place investments through tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Targeted at investment sponsors and fund managers seeking access to retirement-account capital as an additional funding source.

Quantifiable outcome

• Confirmation within 24-48 hours for investment onboarding
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Equity Trust CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMidland Trust is now part of the Equity Trust family of companies following an acquisition. Equity Trust Company was established in 1974 and approved as an IRS custodian in 1983. The combined entity serves investors, financial professionals, investment providers with $71 billion in assets under custody and administration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Investments: One of the largest custody and IRA providers in the U.S.; while traditionally focused on public-market assets, Fidelity represents a broad incumbent that could expand deeper into self-directed alternatives.
• Charles Schwab: Major brokerage custodian offering IRAs and self-directed brokerage accounts; a broad incumbent competing at the high end of self-directed account balances and indirectly for alternative-investment allocations.

Direct peers

• uDirect IRA: Self-directed IRA platform focused on alternative investments including real estate and private lending; comparable specialty-custody business model and client base.
• Kingdom Trust: Qualified custodian specializing in alternative-asset retirement accounts; competes directly for private fund custody, document custody, and self-directed IRA investors across the same niches.
• Alto (Alto IRA): Self-directed IRA custodian focused on alternative investments with a modern, fintech-style platform; competes directly for IRA investors using retirement funds for private equity, crypto, and private deals.
• First American Exchange Company: Qualified intermediary for 1031 exchanges; directly competes with Equity 1031 Exchange (Midland's affiliated QI service) for tax-deferred property exchange business.
• IRA Financial Group: Facilitates self-directed IRA and Checkbook IRA LLC structures for alternative investments; directly overlaps with Midland's product offering and target investor segment.
• Rocket Dollar: Self-directed IRA and Solo 401(k) platform enabling alternative investments; a direct competitor in the alternative-asset retirement custody space, particularly targeting tech-savvy investors.
• New Direction IRA: Self-directed IRA custodian offering alternative-asset custody (real estate, private equity, private lending, precious metals); directly comparable business model and target customer base.
• Equity Trust Company: The parent company of Midland Trust; the largest direct peer as it offers the same self-directed IRA custody and alternative-investment services, now operating as a combined entity with $71B AUM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TrustMidland
• Facebookfacebook.com/midlandira
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midland-ira

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 Midland Trust