Realty411 Magazine Featuring Lori Greymont | Page 53

Why Having a CAT is More Work than a Self-Directed IRA D o you know a proud parent of a kitty? It takes a special breed of person (like me). So even if you’re not a cat person, here’s the “fun” you’re miss- ing out on... Like it or not, my day starts at 5:00 am on the nose. Literally. That’s when my 12-year-old short- gray-haired tabby, Spotty, jumps in my bed to press his cold Realty411Guide.com nose against my face to ask for breakfast. The whisker tickles seal the deal. All fed, he hops up to the bathroom sink to ask me to turn on the tap. He’s thirsty. Then he gives me that look when he’s quenched: “I want my head rubbed NOW, please.” For some relief from all this, I let Spotty out in the backyard. He triumphantly trots back in 10 min- utes later to bring me a dead bird he found outside.  Then I get the job of cleaning up after him. And that’s just one morning. Spotty’s capers continue ‘round the clock. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year. ARE YOU UP FOR IT? NOT EVERYONE IS. The good news is managing a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) is less work than caring for a cat. And less expensive, if you do it right. In fact, most of the time the investment is up- front, in the first month.  That’s when we ask you a lot of questions about where your money currently is (to help you transfer it) and the deal(s) you want to invest in (to feel out whether they’ll pass compliance). Yes, the process can get a little frustrating for that short while. It ends up being only a few hours in total though, with us guiding you through every step. PAGE 53 • 2015 By Kaaren Hall, uDirect IRA Services, LLC SO ASK YOURSELF: How worthwhile is investing a few hours now to tax-shelter your real estate and non-Wall Street investments for years to come? At uDirect, we don’t charge you a per- centage of your assets like some of the other guys. It’s one low, flat fee per year. Of course, you also need to always follow the IRS’ rules to steer clear of “prohibited transactions” once you’re investing. You could owe penalties on your whole IRA if you break those rules. To help prevent that, we can refer you to some great tax lawyers, CPAs, and even funding sources who understand SDIRAs – and who specialize in real estate. I’ve personally known these people for years and worked with many of them on my own real estate deals. None of them pay us a penny for the referrals either. So if a few rounds of info gathering and monitoring your own investments don’t scare you, then you may have the right stuff  to be- come a uDirect IRA Services account holder. To apply for an account today, just call us at [phone] or email us at [email protected] to schedule your free 20-minute consultation. Your cat will appreciate your wise planning. reWEALTHmag.com