A self-directed IRA moves responsibility from custodian menus to owner discipline: prohibited transactions, arm's-length documentation, and illiquidity risk. Pair with asset location, boundary critique, modular systems, and causal loop diagrams so retirement stock does not become a hazard warehouse.
1. Responsibility, Not Menu Freedom
A self-directed IRA moves compliance burden to you: prohibited transactions, disqualified persons, valuations, and UBIT on debt-financed real estate. The custodian is not your lawyer; "they accepted the asset" is not the same as "the IRS will agree."
Map every asset with boundary critique and asset location so alternatives live in the right wrapper with documented intent.
"Self-directed means the filing cabinet is yours."
2. Real Estate, Notes, and UBIT
Rental repairs, property management, and personal use of IRA-owned assets are where polite people commit impolite errors. Route expenses without commingling personal cash; refresh valuations on a calendar, not on vibes.
3. Crypto, Private Stock, and Custody
Key management, insurance limits, and illiquidity for beneficiaries belong in the plan before you chase yield. Modularity: do not let SDIRA risk cascade into your operating company through informal support.
Accepted assets, fees, turnaround—match before you buy the story.
Update after marriages, births, entity changes—family graphs move.
Who values private assets, how often, independence standards—write it down.
Illiquid alts need a plan for distributions without fire-sale discounts.
4. Documentation Discipline
Thin files turn edge into entropy. Quarterly reconciliation: custodian statement vs. internal ledger for each line.
5. Loops and Lessons
Sketch incentives with causal loop diagrams; pre-mortem disqualification paths with inversion. The goal is retirement stock you can explain to a successor trustee in one sitting.
Build the lattice, not the legend.
Return to the Reading hub for essays, tools, and the rest of the 100-topic map.
See also in Strata Atlas: The Private Family Office When and how to build · The Infinite Banking Concept Using whole life in · Jurisdictional Arbitrage Structuring wealth acro · Holding Companies Using Shells to manage multi-s · Estate Planning Archetypes Wills, Trusts, and Po