Insights
Insights
Clear-eyed analysis of self-directed retirement investing — the opportunities, the rules, and the fine print — written for investors and the sponsors who serve them.
What a self-directed IRA really is — and the myth it isn’t
The account doesn’t invest for you. That single fact explains most of the mistakes people make with it.
Read →The alternatives boom, explained
Money is migrating from the public markets to the private ones. Here is what “alternatives” actually means — and what it costs.
Read →The rules that bite: what a self-directed IRA can’t do
The prohibited-transaction rules are short, old, and unforgiving. They cause more self-directed disasters than bad investments do.
Read →Beyond stocks and bonds: the self-directed menu
A field guide to what a self-directed IRA can hold — and the specific risks that ride along with each.
Read →The tax that can follow your IRA
A tax-advantaged account is not always a tax-free one. Two rules — UBIT and UDFI — can hand your IRA a bill.
Read →How sponsors raise capital from retirement accounts
Trillions of dollars sit in retirement accounts. For issuers, self-directed IRAs are a channel to reach them — with rules attached.
Read →For founders: tapping retirement capital without tripping the wires
Retirement savings can fund a business. Do it the wrong way and you can disqualify the account — or worse.
Read →Six year-end moves that make every retirement dollar count
As December closes, a short checklist can lower this year’s tax bill and set up the next. Here are six moves worth the hour.
Read →The high-deductible bargain
A bigger deductible buys you a smaller premium and a tax shelter. Whether that trade pays depends on arithmetic most people never do.
Read →HSA or FSA? The difference is ownership
They look alike on the enrollment screen. One is an account you own for life. The other is an arrangement that expires.
Read →What your FSA actually covers
The eligible-expense list is broader than most employees assume and narrower than they hope. Both errors cost money.
Read →The December scramble
Use-it-or-lose-it is a real rule with real exceptions. Knowing which one your plan uses is worth several hundred dollars.
Read →The election you can’t change — until you can
Benefits elections are locked for the plan year. Federal rules carve out a list of life events that unlock them, and the window is short.
Read →The number that changed dependent care
For two decades the dependent care FSA limit sat at $5,000. In 2026 it is $7,500 — and the planning math is no longer marginal.
Read →Five ways employees leave benefits money on the table
The benefits package is compensation. Most workers accept a fraction of it, and the shortfall compounds.
Read →The retirement account hiding in your health plan
An HSA is taxed three times less than anything else in the code. Used correctly, it is not a health account at all.
Read →Educational only. This page is general information, not individualized investment, legal, or tax advice. Rules depend on your account type, transaction, tax year, and circumstances — consult a qualified professional.