Avoid this custodian!
Avoid this custodian if you're evaluating self-directed IRAs for a real estate syndication. The fees were never clearly disclosed upfront — they charge $9.95 on every single distribution you receive, which on a typical $437.50 distribution is over 2% off the top, on top of a $349.95 annual custodial fee and a $399.95 initial setup fee. Total fees paid since opening the account in 2024: $1,469.85, against a syndication with a 14% target return. That's a real bite into the entire point of the investment.
For comparison, several other major SDIRA custodians (Madison Trust, IRA Financial) use flat annual or quarterly pricing specifically to avoid this kind of per-transaction erosion. Accuplan nickel-and-dimes you on every transaction — they even charge $35 to reverse one of their own fee mistakes.
Customer service is nearly impossible to reach, and there's no real support for navigating their account portal. I had repeated issues just getting the account set up, then had three separate distribution checks returned over the life of the account, each adding more fees. When I asked about the most recent one, I was told it was the check writer's fault — I confirmed directly with the syndicator that this was untrue, and that another investor at this same custodian had the exact same problem.
I've transferred my account elsewhere. If you're shopping custodians, look closely at the per-transaction fee schedule, not just the advertised setup and annual fees — it adds up fast.







