Strata Trust Company (formerly, Self Directed IRA Services, Inc.) was founded in 2008 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Horizon Bank. Strata provides administration and custody of alternative and traditional assets in self directed IRAs for individuals and small businesses nationwide. They specialize in allowing a wide range of investment vehicles within Traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE IRA accounts including, real estate, trust deeds, mortgages, crowdfunding investment portals, gold and precious metals, promissory notes, closely-held stocks, REITs, private limited partnerships, limited liability companies and more.

* Use the Strata Trust Company Fee Calculator (click button below) to calculate your estimated fees based on the company's published fee schedule. This is a useful tool when comparing different custodians based on your cost to use them. Please note, if you have never before used a self-directed IRA custodian or administrator to administer your account, the fees will be different than most broker dealers that provide transactional services for stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

Process for adding a new asset to client account:

They maintain Investment Checklists for each type of asset (Precious Metals, Private Equity, Private Debt, Real Estate, etc.) as a packet (bundled with the required forms), and the client would provide the items shown on the checklist for their administrative review (usually within 1-2 business days) to determine operational feasibility. If accepted, they will communicate this to the client and process the investment purchase. If not accepted, they will communicate this to the client along with the reason that the investment does not appear to be administratively feasible.

Procedures in place to protect client information:

As a regulated financial institution, they employ all required operational procedures to protect the client information, and use a secure email service (ZIX) when remitting client information by email.

Procedures for annual valuations: 

Annual FMVs are required, and letters are sent out in January to the investment issuer or to the client, with 30 day suspense follow-ups. After 90 days, the client will be copied on letters to an investment issuer. As a regulated IRA custodian, they will resign as custodian on the account if the FMV is not provided within a reasonable time.

Procedures for when an investment is suspected to be or is found to be fraudulent:

They will report suspected fraud to the appropriate authorities, and place a freeze hold on any related account(s).

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Glassdoor Ratings: (How company rates as an employer) (No Profile)

The Self Direct Your RetirementTransparency Index is a metric we have developed to indicate how transparent self-directed IRA custodians and administrators are about their company. We value transparency as an ideal trait from a company that is providing custody or administration of your retirement accounts. It shows that the company has nothing to hide about their activities. You should consider this when you are making your choice.

The Self Direct Your Retirement Transparency Index is split into two parts. The first part is whether they voluntarily provided this information to us or whether we had to find this data on our own. Companies that provided us with the data were given the "company certified seal". If they did not participate, the seal does not show up in their profile. The second part of the index is how transparent the companies were in providing us with this information. A higher transparency number indicates a more transparent company. A number above 80% is ideal. There may be legitimate reasons companies do not want to share certain information, but you should consider this when making your decision.

Below the seal, we have listed the last time the company provided us with information. As long as the company has the certified seal, the information should be considered up-to-date. We contact the company periodically to ensure the information is accurate. If the company chooses not to verify the information, then we remove the seal. Transparency is only one factor you should consider when choosing a self directed IRA custodian or administrator.

Visit the Self-Directed IRA custodian & administrator comparison page to see how Strata Trust Company compares to its peers.

We asked Strata Trust Company to provide their individual insight into the following questions. This section is a bit more personal. The idea is that it will give you more insight into the company you are considering to provide custody of your investments. 

Strata Trust Company has a high level of transparency. This is exactly what we look for in a custodian or administrator. Without this high level of transparency, we would not have access to the information we would need to make the best decision possible.

Looking for companies with this high level of transparency is only the first step in the process of finding a suitable self-directed IRA custodian or administrator. With this information, you can make a determination about whether Strata Trust company is the best choice for your retirement investing needs. 

Please use our Self Directed IRA Custodian & Administrator Comparison Tool to help you assess whether Strata Trust Company is the right choice for you.

One of the biggest areas of frustration we see from self-directed IRA investors is when they realize they have chosen the wrong self-directed IRA custodian or administrator. Choose your Self-Directed IRA custodian or administrator wisely. If you put the time in now to find the right company, you will save time, money, and aggravation later. Read our Choosing a Self-Directed IRA Custodian report for more information.

Next Steps... Once you have located your ideal Self-Directed IRA Custodian or Administrator, you will be on your way to self-directing your retirement. If you decide that this process seems too complex and you need assistance or financial advice, feel free to contact us. Our wealth management firm specializes in providing financial advice pertaining to alternative investments held in self-directed IRAs and 401ks. We are fiduciaries and provide unbiased advice. Contact us if you want to learn more about our services.