A retirement account in which the individual investor is in charge of making all investment decisions. The self-directed IRA provides the investor with greater opportunity for asset diversification outside of the traditional stocks bonds and mutual funds, as real estate, private tax liens and notes can be purchased. All securities and investments are held in an account administered by a custodian or trustee.

Some investment types, such as life insurance, are still not permitted in an IRA. In addition, investments cannot be employed for personal use or gain. For example, an investor cannot hold real estate that is personally used in a self-directed IRA. It is the responsibility of the investor to comply with all IRS regulations.