A type of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) allowed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) in which contributions are paid into the bank's interest-bearing financial instruments or a self-directed account. The difference between a self directed account and the bank's interest bearing financial instrument is that the investor is in charge of investment decisions. Self-directed accounts are usually set up by a brokerage and the investor is charged an amount above trading costs.

ERISA is federal legislation enacted to ensure that pension/retirement plans of employers are fair and secure. It is the law that established rules and regulations to govern private pension plans, including vesting requirements, funding mechanisms, and general plan design and descriptions.