How can I refer a friend to NDTCO??
You can refer a friend to NDTCO by completing the
Referral Form on your NDTCO user portal.
How do I redeem my referral reward?
Once your friend has successfully open and funded their new account, you and your friend will receive an email to select and redeem your reward.
Your friend must open their new account using the email address you provided on the referral form submission and fund said account within 180 days of referral submission. Funding can be done via contribution, rollover, or transfer, but must be a monetary amount. Movement of non-cash assets (in-kind transfer/in-kind rollover) does not qualify as funding for the sake of this program.
What supporting documents are required for my fair market valuation?
Fair Market Valuation Requirements
An FMV form is always required unless the valuation has been provided by the asset provider for multiple clients. Below are the lists of accepted and non-accepted documents for major asset classes.
Real Estate
- Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)
- Broker Opinion Letter, provided by licensed Real Estate Professional.
- County Tax Assessment
- Appraisal (any type; must be signed and include the appraiser’s license information), they will need to be completed in the last 12 months and County assessment letter
Private Equity
- Business Valuation Letter or Statement of Value signed by an Officer or Manager
- Stock Valuation Letter
- Annual Shareholder Statement
Family LLC, Single Member and Closely Held LLC
- The value of ALL assets owned by the LLC including Real Estate, Precious Metals, Notes, Misc. Assets, Bank and Brokerage Accounts and all Liabilities.
- Statements for all bank accounts, both checking and savings accounts owned by the LLC.
- Statements for any brokerage accounts owned by the LLC
- normally it’s in the name of the LLC name,
- Documentation showing the value for any Real Estate owned. Valid documentation is the same as that accepted for Real Estate owned directly by the account
- Precious Metals. Valid documentation should come from the depository holdings the metals.
- Notes. Amortization schedules or a copy of the original note with a statement that the face value is still accurate.
- Misc assets must be valued by non-disqualified 3rd parties.
- Liabilities or mortgages. A statement from the lender or amortization schedule showing current principal due.
Promissory Notes
- Amortization Schedule, please update before submitting if the borrower has paid additional principal.
- Valuation from a CPA or Attorney.
- Valuation from a loan servicer.
- For Interest only notes, we will accept a confirmation that the face value of the note has not changed.
- If the note is past Maturity, we will not complete a valuation. The note must be amended or extended.
Documents Not Accepted
- K-1’s are not accepted for valuing private stock or partnerships.
- Zillow, Redfin, Trulia or other RE consumer site valuations are not accepted for annual valuations.
- Self-reporting of value is not accepted unless the client is reporting that a promissory note is still at the face value.
- Stock certificates do not show current year valuation and are not accepted.
- Valuations provided by disqualified persons are not accepted.
How do I submit paperwork or documents to NDTCO?
To submit paperwork directly and securely to NDTCO:
- Log in to your client portal, click “Messages” at the top, and compose a new message.
- Click “Choose File(s)” in your message draft and select the file from your computer.
Paperwork can also be faxed to 303-665-5962.
If original documents are required, please mail paperwork to:
New Direction Trust Company
1070 W. Century Drive
Louisville, CO 80027
How do I log in to my client portal?
Visit
portal.ndtco.com/login to log in to your client portal. Provide the username and password you established on your new account application. If you’re having trouble logging in, click “Forgot username or password?”.
What happens the first time I log in to my client portal?
The first time you log in to your client portal, you will be prompted to choose and answer five security questions. After this initial log in, you will be asked one of your security questions and prompted to provide the correct answer. This will further secure your account from unauthorized access.
What is my username and password?
You established your username and password when you completed your online new account application. Unless you manually updated your login information, your username should be your e-mail address.
If you’ve forgotten your username and/or password, go to
portal.ndtco.com and click “Forgot username or password?”.
I forgot my username/password. What do I do?
If you’ve forgotten your username and/or password, go to
portal.ndtco.com and click “Forgot username or password?”.
Sending messages through the client portal
You can send messages directly and securely to NDTCO through your client portal. To do so, log in at
portal.ndtco.com and click “Messages” at the top of the screen. Click “New Message” to begin a new message thread or browse “All Messages” to open an existing message thread.
With “New Message”, you can choose which account you’re reaching out about, choose a category, add a subject, and provide your message text. Submit documents if you so choose by clicking “Choose File(s)”. Click “Submit” when your message is ready to go!
By clicking an existing message thread under “All Messages”, you can enter your message text and attach paperwork in response to a conversation you already started. Click “Submit” when you’re ready to send a response to NDTCO.
How can I update my contact information with New Direction Trust Company?
All your contact information such as address (legal and mailing), email, and phone number can be updated in your online portal under "Contact Information" which can be found under your profile.
Do I have to complete the Fair Market Valuation Form?
If your self-directed account holds real estate, private equity, or a single-member LLC, a Fair Market Valuation form must be completed every year. Precious metals, notes, public securities, and brokerage accounts do not require a Fair Market Valuation as their value can be easily determined by statements or a set value of the asset.
What browsers and operating systems does NDTCO support for the client portal?
NDTCO supports Windows 10 and 11 and macOS. The client portal is most compatible with Chrome, but also is supported on Edge, Safari.
What browsers and operating systems are supported for NDTCO's online application?
NDTCO supports Windows 10 and 11 and macOS (Catalina, Big Sur and Monterey). The application is most compatible with Chrome, but also is supported on Edge, Safari and Firefox.
How do I open a new account?
To open a new self-directed account with New Direction Trust Company,
click here to access our easy online new account application! Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 877-742-1270 if you have questions or concerns about the application.
I walked away before I completed all the steps. Now what do I do?
I need help with my application. Who can I talk to?
Click here to access our easy online new account application! If you still have questions, give us a call at 877-742-1270 to speak with one of our live, dedicated representatives.
What fees will I be charged?
Am I required to pay for fees from my self-directed account?
Administrator fees can be paid from your self-directed account or from the account holder personally. You can instruct New Direction Trust Company to pay for fees from your account, you may pay by check or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover), or you can pay fees through the client portal online.
Can I change my account from a Traditional to a Roth IRA?
You can convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Consult with your tax professional first, as there are tax consequences to converting your Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
Once you've consulted with your tax professional, you will complete and submit our Traditional to Roth Conversion form.
How do I add funds to my account?
You can add funds to your account through any of the three following methods:
• Contribution – A deposit of your personal money
• Transfer – A movement between the same or similar account types (e.g. Traditional IRA to Traditional IRA)
• Rollover – A movement between dissimilar account types (e.g. 401(k) to Traditional IRA)
Click here to learn more about making contributions.
Click here to learn more about transfers and rollovers.
What to expect after an account funding
Once your account is open and funded, you’re ready to make your investment! Don’t hesitate to send us a message through your
client portal or give us a call at 877-742-1270 if you need help with the next steps.
How can I find out if my transfer/ rollover/ dividend/ loan payment has arrived?
New Direction Trust Company will notify you when your transfer or rollover funds have arrived. If you want to see if your dividend or loan payment has been received, you can log onto the
client portal and view all transactions.
How do I make a contribution?
To make a contribution, simply log in to the
client portal:
"Click “Contributions” on the left side of the screen.
Indicate the contribution type (a deposit of your personal money would be “Contribution”), the contribution year, and provide your bank information."
NDTCO will execute an ACH transfer into your account, and the funds will be available after five business days."
What is the difference between a rollover and a transfer?
Both processes effect a movement of funds between tax-qualified accounts. However, there are a few differences including paperwork, IRS reporting, and restrictions. A rollover is initiated by the account owner with their current administrator. The funds move directly to the new custodian or to the account owner directly. A transfer (also called a trustee-to-trustee transfer) is initiated by the new custodian on behalf of the client. The new custodian sends a completed Transfer/Rollover Form to the current account provider, who then sends the funds directly to the new institution. A rollover is reportable to the IRS; however, it is not a taxable event if the funds are received by the new custodian within 60 days. A transfer is neither a taxable event nor is it reported to the IRS. You are allowed only one rollover per 12 months, per social security number (i.e. one per person per year). There is no limit to the number of transfers an account owner may initiate.
How long will it take to transfer funds from my brokerage account to my New Direction Trust Company account?
It usually takes 2-4 weeks to transfer an IRA from one custodian to another. Transfers are not reportable, taxable, or penalized. You can do as many transfers in a year as you like, whereas you are limited to one IRA-to-IRA rollover every 12 months.
New Direction Trust Company will process your transfer form within 2 business days of your account being open, with the receipt of a correctly completed Transfer/Rollover Form and statement. Once we have sent the transfer request, the time it takes to receive the funds depends on how long it takes for the releasing custodian to receive the request, and send a check or a wire. New Direction Trust Company has no control over this part of the process, and we are unable to expedite processing and sending of funds.
What does “self-directed” mean?
“Self-directed” means you don’t have to worry about a faceless entity pulling the strings for your retirement. At NDTCO, you have the power to fortify your portfolio with the assets you know and believe in!
What is a custodian?
A custodian is a financial body—typically a trust company—that holds tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs, 401(k)s, and Health Savings Accounts. The custodial company “holds” these accounts in a similar way banks “hold” checking and savings accounts for their clients.
Click here to learn more about what custodians do for your account.
What’s the difference between a custodian and a third-party administrator?
Custodians like NDTCO are more accountable to state and federal regulators, which means they’re more accountable to their account holders.
Click here to learn more about the difference between custodians and third-party administrators.
Who can I contact with my account questions?
You can submit secure messages directly to our dedicated representatives by logging in to your
client portal and clicking “Messages” at the top. You can also call our office at 877-742-1270.
What are alternative investments?
Alternative investments are separate from the more commonly known instruments like stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs. Your portfolio can enjoy true diversification by investing in tangible assets like real estate or precious metals as well as relationship-based assets like private loans. Contrary to some belief, tax-advantaged plans like IRAs, 401(k)s, and Health Savings Accounts are fully capable of investing in these dynamic asset classes!
Which account type should I choose?
That’s up to you! NDTCO does not recommend or endorse any particular investment strategy, but we’re proud to offer a broad variety of account types to suit your needs.
Click here to review the account types and consult with your advisor or financial professional to determine which account will work best for you.
What is unrelated business income tax (UBIT)?
Unrelated business income tax (UBIT) may come due for a tax-advantaged account if it earns:
Unrelated Debt-Financed Income (UDFI) – Income attributable to a debt-financed portion of an asset. For example, if an asset is 50% debt financed and it earns $30,000 in a given year, $15,000 (50% of the earnings) is attributable to the debt percentage and is therefore subject to UBIT.
Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBTI) – Income earned from an investment in a “passthrough” business. A pass-through entity does not pay taxes at the corporate level and therefore passes the tax liability through to its investors.
Click here to learn more about UBIT.
What is a fair market valuation?
In the context of self-directed investing, a fair market valuation is the value of an alternative asset that does not carry a public market value. Whereas public stocks trade at accepted market prices, an individual piece of real estate could be valued differently than a similar property just up the road. Due to this potential variance, self-directed investors must obtain fair market valuations for applicable account-held assets every year, which NDTCO then forwards to the IRS to satisfy reporting requirements.
To submit a fair market valuation, log in to your
client portal and click “Valuate” (or “Take Action” and then “Valuate”) next to the applicable asset.
Do I have to submit a fair market valuation?
Generally speaking, you will need to submit fair market valuations for:
• Real Estate
• Private Equity
• Checkbook IRA
Conversely, you will NOT need to submit fair market valuations for:
• Precious Metals
• Private Loans
• Cryptocurrency
These lists may not be exhaustive, so feel free to give us a call at 877-742-1270 if you have questions or concerns about fair market valuations. To submit a fair market valuation, log in to your
client portal and click “Valuate” (or “Take Action” and then “Valuate”) next to the applicable asset.
What is a prohibited transaction?
A prohibited transaction is any investment whereby the IRA holder or any disqualified person receives benefit from the transaction, directly or indirectly. For example, you may not buy anything from or sell anything to your IRA or a disqualified person’s IRA, and no disqualified person may buy anything from or sell anything to your IRA.
Can I pay the legal/ accounting fees for setting up an IRA with my personal funds?
No. All expenses related to your IRA must be paid by your IRA. The only exception is your custodial fees to New Direction Trust Company, which can be paid by personal or IRA money.
What are other “alternative” assets my self-directed account buy?
Self-directed accounts can purchase notes, commissions, real estate, precious metals, mineral rights, options, private placements, accounts receivable, cattle, stock, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, and anything which is not prohibited or collectible as defined by the Internal Revenue code (see our Other Investments page for more information).
Can my self-directed account buy something that I already own?
This is considered a prohibited transaction. Your self-directed account cannot purchase anything you own personally, nor can you personally purchase anything from your self-directed account.
What is the difference between an IRA administrator and a custodian?
An IRA custodian is a company, usually a bank, trust company, or brokerage firm, that is a regulated entity required by the IRS to establish and hold IRA assets. The IRA administrator serves as the record holder for the account and is responsible for the execution of daily transactions and reporting.
New Direction Trust Company, is an IRA custodian that also provides administrative services and performs the following on behalf of our held accounts:
- Signing and executing all investment documents on behalf of the IRA (the IRS does not permit the account holder to sign these documents on behalf of their IRA)
- Reporting to the IRS information that is required for IRAs in compliance with the Internal Revenue Code
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Helping protect IRA assets by complying with all IRS regulations regarding prohibited transactions.
What does New Direction Trust Company do?
New Direction Trust Company is a self-directed IRA custodian. We provide a vehicle through which you can use your IRA funds to invest in "alternative assets," which includes investments outside of stocks and securities.
When do I have to start taking funds out of my IRA?
The IRS requires that you to begin taking yearly required minimum distributions the year you reach age 73. There is no required minimum distribution for Roth IRAs.
Why have the prices for my precious metals changed?
Precious metals prices fluctuate based upon market values and may not remain at the constant rate from your original invoice. Please contact your precious metals sponsor for additional information and current market prices.
Can I withdraw precious metals from my account in kind?
Yes! When it comes time to take distributions (withdrawals) from your account, you’re under no obligation to take them in cash. If you purchased gold coins with your self-directed account years ago but now you’re ready to retire, you can distribute the coins themselves and make them your personal property.
Can I store account-owned precious metals at home or in a safe deposit box?
No. Per IRS rules, any precious metals owned by a tax-advantaged account must be stored at a third-party depository. At NDTCO, our precious metals investors can choose from several depositories throughout the country and the world. Each depository is extremely secure and heavily insured. Learn more about selecting a depository
here.
Does New Direction Trust Company sell precious metals?
No. NDTCO is your self-directed account custodian, but we do not sell or recommend investments. A third-party precious metals dealer will sell the items to your account.
Can my account invest in precious metals?
Yes! Tax-advantaged plans aren’t limited to ETFs or gold certificates that track metals prices. Your self-directed IRA, 401(k), or Health Savings Account can purchase physical precious metals!
Click here to learn more.
