EQUITYTRUST

Equity Trust acts as a passive custodian for self-directed retirement accounts. It holds and administers alternative assets — real estate, private notes, LLC interests, tax liens — that are not listed on public exchanges. The firm does not offer investment advice or sell products; it provides the regulatory and operational infrastructure that makes direct alternative investing possible inside an IRA wrapper.

A conventional brokerage custodian restricts holdings to publicly traded securities, mutual funds, and ETFs. Equity Trust is structured as a non-depository trust company that explicitly permits alternative assets. Clients can buy a rental property or fund a private start-up round directly within their Roth or Traditional IRA, something a standard brokerage platform will not facilitate.

No. The firm is a technology and compliance platform, not an investment sponsor. Clients identify their own deals — whether a single-family house, a private placement memorandum, or a peer-to-peer note — and direct Equity Trust to execute and custody. This arms-length design is what allows the company to hold assets that carry substantial illiquidity and valuation complexity without taking on fiduciary suitability risk.

Equity Trust Company of South Dakota is a sister trust company chartered under South Dakota’s trust-friendly regulatory framework. It serves the same self-directed custody function but offers additional trust powers and is often used for clients interested in South Dakota’s favorable tax treatment, privacy statutes, and dynasty-trust provisions.

Real estate dominates the platform — single-family rentals, commercial property, raw land, and syndicated multi-family deals are the largest category. Private lending follows, including promissory notes, tax-lien certificates, and private placements. The firm also custodies crowdfunded equity positions, precious metals, and LLC or LP membership interests, though assets that are hard to value independently present more operational friction.