Alto IRA Review

Trade over 200 cryptocurrencies with a $10 initial investment and no setup fees with a tax-advantaged retirement account.

You can also access alternative assets like real estate and private credit.

My Alto IRA review discusses the investment options, fees, and eligibility to start diversifying your portfolio.

The Verdict for Alto IRA

I’ve given them a rating of 9.2 out of 10.

Category	Rating (out of 10)
Investment Options	10
Pricing & Fees	8.5
Account Setup & Maintenance	9
Customer Service & Support	9
Security & Compliance	9
Reputation & Reviews	9
Resources & Tools	9
Overall Rating	9.2

In this review of Alto, I’ve followed GIC’s detailed criteria for evaluating the self-directed IRA marketplace.

About Alto IRA

Alto IRA is a versatile self-directed IRA provider focusing on over 200 cryptocurrency options for all investors seeking tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

An alternative assets marketplace for accredited investors includes art, fine wine, private equity, real estate, and more.  

The Nashville, TN-based IRA platform was founded by Eric Satz in 2015 through his privately owned company, Alto Solutions, Inc.

His vision is to make it easier to invest in alternative assets with an IRA.

Its Alto CyptoIRA launched in 2020 and has added other investing features in recent years to streamline startup and private asset investments.  

Alto currently reports over 30,000 active accounts and $1.3 billion in assets under custody. This customer base is as extensive or better than other IRA providers of similar age.

Except for Hawaii residents, any United States resident at least 18 years old can open a crypto IRA on the platform.

This geographic restriction is due to Coinbase being its exchange partner, which doesn’t offer services in Aloha State. 

High-net-worth clients with accredited investor status can also invest in other alternative asset classes through Alto.

I appreciate how the company simplifies holding several investment types within the same retirement plan, although you open multiple IRAs for each asset type.

Investment Options

You can invest in cryptocurrency and non-traditional assets through Alto.

Alto CryptoIRA

Alto has a rock-bottom $10 investment minimum, making it extremely easy to start investing in crypto with an IRA.

You can trade over 200 cryptocurrencies supported on Coinbase.  

Your investment options include:

• Bitcoin
• Ethereum
• Solana
• Stellar
• Cardano
• Filecoin
• Polkadot
• Uniswap

In comparison, most crypto IRAs require a minimum initial investment of $1,000 to $10,000.

Additionally, many competitors only support between 15 and 70 cryptocurrencies.

You have significantly more flexibility to personalize your portfolio, which is helpful for altcoin traders.

I like that one of the most recognized crypto exchanges handles the transactions with a 24/7 trading window.

Additionally, Coinbase stores your tokens in insured hot and cold storage wallets. 

Simply log into your Alto crypto account, and the Coinbase trading interface will automatically appear.

You may be familiar with the layout if you currently use this exchange, although it doesn’t have all of the advanced research features like non-tax-advantaged trading accounts.

You can open a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or SEP IRA for tax-advantaged crypto trading. It’s possible to trade from an online platform or mobile app.

Market orders that trade at the current price and limit orders that only buy or sell at a specified price are available to optimize your trading strategy.

I also like that the only fee you pay is a competitive 1% transaction fee to buy or sell. Like several, but not all crypto IRA platforms, there are no setup fees or ongoing account fees.

Alto Marketplace

The Alto Marketplace is run by Alto Securities LLC to buy shares of private investing offerings exclusively for accredited investors.

Investment minimums and holding periods vary by opportunity. Most require from $10,000 to $50,000 and a six-month to 24-month period.

Asset classes can include:

• Private companies
• Private credit
• Real estate
• Venture capital 

You may also occasionally see funding rounds for fine wine, art, and other tangible assets.

Going through the Marketplace also means you avoid investment processing fees which can be as high as $75 through private issuers when you find your own deals.

These assets are kept in a standard IRA and is a separate account from your crypto portfolio, which has a different custody partner.

Integrated Partners

There are many crowdfunded investment platforms just for accredited investors with specific specialties like art, farmland, peer-to-peer lending, and private credit.

These platforms can broaden your investment selection, but it’s a hassle to monitor multiple accounts or have multiple plan custodians.

As a solution, Alto partners with over 10 alternative investing platforms to handle the paperwork on your behalf and fund investments with your Alto IRA.

The integrated partners include:

• AcreTrader
• AngelList
• CalTier
• Capital Engine
• Constitution Lending
• Equifund
• FarmTogether
• Masterworks
• Prosper
• Silicon Prairie
• Supervest

A $10 processing fee applies to each initial investment, plus a quarterly service fee.

This fee can be notably cheaper than competing self-directed IRAs.

Pricing & Fees

Along with different investment options, separate fees apply to an Alto IRA and crypto IRA.

Neither account incurs setup fees.

Alto CryptoIRA Fees

A crypto IRA from Alto doesn’t charge quarterly account fees, which keeps your lifetime investment costs as low as possible.

In fact, the only fee you pay is to buy or sell crypto.

• Cryptocurrency trading fee: 1% of the order size
• Custody fees: $0

A 1% transaction fee is the average amount among the best crypto IRA companies. Being able to place limit orders also prevents you from overpaying.

The critical difference is that you have substantially more investment options as Coinbase is the exchange partner, while most crypto IRAs collaborate with a different service.

Alto IRA Fees

All non-crypto Alto IRA accounts pay a quarterly account fee based on the total invested capital.

Total Invested	Quarterly Fee
$0	$0
$0.01 to $29,999.99	$37.50
$30,000 or more	$100

These “standard” IRAs also charge investment processing fees: 

• $0 for Alto Marketplace orders
• $10 for Integrated Partners
• $75 for private deals

Annual IRA custodian account fees are expected to cover record keeping costs and provide lifetime customer support.

While these fees are among the lowest, the pricing tiers are expensive if you have a small balance.

Service Fees

Miscellaneous fees you may encounter during account opening or closing are:

• Roth conversion: $50
• Outgoing wire: $25
• Outgoing check: $50
• Account closure: $50
• Outgoing private security transfer: $100

Account Setup & Maintenance

You can open your self-directed IRA online with several funding methods and hands-on help:

1. Visit website or app: First, visit the Alto website or mobile app and tap “Get Started.” You will start the application process by sharing your name, personal information, and contact details.
2. Select IRA type: Decide if you want a cryptocurrency IRA and traditional or Roth tax treatment. Accredited investors can also open a standard IRA for private offerings.
3. Choose a funding method: You can transfer an existing IRA or roll over a workplace retirement plan such as a 401(k), 403(b), or a TSP. Cash deposits using Plaid are supported up to your annual IRA contribution limit.
4. Invest: You can start buying available investments after your funds clear, usually within five to 10 business days. As your IRA custodian, Alto completes your tax-compliant recordkeeping and coordinates transactions or future withdrawals.
5. Monitor account: You can monitor your current holdings, compare new investments, and schedule future contributions from your dashboard. The platform is easy to use.

All Alto IRA products are accessible by web browser, which is consistently the best way to access your account.

Its crypto IRAs are available through its Android and Apple mobile app, although several Alto IRA reviews mention the app can be slow or not work.

Customer Service & Support

Phone support is available from 9 am to 5 pm Central, Monday to Friday. You can also send an email for non-urgent requests.

The support team is friendly and quickly responds to most inquiries. Like any IRA provider, it cannot provide personalized advice.

Additionally, the online help center has in-depth guides and walkthroughs for most general inquiries and technical issues.

For example, you can follow step-by-step instructions to learn how to navigate your account and complete trades.

Security & Compliance

Alto is your third-party IRA custodian who verifies that your account remains IRS tax-compliant.

The provider provides errors and omissions (E&O) insurance to help protect against data breaches and other qualifying incidents.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) can protect your account too.

Coinbase holds your crypto assets on behalf of Alto to comply with the self-directed IRA storage rules that prevent self-storage.

The exchange uses hot and cold storage wallets to maintain sufficient liquidity for 24/7 trading, but protecting long-term holdings from unauthorized trades.

Additionally, Coinbase provides the following insurance limits:

• Commercial crime insurance: $320 million (per incident and overall)
• Cyber crime insurance policy: $3 million

Cash balances are eligible for up to $250,000 in FDIC insurance through Alto’s banking partners.

Alto also maintains fidelity bonds and crime insurance against personnel breach of duty.  

These insurance protections are similar to other self-directed IRAs so you can receive reimbursement if account breaches or unauthorized transactions occur.

Reputation & Reviews

Most Alto IRA reviews leave high ratings on Trustpilot and Google Reviews. 

The most common customer favorites include the abundant crypto options, affordable fees and minimums, and responsive customer service.

Many reviews also mention the web platform is easy to use and the account funding process is quick.

Most complaints gravitate around a turbulent transition in 2021 when LendingClub transferred its customers’ accounts to Alto.

Recent frustrations include limited access to Coinbase’s trading tools and a glitch-prone mobile app.

As Alto is a relatively young self-directed IRA company, its operating history is limited.

Still, the provider has industry-standard protections and insurance benefits, plus a leadership team experienced in alternative asset investing.  

Another minor hindrance is that Alto doesn’t hold Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation despite nearly a decade in existence.

This platform also has few customer reviews and most people only visit this site to file complaints that the custodian promptly responds to.

Resources & Tools

Most of the educational and research features are blog posts and in-depth reports from Alto leadership and analysts discussing the latest trends in alternative assets.

There’s also an investment glossary defining basic terms to help inexperienced investors.

The investment offering pages also provide core details to understand how the asset works and its historical performance.

I wish the crypto trading platform had more Coinbase research tools to make trading tokens easier using advanced charts and technical indicators. 

Overall, these tools are similar to other IRAs. The primary role is to hold your assets and offer tax-advantaged investing while you research investment options yourself.

Alto IRA Alternatives

These self-directed IRA companies have flexible investment options so you’re not restricted to a particular asset type or exchange.

Compare the fees and preferred partners to find the best match for self-managing your retirement account.

Rocket Dollar

Rocket Dollar has investing partners for nearly any investment idea with its IRA or Solo 401(k).

It has six cryptocurrency exchange partners, including Kraken and Gemini. You pay a one-time $360 registration fee, a $30 monthly fee, and partner-specific fees.

Get started with Rocket Dollar today!

Equity Trust Company

Equity Trust Company has several account options supporting alternative and traditional assets. You can open a universal IRA to hold stocks and tangible investments in the same account.

Specialty accounts like SDIRAs, 401(k)s, and HSAs are also available with different investment choices.

The Entrust Group

The Entrust Group possesses over 40 years of experience with self-directed IRAs to hold most nontraditional assets.

The platform doesn’t have direct partners like Alto, although an IRA specialist walks you through adding assets from IRA-eligible brokers.

Is Alto IRA a legit company?

Alto IRA is one of the most affordable and easy-to-use cryptocurrency IRAs.

It also has some of the industry’s most impressive investment choices to diversify your tax-advantaged portfolio with ease.

Accredited investors can also invest in non-crypto assets through the marketplace and direct partnerships.  

FAQs