New Direction Trust Company Review

Our Verdict

Partnering with the self-directed IRA custodian can help you grow your retirement savings. New Direction Trust Company offers a variety of account options that makes it easy for investors to manage their portfolios. 

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New Direction Trust Company
Best for: Established or new investors who want flexibility and a seamless investing experience.
Setup fee for IRA: $30
Pros:
  • A+ BBB rating
  • Over 15 years experience
  • Robust educational library
  • User-friendly interface
Cons:
  • Higher fees
  • U.S investors only

New Direction Trust Company is a self-directed IRA provider that offers new and established investors a user-friendly investing experience.

While the company offers a lot of resources to its clients, its fees are more expensive than other providers.

Read more to see if NDTCO is ideal for you.

The Verdict for New Direction Trust Company

I’ve given them a rating of 7 out of 10.

New Direction Trust Company is a SDIRA custodian offering investors variety and flexibility.

While NDTCO offers seamless investing experience, they have high administrative fees and investors have raised concerns about fraudulent partnerships.

Before getting started, review New Direction Trust Company’s fees and offerings to determine whether or not it aligns with your financial goals.

CategoryRating (out of 10)
Investment Options9
Pricing & Fees6
Account Setup & Maintenance8
Customer Service & Support7
Security & Compliance6
Reputation & Reviews6
Resources & Tools8
Overall Rating7

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

About New Direction Trust Company

New Direction Trust homepage

Originally founded in 2003 as New Direction IRA, the company rebranded to New Direction Trust Company in 2014.

The company specializes in helping investors allocate their portfolio in alternative assets. 

New Direction Trust Company is located in Louisville, Colorado and has offices in Overland Park, Kansas and Honolulu, Hawaii.

The company provides custodial services to over 71,000 clients and has around $4 billion in assets under custody.

The company was founded by Catherine Wynne and Bill Humphrey. Wynne is an experienced property investor while Humphrey is a CPA.

Together, the duo provide New Direction Trust Company clients with a cost-effective option to save for retirement.

New Direction Trust Company has an A+ rating with the BBB and has been accredited since 2004.

The company is a member of the Retirement Industry Trust Association, Association of Trust Organizations, American Bankers Association, and the Industry Council for Tangible Assets.

Investment Options

New Direction Trust Company offers several different tax-advantaged SDIRA accounts including:

Within these accounts, investors can invest in several types of alternative asset categories including:

  • Real estate
  • Precious metals
  • Private equity
  • Private lending
  • Other investments (oil and mineral rights, timber, livestock, etc.)

Checkbook control is offered by New Direction Trust Company by establishing an LLC, Limited Partnership, or C-Corp to manage the self-directed IRA account.

Checkbook accounts give you direct ownership over assets in your portfolio and the greatest control over investment decisions.

These accounts also allow you to open a checking account under your business’s name at a local bank, giving you direct access to your funds if you need them.

NDTCO gives investors the flexibility to allocate their portfolios beyond traditional stocks and bonds.

Some assets like life insurance policies and collectibles are not supported by New Direction Trust Company and transactions involving disqualified persons are not permitted.

New Direction Trust Company offers clients a list of approved providers it works with.

This has been problematic for some precious metal investors who stored precious metals with a fraudulent depository.

The company also advises their clients to do due diligence on any business partners and investments before adding them to their portfolio.

When you’re ready to set up an account you can go online and choose the account you’d like to open. You can rollover an existing retirement account or make a contribution with a wire transfer.

Once the account is funded you can begin investing in alternative assets.

Pricing & Fees

New Direction Trust Company publishes its fee schedule on its website. There is a $30 application fee to open a new account.

The company’s fee structure varies based on the type of assets you invest in.

AssetFeeAmount
Real EstateAnnual Administration/Purchase, Sale, or Exchange$275-$390/$285
Private Equity, Private Lending, Checkbook IRA, Other InvestmentsAnnual Administration/Purchase, Sale, or Exchange$390/$130
Precious MetalsAnnual Administration/Purchase, Sale, or Exchange$220/$130
Publicly Traded SecuritiesAnnual Administration/Trading Fees$135/$2.50-$50

Annual administrative fees are per asset.

Precious metal accounts do not include storage, which comes as a separate fee based on the depository you store your precious metals with and whether or not your assets are segregated.

Aside from annual administrative and processing fees, NDTCO charges several other additional fees:

  • Wire: $35
  • In-Kind Asset Re-Registration: $75
  • Transfer Out and Distribution: $150
  • Solo 401(k) Plan Adoption Rental: $390/year
  • Roth Conversion: $95
  • Paper Statements: $30

New Direction Trust Company’s per asset fee structure is higher than competitors that offer a flat fee, but could be lower than competitors that assess fees as a percentage of total asset value.

Find a Gold IRA Partner

Find a gold IRA company to help you protect your wealth.

Account Setup & Maintenance

New Direction Trust Company’s account setup process is simple and should take around 15 minutes to complete:

  1. Select an account type to open.
  2. Complete account setup application.
  3. Fund the account with a contribution, a rollover from an existing retirement account, or a transfer from another custodian.
  4. Select your investments.
  5. Authorize New Direction Trust Company to execute the investment on your behalf.

You will need to verify your identity to open your account. This may include submitting your driver’s license, Social Security Number, as well as proof of address. 

If you’d like to rollover funds from an existing retirement account or make a transfer from another custodian, a representative will work with you.

Retirement account rollovers must be done within 60 days of initiation to avoid taxes and penalties.

Once your account is active and investments have been selected you’ll gain access to New Direction Trust Company’s online portal.

The user-friendly portal gives you access to your investments, making it easy to monitor your account and pay bills.

Customer Service & Support

New Direction Trust Company offers customer support via phone, email, the contact form on their website, or secure messaging through its client portal.

You can call the customer support team at (877) 742-1270 or send an email to [email protected].

New Direction Trust Company representatives are available by phone Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm MT.

Investors report that New Direction Trust Company support staff are knowledgeable about setting up new SDIRA accounts. and helpful answering questions.

If a question arises during the account set up process, you can reach out to the customer service team for help.

Security & Compliance

New Direction Trust Company prioritizes safety and security. Uninvested cash held in NDTCO accounts is FDIC insured up to $250,000. 

The company adheres to industry standards to protect investor data and assets. They follow IRS and state regulations regarding SDIRAs and industry protocols to keep investor data secure. 

New Direction Trust Company does not publicly share the internal audits or controls it follows to ensure regulatory compliance.

Reputation & Reviews

New Direction Trust Company has a 2.1-star rating from 55 reviews on Yelp and a 4.8-star rating from 726 customers on Google.

It also has a 4.83-star rating from 122 customers on the Better Business Bureau.

Investors are fairly content with New Direction Trust Company’s services and support. They particularly note how easy it is to close investment transactions with NDTCO.

There are several complaints that have to do with precious metal accounts and the rising cost of account administrative fees.

Customers complain that NDTCO inaccurately assessed fees and misled investors into using a fraudulent depository resulting in lost assets. 

The company maintains social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Resources & Tools

New Direction Trust Company offers a robust library of educational resources to help investors make informed decisions about using SDIRAs to invest in alternative assets.

This includes a newsletter, blog, and webinars. The education center includes a guide library on topics like investing in private equity, investing with checkbook IRAs, and private lending.

The company maintains a live webinar calendar where you can learn topics from NDTCO experts and they share recordings of webinars on YouTube.

There is also a newsletter. While NDTCO sends insights and updates of upcoming webinars, it doesn’t provide market analysis.

While New Direction Trust Company has a lot of educational resources to learn about SDIRA investing, it lacks investment calculators or other tools to help you plan your investments.

New Direction Trust Company Alternatives

New Direction Trust Company may appeal to some investors, but it isn’t for everyone.

Here are a few alternatives to consider.

 
 
 
Our Rating:
4.5
Our Rating:
4.5
Our Rating:
4.2
Setup fee for IRA:
$50
Setup fee for IRA:
$50
Setup fee for IRA:
$2,995
Our Rating:
4.5
Setup fee for IRA:
$50
Our Rating:
4.5
Setup fee for IRA:
$50
Our Rating:
4.2
Setup fee for IRA:
$2,995

Equity Trust Company

Equity Trust homepage

With decades of experience, Equity Trust is one of the oldest SDIRA custodians out there. It offers a wider range of account types including HSAs.

The Entrust Group

The Entrust Group homepage

The Entrust Group has 40 years of experience and offers a variety of account options including HSAs and ESAs.

Horizon Trust Company

Horizon Trust Company homepage

Horizon Trust Company offers many of the account options as NDTCO.

It charges higher fees than other SDIRA providers and is best for an investor with a low account value or an investor who wants a full-service experience.

Is New Direction Trust Company a good self-directed IRA  custodian?

New Direction Trust Company gives investors access to a range of self-directed accounts and alternative investments.

The company offers a digital platform to access your investments, simplifying the process.

That being said, the company does charge higher fees than some of its competitors and while NDTCO commits to protecting investor assets, previous clients have complained that this isn’t always the case.

Review NDTCO’s offerings to see if it’s the right company to hold your SDIRA.

FAQs

Who is the CEO of New Direction Trust Company?

Kevin Dodson is the CEO of New Direction Trust Company.

Does New Direction Trust Company have any pending lawsuits  or complaints?

New Direction Trust Company is part of a $110 million class action lawsuit.

Where is NDTCO located?

NDTCO is located at 1070 W Century Dr, Louisville, CO 80027.

Find a Gold IRA Partner

Find a gold IRA company to help you protect your wealth.

New Direction Trust Company

New Direction Trust Company is the industry leader that allows you to self-direct your IRA in alternative investments of your choice.

Product Brand: New Direction Trust Company

Editor's Rating:
3.5

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