Sep 27, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV), Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
Every January, self-directed IRA holders get a request that’s easy to put off: send us your year-end valuation. It can feel like one more piece of paperwork during an already busy season. But that single number plays a bigger role than most people realize. It...
Sep 21, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV), Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), Retirement Accounts
Right now, the end of the year feels comfortably far away. The holidays are an abstraction, December 31 is a rumor, and the deadlines that will feel urgent in ten weeks feel like nothing at all today. That gap, between how far away year-end feels and how fast it...
Sep 7, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV)
If you hold stocks in a retirement account, you never think about what they’re worth. The market decides, second by second, and your statement just tells you the number. It’s automatic, invisible, and effortless. Self-directed investors don’t get...
Jan 11, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV)
Fair Market Value reporting is straightforward once expectations are clear, but there are a few common mistakes that tend to come up year after year. The good news is that most of these issues are easily avoided with a bit of awareness and preparation. Using the...
Jan 11, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV)
Fair Market Value, often referred to as FMV, is the estimated value of an asset if it were sold in the open market under normal conditions. In simple terms, it reflects what a willing buyer would reasonably pay a willing seller at a given point in time. For...
Jan 11, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV)
Fair Market Value is more than an administrative requirement. It plays a meaningful role in how your self directed IRA is reported, monitored, and managed over time. Accurate FMV reporting helps ensure your account stays compliant and prevents avoidable issues as...
Jan 11, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV)
Fair Market Value must be updated once per year for self directed retirement accounts. Even though many alternative assets are long term or not frequently traded, the IRS still requires an annual snapshot of the account’s value. This yearly update ensures retirement...
Jan 11, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV)
Real estate is one of the most common assets held inside a self directed IRA, and it is also one of the most misunderstood when it comes to Fair Market Value. The goal of FMV reporting for real estate is not perfection. It is to provide a reasonable and supportable...
Jan 11, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV)
Private lending and promissory notes are popular investments inside self directed IRAs, but they often cause confusion when it comes time to report Fair Market Value. Unlike real estate or publicly traded assets, the value of a note is not always the same as the...
Jan 11, 2026 | Blog, Fair Market Valuations (FMV)
LLCs and private equity investments are common inside self directed IRAs, and they are also some of the most challenging assets to value. Unlike publicly traded investments, these assets do not have daily pricing or open market quotes. Because of this, FMV reporting...
