Retired.com is the platform you use to open, fund, and manage your Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA); Digital Trust is the qualified custodian that actually holds your account's assets. This article explains what each does, and how that shapes your day-to-day experience as an account holder.
Steps / Explanation
A custodian is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-approved financial institution responsible for holding and administering Individual Retirement Account (IRA) assets, maintaining required records, filing IRS reports, and processing account transactions. A custodian does not provide investment advice and does not evaluate the suitability of investments. Digital Trust, an independent, directed, non-discretionary trust company registered and regulated in the State of Nevada, is the custodian for Retired.com accounts. Retired.com is not a custodian — it's the platform you use to apply, fund your account, submit investment directions, and manage your account day to day.
What Digital Trust does
Three responsibilities define the custodian role:
Holds your IRA's assets. Digital Trust is the legal owner of record for each asset held inside your IRA. When you direct an investment, the asset is titled in the name of the IRA — not in your personal name.
Processes custodial transactions. When you submit a contribution, transfer, rollover, investment direction, or distribution request through Retired.com, Digital Trust processes it through the custodian's systems and the receiving counterparty.
Maintains records and IRS filings. Digital Trust files Form 5498 (contributions and Fair Market Valuation) and Form 1099-R (distributions) annually on your behalf, and keeps the supporting records the IRS requires.
What Retired.com does
Retired.com is the platform layer between you and Digital Trust:
Application and onboarding. The account-opening flow, identity verification, and custodial agreement signature all happen through Retired.com.
Funding coordination. Contributions, transfers, and rollovers are initiated through Retired.com and processed by Digital Trust.
Investment direction submission and account management. You submit investment directions and manage your account through Retired.com's platform; Digital Trust executes the custodial side.
What neither Retired.com nor Digital Trust does
Neither Retired.com nor Digital Trust advises on, recommends, vets, or evaluates investments. This is a defining feature of the Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) model — the IRS structure that allows an SDIRA to hold a wide range of assets is the same structure that places investment evaluation outside the custodian's and the platform's role.
Specifically, Retired.com and Digital Trust do not:
Tell you what to invest in or whether a particular investment is a good idea.
Verify that an investment opportunity is legitimate, profitable, or properly registered.
Provide tax, legal, or financial advice. We recommend consulting a tax advisor or attorney for guidance specific to your situation.
Make investment decisions on your behalf.
How investments happen
There are two ways to make an investment through Retired.com. The underlying platform-and-custodian model — you direct, Digital Trust holds and administers — is the same for both.
In-app purchase. For the asset types the platform supports directly — currently cryptocurrency, Bundles, and stocks — you buy inside the Retired.com app in a few steps, closer to the experience of a mainstream brokerage app. In-app purchasing of precious metals is coming soon.
Investment-direction form. For most other assets — for example real estate, private equity, promissory notes, or physical precious metals — you invest by submitting a manual investment direction:
You identify the investment and complete the seller's or sponsor's documentation in the name of your IRA (not your personal name).
You submit an investment direction through Retired.com along with the supporting documents.
Retired.com reviews the paperwork for completeness — not for investment merit — and Digital Trust processes the funding from your IRA cash balance.
The asset is recorded in your IRA, and ongoing administrative tasks (Fair Market Valuation reporting, income receipt, K-1 handling, expense payments) are processed through Digital Trust as custodian.
Either way, Retired.com is the platform you act through and Digital Trust is the custodian that holds the asset. For a full breakdown of which assets are available in-app versus by form today, see "What you can invest in on Retired.com today."
Who you talk to
Retired.com structures client contact into three roles:
Account Representative. Helps you open the account and complete your first funding event.
Service Team. Your primary contact after funding for ongoing questions, transaction requests, and documentation.
Operations Team. Processes transactions behind the scenes. Clients do not contact the Operations Team directly — all requests go through the Service Team.
See "The Service Team — your primary contact after funding" for how the Service Team handoff works.
Common questions
Does Retired.com check whether an investment is a scam?
No. Custodians do not vet investments, and neither Retired.com nor Digital Trust is an exception. Reviewing the legitimacy and merits of an investment is the account holder's responsibility, often with the help of a tax advisor, attorney, or other professional.
If something goes wrong with an investment, can I get my money back?
Neither Retired.com nor Digital Trust bears investment risk on your behalf. Losses on investments held in your IRA are losses to your IRA. If a counterparty fails to deliver or a fraud is discovered, Retired.com will assist with documentation and reporting to the extent it can, but recovery is generally a matter for you, your professionals, and law enforcement as appropriate.
Why does this require so much paperwork for some investments?
Digital Trust's recordkeeping, as custodian, has to satisfy IRS requirements and the documentation standards of the asset itself (titling, beneficial ownership, signatures, Fair Market Valuations). The paperwork is the audit trail that keeps your IRA in good standing.
Can I move my IRA to Retired.com from another custodian?
Yes. Retired.com accepts transfers and rollovers from other IRA custodians and from employer-sponsored plans, with Digital Trust as the receiving custodian. Contact the Service Team for the current process and documentation requirements.
Need more support? Contact our Service team
Select "Start a Conversation" from the Chat menu or call us at 1-800-RETIRED
Retired.com is a platform that connects clients with its affiliated entities, including Digital Trust, BitcoinIRA, WAO Advisory, Rocket Dollar Capital, and Rocket Dollar Advisor. Digital Trust is an independent, directed, non-discretionary trust company that is registered and regulated in the state of Nevada. While Retired.com facilitates connections to these services, it is not itself a custodian, digital wallet, exchange, broker-dealer, registered investment advisor, or a company involved in trading publicly traded assets. All information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as investment, legal, or tax advice. We encourage you to consult with a qualified advisor or professional to determine the most suitable options for your individual needs.