The simple answer is…..NO!

Why? Remember, the “I” in IRA stands for Individual, and not anyone else. While you can certainly make other individuals the beneficiary of your IRA, it is still YOUR IRA.

So, with regard to a self-directed IRA, a typical question will be, “Is there any way my IRA and my wife’s IRA can be brought together for greater purchasing power for an investment in real estate (for example)?”

Yes, of course.

Both individual self-directed IRA accounts could purchase in proportional shares the assets of a jointly-owned and managed LLC. Ownership would be in direct proportion to the value of each person’s IRA. As an example, if Jim’s IRA was $60,000 and Susie’s (his wife) was 40,000, Jim’s IRA would have a 60% proportional share ownership of the joinly-owned and managed LLC, and Susie’s IRA would have a 40% proportional share of the LLC.

In the second half of this series, we will review how, if Jim or Susie were self-employed, they may want to rollover their IRAs into a self-administered 401K of which they are both co-trustees.