Self-Directed IRA's have existed for decades but their popularity continues to grow and create more participants and fans. They make investing in many non-traditional investments in IRA's possible (private investments, private equity, metals, real estate, private enterprises, et al).  Listen to Mary Mohr, founder of RITA, the association for the trustees who do the record keeping and reporting (it's more exciting than it sounds) for these transactions, who promote and make possible these investment opportunities, as she discusses this important but less known niche of the IRA investment world.