Self-Directed IRAs

Rocket Dollar: Platform Profile

Platform profileUpdated 2026-09-13

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Rocket Dollar is a self-directed retirement-account platform built around alternative-asset access and, at higher tiers, checkbook control.

Its structures include:

direct-custody self-directed IRA
checkbook IRA trust
checkbook IRA LLC
Solo 401(k)

Rocket Dollar is not an investment manager.

Its principal value is account infrastructure.

Investors choose their own alternative investments.

That flexibility becomes most significant when using checkbook control, where transactions can be executed without seeking custodian approval each time.

The same feature also increases compliance responsibility.

Current custodian

Rocket Dollar partners with Digital Trust.

Digital Trust handles custodial administration for applicable IRA structures.

Rocket Dollar remains the customer-facing account servicer/platform.

Rocket Dollar itself is not a bank, broker-dealer, investment adviser or investment manager.

Current pricing

Silver

Setup fee: $360
Monthly fee: $30
Annual recurring subscription: $360

Includes:

self-directed IRA
direct-custody structure
transactions through custodian
no checkbook control

Gold

Setup fee: $600
Monthly fee: $40
Annual recurring subscription: $480

Includes:

self-directed IRA
checkbook IRA with trust
direct transaction control through retirement-owned banking structure

Platinum

Setup fee: $900
Monthly fee: $50
Annual recurring subscription: $600

Includes:

self-directed IRA
checkbook IRA trust
checkbook IRA LLC
Solo 401(k)

First-year cost

Silver

$360 + ($30 × 12) = $720

Gold

$600 + ($40 × 12) = $1,080

Platinum

$900 + ($50 × 12) = $1,500

These exclude:

Digital Trust fees
investment fees
state/entity fees
legal/accounting expenses
applicable wires
tax costs

Recurring effective-cost analysis

At $25,000:

Plan	Annual subscription	% of account value
Silver	$360	1.44%
Gold	$480	1.92%
Platinum	$600	2.40%

At $100,000:

Plan	Annual subscription	% of account value
Silver	$360	0.36%
Gold	$480	0.48%
Platinum	$600	0.60%

Rocket Dollar does not charge an AUM fee.

That does not mean the fixed subscription is economically negligible.

The effect depends heavily on account size.

Additional custodial costs

Digital Trust can charge separate:

transaction fees
asset fees
other custodial charges

The subscription is therefore not an all-in flat fee, and $30/month is not the complete cost of using the account.

Direct-custody IRA

Silver provides a conventional self-directed custodial structure.

Transactions generally flow through the custodian.

Potential benefit:

simpler administration

Potential limitation:

less direct transactional control

It can make sense for an investor making occasional private investments.

Checkbook IRA trust

Gold adds a retirement-owned trust with direct banking/checkbook capability.

Potential applications include:

rental real estate
private notes
private placements
tax liens
precious metals
certain crypto holdings
foreign investments

The investor does not need custodian approval for every transaction.

That makes execution faster.

It also makes prohibited-transaction discipline more important.

IRA LLC

Platinum adds checkbook control through an IRA-owned LLC.

Potential benefits:

operational flexibility
direct transaction execution

Potential burdens:

entity formation
state filings
bookkeeping
banking
valuation
tax compliance
prohibited-transaction risk

An LLC does not transform an impermissible IRA transaction into a permissible one.

Solo 401(k)

Platinum also supports Solo 401(k) structures.

Current plan features can include:

self-directed alternatives
checkbook control
Traditional and Roth components
applicable plan-loan capability
higher statutory contribution limits than IRAs in appropriate circumstances

Eligibility depends on self-employment/business and employee rules.

Alternative assets

Rocket Dollar structures can support categories including:

real estate
private equity
startups
private stock
limited partnerships
private placements
private notes
crowdfunding
farmland
precious metals
tax liens
cryptocurrency
certain foreign investments

That does not mean every investment is permitted by IRS rules.

Real estate

Self-directed retirement-account real estate creates compliance issues absent from ordinary taxable property ownership.

Potential problems include:

personal use
use by disqualified persons
paying expenses personally
receiving income personally
prohibited personal labor
personal guarantees
impermissible financing

Debt-financed IRA investments can create UDFI.

Operating-business income can create UBIT.

SDIRA real estate is not automatically tax-free.

Crypto

Gold/Platinum checkbook structures can support cryptocurrency.

Rocket Dollar is not the crypto exchange or underlying crypto custodian.

Relevant risks include:

private-key custody
exchange/counterparty risk
valuation
prohibited transactions
operational security

Crypto itself is not FDIC insured.

Cash protection

Rocket Dollar is not a bank.

Eligible cash at applicable partner banks may receive FDIC protection subject to normal rules.

That protection does not extend to:

real estate
private stock
private notes
crypto
funds
precious metals
investment performance

Prohibited transactions

This is one of the most important parts of the review.

Checkbook control gives the investor significant operational authority.

Potential prohibited dealings can involve:

IRA owner
spouse
parents
children
other disqualified persons
self-dealing
personal use
improper benefit
prohibited loans
personal guarantees

A prohibited transaction can threaten the tax-advantaged status of the account.

Greater control requires greater compliance discipline.

Assessment

Rocket Dollar makes the most sense when an investor actually needs a specialized retirement-account structure.

Its strongest use cases include:

private investments
real estate
checkbook control
IRA LLC
Solo 401(k)

Its economics are harder to justify for a small retirement account that could hold its desired investments at a conventional low-cost custodian.

At $25,000, recurring subscription costs alone range from 1.44% to 2.40% depending on plan.

At $100,000, the same dollar fees represent 0.36% to 0.60%.

The question is not simply whether Rocket Dollar is "cheap."

It is whether the additional account control is worth the fixed cost and added compliance responsibility.

General information

Legal entity	Rocket Dollar
Website	https://www.rocketdollar.com/
Headquarters	Austin, TX
Ownership	Private company. Rocket Dollar is the customer-facing account servicer and platform; Digital Trust handles custodial administration for applicable IRA structures.
Availability	United States
Available to US investors	Yes

Investment types available

Futures	No
Options	No
Solo 401(k)	Yes
Real estate	Yes
Crowdfunding	Yes
Retail forex	No
Robo advisor	No
Private notes	Yes
Private stock	Yes
Private equity	Yes
Precious metals	Yes
Checkbook ira llc	Yes
Self directed ira	Yes
Direct custody ira	Yes
Prediction markets	No
Private placements	Yes
Checkbook ira trust	Yes
Crypto capable structure	Yes
Conventional stock brokerage	No

Eligibility and access

Solo 401(k)	Eligibility depends on self-employment/business and employee rules
Us availability	United States
Accredited required	No

Costs and minimums

Aum fee	No
Setup fee	Rocket Dollar lists one-time setup fees of $360 for Silver, $600 for Gold, and $900 for Platinum.
Custodian fees	Digital Trust can charge separate transaction, asset and other custodial fees.
Gold setup fee	600
All in flat fee	No
First year gold	1080
Gold monthly fee	40
Silver setup fee	360
First year silver	720
Annual account fee	Rocket Dollar charges $30 per month for Silver, $40 per month for Gold, and $50 per month for Platinum, equal to $360, $480, and $600 per year before other fees.
Platinum setup fee	900
Silver monthly fee	30
First year platinum	1500
Platinum monthly fee	50
Gold annual recurring subscription	480
Silver annual recurring subscription	360
Platinum annual recurring subscription	600

Account types

Roth IRA	Yes
Custodian	Digital Trust
Solo 401(k)	Yes
Robo advisor	No
Traditional IRA	Yes
Checkbook control	Silver is a direct-custody IRA without checkbook control. Gold includes a checkbook IRA with a trust checking account, and Platinum adds an IRA LLC option; eligible checkbook transactions do not require transaction-by-transaction custodian sign-off.
Ira account types	The IRA comparison covers Rocket Dollar self-directed Traditional and Roth IRAs, including direct-custody and eligible checkbook structures. Its Solo 401(k) is a separate retirement plan and should not appear as an IRA type.
Restricted assets	The owner chooses investments and is responsible for following IRS restrictions, including prohibited-transaction and disqualified-person rules. Rocket Dollar and its custodian may reject assets or documents they cannot support.
Service and reporting	Rocket Dollar provides account setup, a dashboard, transfer assistance, and ongoing support, while Digital Trust performs custodial and IRA-reporting functions. An applicant needs eligible U.S. taxable income for a new contribution or an eligible retirement account to transfer or roll over.
Investment review process	Silver transactions go through the IRA custodian. Gold and Platinum checkbook transactions are executed from the eligible trust or LLC account without transaction-by-transaction custodian approval, while the owner remains responsible for records and compliance.
Rollovers transfers contributions	The IRA can be funded by a contribution from taxable income, an eligible former-employer-plan rollover, or a trustee-to-trustee transfer from another IRA.

Offering structure and liquidity

Structure	Self-directed retirement-account infrastructure with Digital Trust as the IRA custodian and Rocket Dollar as the technology/service layer. Silver uses direct-custody SDIRA administration; Gold adds trust-based checkbook control; Platinum can add checkbook IRA trust/LLC structures and a self-directed Solo 401(k).
Supported	Yes
Asset categories	Rocket Dollar supports accepted alternative assets such as real estate, private equity, startups, cryptocurrency, precious metals, tax liens, notes, limited partnerships, private placements, and private stock, subject to IRS and custodian rules.

Regulation and investor protection

Tax	Debt-financed IRA investments can create UDFI and operating-business income can create UBIT
FDIC	Eligible cash at applicable partner banks may receive FDIC protection subject to normal rules; protection does not extend to investments or performance
Custodian	Digital Trust is the IRA custodian for the Rocket Dollar account. In a checkbook structure, the IRA owns the trust or LLC interest and the designated manager controls its transaction account; that authority does not turn retirement assets into personal property or insure them against loss.
Platform role	Customer-facing account servicer and platform; not a bank, broker-dealer, investment adviser or investment manager
Prohibited transactions	Checkbook control increases investor compliance responsibility; a prohibited transaction can threaten the account's tax-advantaged status

Sources

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