Per the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), all retirement assets, including those in SDIRAs, must be held by a qualified custodian. The custodian—which could be a bank, credit union, or other financial institution—administers the SDIRA, holds the account’s investments for safekeeping, and ensures that the SDIRA complies with IRS rules. While you can open an IRA or SDIRA at virtually any bank or financial institution, most of the “big box” custodians don’t offer alternative investments, such as real estate, precious metals, and cryptocurrencies. Therefore, it’s essential to find an SDIRA custodian that offers the nontraditional assets in which you are interested. Keep in mind that these firms can’t offer investment advice, meaning investment research is your responsibility.