There is no legal distinction between a traditional IRA and a self-directed IRA. While Traditional, Roth, SEP and other IRAs can all be “self-directed” (meaning you choose what to invest in), most brokerages and custodians don’t allow investments in alternative assets — assets not publicly-traded and therefore illiquid. With The Alto IRA™, investors gain maximum control and flexibility to invest their IRA in assets they know and understand, like startups, real estate and more.