http://www.TwinCitiesUSA.com/video/Todd-Grill-3-28-11mov

STEVE:  Hi, thanks for watching my video blog.  This is Steve Westmark.  Well, today, what I’ve done is I’ve brought in an expert in the area of investing in real estate through your retirement accounts.  And it’s Todd Grill of Entrust.  Welcome, Todd 

TODD:  Thank you very much, Steve, for inviting me here today.

STEVE:  The first question that I have for you today is you work in the area of investments, and so what makes your investment area different than what everybody else is doing in the marketplace? 

TODD:  What’s unique about the investment strategy that I’m going to talk about today is the fact that you’re able to use your retirement plan to invest in investment real estate, which is a very little-known strategy and very underutilized for the individuals.  And they’re able to take advantage of their retirement plan money and use those monies inside a self-directed IRA plan, which we administrate by investment real estate 

 STEVE:  Well, Todd, as I’ve probably said in past video blogs, the real estate market in the Twin Cities since 1970 through 2010 has seen about a 5% increase year on year over the last 40 years, and so real estate investment has been very good in the Twin Cities.  How does your investment vehicle help people buy real estate?

TODD:  Being able to use your self-directed retirement plan to invest in real estate gives you another opportunity, another source of funds that are typically underutilized or locked up into traditional investment vehicles.  When you open a self-directed IRA account and invest in real estate, you’re able to rehab that property with the IRA funds.  You’re able to rent that property out.  You’re able to sell that property and the gain all comes back into your retirement plan tax deferred.  So it gives your retirement plan another option, another opportunity to invest into real estate that you had only possibly done with private money before.

STEVE:  Well, Todd, you’ve also told me that you have over 2,000 people self-directing nowadays.  What are the top four or five things that you see investors are doing today in their self-directed IRAs?

TODD:  I would say the number one reason that people call us is so they are able to invest in real estate.  That’s probably the number one reason and number one investment of my clients.  A number of our clients are also investing in private stocks, what we call private placements.  We’re doing a fair amount of precious metals right now, gold and silver bullion.  And we’ve done in the past lots of different commodities and oil and gas leases and things like that.  But the number one reason is specifically for real estate because that’s where people believe they can make the most of their money in their retirement plans.

STEVE:  Well, Todd, thanks for coming in today and I really appreciate you just sharing some of your wisdom.  How’s the best way for them to get a hold of you to talk about this?

TODD:  The best way to get a hold of me is either our office.  The number there is 763-559-5363.  Again, that’s 763-559-5363.  Or if they like the e-mail, they can e-mail me at tgrill@TheEntrustGroup.com.