The article talks about "self-directed IRA's" and specifically mentions how one investor - frustrated by trying to pick mutual funds - decided to invest in something he knew: real estate through his IRA.
Of course IRA's are long term investments and by investing in something with risks like real estate means a self-directed IRA can be a good long term vehicle but probably isn't a good "savings account" per se.
They're best for people who already have an investment track record in a particular niche. Not just for people who want to "experiment".
Self-directed IRAs are best for hands-on investors who intimately know the industries in which they place their retirement accounts. Although their numbers are growing, self-directed IRAs represent only about 1.5 to 2 percent of the $5.7 trillion IRA market, yet that still amounts to "several tens of billions of dollars," said Hugh Bromma, chief executive of Entrust Group, which has about 500,000 clients and accounts for about $2.7 billion of the self-directed IRA market.
