Acquisition Capital: Using Retirement Accounts to Invest in Businesses - John Bowens

In this episode of What's Your Deal?, Matt sits down with John Bowens, Director of Head of Education & Investor Success at Equity Trust, to break down one of the most overlooked wealth tools for entrepreneurs and investors: self-directed retirement accounts.

 

John explains what "self-directed" actually means, why most retirement money stays locked in mutual funds by default, and how investors can use IRAs, 401(k)s (and even HSAs) to invest in real estate, private lending, private equity, pre-IPO stock, cryptocurrency, and precious metals—all while keeping the tax advantages of retirement accounts.

 

They also dive into the ROBS (Rollover for Business Startups) structure and how some buyers use retirement funds to acquire a business without triggering taxes and penalties—plus the common mistakes and prohibited transaction rules that can trip people up if they don't understand the guardrails.

 

If you've ever wondered how to put your retirement money to work in the assets you actually understand—this episode is your roadmap.

 

Timestamps: 

 

 

1:30 – What Equity Trust does + what "self-directed" means

 

 

3:40 – John's background and how he got into this industry

 

 

6:40 – Why investors choose self-directed accounts (diversification + taxes)

 

 

9:20 – Clearing up a misconception: contributing vs investing

 

 

12:15 – Liquidity: short-term vs long-term alternative investing

 

 

16:50 – Matching strategy to age, goals, and skill set

 

 

20:20 – ROBS overview: using retirement funds to buy a business

 

 

29:50 – Costs + when it does/doesn't make sense financially

 

 

38:45 – Common mistakes + prohibited transactions

 

 

41:30 – John's "hand up" story + mentors

 

 

 

 

Resources & Links

 

Connect with John: 

 

 

Website: https://www.trustetc.com

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnbowenscisp

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bowens/

 

 

 

Connect with Matt: 

 

 

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