How To Videos
Equity Trust opens opportunities in the alternative investment market & makes investing easy

  Money Movement

How Do I Fund or Contribute to My Account?

You can fund your account in three ways: contributions, rollovers and transfers.

  • Contributions can come directly from your bank account, or you can have your employer set up a direct deposit to your IRA. There is a limit on contributions at $6000 a year.
  • Rollovers are client-initiated transactions from an existing 401(k) retirement plan to a new IRA or 401(k). The timeline for rollovers is dependent on the institution that holds your retirement plan.
  • Transfers come from an existing IRA account that you hold at another custodian. To do a transfer you would need to fill out a Equity Trust transfer form with your current custodian information. You will upload that transfer request along with a statement from your current custodian to your Equity Trust account. From there, we complete the paperwork and work directly to your other custodian. Depending on the custodian, transfers can take anywhere from 3-10 business days. Transferring of assets (a piece of real estate that you own, for example) can take longer to finalize.

All this can be done through your Client Portal.

 

How Do I Initiate a Rollover?

Rollovers are typically done between different types of retirement accounts. (i.e., IRA to 401(k)). Movements between like-kind accounts (i.e., IRA to IRA) are done as transfers. To roll funds over to another retirement account, we will need our distribution form completed and a signed letter of acceptance from the receiving plan/custodian. The difference between rollovers and transfers are the tax forms generated. Rollovers generate a 1099-R and typically a 5498.

How Do I Initiate an IRA to IRA Transfer When My Account Is All Cash?

Transfers are requested when you are moving funds and investments between like-kind retirement accounts. (i.e., Traditional IRA to Traditional IRA). To transfer funds to another IRA custodian, you will need to contact the receiving custodian and complete their required transfer paperwork. You will need to return the transfer paperwork to the custodian for them to sign. They will forward the completed paperwork to us for processing. The receiving custodian may require a recent statement of your account. You can pull this from your Client Portal under the documents tab.

The information they will likely ask for on the transfer form includes:

  • Current Custodian: Midland Trust IRA
  • Account Number: Please use your seven digit account number
  • Overnight Address: 15671 San Carlos Blvd, Suite 101, Fort Myers, FL 33908
  • Mailing Address: PO Box 07520, Fort Myers, FL 33919
  • Phone Number: (239) 333-1032
  • Fax Number: (239) 466-5496

You can let the receiving custodian know they can fax the transfer form over to us as we do not need originals and do not require a medallion signature guarantee.

 

How Does a Third Party Send Funds to My IRA Related to My Investment?

You can invite a third party to send funds to your account through your Client Portal by clicking “Invite Payer” for the related holding. This action will send them an email to our Payment Portal site, enabling them to make a one-time payment or establish recurring payments to your IRA. We also offer the Equity Pay app in the Apple and Google Play stores. Your tenants or borrowers can download the app and select your investment. They can set up one-time or recurring payments directly to your account.

How Do I Request a Distribution?

You may request a distribution by logging onto your Client Portal and following the instructions below.

  1. Go to "Request IRA Distribution" from the home screen once you are logged in.
  2. Use the drop-down menu to select either "Partial Distribution," "All Available Funds," or "Full Distribution: Close Account."
  3. Enter the Total Distribution Amount.
  4. Use the drop-down menu to select whether you elect to have Federal Income Tax withheld.
  5. Choose a Delivery Method and enter the Delivery Instructions.
  6. Choose a Frequency (one-time or recurring).
  7. Once you have entered the distribution request, click on the "Next Page to Confirm" button at the bottom of the page.
  8. Review the summary page to ensure you have entered all of the appropriate details.
  9. Lastly, submit your request by clicking "Submit Request" at the bottom of the confirmation page.

After submitting the request, it will immediately be sent to us for processing. Please allow up to three business days for review.

Depending on the characteristics of your distribution request, you may be getting a call from one of our distribution associates to verbally confirm the details of your distribution.

Alternatively, you can send us a distribution request by paper form via email, fax, or mail; however, there is a fee for us to process the request per distribution.

 

 

Can I move money with my client portal?

You can use your Client Portal to move money into your account via contribution, rollover, or transfer. And you can  initiate sending funds from your account for bill pays, distributions, and investments through the portal as well.

How Do I Pay a Bill on My Account?

Submitting a bill payment is easy using your Client Portal.

Click here for instructions to pay your bill online.

Managing my account

How Do I login to my client portal? How do I reset my password?

You can use your Client Portal to update profile/account information, view billing related topics, initiate sending funds from your account for bill pays, distributions, and investments, view account activity, and view/download most account documents.

If you need to reset your password:

  • From the Login Screen, click “Forgot my Password.”
  • Input your email address, the last four digits of your SSN, and your DOB.
  • You will receive an email with a link to reset this Password.
  • Click the link, type in your password twice, and you’ll be logged in.

How Do I Update My Contact Information?

Update your contact information by logging into your Client Portal and clicking on “My Profile”.

 

How Do I Generate a Custom Statement for My Account?

Once logged into your Client Portal, select “Create Statement” to generate an account snapshot for a specified time.

 

How Do I Add or Update the Beneficiary on My Account?

To update beneficiary information, complete the Change of Beneficiary form. You can send the form to Equity Trust through our Secure Upload feature.

How Do I Grant Access to My Account to Another Individual?

There are two levels of access you can grant on your account:

  1. Interested Party Designation: This designation allows an appointed individual to call for general information on your account, view your account online, and receive emails related to your account if given permission. To grant this level of access, please complete our Interested Party Designation Form. You can send the form to Equity Trust through our Secure Upload feature.
  2. LPOA: Allows an appointed individual the power to conduct all transactions in your account, except those listed on the form. To grant this level of access, please complete our Limited Power of Attorney Form. Mail the original, notarized form to our office to update your account.

How Do I Calculate My Required Minimum Distribution?

Calculate your RMD using our online calculator.

We recommend consulting with your CPA or tax advisor to get the exact RMD amount.

How Do I Update the Fair Market Value of My Investment?

Update your FMV by logging in to your Client Portal. You may also update your FMV by submitting a fair market valuation update form.

Learn more about FMVs here.

What are Equity Trust's fees and how can I pay them or update my preferred billing method?

Once logged into your Client Portal, click the “Billing” option at the top of your screen. From here, you can make a payment, update your billing method, and view all Fee Statements generated for your account.

  • You can view our fees on our Fees page or under the "Open an Account" tab.
  • To reduce fees, choose the most advantageous fee option based on your account specifics: Asset-based or Value-based. Creating a checkbook LLC might lower admin fees. Funds sent/received as check or ACH is less costly than wires.

 

What is Equity Trust's address?

Our mailing address is:

PO Box 07520

Fort Myers, FL 33919

Our physical address is:

15671 San Carlos Blvd #101

Fort Myers, FL 33908