Next Generation Celebrates 20th Anniversary as Administrator and Custodian for Self-Directed Retirement Plans

    ROSELAND, NJ, July 15, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The team at Next Generation, a full-service administrator and custodian for self-directed retirement plans, is celebrating the firm's 20th anniversary this year, reflecting on a history of growth since its founding by CEO Jaime Raskulinecz in 2014.

Raskulinecz and her team have guided clients through 20 years of market fluctuations, including the Great Recession in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic. As she points out, self-directed investors, whose retirement portfolios include alternative assets, have been better positioned to weather the economic storms because their nontraditional investments are not correlated with stock market performance.

"I had a vision 20 years ago to create a platform for more people to invest in alternative assets they know and understand, and want to include in their retirement plans," noted Raskulinecz. "I am proud of the growth we've achieved and celebrate my team for helping bring us to this significant anniversary."

Unlike typical brokerage accounts that limit investments to stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, self-directed IRAs, HSAs, ESAs, Solo 401k's and other plans enable investors to diversify their portfolios by including a broad array of non-publicly traded alternative assets within their plans. These include real estate, precious metals, private equity, mortgages, secured and unsecured notes, private placements, royalties, and many more.

"Many people are already investing in these asset classes outside of their retirement plans and may not realize they can build tax-advantaged retirement wealth by including them within a self-directed IRA," said Raskulinecz, who founded the company out of her desire to include real estate investments within her retirement plan.

20 years of milestones, education and service excellence
Since its start in 2014 as a third-party administrator of self-directed IRAs and other plans, Next Generation has grown to approximately $700 million in assets under custody. In 2017, seeing the need to enhance client convenience, Raskulinecz established Next Generation Trust Company (a regulated financial institution chartered in South Dakota); the sister firm provides custodial services, bringing both sides of account management under one umbrella.

With client education a top priority, Next Generation offers webinars on various alternative investments and complimentary educational sessions for investors who wish to know more about self-direction as a retirement strategy. Next Generation is also active in several REIAs (real estate investment associations), as real estate and real estate-related assets are still among the most popular asset classes for self-directed investors.

While personnel changes have occurred over the past two decades, several employees are marking five or more years with Next Generation in 2024. They are Business Development Specialist Jack Malpass (five years), Client Service Supervisor Emma Olson (six years), Director of Finance Karen Jung (eight years), Operations Manager Kyle Schickram (10 years) and Compliance Manager Bill Wittler (11 years). More recent hires in the past three years are Assistant Client Service Supervisor Lisa DeSimone, and Robert Mathisen and Pamela Rodriguez, client service associates.

"Our team is dedicated to always providing the highest level of client service," said Raskulinecz. "For example, rather than having a faceless auto attendant, our phones are always answered during normal business hours by a staff member who is well-trained and credentialed in our space."

Raskulinecz also emphasizes professional growth for her team as an extension of that client service mission and her commitment to their career development.

• In 2020, she and Malpass, Wittler, Schickram, Olson and DeSimone earned their Self-Directed IRA Professional (SDIP) designations from the Retirement Industry Trust Association (RITA). This signifies that they attained comprehensive training in IRA alternative investments, prohibited transactions, UBTI, anti-fraud measures and disclosures; and demonstrated expertise in IRA documentation, reporting requirements, eligibility and contribution requirements, and IRA portability and distributions.
• Schickram, Wittler and Olson are also Certified IRA Services Professionals (CISP).
• Earlier this year, Wittler earned an internationally recognized certification as an anti-money laundering specialist from ACAMS, the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists.

Over the years, Next Generation has added services to its core business. It now has special services for advisors and advisory firms that offer advice on alternative investments, a robust platform and services for automatic rollover accounts and terminating pension plans, and qualified custody services for private funds.

"We are known in the industry for our unsurpassed customer service that extends beyond our existing clients to anyone who reaches out for more education or information, as well as to all our business associates and referral sources," said Raskulinecz.

For more information about self-direction as a retirement wealth-building strategy, visit www.NextGenerationTrust.com.

About Next Generation
Founded on the philosophy that every person should have control over their retirement plans, Next Generation educates consumers and professionals about self-directed retirement plans and nontraditional investments, a strategy at one time reserved only for the very wealthy. Next Generation Services provides comprehensive account administration and transaction support, and its sister company, Next Generation Trust Company, acts as custodian for all accounts. The neutral third-party professionals at Next Generation expertly guide clients and their trusted advisors as part of their white glove, personalized service for a seamless transaction experience from start to finish. For more information, visit www.NextGenerationTrust.com, or contact Next Generation at 888.857.8058 or [email protected].

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