directINVEST logo — Directed Equity ROBS financing program

Put Your Retirement Funds to Work in your business

directINVEST is Directed Equity’s ROBS implementation and ongoing-support service, designed to help eligible business owners use retirement funds to start, purchase, or grow a business or franchise—without taking a taxable distribution.

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Prefer to talk it through? Call the directEDUCATE Voice Guide at (303) 800-4934.

What is directINVEST?

directINVEST is a Rollover as Business Startup (ROBS) solution that helps eligible individuals use retirement funds from a 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan to invest in a C corporation they own—without paying taxes or penalties.

directINVEST May Be Used For

Starting a new business

Buying a franchise

Purchasing an existing business

Expanding an existing business

Combining with SBA or other financing

New to ROBS or still exploring options?

Start with directEDUCATE to learn how ROBS works, understand your responsibilities, and determine if it may be the right approach for your goals.

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Your Journey with Directed Equity

From education to implementation and beyond—we’re with you at every stage.

Learn & Evaluate (directEDUCATE)

Build knowledge, get your questions answered, and determine if ROBS is right for your goals.

Implement with directINVEST
Establish the C Corporation
Establish the Retirement Plan
Rollover & Fund the Business
Ongoing Support

Continue with plan document support, compliance, annual reporting, and lifecycle guidance.

What directINVEST Handles

We coordinate the key components of your ROBS arrangement so you can move forward with confidence.

C Corporation Setup

Formation of the corporate structure required for the ROBS arrangement.

Retirement Plan Establishment

Creation and adoption of the qualified retirement plan used in the transaction.

Rollover & Funding Process

Guidance in moving eligible retirement assets & completing the stock investment.

Ongoing Plan Support

Plan documents, required amendments and restatements, Form 5500 support, and additional guidance.

Why directINVEST

Guided, end-to-end implementation

A defined, proven process

Continued plan document and compliance support

DOL and IRS audit support

Form 5500 support and required amendments & restatements

Ongoing education and life-cycle assistance

Why Business Owners Consider ROBS

Use eligible retirement funds without taking a taxable distribution

Reduce reliance on debt for the ROBS-funded portion of the business

Preserve personal cash for startup or acquisition needs

Tax planning and wealth accumulation strategy

Combine with SBA or other financing when appropriate

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common questions about the directINVEST process and ongoing support.

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ROBS, or Rollovers as Business Startup, is a way to use eligible pre-tax retirement funds to invest in a business you plan to own and operate. In our directINVEST ROBS program, there are 4 steps:

  1. C corporation is established,
  2. The corporation sponsors a qualified retirement plan,
  3. Eligible pre-tax retirement funds are rolled into that plan, and
  4. The plan purchases stock in the corporation. The stock purchase is what provides capital to the business.

Directed Equity also helps prospects look at the broader funding picture. In some cases, ROBS may be used alongside SBA financing or another lending option to help meet the total funding need for the business.

Eligible funds are pre-tax qualified funds that are eligible to rollover to a 401(k) plan. This can include retirement accounts such as a 401(k), traditional IRA, 403(b), governmental 457(b), TSP, SEP IRA, and SIMPLE IRA. Roth IRAs and Roth-only funds are not eligible for the stock purchase used in a ROBS structure.

Yes. ROBS is often used alongside SBA financing or other lending options. In many cases, the ROBS funds may help provide the equity injection or owner contribution needed for a larger business purchase, while the loan helps cover the remaining funding need.

Directed Equity looks at the full funding picture, including the business cost, available retirement funds, timing, and whether ROBS, SBA financing, another loan option, or a combination may make sense. A Directed Equity financing expert can walk through those options with you.

After the directINVEST ROBS structure is set up, there are ongoing responsibilities for both the C corporation and the retirement plan. These may include maintaining the C corporation, working with a CPA on annual corporate tax filings, ensuring that the plan is made available to eligible employees, filing annual retirement plan reports such as Form 5500, tracking employee eligibility, providing required plan notices, maintaining plan document compliance, supporting employer stock valuation reporting, and keeping proper documentation of plan and corporate transactions.

Directed Equity provides ongoing services to support the ROBS-specific plan administration process, including the annual Form 5500 preparation and plan document compliance.

Ready to Move Forward?

Schedule a consultation to discuss your goals and see how directINVEST can help you put your retirement funds to work.

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or Call (303) 800-4934