Self Directed Brokerage Account
What is an SDBA?
A self-directed brokerage account (SDBA) option in your employer plan is designated to allow participants full brokerage access to many investments outside of the core retirement offering which is typically a very limited selection of mutual funds and ETFs. It also adds the possibility of using outside professional advisory support within select plans. SDBAs add thousands of investment options, such as all mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, and bonds that are allowed in a brokerage account to supplement a retirement plan's offering.
Benefits and Potential Disadvantages
Experience on your side
You become the sole decision-maker who controls the direction of your investments. Instead of picking a very limited choice of conventional mutual funds and ETFs, you have the option to adjust your investment portfolio to include anything allowed inside a brokerage account.
However, the goal of investing is to have a portfolio that generates returns and has positive performance over a period of time. This is hard to achieve without years of experience, knowledge of the global markets, the economy, geopolitical trends, and the know-how to position and allocate assets effectively in your portfolio.
