IRA Financial, a leading self-directed retirement platform, today announced the launch of a new business-to-business growth channel designed to serve RIAs, capital raisers, family offices, real estate syndicators, alternative-investment platforms and other professionals who work with investors looking to put retirement capital to work. To lead the effort, the company has named Tony Unkel as Director of Partnerships, a newly created role.
IRA Financial has experienced significant growth through a primarily direct-to-consumer model. With the launch of this new channel, the company is extending that momentum into the B2B market, where demand is growing for a reliable, technology-forward custodian partner capable of supporting the professionals and platforms that connect investors to retirement-focused opportunities.
“These businesses are all solving the same problem for their clients: how to give investors a practical way to put retirement capital toward the opportunities they’re already evaluating,” said Tony Unkel, Director of Partnerships at IRA Financial. “I understand what these partners need from a custodian, because I’ve spent my career working alongside them. What drew me to IRA Financial is how much we can offer these businesses — the flexibility, the technology and the service model to become the go-to custodian for this industry. I’m excited to help build that partnership experience.”
Unkel brings more than 16 years of experience across business development, strategic partnerships, alternative investments and wealth-management distribution. Before joining IRA Financial, he served as Business Development Manager at The Entrust Group, where he developed client and business-partner relationships and educated prospective clients on self-directed retirement investing and alternative assets. He previously held business-development and channel-sales roles at Colonial Surety Company and OSG Billing Services.
Unkel’s appointment follows IRA Financial’s July appointment of Clay Cowan as Chief Executive Officer and reflects the company’s broader investment in experienced senior talent to accelerate growth and respond to evolving consumer and partner needs. Cowan brings leadership experience across technology, consulting and fintech, including senior roles at Betterment, McKinsey, Gilt Groupe and Starwood Hotels.
“We see a real opportunity to meet a need in this market,” said Clay Cowan, Chief Executive Officer of IRA Financial. “Just as we’ve done on the consumer side, our plan is to lead with technology to make partnerships with IRA Financial seamless for the firms we work with and the investors they serve. Building a dedicated partnership function is an important step in our evolution, and we’re thrilled to have Tony leading it. His background gives him a real understanding of what these partners need from a custodian, and that’s exactly the experience we want at the center of this channel.”
Throughout 2026, IRA Financial has invested heavily in technology and platform innovation focused on B2B solutions for RIAs, capital raisers and other professional partners. Coming soon, these new tools will give partners greater visibility into and access to their referred clients, while creating a seamless, simple experience for clients throughout the account lifecycle.
IRA Financial’s technology capabilities have already earned significant industry recognition, including finalist honors in three 2026 US FinTech Awards categories — Crypto Award, Disruptor of the Year and Investment Tech of the Year — as well as a finalist nod for the 2026 Finovate Award for Best Alternative Investments Solution. Recent launches, including its Interactive Brokers integration and upgraded crypto platform, further demonstrate the technology foundation the company is building on as it expands its solutions for professional partners.
Today, IRA Financial serves more than 27,000 active accounts and administers more than $8 billion in assets. Its platform supports Self-Directed IRAs, Solo 401(k)s, Checkbook IRAs, HSAs, crypto IRAs and other retirement structures.
About IRA Financial
IRA Financial is a self-directed retirement platform that gives investors access to alternative and traditional assets within tax-advantaged accounts. The company serves more than 27,000 active accounts and more than $8 billion in assets invested, with solutions spanning Self-Directed IRAs, Solo 401(k)s, Checkbook IRAs, HSAs, crypto IRAs and other retirement structures. IRA Financial combines broad investment flexibility, flat annual fees and in-house compliance support to help investors build retirement strategies on their own terms. For more information, visit www.irafinancial.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260909058885/en/
Media gallery
