Interview with Jaime Raskulinecz: How She Took Control of Retirement Investing with Next Generation

Retirement investing is often limited to traditional stocks, bonds, and funds, but Jaime Raskulinecz saw an opportunity to expand options for retirement account holders. As founder and CEO of Next Generation Services and Next Generation Trust Company, Raskulinecz has built a business around educating consumers and professionals about self-directed retirement plans. These plans allow account holders to invest retirement funds into nontraditional assets like real estate, private equity, and cryptocurrency.

Raskulinecz founded Next Generation Services to provide account administration and transaction support for self-directed retirement plans. The company’s sister firm, Next Generation Trust Company, acts as a custodian to hold alternative retirement investments. This allows account holders to use their retirement funds for investments historically only available to the ultra-wealthy.

Next Generation’s white-glove service and seasoned experts guide clients through the entire process, from educating on self-directed options to seamless account setup and investment transactions. Raskulinecz built the business after her own frustration finding a custodian for real estate investments in retirement accounts. Now, she’s made it possible for mainstream investors to access alternatives like property and private equity in their retirement portfolios.

In the interview that follows, Raskulinecz elaborates on her entrepreneurial journey, the genesis of Next Generation, and keys to success like relentless customer service. Her companies are changing the retirement investing landscape.

Please provide a brief introduction of yourself and your professional background.

I was in the healthcare field for many years before starting a property management company and then the Next generation companies.

 

Please tell us a bit more about your startup – what does it offer, what problem does it solve, and who is your target audience?

We are custodians and administrators for self-directed retirement plans. Our clients come to us in order to invest in non-publicly traded alternatives in their plans. Some common investments are: real estate, mortgages, cryptocurrrency, precious metals, other loans, private equity and many more.

 

What inspired you to start your own business? What was the “aha” moment?

I was tired of working for others where your future wasn’t in your control. My first venture was property management. Now, with the financial services companies, I help people gain control of their retirement.

 

What were some of the biggest initial challenges you faced in getting your business off the ground?

How did you overcome them?

Finding qualified staff members who have initiative was, and still is, an issue.

 

How did you identify a gap in the market or need that your business fulfills?

I was actually looking for a custodian to hold real estate in my retirement plan and couldn’t find anyone. Interestingly, soon after my search, I met someone who introduced me to this business venture.

 

What has been your approach to funding your startup? Did you use your own savings, seek investors, crowdfund?

I used all my own funds to start the businesses.

 

How did you go about building your team and attracting talent in the early days?

Posting intriguing employment ads when I was looking for my first hire resulted in finding the perfect person to assist me and grow with the business.

 

What have been some of the toughest decisions you’ve had to make as a founder?

Any stand out as pivotal?

I can’t think of anything that qualifies now.

 

What have been your key strategies for growth and gaining traction/users?

Organic growth and referrals from existing customers as we are know for our customer service.

 

How do you stand out from the competition in your space?

What sets your product/service apart? Customer service is our claim to fame. We have had Ritz Carlton training for our staff and continue to aspire to those ideals.

 

What have been some mistakes or failures you’ve made along the way as an entrepreneur?

How did you recover and learn from them? Another good quote that took me a long time to learn is: “hire slow and fire fast”. This is an important lesson to learn and to keep.

 

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out?

That, no matter how long the good times are, there will always be some challenges to face and overcome.

 

What are the most important skills someone needs to be a successful founder, in your opinion?

Tenacity for sure.

 

What does a typical day or week look like for you?

How do you manage work-life balance? I am still so involved in my business that work and personal sometimes still blurs. I still mainly work from home so there are less distractions and go into the office 1-2 days per week. More if necessary.

 

What do you find most rewarding and most challenging about being an entrepreneur?

I can set my own schedule and hours – see above for work/life balance. This is a good thing and sometimes not so good.

 

What are some future goals or plans you have for your business in the next few years?

I would like to see the business grow organically and possibly by making acquisitions for growth and to add new business lines.

 

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start their own company?

Be prepared for anything and everything, prepare to work hard, especially hard in the beginning and always be selling.

Raskulinecz’s unique vision for retirement investing and constant focus on customer service have fueled the growth of Next Generation. Her story provides inspiration and practical insights for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to identify underserved markets and build solutions with relentless dedication to customers. Self-directed retirement accounts are now accessible to anyone willing to take control of their financial future.