Converting Defined Benefit Plan into IRA

[Alexis K]

We have a defined benefit plan with only one employee in the corporation. We would like to terminate the defined benefit plan and roll the assets into an IRA. However, the assets are shares of a corporation in another country. Also real estate in the US. Our intention is to use an IRA custodian like PENSCO that can handle real estate in the portfolio. I know that we have to get the shares of this foreign corporation appraised for purposes of rolling the defined benefit plan into the IRA, but I don't know who it is that I should hire to assess the value of the foreign corporation. Any ideas?

[My 2 cents]

I am not involved in such transactions, but wouldn't things go more smoothly if all of the DB plan's investments were sold outright and the proceeds rolled over to the IRA?

 

[Buffys Redrum]

Wouldn't you retain the same firm who did the appraisal(s) the previous year(s)?  

[david rigby]

I'll take a different approach.  If the current plan allows such investments, why not just keep the plan in place?