Owning gold in an IRA is a great way to diversify your retirement portfolio and hedge against inflation. To do so, you need to set up a self-directed IRA and find a custodian who specializes in gold IRAs. This article will provide an overview of the process, the requirements, and the benefits of investing in gold with an IRA. The possibility of using gold and other materials as securities in an IRA was created by Congress in 1997. To own gold, whether in coins or bullion, an IRA requires a true self-directed IRA offered by a few custodians. You need a custodian because IRS regulations require that coins or bullion be in the custodian's possession.
You cannot use IRA money to buy metals and store them on your own. Standard custodians, such as Fidelity, Schwab, or TD Ameritrade, will not handle physical gold in an IRA. So, if you want to keep gold in your IRA, you must first set up a self-directed IRA and then you have to find a custodian who specializes in self-directed gold IRAs. A quick Google search for “Self-Directed Golden IRA” returns lots of results. Companies like American Bullion and APMEX have been around for years. This includes silver IRAs, gold Roth IRAs, and even gold-backed IRAs.
There are alternative methods to include gold in your IRA. Gold ETFs allow you to buy and sell stocks and hold them in a conventional IRA or 401(k). Another benefit is that no minimum or special accounts are needed. In general, alternative asset classes should not exceed 5 to 10 percent of your entire retirement investment portfolio. Holding gold in an IRA makes sense if it is part of a diversification strategy, in which gold provides a hedge against inflation.
Investors can have more than one IRA. If your IRAs have paper assets, they have additional sources of current income and RMD withdrawals. Patriot Gold Group has built a long history of helping investors secure their financial future through Gold IRAs, earning high ratings from consumer groups along the way. Although the rules surrounding retirement accounts and gold IRAs may seem confusing, experienced account executives at Patriot Gold Group can help you navigate the process. An unanswered question regarding these IRAs is whether the IRA owner can take physical possession of gold, silver, or other precious metals. The big practical concern is to find an IRA trustee who is willing to establish a self-directed IRA and facilitate the physical transfer and storage of precious metal assets. For a gold IRA, you need a broker to buy the gold and a custodian to create and manage the account.
Precious metal IRAs are usually self-directed IRAs, a type of IRA in which the custodian allows more diverse investments to be held in the account. There are currently a variety of precious metals that meet minimum purity requirements that are acceptable for inclusion in a gold IRA account. For example, you might have an IRA that is invested in precious metal bullion and an IRA that is invested in liquid assets, such as publicly traded stocks and mutual funds. Unlike withdrawing funds from a traditional retirement account, a gold-backed IRA allows you to leave with a powerful physical asset in hand with gold that you can hold, sell at a later time, use as currency at a time of crisis, or pass on to family members. The best way to take advantage of a gold IRA is to use it as an accumulation vehicle as part of a broader and more diversified investment strategy. Once you are 59 and a half years old, you can liquidate the precious metals in your self-directed IRA for cash or take physical possession of your gold and silver without penalty.
