Yes, you can invest in real gold or other precious metals for your IRA. The IRS does not allow popular gold coins such as the South African Krugerrand or British state coins to be stored in a gold IRA. Additionally, you can’t invest in gold collectibles with an IRA. Make sure you check the list of allowed gold objects with your custodian bank before you transfer gold to
your IRA.
Normally, the IRS defines gold as a collectible. You can’t keep collectibles in retirement accounts, even an IRA. However, an exception to these IRS rules was introduced in 1986 that allowed investments in gold coins at certain IRAs. It was later expanded to allow investments in 99.5% pure gold bars. A gold IRA is that special type of IRA account that allows you to buy real gold and certain other precious metals within an
IRA.
These IRAs are also sometimes referred to as silver IRAs. Before you start transferring, it’s important to calculate how much of the value of your existing retirement plan you’d like to invest in your new Gold IRA. Investing in a gold IRA could hedge against this risk, but you don’t have the gold in your physical possession. A gold IRA consists of a single asset class. Eliminating the diversity you get with a traditional investment portfolio puts you at higher risk and deprives you of the opportunity to generate income
.
Once you’ve opened a self-governing gold IRA, you can transfer cash to the account to fund your purchase of physical gold. Alternatives such as gold ETFs or stocks from gold mining companies can offer similar value depending on your investment goals. Gold IRAs are usually defined as alternative investments, meaning that they are not traded on a public stock exchange and require specialized expertise to value them. Given that the stock market typically rises by around 7% in an average year, it would be rare for a gold IRA to outperform other retirement investments
.
While there are fewer companies that offer gold IRAs than other types of IRAs, you still have multiple options. You would still technically own the gold as it would remain securely in the hands of the custodian manager, but your investment could drastically lose value if the price of gold drops. If you want to invest in precious metals, a gold IRA allows you to combine the benefits of IRAs and precious metals investments. To comply with the many regulations surrounding gold IRAs, you can’t store your gold at home or in a safe deposit box.
Instead of investing in a gold IRA, you can buy gold bars or coins outside of an IRA and store them in your home or in a local safe. As with other retirement accounts, if you withdraw gold from your IRA before you reach 59½ years of age, you must pay income tax on the value of the gold plus a 10% penalty if paid out early. While gold may well have a place in a well-diversified portfolio, it’s important to weigh the risks of buying gold versus other assets. Gold IRAs are unique in that you can store physical gold in a tax-advantaged
retirement savings account.…