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Nothing in life is free; at least, that is what we are told. However, one thing in life that is free is rolling over your old 401k accounts into a new account. If you are like many people, you have old k accounts from former employers that you have let stay where they are because you have not had time to condense your accounts.
While having several k accounts is not a problem, you are paying monthly fees on all of these accounts. Rolling the fees over to a single account will save you money and help you manage your finances more efficiently. The only question is, do you roll these accounts over to your current 401k or start a gold IRA?
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Rolling Over To Your Current 401k Is Free - But Check The Fees
Rolling over your old 401k accounts to your current 401k plan will be free. Management companies are always anxious to bring in more money to manage, so they make it as easy as possible to roll over your funds into your current account.
However, the fees associated with managing the account now that you have rolled over the assets may change dramatically. Some companies will charge more because the account is valued higher. Some companies may charge fees to convert the assets to the ones they invest in if they are not the same as your previous account. Some companies may even charge higher fees because the money came from an "outside source," even though there was no initial fee to transfer the money.
Before rolling over your accounts into your current 401k, check the fee structure to ensure you will not be paying higher fees than you were when all the accounts were separate.
Rolling Over Old 401k Accounts Into A Gold IRA
A different option you have is to roll over your old 401k accounts into a new gold IRA. Rolling your accounts into an IRA is free, just like rolling over into a 401k account. However, you can shop around for different gold IRA companies to find the ones with the best deals for monthly maintenance fees.
Many gold brokerage companies even offer specials where they will cover your account maintenance fees for one to three years for establishing an account with them. If you look at some of the different major gold brokerage companies, you may even be able to establish an account that costs less each month than all of the accounts you currently have open.
Why Choose A Gold IRA Instead Of A Standard IRA?
Starting a self-directed IRA or gold IRA is an excellent choice if you want to be more involved in your retirement investments. Self-directed IRAs allow you to hold more types of financial products in your retirement account. You are not restricted to only having stocks, bonds, and mutual funds as your investments.
A gold IRA is a self-directed IRA that will allow you to hold precious metals as part of your retirement assets. Many investors prefer this type of retirement account because of the many benefits that owning gold provides an investor.
When you have a gold IRA, you can hold stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and approved precious metals. Some gold IRAs will also allow you to invest in other financial products such as real estate, promissory notes, high-end watches or jewelry, and other financial products. You will need to speak with the management company to discover all the types of investments you can hold in your gold IRA.
Gold Is A Prefered Investment
Many large investors turn to gold because it is one of the few stable investment products. Gold prices do fluctuate, but dramatic changes are not common. In fact, gold is where many investors turn when the market starts fluctuating wildly, the country enters into a recession, or when other reasons may lead to financial instability.
Owning physical gold has always been associated with wealth. When you own gold as part of your retirement portfolio, you secure your future wealth. With savvy investing techniques, you may even create generational wealth by securing your assets with gold.
What Types Of Gold Can You Hold In A Gold IRA?
When you invest in physical gold as part of your gold IRA, you are limited to the gold of the highest purity standards. All precious metals that qualify for a gold IRA must be at least 99.5 percent pure. To qualify, some precious metals, like silver, need to be 99.9 percent pure. The only exception is the Gold American Eagle coin. This coin is allowed in retirement savings.
You must also purchase coins or bars from approved mints. Multiple mints worldwide qualify for these accounts because they meet the purity standards.
Some people may think that this is very strict for your retirement account, but it is actually very beneficial. Gold comes in many different grades. Each grade has a different value. When you have the purest gold coins and bars as part of your retirement account, you know that you own the most valuable gold around.
Additionally, when you purchase gold coins, you benefit from the collector's value. Many of these coins are in high demand from collectors. When you hold these as part of your retirement account, you can sell them later as gold or as a collector's piece.
Difference Between Collecting Gold Coins And Using Them For Investment
One common question that people have about investing in gold coins is what is the difference between being a collector and an investor. Both purchase coins for their value and save them, so how is it different?
The main difference between a gold coin investor and a collector is where the gold is stored. IRS regulations state that any gold or precious metals held as part of a retirement account must be stored in an approved facility. These facilities are located around the country, and you can choose where the gold is stored.
You cannot access the gold coins or bars until you begin making withdrawals from your account at retirement. At that time, you can sell your gold, remove it from storage and keep it, or leave it in your account.
Collectors can purchase gold coins and keep them at home, or anywhere they desire. These gold coins and bars are considered collector's pieces, not retirement investments.
Having your coins and bars stored in an IRS-approved storage facility gives you extra security for your assets. You do not have to worry about people breaking into your home or office and stealing your investments.
Is It Hard To Start A Gold IRA?
Starting a gold IRA is simple. You prepare the paperwork just like you would a regular IRA, and then you fund the account. If you are working with a gold brokerage company, they will have a personal rep that you can work with to complete the forms for starting a gold IRA.
On average, the form takes less than five minutes to complete. When you establish a gold IRA with a gold brokerage company, they will also prepare all the paperwork for rolling over your old accounts into the new IRA. By working with a company you do not have to worry about early withdrawal penalties for moving your investments.
The entire process to start and fund your account can take up to 14 days to complete. Why so long? The IRA will be established in a matter of minutes. The funding, however, can take up to 14 days when you roll over an account based on how quickly the original company transfers the money.
Once your account is funded, you can begin to select the gold coins and bars you would like held in your account. Remember, you want to diversify your gold purchases just like you want to diversify the investment account. Take your time and select a mix of coins and bars. You can always purchase more in the future as you save for retirement.
How Much Gold Should I Purchase For My Retirement Account?
The amount of gold you purchase will be entirely up to you. Investors generally purchase 5 to 25 percent of their portfolio in gold. However, the amount you wish to invest will be based on your personal needs.
If you want a larger portion of your investments to be secured by gold, opt for a larger percentage. If you are trying to put a little stability in your account, you can opt for a smaller amount. Decide your investment goals before purchasing so you know how much to invest.
It is always important to remember that this does not have to be a one-time purchase of precious metals in your account. You can increase your gold or silver holdings at any time. If you think it would be more beneficial to hold more gold in the future, you can increase your purchases. What is so great about having a self-directed IRA is that you are in charge.
Where Do I Begin?
If you are ready to start a gold IRA, your first step is finding a gold brokerage company. Many different companies offer this service. We encourage you to research the companies you are considering. Some companies offer sign-up bonuses for working with them. Other companies have smaller inventories of stock that may not be beneficial to your investments.
We have reviewed many companies offering this service and found the top three. We based our choices on how long the companies have been in business, customer reviews, professional reviews, types of IRAs offered, storage services offered, educational materials and customer care services, and type of coins and bars carried by the firms.
We found that the following three companies meet or exceed all of our expectations for a gold brokerage company offering gold IRA services.
Augusta Precious Metals (WINNER)
Augusta Precious Metals is one of the oldest companies offering gold IRA services. Based in Wyoming, Augusta Precious Metals is a full-service gold brokerage offering gold and silver coins and bars. They work with leading IRA management companies to establish gold IRAs for their clients. They also are associated with IRS-approved storage facilities where the gold can be housed while part of an IRA.
Augusta Precious Metals has been nationally recognized for its services, has thousands of 5-star reviews across many different review sites, and is in perfect standing with the Better Business Bureau.
#2. Goldco
Goldco has been operating as a gold brokerage for over a decade and is a California-based company. Goldco works as a gold dealer and offers gold IRAs. You can purchase gold coins and bars from Goldco for retirement or as a collector. The company has national recognition for their services and rans very high in customer satisfaction and reviews.
Goldco offers a large selection of gold and silver coins and bars They work with top management companies for their gold IRA management services and are associated with several storage facilities in the US.
American Hartford Gold is a California-based company that has been providing gold IRA services for over ten years. The company has several national spokespersons who also use its services. The company ranks highly in customer satisfaction and has thousands of 5-star reviews.
American Hartford Gold has one of the largest selections of gold coins and bars from around the world. They have exceptional educational materials available on their website and their customer service is ranked as one of the best in the industry.
