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Are you looking for a way to become more involved with your retirement investments? For many people, the only option they have is to take the 401k plan offered by their employer, select one of the funds to invest in, and then sit back and hope for the best.
Most people will change their job several times during their adult life. This can leave several old 401k plans just sitting there doing nothing but earning a little bit of money and racking up monthly fees.
You can use these old accounts as a way to become more active in your retirement planning by rolling them over into a gold IRA.
Rolling over these old 401k accounts into a gold IRA is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to take charge of your retirement investment strategies and diversify your investments.
You can and should keep contributing to your current 401k account. After all, your employer probably matches a percentage of that money, so you get "free" cash for your investments. It would not be wise to pass this up. However, with your old 401k plans, you can easily roll them over to a gold IRA and take advantage of being a hands-on investor.
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Are There Benefits To Owning Gold?
Owning physical gold as part of your retirement investments gives you several benefits. The largest benefit to owning physical gold is that it can help offset inflation in your account. When inflation rises, so does the price of gold. This is one way to keep your retirement savings ahead of the curve.
Another benefit to owning physical gold is that gold prices do not fluctuate as dramatically as stocks and bonds. When you have a base of gold in your investments, you have created a "net egg" that you can rely on. Most large investors will always have gold in their accounts for this reason.
A final benefit of owning physical gold is that it is a liquid asset. Once you reach the age where you can withdraw from your retirement account, you can quickly convert your gold coins and bars into cash.
Do Other Retirement Accounts Let Me Own Physical Gold?
No.
A self-directed IRA is the only type of retirement account that will allow you to hold physical gold as part of the account. Self-directed IRAs are set up to allow investors to hold many different types of assets other than stocks and bonds.
A gold IRA is a self-directed IRA that is focused on precious metal investments. You can also hold stocks, bonds, and funds in these accounts. Some gold IRA accounts will also allow you to hold things like cryptocurrency, high-end jewelry, or real estate. It all depends on the account you establish.
If your goal is to add gold or other precious metals to your retirement savings plan, you will need to start a gold IRA.
What Kind Of Gold Can I Put In My Gold IRA?
When you purchase physical gold and other precious metals for your gold IRA, they must meet the regulations set forth by the Internal revenue Service for purity standards and designated mints.
All gold coins and bars must be at least 99.5 percent pure to qualify for your gold IRA. The only exception is the American Gold Eagle coin, which has a purity level of 91.5 percent. However, this gold coin is in high demand and can be part of your retirement savings.
Silver, palladium, and platinum must also meet purity standards of 99.5 percent or higher. Silver must be 99.9 percent pure to qualify for retirement accounts.
The IRS also requires that the coins and bars come from specific mints. These mints are worldwide and are guaranteed to produce coins and bars that meet quality standards.
Gold and other precious metals are available at many different grade levels. The lower the purity level, the lower the value. By making it mandatory to only hold the highest purity of gold in your retirement account, you are ensuring that you make the most money from your investments.
Is It Expensive To Start A Gold IRA?
Starting a gold IRA account is free. Yes, that's right, free. There are no costs associated with starting a gold IRA or rolling over your old retirement accounts. The only money you will need is money to fund your account, and if you are rolling over an old account, you already have what you need.
Most gold brokerages offering gold IRAs have an easy-to-fill-out form on their website to start the process. Once you have begun the process, a customer care rep will contact you to complete the necessary paperwork to get the account active and roll over any old accounts into your new IRA.
These services are free.
Your account will be open in a matter of minutes and active right away. If you are funding the account with your old 401k plans, the funding could take anywhere from two to 14 days to complete. This will all be based on how quickly the old company transfers the money to your account.
There are maintenance fees associated with owning a gold IRA. However, there are fees associated with a standard IRA or a 401k plan. If you are rolling over your old 401k plans to fund the account, you will be saving money each month instead of paying fees on multiple plans.
Plan fees will vary based on the company you select to manage your retirement account and the value of your account. Many gold brokerages are also offering specials where they will cover your fees for the first year or first three years depending on your initial setup amount. Take advantage of these specials for more savings on your account.
Monthly account fees, however, are generally the same on these accounts as they would be on any other investment account. Make sure that you look at the fees before starting the account. Only choose an account that you are satisfied with their maintenance fees.
Where Do I Go To Purchase Gold and Precious Metals?
The best way to purchase gold and other precious metals to put in your gold IRA account is by working with the company where you established your gold IRA. These gold brokerages offer premium gold and other precious metals that qualify to be held in retirement accounts.
Many of these brokers sell to the public and collectors as well. However, if they offer gold IRA accounts, they will have exactly what you need for your retirement account.
All gold coins and bars must meet purity and int standards set by the IRS. Since these are of the highest quality, you can feel assured that these brokers will have these coins and bars available. Some of these brokers even have rare or specialty coins you can purchase, making them more valuable than just their gold weight.
When you work with a gold brokerage firm you will also benefit from them sending your gold and other precious metals directly to storage. The IRS requires that all precious metals held in a retirement account be held in an IRS-approved storage facility until the owner can start making withdrawals from their account.
These storage facilities are located nationwide, and you can choose where to store your physical gold while it is part of your account. You cannot take possession of this gold before age 59.5 because it would be considered an early withdrawal from your account. Possessing this gold or other precious metals at any time before retirement age can subject you to fines and penalties.
You cannot purchase gold or other precious metals from a dealer and take it home or add gold to your account that you already own. You must purchase your gold through an authorized dealer so that it complies with storage rules
When you work with a top gold brokerage company, you do not have to worry about breaking any regulations. These companies are experienced with managing gold IRA accounts and will ensure that your account remains compliant with all IRS regulations.
Top Three Gold IRA Companies
Many companies advertise they offer gold IRA accounts. We have reviewed several companies and have found what we believe are the top three companies in the country.
Each of the companies met our guidelines for customer care, educational materials, customer satisfaction, inventory of gold coins and bars, gold IRA account management, and storage services. We encourage you to look at all of thee companies before deciding on which company to use for your gold IRA. Every IRA is different and you will want the one that meets all of your investment needs.
Augusta Precious Metals (WINNER)
Augusta Precious Metals is the leading gold brokerage offering gold IRA accounts. The company, based in Wyoming, has been offering gold IRAs for over a decade. The company has many spokespersons from television and sports teams that use and promote their service. The company has also been ranked as the best gold IRA company by Money Magazine.
Augusta Precious Metals has a superior customer satisfaction rating. They have thousands of 5-star ratings on sites like TrustPilot and Google Business. They have a top rating with the Better Business Bureau and have won several awards for their services and educational materials.
Augusta Precious Metals specializes in gold coins and bars but also offers a large selection of silver coins and bars.
#2. Goldco
Goldco is a California-based gold brokerage based in California. The company has been offering gold IRAs for over ten years. They also sell gold and silver coins and bars to collectors. The company ranks extremely high on all of the rating sites with thousands of 5-star reviews.
The company works with top-rated management firms for their gold IRA accounts and has a selection of storage facilities available for their clients. They have a larger selection of gold and silver coins and bars from a larger variety of mints available. Goldco also offers specials, so be sure to check what they are offering before opening your account.
Based in California, American Hartford Gold is a large gold brokerage company that manages gold IRAs and also sells gold coins and bars to the public. The company has a very large selection of gold and silver coins and bars.
American Hartford Gold has excellent educational materials available for their clients. Their customer care reps are very knowledgeable and have been ranked as some of the best in the industry. Overall customer satisfaction is very high with the company having thousands of 5-star reviews.
American Hartford Gold has won several awards and has been recommended by several financial magazines and websites. They have become a leading company for gold IRAs because of their determination for 100 percent customer satisfaction.