Convert Your 401k to Gold and Silver

• Precious metals are physical commodities, such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
• Investors can buy precious metals to invest in their physical value, or as insurance against inflation, currency crises, and other economic shocks.
• Precious metals can be bought individually or through an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
• Precious metals can be purchased as commodities, or through a precious metals exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Investors looking to protect their wealth from market volatility are turning to physical gold and silver, also known as precious metals. If you have money in your 401(k) or other retirement savings account, you may be able to buy gold and silver, or precious metals, as an investment.

k) Account Types

Growth and Income: A combination of stocks and bonds, with target allocations between stocks, bonds and gold.

Core Portfolio: This portfolio consists of 50% stocks and 50% bonds, with 10% allocated to gold.

The Gold Standard: 100% precious metals, including gold, silver, and platinum.

A Gold IRA can combine precious metals with other investments, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate.

Traditional 401(k)

The mechanics for converting your traditional 401(k) to a self-directed IRA or gold IRA are similar to those of converting your 401(k) to a self-directed IRA or gold IRA.
However, a self-directed IRA requires you to roll your 401(k) funds into an IRA custodian.
With a traditional 401(k), you can only invest in mutual funds. With a self-directed IRA, you can invest in stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), real estate, precious metals, and more.
Roth IRA
A gold or silver Roth IRA allows you the freedom to invest in precious metals and other assets, such as real estate. Unlike a traditional IRA, your contribution to the Roth IRA is not tax-deductible.

Roth 401(k)

If you converted a traditional 401(k) to a Roth IRA account, and rolled over the assets into a precious metals IRA, you could avoid taxes and penalties.
Traditional 401(k)
If you converted a traditional 401(k) into a Roth IRA account, and rolled over the assets into a precious metals IRA, you could avoid taxes and penalties.

k) Rollover

The 401k rollover allows investors to transfer assets from an old employer plan to a new employer plan.

For example, let's say you leave your former employer behind. You have money in your old employer's 401k plan and you would like to keep that money in a 401k plan at your new employer.

You can transfer the money from your former employer's 401k plan directly into your new employer's 401k plan. This is known as a "rollover."

The 401k rollover allows you to consolidate your retirement assets. It also allows you to set up automatic deposits into your new 401k plan.

Gold IRA

A gold IRA differs from a standard IRA in three ways:
It's funded with physical gold stored in the vault of a reputable dealer.

Funds invested in gold and other precious metals are exempt from federal taxes, but may be subject to state income taxes.

There's no required minimum distribution after age 70-1/2

Gold and Silver Exchange-Traded Funds

How It Works
Your 401k plan should allow you to invest in precious metals, but first, you'll want to check with your plan administrator to find out if you can.
Once you do, you'll probably want to look into gold ETFs, which allow you to invest in gold without having to buy the actual metal.
Invest in Gold

There are a few gold ETFs available. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) is the largest and most popular. GLD's custodian, the State Street Group, holds one troy ounce of gold for every share traded. They also offer gold-backed ETF certificates. Initiated in 2003, GLD was the first gold ETF and is the largest gold ETF in the world.

Other

ways to invest in gold and silver are through physical bullion and
exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Some mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
allow the investor to convert some of the fund's holdings into bullion,
but this option is available only for the fund's listed shares.