Transform Your IRA into Gold Mine with a Gold IRA

• Gold has a shorter history than many other traditional investments.
• In recent years, central banks have purchased gold to diversify their holdings and hedge against inflation.
• Gold can also act as a safe harbor in volatile markets. Gold is considered a hedge against inflation because its prices rise when inflation increases.

Diversifying your investment portfolio from stocks and bonds to physical assets can reduce your overall risk exposure. Gold is one asset class to consider. Gold bullion and gold stocks have gained favor in recent years as traditional investments continue to lose value.
The gold market has recovered from the 2008 financial crisis and ensuing recession, rising 14% over the past 12 months. Gold tends to perform well during economic uncertainty and during times of inflation.

Benefits of a Gold IRA

Gold IRAs offer the investor the ability to own physical gold, which is typically held in storage. Investors must purchase their gold from an approved depository.
A gold IRA can hold both physical gold bullion and allocated gold. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows up to 25% of the value of a retirement fund to be held in gold.

Benefits of a Gold IRA
Here are the significant benefits of a gold IRA:
Diversification: A gold IRA provides diversification for your retirement portfolio. Gold may be hedged against inflation and serve as a hedge against market fluctuations.

Tax Deferral: By deferring taxes on the funds invested in a Gold IRA, an investor may maximize the amount of money in the account.

Liquidity: A gold IRA offers the flexibility of converting gold into cash. Most gold IRAs have ready access to cash.

Integrity: Gold is a finite resource.

Durability: Gold has low volatility and is an asset that lasts.

Stability: Gold has historically proven to be a stable asset.

Transferability: A gold IRA can be transferred to your children, spouse or heirs.

Affordability: Gold IRAs have low fees.

Getting Your Gold IRA Rolling

If you're like many Americans, you've seen your retirement savings dwindle during the recent recession. Many people lost 40%, 50%, even 60% of their retirement savings. If you have an IRA, you can protect your retirement savings from further losses by converting it into gold.

A Gold IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, is a self-directed IRA that allows people to invest in gold and other precious metals. Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and other tax-deferred retirement accounts can be converted to a Gold IRA.

Types of Gold IRAs

Gold coin IRAs: Are eligible for IRA contribution. Can buy coins minted by the U.S. Mint, or coins from other nations, such as Canadian Maples, Austrian Philharmonics, or Australian Kangaroos.
Gold bullion: Can be stored in an IRA, but cannot be purchased with an IRA.

Gold ETFs: Can be purchased from an IRA.

Starting Your IRA With a Gold IRA
You have a few options when it comes to opening a Gold IRA.
First, you can buy gold bullion - physical gold - from a company that will accept your IRA funds. One list of such companies can be found here.
This is not the best option, however, as you'll have to pay fees to gold dealers and custodians, and you will pay storage fees.
Second, you can invest in gold ETFs. Although this means you don't own physical gold, it's the cheapest option.
Gold ETFs trade like stocks, and can be bought or sold throughout the day.
Third, you can invest in gold coins. Coins minted by the U.S. Mint are eligible for IRA investment; those from other countries are not.
A fourth option is to invest in a Gold IRA company. These companies offer gold IRAs, often at a small fee.

Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

Traditional IRAs are tax-deferred retirement savings accounts that give investors the opportunity to contribute money on a pre-tax basis. Investors who have a traditional IRA need to pay taxes on the money they make from their investments, but the money they invest grows tax-deferred until retirement.
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
Roth IRAs are tax-deferred retirement savings accounts that give investors the opportunity to contribute money on a pre-tax basis. Investors who have a traditional Roth IRA need to pay taxes on the money they make from their investments, but the money they invest grows tax-free until retirement.

Self-Directed IRA

A self-directed IRA allows you to have control over your assets. You can invest in gold with an IRA, but you must purchase physical gold bullion with your IRA.
Segregated Gold IRA
A segregated gold IRA is an account that allows investors to hold physical gold in an IRA account. This is the most popular type of gold IRA.

Asymmetric Advantage Gold IRA

Asymmetric Advantage IRA Services makes opening an IRA account simple. The company provides a variety of ways to invest in precious metals, including bullion coins and bars, U.S. Certified Precious Metals, and Precious Metals Derived from Natural Resources. The precious metals can be purchased and stored with Asymmetric Advantage, or stored at another location, and purchased upon demand.

Traditional Roth

Traditional IRA: This type of retirement account is generally funded by the employee. You can contribute up to $6,000 per year ($7,000 for those 50 or over). The contribution is tax-deductible and the money grows tax-deferred until you begin taking withdrawals.

Roth IRA: This type of account is also funded by the employee, but the contribution is not tax-deductible. The amount you contribute is post-tax, which means you don't have to pay taxes on the money you contribute now. However, if you retire and start withdrawing money, you will have to pay taxes on the money you withdraw.

Gold-Backed IRA

A gold-backed IRA is an IRA that holds physical gold. The IRA is invested into securities that hold physical gold, and the value of the gold is tracked daily.
An IRA gold account offers numerous benefits, including:
The account is insured up to $250,000.

The account holder has full ownership and control of the gold assets.

The account holder can buy and sell physical gold from the vault at any time.

The account holder's gold assets are resistant to market fluctuations.

The account is exempt from state and local taxes. The tax advantages can vary by state, so check with a tax professional.