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All That Glitters Could be Gold: Investing in Precious Metals in a Self-Directed IRA

Published on December 24, 2019

Gold, silver and platinum figure big in holiday gift giving. But did you know that not all precious metals are destined to become jewelry? For many investors with self-directed IRAs, precious metals are part of their retirement portfolios.

You may have heard the terms “gold IRA” or “silver IRA.” They refer to the self-directed retirement plans that include these precious metals. In these cases, physical gold, silver or other approved precious metals are held in custody for the benefit of the IRA account owner. Instead of paper assets, there are physical coins or bullion bars, referred to as hard assets.

These alternative assets are easy to own and to manage for savvy investors who already know and understand the precious metals markets. And, precious metals have historically been an excellent way to diversify investment holdings and preserve capital. Gold and silver provide a hedge against inflation and precious metals’ value usually move independently of the stock market, which can make a precious metals IRA a good hedge against market volatility.

Precious metal assets allowed in self-directed IRAs
There are three categories of precious metal assets investors can include in their self-directed retirement plans:

As with other nontraditional investments that are prohibited from self-directed IRAs, rare and collectible coins are NOT acceptable precious metals for this investment purpose.

Setting up a precious metals IRA

Liquidating your assets
You can liquidate precious metals assets any time you wish and your IRA custodian can advise you on the process. Proceeds from the sale of the assets go back into your self-directed IRA as they do with any self-directed asset, so they remain tax-advantaged. You also have the option of taking required minimum distributions in the form of bullion.

Do you have questions about opening a new self-directed IRA or how to execute a transaction concerning a precious metals investment? You may schedule a complimentary educational session or contact our team about self-directed IRAs and the many types of nontraditional investments these plans allow. We’re available via phone at 1-888-857-8058 or by email at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

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