A gold IRA is a retirement account that allows its investors to hold gold coins, gold bars, or other precious metals as investments. You can set up a gold IRA with dollars before or after tax through a specialized custodian or broker. Not all gold investments can belong to an IRA. The basic rule is that an IRA cannot own a collectible, and precious metals are defined as collectibles, regardless of whether the investment is in gold bars or coins. Luckily, there are exceptions to the general rule for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, which are held in specific forms.
Storing your IRA gold at home can be considered a distribution, meaning you lose your tax-deferred benefits and could be punished with a fine if you’re under 59½ years of age. Setting up a checkbook IRA is complicated because you must be a limited liability company (LLC) and have a business current account, to name just two of the requirements. Over the centuries, gold has proven to be one of the most stable assets, making it a fantastic candidate for your IRA. Some prefer the former because it clarifies that in addition to gold, other precious metals (silver, palladium, and platinum) are allowed in self-directed IRAs.
Money Reserve’s Precious Metals IRA program combines the traditional protection of gold and silver with the modern convenience of an individual retirement account. The ETF is also able to buy, store, and insure gold at a much lower price than you or an IRA custodian bank. The rules for withdrawing from a Gold IRA are similar to other individual retirement accounts. The IRS has issued private letter rules to major gold ETFs, which state that IRAs may own the ETFs.
Because the gold in a gold IRA must be stored in an IRS-approved deposit, you can’t store it in a safe, a home safe, or under your mattress. A gold IRA is a type of IRA that allows investors to own physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Physical gold can play an important role in a well-diversified retirement portfolio. However, certain rules must be followed if you want to take full advantage of the full benefits that an individual retirement account (IRA) can offer for gold or other precious metals. While you can technically set up an LLC and control your IRA purchases yourself (as long as you meet some strict requirements), you still can’t store the gold in your home.
For a gold IRA, you need a broker to buy the gold and a custodian to create and manage the account. A self-directed IRA is often referred to as a gold IRA or gold-backed IRA when it is specifically set up to store physical metals in the form of gold bars, coins, or polishing coins. So if your portfolio consists of both gold and paper investments, a loss on the gold side is offset by the gain in other assets. Gold American Eagle Bullion and Polished Gold coins are the only gold coins that are exempt from purity guidelines.
