A 401(k) is a retirement account that allows tax-deductible contributions, and once retirement comes along you pay taxes on withdrawals.
Some 401k plans provide self-directed investors with self-directed privileges that enable them to invest in physical precious metals such as gold. Gold can often be marketed as an alternative investment option with lower volatility than stocks and no government seizure risk.
401(k) Plans with Brokerage Options
401(k) plans do not allow investors to invest directly in physical gold, but those concerned about inflation, banking collapse, recession or political instability could potentially benefit from including precious metal investments into their IRA or 401(k).
Investors looking for greater benefits from their retirement funds may benefit from rolling over their 401(k) funds into a precious metals IRA, with additional investment options, lower account fees and the opportunity to buy and sell gold more easily. It is important to comply with all of the specific rules associated with these accounts to ensure precious metals qualify as eligible inclusion.
Bullion coins and bars minted by NYMEX or COMEX-approved refiners typically qualify for inclusion in precious metals IRAs, with custodians having access to verification processes that ensure each precious metal coin or bar’s authenticity – this may require extra documentation, which could take additional time.
401(k) Plans with Mutual Funds
Many 401(k) plans offer their investors access to mutual funds that invest in gold, usually at much lower costs than typical investments and providing you with an asset that can safeguard you against inflation, currency devaluation and other threats to your retirement portfolio.
For investors interested in investing with physical gold through their 401(k), one option is to rollover funds into a precious metals IRA (SDIRA). A qualified Gold IRA company will be able to explain how this process works and provide assistance as you complete it.
Rolling over a 401(k), in general, requires receiving funds directly from your employer’s trustee and redepositing them into your new IRA account within 60 days. You should be wary not to delay as doing so could incur both an IRS penalty of 10% as well as income taxes on what was transferred over.
401(k) Plans with Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
Employer-sponsored retirement plans often leave much to be desired when it comes to investment options, yet it is possible to diversify with precious metals through rollover into a Precious Metals IRA.
Finding a trustworthy Gold IRA rollover provider such as Advantage Gold can be the start of this journey. They’ve been serving their clients for over ten years with exceptional reviews from both current and past clients alike.
Once your account has been set up and all necessary paperwork collected, it’s time to make your initial purchase. You can do this by sending your custodian trustee a “buy direction letter”, with specific details on what and where you intend to buy. Common purchases are in the form of bullion coins or bars weighing at least one ounce in weight; alternatively some 401(k) plans with brokerage options may allow for investing in gold-related mutual funds.
IRAs
Gold has long been considered a haven asset during periods of economic and political volatility. Furthermore, its diversification adds diversity to a portfolio and acts as a hedge against inflation: as its value tends to rise with increased costs of living.
Investors looking to add precious metals to their IRA have various options available through companies like Oxford Gold Group and Augusta Precious Metals, two self-directed IRA custodians that collaborate with approved metals dealers to offer physical gold, silver, platinum and palladium investments for storage purposes.
As soon as an investor decides on which type of gold to purchase, he or she should direct his or her IRA custodian to send funds directly to a metals dealer for transaction and delivery of physical assets to an IRS-approved depository for storage. Precious metal IRAs often require significant initial investments: setup fees, annual account maintenance fees, seller’s fee and storage fees may all need to be covered before holdings can begin.
