Should Gold Stocks Be in My Roth IRA?
Roth IRAs are popular retirement accounts that allow tax-free withdrawals during retirement, providing investors with tax benefits as well as numerous investment options.
One strategy that may be attractive to some investors is investing in precious metals such as gold – but should your Roth IRA contain gold investments?
Benefits
Gold can serve both as a hedge against inflation and as an investment diversifier, offering lower returns than stocks or bonds but providing security in times of economic instability. As it’s non-correlated asset that doesn’t depend on stock returns alone.
Physical gold investments don’t typically provide dividends, interest or capital gains, so they aren’t tax-deductible like other IRA investments. However, the IRS provides an important statutory exception that allows IRAs to invest in certain gold coins and bullion which meet applicable purity standards.
Investors looking to add gold to their Roth IRAs have two options when adding precious metals: either self-directed IRA providers that specialize in precious metals or traditional brokerage firms offering such accounts. Self-directed IRA custodians typically charge fees for their services and may not adhere to the same level of due diligence and disclosure standards as brokerage firms who invest in securities.
Taxes
Addition of gold to a retirement portfolio requires careful thought and research. Before investing, seek independent financial advice from third-party sources who do not have financial interests in your decision – such as from a gold IRA company which might benefit financially from your decisions.
Gold doesn’t provide the same tax advantages as stocks. Unlike other securities, precious metals don’t usually produce dividends and tend to have lower correlation with markets than stocks do. Furthermore, investing in gold may incur substantial fees associated with storage and insurance charges as well.
An IRA places limits on what assets it can hold; specifically, life insurance policies, stock of S-corporations companies and certain collectibles cannot be purchased with it. Furthermore, purchasing and holding physical gold bars, coins or bullion may incur additional fees such as brokerage costs, setup charges and seller markup fees as well as account closure charges; insuring this type of precious metal could prove more expensive than keeping it at home or a bank vault.
Risks
Gold has long been considered an effective hedge against inflation; as such, an IRA invested in precious metals could provide your long-term retirement savings with some measure of safety and stability.
However, traditional stocks and bonds usually perform poorly during periods of inflation. A self-directed IRA custodian that specializes in precious metals can help diversify your retirement portfolio with physical bullion.
Keep in mind, however, that gold IRAs will incur storage and insurance fees that can reduce your return. Make sure you compare fees between providers to make sure you’re getting the best value for your money and choose one with transparent prices and a dedicated customer service team to provide guidance and support throughout your IRA investment journey. Also remember that precious metals do not pay dividends like stocks do, thus restricting passive income streams as you approach retirement age.
Brokers and Custodians
Gold can provide an effective diversifier in an investment portfolio and may act as a hedge against inflation. However, it’s essential to understand all associated fees with holding it in an IRA as they could detract from your gains in gold prices.
One strategy to sidestep IRS restrictions that prohibit direct IRA investments in gold bullion is purchasing shares of gold-mining or processing companies rather than physical metal itself. Such stocks tend to benefit when gold prices increase, offering an easier and less expensive solution than investing in bars or coins directly.
When selecting a custodian to manage your gold IRA, look for one with experience in handling these accounts as well as an outstanding reputation of integrity and fair pricing compared to COMEX spot prices. Also compare markups per ounce against their COMEX spot price for accuracy of pricing transparency.
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