We all crave financial security, especially in retirement, and putting your hard-earned money into a gold IRA can be pretty persuasive. But what are the favorable and unfavorable factors of investing your retirement savings into these kinds of accounts? Below we take a more in-depth look at the pros and cons of putting gold into an IRA.
What is the Gold IRA?
Until recently, you could only fund an Individual Retirement Account with cash, bonds, or stock. Today, more and more investors are including gold in their investment portfolio as a safe option to help through the turbulent global markets. Unlike the traditional IRA, a Self directed gold IRA offers some level of investment freedom.
What are the Pros and Cons of Putting Gold Into an IRA?
Just like any other investment, an IRA containing gold has some drawbacks and benefits. Familiarizing yourself with them can help you make better and informed decisions.
What are the benefits of putting gold into an IRA?
1. Better Control of the Future through Portfolio Protection
Gold provides a haven portfolio component because it retains its purchasing power. Its ability to maintain its store of value makes it the ultimate safe investment. Since it’s a safer investment than other assets at the moment, it allows you to enjoy better sleep at night. Additionally, inflation, which can erode the value of a cash plan disastrously in just a few decades, has little to no effect on gold’s purchasing power. The value of gold is retained not just over a couple of decades but in several thousands of years.
2. Gold has a low or negative correlation with other investment assets
The on-going market instability affects virtually all other assets, including bonds, stock, and mutual funds. As per history, the performance of gold is always inversely correlated to other assets. The portfolio diversification theory claims that an ideal diversified portfolio should include investment options in loose correlation, leading to lower overall portfolio risk. Historically, the range of gold correlation with bonds and the stock has always been in the negative to low positives.
3. Easy to Open and Manage an Account
Besides, its value opening and managing a Gold IRA is much easier than a conventional IRA. Notably, since there are no tax issues associated with Gold IRA s investors are unlikely to collide with Internal Revenue Service. Apart from this, you will face no penalties in transferring your assets from a gold IRA to another account.
Another significant benefit is that the companies that offer you opportunities to invest in gold IRA are numerous. As such, you will have an easy time getting a company that meets your investment needs.
4. Offer Ultimate Disaster Insurance
No one can predict the dangers that the future holds accurately. Therefore, protecting your portfolio assets and financial assets against unforeseen calamities is a huge relief. Gold IRAs offer protection against a host of geopolitical and financial dangers. Among these dangers include market uncertainties, government spending, economic collapse, inflation, and increased debt levels.
Cons of putting gold into an IRA
1. Price Volatility
While gold functions extensively in retaining its value, it’s affected by market forces the same as other financial assets. As a result of these volatile forces, gold prices are significantly volatile. Therefore, gold does not do well as a short-term investment plan, but the returns in the long term are quite viable.
2. Increased Risk of Theft and Fraud
A broker is not permitted to keep the physical gold in their possession. The process requires an IRA custodian and a broker, which exposes you to various counterparty risks. In some instances, companies may issue investors with gold certificates that do not reflect the actual amount of the physical gold they are holding. There is also the risk of physical gold getting stolen. To reduce this risk, an investor needs to choose the right company and qualified people to help manage the IRA.
3. They do not pay dividends, yields, and interest
If you are fixated on earning interest or dividends like bonds and stock investment provide, gold IRA does not offer such. The best you can hope for is increased capital appreciation in the price of the gold.
Why start now?
Gild investments are a great choice in the highly uncertain economy and the increased globalization. They offer an investor with the much-needed protection over their portfolio. Luckily, owning and funding a gold IRA account is an easy process. Recently, the stock market marked the longest bull run of 3,543days with uninterrupted gains. The gold prices hit $1,349 last January and have been pulling back since then due to the strong negative correlation to the dollar and other equities. The dollar is predicted to fall as the market corrects, resulting in a reversal change in gold prices. As such, this is the best time to start a gold IRA.
Conclusion
If you are looking into Gold IRAs, this article’s information will give you a clear view of all that it entails and help you make the right investment decision.
