In short, this means that you cannot invest in physical gold bullion (or any other approved investment metal) through a standard Roth IRA. The easiest way to invest in gold through your IRA is to buy shares in gold mining companies or buy a mutual fund that includes shares of mining companies. This strategy is known as buying “paper gold”. There are also gold ETFs (GLD) and mining ETFs that provide indirect access to investment in gold.
For those looking to invest directly in physical gold, a Physical Gold IRA may be the best option. A reputable gold insurance company should be able to manage the entire process for you and answer any questions you may have at any stage of the process. Patriot Gold Group has built a long history of helping investors secure their financial future through gold IRAs, earning high marks from consumer groups along the way. The basis of a Roth IRA is basically the contributions you have made to date to your Roth IRA account. Since several different types of retirement accounts include “Roth” options (technically, Roth refers to tax treatment, not account type), Roth IRAs will have the same benefits and limitations as traditional IRAs for the purposes of this table.
The investment options for both Roth IRAs and regular IRAs are much broader than 401 (k), although the IRA depositary can still limit the types of assets that can be selected. We researched 18 legitimate companies that offer IRA services in gold and evaluated them for the highest consumer ratings from the Business Consumer Alliance (BCA). A Roth IRA also offers flexibility in terms of the type of investments you can hold, but you can't easily access all assets through IRAs. They sell gold coins, bullion and the like, but they don't offer advice on investing in an IRA (despite what their websites or other marketing materials suggest).
Even so, with its low minimum investment requirement and extensive educational resources, it has quickly become a favorite as the best gold IRA company for new investors. In fact, many investors buy gold because of its growth prospects, and many analysts predict that gold will continue to make gains in the future. You can transfer funds or assets from one IRA to another through a process known as “reinvestment”, which can be done from a Roth or traditional IRA (and vice versa), as well as from an employer-sponsored account, such as a 401 (k). Examples include American Gold Eagle coins; Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins; American Silver Eagle coins; American Platinum Eagle coins; and gold, silver, platinum and palladium bars (ingots) that meet applicable purity standards.
Some of these funds also invest in different companies in the gold industry, while others invest in gold futures contracts. The IRS rules allow funding a gold IRA with money extracted from another IRA, the 401 (k), 403 (b), 457 (b) or the Thrift Savings Plan. Or, if you have a conventional retirement savings account and want to increase your exposure to gold, read here how to buy a gold ETF, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of gold.
