Retirement might seem a long while away, but when it comes down to it, the years go by much faster than we realize. Before you know it, you’ll be reaching your golden years, and you’ll probably want to settle down and stop working. That’s the goal, right?
Achieving this goal requires money, plain and simple. As you can see here, https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrjfcp/29/1/114.abstract, retirement planning is a huge industry for a reason. Out of all the methods, one that has been getting a lot of attention lately is using gold in individual retirement arrangements (IRAs).
With all this publicity, though, we have to wonder if it’s a legitimate way to save for retirement, and if the initial investment is worth it. Today, that’s what we’ll be discussing, so be sure to keep reading if you’ve been wondering the same thing!
What is a Gold IRA?
Naturally, this will be our first order of business. They’re a type of individual retirement arrangement that is self-directed, meaning that as the holder, you’ll have most of the control. This makes them somewhat flexible, with the main caveat being that the holdings need to be some type of precious metal.
There are a lot of precious metals out there, though. The main ones are gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. So, next time that you’re asking yourself “What is a gold IRA,” hopefully you think back to this description. Remember, they can include bullion, certain coins, and a wide variety of other assets that are related to the market.
How it Works as an Investment
On the surface, it may seem a bit strange that we can use precious metals in their bullion form as an asset for our investment portfolios. However, it’s something that’s been done for centuries now. Think about royalty – they had lots of ways to store their wealth, and gold bars were absolutely one of them.
In modern times, it functions quite similarly. Folks who purchase precious metals do so with the intent to store their net worth in an asset that won’t lose value over time. Inflation can really impact paper currency, after all, and having our entire retirement fund hinging on that can potentially be a pretty big mistake.
We saw an example of that recently, really, in the news. Articles like this one can give you a rundown if you haven’t heard about it. Essentially, many retirees lost out on a lot of their retirement funds because of the economic strife both here in the United States and across the globe.
Are they Worth it?
The financial troubles that many of us are facing have led to people seeking out alternative ways to prepare for their golden years. One such is, of course, by getting a gold or precious metals IRA. Is this a practical option, though?
One of the biggest concerns that people have is that it can cost a lot of money to purchase gold bullion. This is understandable, of course. It can be somewhat pricey. The tradeoff, though, is that you won’t end up losing out on a bunch of your original investment. That’s because historically speaking, the prices of gold, silver, palladium, and platinum stay relatively the same over long periods of time.
What does this mean in terms of a retirement investment, though? Well, basically, you’ll be able to cash in on these assets whenever you want to when you finally reach retirement age. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right?
Ultimately, it’s up to each of us as investors to decide if a gold individual retirement arrangement will be right for us. That said, there are certainly a lot of compelling reasons that you may want to check one out. At the very least, it can help make sure that your portfolio is more diverse.
When it comes to retirement, after all, the phrase “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket” becomes more important than ever. Pay attention to where you’re storing your investments as you prepare and do your best to ensure that they’re not all in the same market. Diversify as much as you can, and think about how you’ll protect yourself against inflation rates.
