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If you have the option of investing in a 401(k) account, then you should probably do so. These tax-deferred options let you use pre-tax income to save for retirement.
Your gains in such an account aren't taxed while in it, and you might even reduce your current taxable income into a lower bracket. Some employers who sponsor these plans will even match your contributions to some degree, so you can double your money.
At the same time, however, you're going to be limited to only the investment options available within the plan.
Using a 401(k) to invest in stocks, bonds, and funds can be a great way to kickstart your investing, but the day may come when you want other options. A precious metals IRA also has serious tax benefits.
Using one can also mean diversification into a different asset class and assuming personal control over your investing. The trick is knowing when and how to do a 401(k) rollover into a precious metal IRA.
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What Is a 401(k) Rollover to Precious Metals?
A 401(k) rollover to precious metals is when you move some or all of your 401(k) funds into a precious metals self-directed individual retirement account. You can do this when you leave the job with the 401(k), reach age 59 1/2, or become disabled.
You'll have to choose a precious metal IRA custodian and how much you want to roll over. Your 401(k) plan administrator can transfer the funds directly to the precious metal IRA, or you can assume ownership of the rollover for up to 60 days.
Can You Buy Physical Gold With a 401(k) Plan?
Employer-sponsored retirement saving and investment plans tend to be limited in the options you have regarding asset choices. The employer has a lot of leeway in how they set the plans up.
As such, what you can buy with 401(k) funds is often limited in terms of how many different asset classes are available. It's very common for you to find a pre-selected assortment of bonds, stocks, and mutual funds.
The company's stock might be emphasized, and that can be very dangerous in its own right. If the company suffers or goes under, you'd get hit in your 401(k) while also possibly losing your hours and primary income.
Even other paper-based assets carry risk. The stock market can be a very potent source of investment growth in the long run, but it's also a wild ride known for significant volatility.
Sudden market downturns or economic turbulence can tank the value of paper-based assets practically overnight.
Gold can also be volatile in how its values go up and down, but it tends to do so on its merit and not because of what is going on inside one company or throughout the stock market.
Since it's an alternative investment asset that moves according to different factors, it can provide a source of diversification and stability in a retirement portfolio looking to balance out the hectic activity of stocks, bonds, and funds.
Your portfolio is best off with both asset classes represented, but most employer-sponsored retirement plans won't let you invest in physical precious metals.
A gold IRA will let you do that. You can create and fund one with your income, subject to annual contribution limits.
However, it's easier to meet the common minimum thresholds many precious metal IRA brokers have by doing a rollover from a previous retirement account, such as your 401(k) plan. This process is called a 401k to gold IRA rollover.
Can You Roll a 401(k) Over to Precious Metals Without Tax Penalties?
It is very possible to do a 401k rollover to gold without incurring tax penalties. The pre-tax nature of the income is preserved, so you don't lose any of your wealth just by moving it from one retirement tax account to another.
The trick is making sure the details all lineup right. A direct rollover or transfer shouldn't have any issues. This is the simplest and safest way to move the rollover funds without penalty because they're never in your possession.
The 401(k) custodian transfers the funds directly to your precious metal IRA custodian. An indirect rollover or transfer has the funds sent to you before you send them to your gold IRA custodian.
You have 60 days to get the money to its new destination before you get hit with the 10% penalty.
Some account owners do this because they can practically turn their funds into a 60-day temporary loan, but the risk of missing the deadline carries substantial risk. A third option is just making a withdrawal.
Any 401(k) withdrawals you do before age 59 1/2 are likely to get hit with the 10% penalty plus income taxes. However, anything after that age will just be subject to income taxes.
There are some limited exceptions to the rules about early withdrawal penalties. They include estate withdrawals, disability, and leaving your employer after you reach the age of 55.
Your gold IRA broker's customer service team should be able to help you with all of this when attempting a rollover.
How Can You Buy Gold Using a 401(k)?
You can't usually buy gold directly inside your 401(k) plan, but you can do a rollover with some of the funds to create a precious metals IRA or gold IRA. You'll need a qualified custodian that can manage administrative matters.
You will also need to choose a depository where the metals will be stored. The first step in the process is ascertaining your eligibility.
The customer service team of your selected gold IRA broker should have rollover specialists who can assist you with this. Your 401(k) plan team might also be able to help.
Step number two is opening your precious metals IRA. Decide on how many funds you want to do the rollover with, and then open up your SDIRA through your chosen custodian.
If your eligibility is solid, then the fund transfer should happen without triggering penalties or taxes.
The third step is buying precious metals. Gold is the foremost option, but you might also be able to invest in platinum, palladium, and silver.
Each metal and the particular physical product has certain potential benefits, and your gold IRA broker should be able to walk you through them as you make your selections.
The last step is choosing a depository. Your custodian will probably have select relationships already in place. You might also need to make a decision about segregated versus co-mingled storage.
What are Retirement Plan Contribution Limits?
Tax-advantaged retirement plans have annual contribution limits. For any IRA, it's usually $6,000 per year or $7,000 if you're older and trying to catch up.
Contribution limits are higher for 401(k) plans, which is doing a rollover from one makes it easier to fund more precious metal investing. The IRS is known for changing contribution limits to retirement vehicles every year.
For 2022, several different 401(k) contribution limits were put into place. It's crucial to know all of them. Employees could contribute up to $20,500 to their 401(k) plans. This contribution ceiling applied to all 401(k) accounts a person might have had collectively.
It also covered pre- and post-tax contributions together if any Roth 401(k) accounts were involved. Employers face two limits on their contributions. The combined contribution limit standard is $61,000.
If catch-up contributions are eligible, then the ceiling is raised to $67,500.
Employees, aged 50 or higher can make more contributions to their retirement plans. This catch-up contribution limit is $6,500. It's intended to let you accelerate your savings for your golden years.
Gold Proofs vs. Bullion
When you look at precious metal products to invest in your SDIRA, you'll notice several options. Many investors start with a conventional choice, such as American Eagle coins.
There are more possibilities, however, and you might look at them and wonder what makes gold bullion coins different from gold proof coins.
If you want the most liquid option for your precious metal investing, then bullion coins of gold and silver are the way to go. Their values are based on weight and fineness, so they're a versatile investment you can expect to follow spot prices.
Look for gold American Buffalos or both gold and silver Canadian Twin Maples and American Eagles. Proof coins in both gold and silver are minted with higher production standards and more limited quantities.
Uniqueness and rarity add value past the spot prices of the raw content. Proof American Eagles in both gold and silver are prime examples here.
Depending on your precious metal IRA broker, you might also be able to invest in palladium and platinum coins. You can also find bars made of all four of these metals. Every metal holds tremendous value for investment purposes.
The best gold IRA brokers have tremendous client education resources you can use to learn about the benefits of investing in precious metals.
In particular, you can see the past historical performance of particular physical products, so you have some idea of how they are likely to perform for you in the future.
There are never any guarantees, but gold and silver have been used for thousands of years and physically can't disappear or devalue as stocks or bonds might.
Is Gold a Good Retirement Investment?
Currencies and other assets tend to come and go. However, precious metals have been around for thousands of years. They've outlasted many national currencies and thousands of companies that once issued stock.
Gold is in a class all by itself. The supply is finite. That's why the American government and other nations once pegged the value of their currencies to the gold standard. They did that because gold and silver were used for currency for a long time.
They were also used to make fine jewelry and other precious objects or items of value. That hasn't changed. Precious metals will still be assets of high value 10 years from now. They'll also be worth a lot of several decades from now.
Whenever you plan on retiring, it is likely that precious metals will hold significant value, but you might not be able to say the same about the American dollar or any stocks or bonds you hold right this moment.
Diversification is a successful form of risk management. Paper-based assets can have their values go up and down quite a bit, and some of them might even die off completely. Gold can hedge your portfolio against global crises and market crashes.
Gold also helps against inflation. The national government can print currency as much as it thinks it needs, but it debases that currency at the same time. Gold helps you prevent wealth erosion in a precious metal IRA when 401(k) buying power might shrink.
Tax benefits are a significant advantage. Your precious metals IRA has all the same tax benefits as a mainstream IRA. You can even do a Roth if you want.
How to Keep IRA Gold Safe
Gold is an alluring and potentially effective retirement investment because of its high value and potential to grow to even more over time. However, it's also something that people have tried to steal for thousands of years.
You can also lose out big time due to errors, accidents, and noncompliance with tax laws, rules, and regulations. Unfortunately, you need to be careful with who you choose as your account custodian.
There are dozens of options you can pick from to create your gold SDIRA, but many of them don't have the best reputations. Some just aren't very good at what they do, and others are outright scams.
Fortunately, you can find out who is reputable and who isn't.
If you're already experienced at looking up places online for anything from customer feedback about where to eat or particular products to buy, then you can apply the same skills in sorting through precious metal brokers for reputable options.
Check with the Better Business Bureau, Business Consumer Alliance, Yelp, TrustLink, TrustPilot, and Google. See how everyone stacks up in particular categories. How is their customer service? What about account fees and minimum investment levels?
A reputable and qualified custodian is someone you can trust your gold IRA with in ways that keep it tax-compliant to avoid penalties. Choosing a depository is an easier choice because the IRS publishes a list of acceptable options.
You'll recognize names known for security, such as Brinks, but you'll also find industry standards you can trust, such as Delaware Depository.
What to Do if You are Ineligible for a Rollover?
Lots of professionals who are still employed by their 401(k) provider assume that they can't do a rollover into a precious metal IRA. That's frequently true, but some exceptions might let you do a rollover even while still employed with your plan sponsor.
Consult your plan manager about that, but you can also talk to the customer service representatives of any gold IRA broker that you might be interested in doing business with.
There are other resources you can turn to for advice on such matters. The IRS is the ultimate authority on things related to this. You might also talk to a financial attorney or investment advisor who is working for you.
Key Takeaways
Employer-sponsored 401(k) plans can be a great way to start investing for retirement. Options might be limited, but you get serious tax benefits and possibly matching dollars that are free money.
Later on, you might become eligible for a rollover where you move 401(k) funds into a precious metals IRA for portfolio diversification and to protect your assets against inflation and economic uncertainty.
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I started BMOGAM Viewpoints as a way to compile all my views on investing in one place. I own my home, have some real estate, and own a few stocks like most people, but what really drives my interest in investing is I have a strong love of precious metals, especially gold.
