When it comes to your retirement, where your contributions are invested can make a huge difference on your investment earnings. Even though traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are amongst the most popular, in these uncertain times it may be worthwhile to also explore self-directed IRAs.

Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs

With a Traditional IRA, you save on a tax-deferred basis and pay taxes only when a withdrawal is made. The logic is that as you get older and closer to retirement your tax bracket should be lower, and you would pay fewer taxes. However, this is not always guaranteed.

With the massive debts currently being racked up to stimulate a US economy, still reeling from the Covid pandemic, there is a possibility that tax rates could significantly increase in the future.

For individuals who anticipate being in a higher tax bracket closer to or at retirement, a Roth IRA is a great alternative. With a Roth IRA, you pay taxes upfront, as you make contributions, however, your withdrawals and earnings at retirement are tax-free.

Despite the popularity of Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs, there are shortcomings as these plans are limited to paper assets like stocks, mutual funds, and bonds. As such there are no opportunities to diversify across tangible alternative assets such as Gold, which could leave your retirement savings more vulnerable to significant losses, should there be a stock market crash, dollar crash, recession, etc.

A self-directed IRA offers more flexibility and provides you with more investment diversification opportunities.

Self-directed IRAs offer more flexibility

A self-directed IRA opens a universe of alternative investment options and gives you full control over your IRA funds and investment selections.

Here you can invest in a variety of non-traditional assets such as precious metals, real estate, antiques, businesses, cryptocurrencies, private mortgages, etc.

Also with SDIRAs, the income-earning potential and diversification benefits are enhanced.

Include Gold in your Self-directed IRA (SDIRA)

Gold is one of the most popular assets to include in a self-directed IRA and more Americans are turning to the yellow metal to help secure, diversify, and grow their retirement savings. Gold is a safe-haven asset in times of uncertainty and fear and is a great hedge against inflation and a falling dollar. It also hedges against the possibility of a stock market crash or recession.

To add gold to your IRA, you must first find a self-directed IRA custodian that specializes in the asset that you are considering adding to your plan.

At American Hartford Gold, we specialize in precious metals and we will help you open and add gold to your self-directed retirement account.

Give us a call at 800-462-0071 to learn how to easily roll over a portion of your traditional IRA to a Gold IRA.