By If you’ve been watching the gold space, you may know that the yellow metal has appreciated in value by about 500 percent in the past two decades.
Given that fact, investors may want to turn their attention to investing in gold as a retirement plan. While there are pros and cons to using gold for retirement savings, which you can learn more about here, many successful investors consider the precious metal a safe-haven investment.
Read on to find out three ways you can invest in gold for retirement. From physical gold to stocks to gold-backed assets, there are diverse options for those who choose to prepare for retirement with gold.
1. Buy physical gold
One of the first and perhaps most obvious gold investment options for your retirement portfolio is physical gold. Generally investors will buy gold in the form of bullion coins or gold bars through a dealer. While that might sound simple, as with any investment, it’s important to do your research and make sure you’re using a reputable dealer.
If you choose to buy physical gold for retirement, you’ll also have to consider where you’re going to keep your gold bars, coins or bullion. Many investors opt to pay a storage fee to keep their gold at a bank depository, but you can also set up a safe at your home. You’ll need to think about what option is best given your goals.
To get more information about physical gold as an investment, check out our guide here.
2. Invest in gold stocks
You might think investing in gold stocks is only for investors who are deeply entrenched in the stock market, but the fact is that anyone can invest in gold stocks if they are willing to put in some work.
This decision can provide purchasing power if you take the time to monitor your financial investments. That means spending time choosing the right gold stocks to put your money into, and sitting down on a regular basis to determine whether they are stocks that continually benefit your wealth and savings strategy.
If you’re unsure of how to do that, check out these tips on resource investing from experts like Rick Rule, EB Tucker and Frank Holmes. Alternatively, you might want to invest in gold stocks via a gold exchange-traded fund like the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (ARCA:GLD) or the iShares Gold Trust ETF (ARCA:IAU).
3. Invest in a gold IRA
Finally, if you want to invest in gold for your retirement savings, you may want to consider investing in a gold-backed individual retirement account (IRA). Self-directed IRAs can contain non-traditional investments such as real estate and precious metals, though you’ll have to follow special rules.
For instance, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) only allows at least 99.5 percent purity gold bullion bars and coins to be included in gold-backed IRAs (with the exception of American Eagle coins, which are 91.67 percent pure). Furthermore, gold used in gold-backed IRAs must be administered by an IRA custodian and stored at a location approved by the IRS — in other words, you’re not allowed to store this gold at your house.
These and other rules can make setting up a gold-backed IRA intimidating — indeed, they’re considered “alternative investments” and require some persistence and expertise to manage properly. But if you’re truly interested in gold for your future retirement, they’re certainly a financial option to consider.
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.