A 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover is a financial tool and Internet search term that’s gaining immense interest and popularity. The reasons for this are simple and obvious. First and foremost is the fact that almost 80% of full-time American workers have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans and more than 80% of workers participate in a plan. When it comes to Fortune 500 Companies, 89% have access and 90% participate. According to the American Benefits Council, participation in these plans is as strong as it’s ever been.
The second most important fact is that (as of 2011), more than 80% of retirement plans were 401k’s and more than 95% of them offered some kind of matching contribution, which provides a great opportunity and very simple way for employees to give themselves a pay raise. Maximization of this type of participation can accelerate retirement savings, which under the right circumstances can translate into a Gold IRA Rollover.
What is a 401(k) Plan?
A 401(k) plan is a qualified, tax-deferred account that is defined in subsection401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. In a 401(k) plan, employees are permitted to contribute a defined portion of their earnings on a pre-tax basis to their account. These earnings are withdrawn from the employees pay prior to taxation, and tax on the earnings is deferred until retirement withdrawals are made.
In addition, employers plan on participating in a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover may contribute to the employees plan in the form of a company match. The company match can vary, and a percentage match up to a specified percentage is common. These plans do have annual contribution limits. As of 2015, the maximum pre-tax contribution is $18,000. Additionally, you can make only one rollover from an IRA to another (or the same) IRA in any 12-month period, regardless of the number of IRA’s you own.
What are the Primary Benefits of a 401(k) Plan?
A 401(k) plan comes with numerous potential benefits. Some of these benefits may include:
- Automated savings
- Company match
- Tax-deferred growth
- Ability to borrow from account under specific circumstances
- Various investment options
- Convenience
While investment choices within a 401(k) plan may be limited, many plans offer numerous ways to invest money within the account. Some of these products may include mutual funds, money market funds, stable value accounts, bond funds and company stock. Given multiple choices within a fund, one may be able to diversify their 401(k) holdings. In addition, account holders can move money between funds as time passes or market conditions change.
A company match on contributions can be a huge perk for many employees. Many companies no longer offer pensions for their employees, but now rather offer some type of company match on funds the employee contributes. These matching funds can add up quickly, and can help one reach their retirement objectives faster. Company matches on funds can vary, as well as the amount of time before those funds are considered vested.
One has the ability to borrow funds from his or her 401(k) account under many plans and under certain circumstances. These circumstances may include purchasing a home, education or medical expenses or economic hardship. These loans must generally be paid back within five years, and the interest that you pay on the loan goes right back into your account. It is important to note, however, that should one leave the company with a 401(k) loan outstanding, he or she will have a limited amount of time to repay the loan. If this does not occur, they may be liable for taxes on the funds, as well as early withdrawal penalties if under the age of 59 ½.
Can I Own Physical Gold in a Standard 401k to Gold IRA Rollover?
While 401(k) plans may offer several choices of for investments, the total amount of asset classes available to invest in may be limited. Standard 401(k) plans do not have the option of physical gold or silver ownership. The closest one can come would be owning precious metals funds, gold or silver mining stocks or other similar paper products.
Of course, many buyers of physical precious metals desire to own the physical, tangible metals for their inherent benefits. While specific circumstances may allow for physical metals ownership within a 401(k), such as in a self-directed 401(k), most people with a standard 401(k) account may have to look for other options in order to own physical gold or silver. This is where a gold or silver 401(k) rollover may come into play.
Why Invest in a 401(k) to Gold or Silver IRA Rollover?
There are many possible reasons to invest in a gold or silver 401(k) rollover. No two investors are exactly the same, and investors may have different goals or concerns. Some of the potential reasons may include:
- INFLATION CONCERNS: Investors often buy gold, silver or other precious metals to try to hedge against inflation. Inflation is a sustained increase in the costs of goods and services — in other words items are only getting more expensive. As inflation accelerates, one’s purchasing power is eroded. A dollar today buys less than a dollar did 10 years ago for example. As inflation increases, one’s real returns on investments may be less, as well. Some investors believe that precious metals like gold and silver may not lose value like other assets during times of high inflation. In fact, many investors believe that the value of gold or silver could potentially rise during periods of high inflation thus providing a hedge against rising prices.
- DOLLAR DEVALUATION: Some investors using a 401k to Gold IRA Rollover buy precious metals to hedge against dollar devaluation. Like inflation, as the value of paper (fiat) currency is eroded goods and services become relatively more expensive. Gold and silver are denominated in U.S. dollars and often times exhibit an inverse correlation to the dollar. In other words, often times when the dollar falls, gold and silver rise. Conversely, the value of gold and silver may decline when the dollar is rising.
- PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFICATION: Many investors today are looking for ways to further diversify their portfolios. Today’s investors are looking for additional asset classes beyond just stocks and bonds. Precious metals, like gold and silver, may provide an additional layer of diversification. Precious metals often exhibit little correlation to stocks or bonds and, thus, may be an effective way to add diversification.
- GOLD AND SILVER HAVE A LONG HISTORY AS A RELIABLE STORE OF VALUE: Precious metals, like gold and silver, have been used for transactions for thousands of years. They have proven to be a reliable store of value over that time and are still recognized today for their value. These metals are transacted all over the globe. An ounce of gold in the U.S. is the same as an ounce of Gold in Japan.
- GOLD AND SILVER CARRY NO COUNTERPARTY RISK: Unlike paper investments, physical gold and silver cannot go bankrupt or default on an obligation.
- PEACE OF MIND: Physical gold or silver ownership can provide significant peace of mind. Because of their history, characteristics, lack of counterparty risk and liquidity, precious metals ownership may provide a degree of comfort in an ever changing world.
Of course, this list could go on and on, but these are just a few reasons that many investors turn to gold and silver.
If your 401(k) is from a previous employer, the process to roll it over is fairly straightforward and simple. One should always, however, consult their tax professional before doing anything tax related or that may have tax consequences. In order for your rollover to go smoothly, all regulations must be adhered to. Your tax professional can guide you through the process and answer any tax related questions that you may have. While this guide is meant to be for informational purposes only, no investment advice is being given or implied.
401k to Gold IRA Rollover
A Gold IRA Rollover can occur under a wide variety of conditions. Considering that the 401k is the most prevalent type of eligible retirement plan, it’s what we’ll focus on in this article. Rules pertaining to 401k plans can vary as dramatically as the companies sponsoring them, but some generally common elements include rollover opportunities when: the sponsoring company substantially modifies the plan, the sponsoring company changes the managing custodian, or the employee quits, retires, or is terminated.
It is quite typical that employees cannot rollover any portion of their 401k for a Gold IRA Rollover as long as they are still employed. However, in a fair number of plans, a still-working employee can be permitted to do an “in-service rollover” once they achieve 59½ years of age. The number or frequency of such events can vary dramatically between retirement plans. Some plans don’t permit in-service rollovers of any kind and a smaller number of plans make employees wait until achieving 70½ years of age, at which time required minimum distributions (RMD) take effect anyway.
401k to Gold IRA Rollover Check
401k plans are typically quite limited in their scope of available investment types and rarely if ever allow for investment in IRA-approved physical precious metals, consisting of gold, silver, platinum, and/or palladium. The most common investment types made available in 401k plans are a variety of funds including; equity, balanced, bond, company stock, stable value, and money funds.
Some plans do allow for investment in a limited selection of popular stocks, including in some cases precious metals ETF’s like GLD and SLV. Prices of these ETF’s are tied to the value of their precious metal, but are in no way truly comparable to the safety and security of physical precious metal ownership, which is the basis of a Gold IRA.
What Does This Lead To?
Stock brokers pushing such ETF’s will frequently stress the benefit of not having to pay annual storage fees (though such fees are nominal at best), although they never mention the fact that your certificate entitles you to a portion of a pie that’s continually being eaten away by fees, frequently doesn’t own enough metal for proper coverage, and most importantly can freeze in value during cataclysmic events, like dollar destabilization, a stock market crash, or a rush on the market. These are just a sampling of possibilities where investors could miss out on tremendous appreciation, simply because “they weren’t told,” but it’s in the fine print.
A Gold IRA Rollover provides the perfect opportunity to convert profits from the second-longest bull market on record, into protection for the same portfolio. And protection should be more than just a consideration in a global environment where the new U.S. administration is struggling with; dire global political threats, dire global economic threats, and a continually growing national debt that has the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seriously considering replacement of the dollar and other global reserve currencies, with a “One World” currency of their own.
These global factors combined with the debilitating effect of domestic concerns, such as political party in-fighting, Washington legislative gridlock and a growing policy tendency toward isolationism is forcing the U.S. economy into a dangerous and potentially cataclysmic environment. In a world where huge hedge funds have the ability to affect market movement within nanoseconds, it only makes sense, not only to maximize the traditional 5% – 15% physical precious metals allocation recommended by financial planners, but to actually increase it.
Benefits of a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover
A Gold IRA rollover provides the perfect vehicle to transition into the safety and security of gold and other IRA-approved metals. Gold has been utilized and accepted as global currency for millennia. Gold in particular, has been so highly regarded throughout, that its discovery or presence has literally caused the altering or in some cases the destruction of entire civilizations. Even in recent history, the Allies, including France, were fighting to secure their gold from the oncoming “Blitzkrieg” warfare tactics of the Nazi Germans.
Human attraction to gold and other precious metals has certainly not waned over time. The reasons for continuing popularity are the same as they always have been: scarcity, physical characteristics, aesthetic attributes, and wealth storage.
Due to the Gold IRA rollover having become such a popular topic, a variety of unscrupulous scammers have appeared promoting “home storage” IRA’s. The ads appear to make it clear, that it’s a simple process to establish a home storage IRA, providing immediate access to your precious metals account and avoiding custodial and depository fees, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Meeting the IRS requirements for such an account is difficult if not impossible for all but a very few investors. Just as an example, some of the requirements are; the trustee corporation must have a business location that is open to the public, all employees and trustees of the company must put up a $250,000 fidelity bond as corporate insurance, and the applicant must have verifiable fiduciary experience with a “reputable financial background” and prove to have had experience handling retirement funds.
There are more requirements, but suffice it to say that the promoters of such offerings of assistance assume no responsibility whatsoever for ramifications that may arise from an IRS audit. Fines and other penalties could amount to more than just substantial damage to a retirement portfolio. So carefully review this information if considering a home storage Gold IRA, rollover or otherwise.
How to Open a Gold IRA?
The process of opening one of these accounts is fairly straightforward. First things first, you’ll need to find a custodian. Because it’s illegal for you to keep the gold yourself, you need a custodian to hold the gold you purchase through your IRA. You can find one by contacting a nearby bank, credit union or trust company. Make sure to do your research and find a company that has a strong track record of well-performing Gold IRA’s. (View Page: List of Top 10 Gold IRA Companies)
You’ll also need a broker or metal dealer to sell you the gold. Often, the custodian will have a list of brokers it’s worked with that can serve as a starting place for your research. When you’ve found a custodian and a broker you’re satisfied with, you can open your account and purchase your precious metals. Once it’s time for you to retire, you have the option either to collect the metals or liquidate them into cash. The IRS will tax either action as a distribution.
Steps to Handle a 401k to Gold IRA Rollover
Once you’ve opened your gold IRA, you can contact the company managing your 401(k) account to begin the rollover process. First you’ll have to choose between a direct and indirect rollover.
In an indirect rollover, you withdraw the funds from one account and then deposit them in another.
With a direct IRA rollover, the funds move directly from one account to another. The direct option is usually much simpler, and it comes with less risk of IRS penalties.
With an indirect rollover, you have 60 days from the date you receive the funds to transfer the money to your custodian or gold IRA company. The funds become a taxable withdrawal if you don’t complete the transfer in the 60 day period. If you are 59.5 years old or younger, a 10% early withdrawal penalty is also applicable.
With either rollover option, you’ll also have to make sure you’ve satisfied any special requirements the company might have for rollovers. Once you’ve met the requirements, the company will send a check with your funds to either you or your Gold IRA custodian. At that point, you’ll have completed your 401(k) to gold IRA rollover.
Should You Do a 401k to Gold IRA Rollover?
Are you looking to diversify your retirement savings?
Do you want a retirement option that doesn’t mirror the volatility of paper currency or the stock market?
If either is the case, you should ABSOLUTELY consider maneuvering a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover.
Gold IRA plans, or gold investments in general, can be appealing since the price of gold typically moves in the opposite direction of the stock market. So if your securities investments are performing poorly, your gold investments are probably on the rise, and vice versa. Many investors use gold investments to hedge against other investments. It’s uncommon for investors to have a portfolio of entirely gold, or any one asset class for that matter.
Gold sellers will often market gold IRA’s by contrasting them with the volatility and risk of the stock market. What’s more, gold will undoubtedly always have some value to it. However, it’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as a risk-free investment. The price of gold is subject to its own rise and fall. Investing in physical assets also presents the possibility of theft, although most custodians will insure against that scenario.
Tips
- Finding a financial advisor can explain the pros and cons of different retirement strategies can prevent a lot of headaches. Our most highly recommended Gold IRA Custodian, Regal Assets, has veteran investors ready to help and answer your questions around the clock.
- Saving for retirement is less complicated once you know how much you need to save. With the SmartAsset Retirement Calculator, you can enter your information and determine the funds you need to maintain your lifestyle after you retire.
The Bottom Line
Investing in gold can be a good way to diversify your retirement plan across asset classes. This could mean purchasing physical coins and bars or stock in gold companies. If you’re looking for a new destination for the funds in your 401k and you want something that doesn’t closely follow the stock market or the economy, then a 401(k) to Gold IRA rollover could be a good option.
That said, it’s always important to diversify your investments. Make sure your retirement strategy includes several different asset classes. That will help protect you from risk on all sides. This guide is meant to be a brief introduction into rolling over a 401(k) account from a previous employer into a Precious Metals IRA that owns physical gold or silver. That being said, there are very specific guidelines that must be adhered to. If you have a 401(k) account with your current employer, we recommend that you discuss your desire for physical gold or silver ownership with your plan sponsor to see what, if any, options may be available to you.
If your mind is set on rolling over your 401k to a Gold IRA at this present moment, we recommend that you go through our List of Top 10 Gold IRA Companies, as choosing a good company is the first step into investing in physical precious metals. Make sure you understand why we hold the first place custodian (Regal Assets) in such high regards, lest you may settle for less than the best in terms of fee structure, stockpiling options, security system, and overall helpful administration among all the companies in the Gold IRA Industry.
Do you have any questions on how to rollover your 401(k) to a Gold IRA? Ask below!
Truly agree that the investment in gold is eventually profitable as the value of it will only be getting higher. However, this field is much deeper and complicated which put people with in dread. Thanks so much for your article to help us as a new invester on how to start on the right track!
Yes, the value of gold will keep getting higher as the dollar keeps decreasing in value and that’s all because of the fiat currency system that will collapse on itself if it continues to do nothing else but print money based on nothing! Thank you for dropping by!
Hey David,
I’m fairly new to the 401 (K) to Gold IRA but one point that interests me is the dollar devaluation part where gold and silver values may incline when the dollar value reduces and vice versa. Knowing that the dollar fluctuates and has more ups than downs, is it advisable to invest in gold still?
Hi Riaz,
The dollar will continue to decline in value because it is basically continuously being printed out of thin air and not backed by anything (hence, fiat currency). It used to be backed by gold and so were all the currencies in circulation now. Gold always has high intrinsic value as it is held in top esteem in jewelry and worth in cultures all over the world, and it will continue to rise in value as the dollar decreases in value. Yes, buying physical gold and storing it in an IRA is still the best option.
Hi David,I’m absolutely new in the 401 (K) to Gold IRA Rollover. But I am totally agreed with you that investment in gold is undoubtedly profitable since the value of it will be increasing as much as higher. But I think this field is yet to unknown and complicated to all beginners who want to earn from their investment. Since the dollar fluctuates and has more ups than downs, we should be careful enough to invest in currency. What is your suggestion for new comers who want to invest and want to earn a consistent profit? Thanks for sharing this great information with us.
Hello Mzakapon,
The reason the value of gold will only continue to rise in value is because the dollar has become fiat currency since 1971, in which the U.S. Government declared that it was off the gold standard and started printing money without the backing of gold and rather by the backing of more loans made by the central bank so that there is an ever-increasing money supply with an evermore-increasing amount of debt to the central banks, and ever since then the value of gold, which always holds its high intrinsic value anyway because of the way that it was viewed throughout history and the way that we speculate that it will also be held in high esteem in the future, has always increased while we see that the dollar is always decreasing in the long-run and will only continue to do so if they abide by this system. The best thing to do in this time is to buy physical gold and store it in an IRA.
Hello, I’ve been investing in a 401(k) for awhile now and never heard of a good IRA. I wonder why a typical 401(k) doesn’t allow for precious metals investment? I’ve always wanted to purchase gold and silver but the small amounts of money doesn’t buy much at a time. I am going to bookmark your website because it is full of great information and will take several readings before I understand everything offered.
Hello Jeffrey, it is perfectly possible to rollover your current 401k to a Gold IRA consisting of physical precious metals bullion. The first step is to choose which Gold IRA Company you would like to work with (See Page: Top 10 Gold IRA Companies), and decide for yourself which company you would like to work with or choose the company we recommend most (See Page: Regal Assets).
I’ll be honest I don’t have any knowledge about gold. Moreover, to my understanding isn’t gold considered a liquidity? Wait a second, gold is a high market liquidity.
The us dollar is a low market liquidity? Which means that the value of it is decreasing, which is crazy.
I just had a conversation with my mom not to long ago and I remember she told me the dollar value decreased.
It seems like the dollar value is going to keep decrease. its just insane because at one point in time 1 million use to be a ton of money back in the 1920s, but now when someone tells me they got 1 million dollars, its really not worth that much anymore.
I would really like to learn more about the 401(k) but were should I start since I’m relatively new?
Hello Oshea,
Yes, the dollar will continue to decrease in value as they continue to print fiat money based on nothing but more debt. We have only seen inflation of the US dollar within the century, yes.
You can read more about a 401(k) here.
The investment in Gold is undoubtedly one of the best things to venture in for a good retirement life but I feel that how it works is sometimes complex to grasp. I’m interested in it though but my financial capacity is low to give it a shot now. I’ll definitely revisit your site for more insight when I have the full capacity and I hope it will be something I wouldn’t regret.
Thank you for the compliment, DerrAd! When you come back, I recommend you start off our website from its base page first: Best Gold IRA Options.
Investing in gold is something that I have been looking into it for years. My father invests in gold bars and silver bars. The 401k rollover option will be less volatile, I am going to do more research on that. I am currently investing in some stocks but as we know it the recession is bound to happen. Investing in gold will be perfect for my portfolio. Have you consider investing in silver? A lot of friends told me that it is very lucrative as well. Thank you for the information.
That’s great that your father invests in gold and silver bars! He should consider storing them in an individual retirement account with our best Gold IRA company, Regal Assets.
He is also setting a good example for you as this is the best way to invest in gold and silver for the long-run.
Thank you for dropping by!
I think that anyone who is looking to invest for retirement will find your article really useful.
Physical Gold and Silver will always be a good investment as you will always possess them whatever happens to interest rates. It is really important to make sure that you have sufficient money to have a good life in retirement.
But I would definitely agree that it is the best idea to consult a good financial adviser before making these really important decisions.
Many thanks for a really helpful post.
Chrissie 🙂
Thank you for the feedback, Chrissie!
It is indeed true that you should consult a good financial adviser on such decisions and our most recommended Gold IRA Company, Regal Assets, offers very useful financial advice from veteran investors when you consult with them about rolling over or purchasing a Precious Metals IRA backed by physical gold and silver bullion. They will give you sound advice on precious metals investing based on your budget constraints and long-term investment goals.
Thank you again for dropping by!
Hello David. Thanks for unfolding what is often times a very confusing topic to myself, which is why the end result for me is I leave it alone and walk away.
Now after reading your post it has again sparked my interest in looking into a new destination for funds in my 401k. A 401(k) to Gold IRA rollover could be a good option for me.
Thanks for the list of the top 10 Gold IRA Companies.
Hello, Todd – Thank you for dropping by! I’m glad the article opened your eyes to the option of rolling over your 401(k) to a Gold IRA.
If you are interested, our most recommended Gold IRA Company, Regal Assets, is also giving away a free gold investment kit if you give them your contact details. The guide will give you all the information you need to know before you rollover your 401(k) to a Gold IRA.
Than you for dropping by. I hope you can successfully rollover your 401(k) to a Gold IRA!
401(k) no doubt seem to be a profitable investment but still very much complicated, i read through this article over and over again to get a point, please it will be very appreciated if this is explained to a lame mans understanding for us beginners to be able to follow up and make some good money from this platform. Thanks alot, looking forward to hearing from you.
Hello Seun, thank you for dropping by! If you do not have a 401(k), you can choose to purchase a Gold IRA that consists of physical gold and silver with one of our Top 10 Gold IRA Companies. Our most recommended company is Regal Assets.
Thank you for the feedback!
Thanks for this great post, David!
I just want to make sure on something though.
When you leave a company at age 55 or older, you can take penalty-free withdrawals from your 401(k) account. But, if that 401(k) is rolled into an IRA, the penalty-free withdrawal age increases to 59 1/2. Are there exceptions for public-service employee plans, like those for firefighters, police officers or emergency medical personnel?
Thank you so much for this useful information.
Many blessings!
Kim
Hi Kim, thank you for the comment and the question! As far as I know, there are no exceptions. You can read more about the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules set out by the IRS here.
Thank you for dropping by and many blessings to you as well!
I was not aware that there were such things as Gold IRAs. I have a work sponsored IRA, a personal self-directed IRA, but I did not know that you could include gold and other precious metals in them. I also hold investment grade diamonds as a hedge against inflation. What I do not have is a way to convert them when I retire.
The rules governing IRAs these days are very confusing for the average investor. Thank you for providing a very informative post.
Thank you for the feedback! Yes, you can have a Gold IRA backed by physical gold coins and bullion. You can read more about how to purchase or rollover a Gold IRA here.
Thank you for dropping by!
Its about time i started to take a interest in investing in the future so a great read!
Great that depending on market conditions you can reassess and move your money around between funds with the 401k plan. Company match is a great perk and gives more flexibility to grow your pension. Thanks for the article, it’s very informative!
Thank you for dropping by and the uplifting comment!
Hey David,
401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover, seems to be a great opportunity and financial tool to invest. Since it also gives multiple options to an account holder to invest and also give the ability to move money between the funds are great features to investors.
I think this scheme has some great features like allowing to borrow for educational, medical and home purchasing and the interest you paid over 5 years goes back to your account is a win-win situation.
I think it should be a wise decision to invest in this scheme, as inflation rates are going to increase day by day and as you made an observation between inflation and gold and silver rates. It’s interesting to note that as the dollar falls, gold and silver rise.
Thanks for providing some great tips on investment
Regards..
Hello Shubhangi,
Yes, investing your resources in a Gold IRA is the best option we recommend.
Thank you for the feedback!
I found this to be a very informative ad well presented case for investment in Gold IRA. We have invested in property and physical gold both of which I feel is secure. We have also invested in palladium, platinum and silver. We were considering selling them to reduce debt but your article gives me confidence to hold onto these assets a little longer.
We were thinking the market is being manipulated by a few key people of influence and lost trust in it.
Thank you for taking the time to explain this so clearly. I took time to read some of your other posts too as I found this one very enlightening.
Hello Judy, thank you for the feedback! Yes, investing in physical assets of high intrinsic value such as land and precious metals bullion and coins are much more secure than holding your funds in fiat currency, such as cash, stocks, and bonds.
I also encourage you to continue to hold onto those assets. If you would like to work with a Gold IRA company to hold your physical precious metals, we highly recommend Regal Assets. They are the most cost-efficient, secure and helpful Gold IRA company in the industry.
I am glad you found my posts helpful. Thank you for dropping by!
My brother is planning to invest in gold as an addition to his other assets. It was explained here that there are different plans that he can consider when planning to invest in gold. Moreover, it’s recommended to go to trusted professionals for quality gold IRA portfolio services.
Hi Gillian! It’s great to hear that your brother has made a wise decision to invest in gold. The best way to invest in gold is to own the physical asset itself in bullion form. When holding large quantities, the safest way to store them is through a self-directed individual retirement account with a trusted precious metals IRA custodian.
I recommend Regal Assets as the best gold IRA company. It is #1 in our List of Top 10 Gold IRA Companies. One of their great qualities is that they have financial advisers who are also veteran precious metals investors themselves who will assist you in setting up a Gold IRA.
Thank you for your feedback!