There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all investment strategy for saving for your retirement. What might be a great strategy for one person might not be great for another. Luckily, there are a wide variety of retirement investments in the market. There is bound to be at least one to suit your needs. 

People have been investing in gold directly or indirectly for thousands and thousands of years. You can invest in physical gold, gold stocks, gold mines, gold mine ETFs; the list goes on and on. 

The U.S. Gold Bureau has been helping clients diversify their portfolios and plan for the future for 23 years. We believe in educating people about investing in precious metals. Let’s take a look at some valuable information about investing in gold for your retirement.

There are a lot of terrific reasons to buy gold. It has a fantastic track record as a hedge against inflation and has a tendency to either hold its value or increase in value as time goes on. 

Gold as an Inflation Hedge
Historically, gold has had an inverse reaction to the value of the dollar. During times of inflation, as the price of goods and services rises, gold rises with them. 

The same is true of gold’s reaction to the stock market. When stocks plummet, gold generally holds its value or increases in value. Because there isn’t a huge correlation between gold and specific markets, gold tends to stay fairly steady in value. Because metals like copper are linked heavily to electronics production and construction, if there were less demand for housing and electronic devices, the price of copper would decrease. Gold does not have this problem. 

Geopolitical Uncertainty
People invest in gold during times of uncertainty because gold is seen as being fairly stable. Because of this, the price of gold often goes up during times of uncertainty. Investing in gold when there is a danger of a currency losing value or collapsing altogether is a great way to maintain your wealth while you wait for things to stabilize. 

Portfolio Diversification
As stated earlier, gold has an inverse correlation to stocks. Finding an investment like gold that doesn’t move with the overall stock market is a smart way to diversify your portfolio. If most of your positions are going down, there is a solid chance your gold is going up. It’s almost like an investment seesaw. 

There are so many ways in which a person can invest in gold. Each has its pros and cons. It just comes down to what strategy is most in line with your goals.

Gold IRA/401(k)
Many savvy investors have opened gold IRA accounts. Gold IRA accounts allow you to contribute pre-tax money toward the purchase of gold coins or bars. Because the IRA contribution is pre-tax, you can use the contribution to pay less in taxes when it’s time to file. 

Most 401(k)s don’t allow for the purchasing of precious metals, however, rolling your 401(k) into a gold IRA couldn’t be easier.

This is an indirect way of investing in gold. Gold ETFs (exchange-traded funds) are composed of a number of different gold-related stocks seeking to mimic the performance of actual gold. Investing in gold ETFs is considered one of the fastest ways to get into gold investing. For those people who aren’t comfortable investing in physical gold, gold ETFs are a good route to go.

H3 Purchasing Physical Gold 
Unlike ETFs, purchasing physical gold is the most direct way you have to invest in gold. It’s easy enough to do by either purchasing gold online that ships to you, or by going to a precious metal dealer and buying it in person. 

Of course, possessing physical gold comes with some added responsibility. Keeping your gold investment safe and secure falls on you. Some people keep their gold in a safe, others pay a third party to store their gold for them. 

There’s plenty to learn about investing in gold, but not to worry, there’s no reason you have to figure it all out on your own. 

Whether it be IRAs, physical gold, ETFs, or any of the other options at your disposal, there is a gold-based investment strategy that is perfectly suited for your retirement savings needs

The U.S. Gold Bureau has been helping new and veteran gold investors plan for their financial futures for many years. If you are interested in taking the next steps toward using gold to plan for your retirement, contact us for your free consultation.