Gold and Silver, in particular, are a great way to diversify your portfolio as well as protect you from market fluctuations. The popular practice of rolling over an old 401k to a gold IRA is a great way to plan for a safer retirement and invest in precious metals. The question is: How do you set up an IRA Gold investment? You can see convert IRA to gold for more information.

Tax Payer Relief Act of 1998 made adding physical precious metals in an IRA an option to traditional 401ks. The metals that are allowed in a Gold IRA are gold, silver and platinum. These must all be bullion coin or bar form and have a specified fineness. In a gold IRA, rare and collectable coins of gold & silver are not allowed. A precious metals agent can help you decide which metals to use for your investment portfolio.

To begin the process of establishing your Self Directed IRA it’s best to start by completing this step. It is best to ask your precious metals advisor to contact your existing custodian in order to determine if physical metals can be added to your IRA. In most cases, your current IRA plan and guidelines will prohibit precious metal investments. It is necessary to start the process for a 401k conversion into a Gold IRA.

You will be guided by your broker to select a custodian with experience in gold IRAs. You will then need to complete some forms, including the information about the gold IRA you are opening, beneficiaries, and other standard data.

An IRA investment in gold can take anywhere between 3-5 working days after the initial process. It’s time to choose and deposit the metals in your IRA! You should remember that only certain metals are permitted in an IRA. All of these products can be provided by your broker.