IRA And 401 K ACCOUNTS

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR IRA IN A SELF DIRCTED IRA ACCOUNT:

Financial professionals across the globe all agree that asset diversification is the key to investment success. Unfortunately, most Americans do not realize that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows investors to place a wide variety of assets into SELF DIRECTED IRA retirement accounts, including Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium.

There is no substitute for holding physical precious metals in your IRA. Having one of the best precious metals IRA companies helping you save is a safer approach than owning paper alternatives such as precious metals exchange traded funds or even mining stocks in your retirement account. In addition, physical precious metal IRA reviews indicate that bullion outperforms the more traditional – but highly unstable – paper-based investments such as domestic stocks or treasury bonds.

Not only can you purchase, hold, and sell real precious metals with a tax-advantaged Self-Directed Precious Metals IRA account, but also you can withdraw your bullion and take direct physical possession of it under normal IRA distribution rules. Few Americans have any idea about these fantastic options, because their brokers have never told them!

Here’s how a precious metals IRA works:

Step 1: Establish and Fund a Self-Directed IRA

New Direction IRA (NDIRA) is a Self-Directed IRA provider that specializes in holding physical precious metals as well as other assets like real estate and private loans. NDIRA is unique in that it allows clients to use the depository of their choosing and still has highly competitive fees (starting at only $75/year).  Diligent customer service and quick processing speeds are among NDIRA’s core strengths. Get started by downloading a Precious Metals IRA Application to establish and fund your new IRA account. If you would like assistance, please call BEDFORD  at 1-888-859-8959. 

Step 2: Designate BEDFORD INVESTMENT PARTNERS as Your IRA Precious Metals Dealer

BEDFORD INVESTMENT PARTNERS is an approved dealer at NEW ERA, GOLDTRUST IRA, and other trustee companies as well. Under your direction, we can facilitate your IRA’s purchases (or sales) of gold, silver, platinum, or palladium.

Step 3: Purchase the Precious Metals Bullion Products that Fit Your Needs

Your IRA may hold a wide array of bullion coins, rounds and bars offered by BEDFORD Here is a list of all metals that can legally be held within your Self-Directed IRA account. (No slabbed/graded “rare” coins are allowed, which should not be a concern because they are highly risky and are frequently poor investments.)

It is YOUR CHOICE where your assets are stored; any IRA administrator that does not offer you that choice is not looking out for your best interests, but theirs.

What Coins Qualify?

  • In general, coins that quality to be included in your IRA must meet minimum fineness requirements, ( the purity of the metal contained in the coin). The fineness standards are as follows: Gold Coins – .995+ | Silver Coins – .999+ | Platinum – .9995+ | Palladium – .9995+
  • Any coins that have been graded for condition by certification organizations like PCGS or NGC and placed in tamper-proof plastic containers called “slabs”, will generally fall into the collectible category and thus are not allowed for IRAs.

Approved Coins specifically listed in the Internal Revenue Service Code include:

  • American Gold Eagles

Interestingly, these US minted coins are not of sufficient purity to classify them as bullion. They are only approximately 91% pure gold (22K). The other material in the coin offsets the softness of the gold and makes the coin more durable. Gold Eagles Coins are available in four types: 1/10, ¼, ½ and 1 full ounce coins. Proof Gold eagles are also allowed in your IRA.

  • American Gold Buffalo coins.

First minted in 2006, they are the first and ONLY 24K (.9999 fine) pure gold of bullion coins produced by the US Mint. Note that the specially processed proof version of this coin is NOT acceptable due to the treatment raising the value of the coin beyond the value of the metal.

The US Gold Buffalo is a perfect coin for your IRA account. Minted to the highest standards of purity and with the iconic Buffalo Head design, these coins became an instant classic and represent the finest Bullion product produced by the US Mint.

  • American Silver Eagles.

Silver Eagles are the only US Mint Silver Bullion coin allowed in your IRA. They have a fineness of only .999 due to the addition of a touch of copper for added durability. The design is beautiful and for those who which to diversify their precious metals holding to include Silver; this is the way to go.

  • American Platinum Eagles.

The rarest of birds, the Platinum Eagles are minted in 4 forms: 1/10, ¼, ½ and 1 ounce coins. These are of .9995 fineness.

Other Legal Tender Bullion Coins from National Mints are also approved for inclusion into your IRA. Note that some of these may carry a slightly higher premium to purchase than their US Mint cousins.

  • Australian Nugget (Kangaroo) Gold coins..9999 fine.
  • Australian Kangaroo and Kookaburra Silver coins .999
  • Australian Koala Platinum coin .9995 fine
  • Austrian Philharmonic Gold coins .9999 fine
  • Austrian Philharmonic Silver coins .999 fine
  • Canadian Maple Leaf Gold coins .9999 fine
  • Canadian Maple Leaf Silver coins .9999 fine
  • Canadian Maple Leaf Platinum coins .9995 fine
  • Canadian Maple Leaf Palladium coins .9995 fine
  • Mexican Libertad Silver Coins .999 fine
  • Isle of Man Noble Platinum coins .9995 fine

Some examples of coins that don’t meet the fineness requirements are:

Austrian Corona and Ducat, Belgian Franc, British Sovereign and Britannia, Chilean Peso, Columbian Peso, Dutch Guilder, French Franc, German Mark, Hungarian Korona, Italian Lira, Mexican Peso and Ounza, South African Krugerrand, Swiss Franc and any coin that falls into the “Rare”, and thus collectible, category.

You’ll receive payment confirmation from BEDFORD INVESTMENT PARTNERS and be able to track your shipment all the way to the depository.

**Please Note: We can partner with ANY self-directed IRA custodian. Here are examples of other firms with which we have worked:

  • Mountain West IRA
  • Entrust
  • Millennium Trust
  • IRA Services
  • Ramsey National Bank
  • Sterling Trust
  • Goldtrust

Regardless of which firm you choose as custodian for your IRA account, we can deliver the physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion you want – and at great prices!

Here’s Why Your Investment Advisor Has Never Told You about Silver and Gold IRAs

Very few U.S. investors own even an ounce of gold or silver bullion, so it should come as no surprise that almost none of them know of the various options to hold bullion in an IRA account. The lack of awareness is generally compounded by financial professionals – the very people whose job it is to educate investors.

Most investment advisors tout “diversification” as the ultimate investment strategy, then turn around and limit their clients to IRAs with the traditional menu of nothing but paper investment options – stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Brokers are not anxious to promote true diversification away from these paper assets, as they would lose out on management and/or transaction fees.

Alert investors, who are concerned about a portfolio limited to paper assets, know about a much better option. This option is known as the self-directed IRA. By giving yourself full authority over your portfolio, you can then invest directly in other things besides registered securities – real estate, privately held companies, and precious metals, for example.

You can take matters into your own hands by opening a self-directed account. In it, you can purchase qualifying gold or silver bullion coins or bars and get immediate protection from the devaluing dollar in real, tangible metal. And, when you are ready, you can actually take physical possession of that metal through distributions from the IRA. You completely avoid exposure to the dollar or paper assets denominated in dollars.

Many investors in precious-metals-backed ETFs have been moving out of such proxies and into self-directed IRAs holding physical bullion, stored at facilities of the investors’ choosing. While ETFs offer a few advantages for short-term or high-frequency traders, the risks of holding precious metals ETF shares are increasingly coming to light.

Owning and storing actual precious metals in a self-directed IRA is an important and straightforward step toward true diversification of your investments. Review the above options and contact BEDFORD  Toll Free at 1-888-859-8959 today to get started.

Set Up a 401K Custody Account

  • Requires a Self Directed IRA Account –

Click Here for Info on Setting up a New Directions IRA Account

In order to Open an IRA Custody Account, you MUST either already have a self Directed IRA established, or your NEED TO OPEN a Self Directed IRA with an IRA administrator such as Entrust.

Setting up a Self Directed IRA is simple, however there are mandatory rules enforced by the IRS that govern these types of IRA

accounts that must be followed, along with specific reporting requirements. For instance, you may not be in physical possession of the Bullion assets held within your IRA. These must be secured in a depository or independent facility. Fortunately there are companies that specialize in the setting up and administering of self Directed IRA’s such as New Directions. 

Read more about New Directions IRA here.

How to Transfer an IRA

Many self-directed IRA administrators have exclusive arrangement set up for storage of their clients’ IRA-owned precious metals. In the event that you want move your IRA-owned metals to a new precious metals storage depository, you will most likely need to find an IRA administrator that allows the use of that new depository. Luckily there are IRA administrators that allow flexibility in choosing the precious metals storage company.  New Direction IRA, Inc (gold.newdirectionira.com) allows their clients to choose where their IRA metals are stored.

If you have metals held with another precious metals depository and you would like to move them to a different depository you will take the following steps:

  • Set up an IRA with New Direction IRA Inc. All forms and information can be found at: gold.newdirectionira.com
  • Submit IRA transfer forms to  New Direction. The IRA transfer forms can be downloaded from gold.newdirectionira.com. On the transfer forms you will indicate that you are performing an ‘in kind’ IRA to IRA transfer (in kind means you are moving the metals without selling them). Along with the IRA transfer forms it is a good idea to include a letter to the current IRA administrator/depository explaining what you are doing and authorizing the movement of the metals.
  • Once  New Direction IRA receives your transfer request they will forward the request to your current IRA administrator with delivery instructions and a packing slip. Your current IRA administrator will coordinate with their depository and instruct them to ship the metals to the new depository. Additionally, the IRA administrator will remove the assets from their records and show them as transferred out to your IRA with  New Direction IRA, Inc.
  • Note: if both depositories are in Wilmington DE then you can instruct the current custodian to authorize the depository to release the metals for personal pick-up by a representative of the new depository.
  • Note: it is also a good idea to get a medallion signature guarantee on the IRA transfer forms before mailing them to New Directions. A medallion signature is similar to a notary but stronger. It is a guarantee that your signature is genuine. You can generally obtain a guarantee from a bank officer at your local bank. The guarantee is not always required; however, some IRA administrators require it before they will honor the transfer request.

4. Prior to the arrival of the metals you should sign the account agreement for the new depository and submit that to New Direction IRA Inc. The new depository should notify New Directions and you when the metals are received.

5. New Direction will post the assets to your IRA.

Can I add Gold to my 401K?

Yes…… Your 401k Plan Can Invest in Gold! Ask Your Employer to Allow It.

Clients and potential clients often ask us if they can invest in Gold or other precious metals in their employer sponsored 401k plans. If you are currently the owner of a self-directed IRA, HSA, or Individual 401k plan you know the answer is yes, you make the decisions with those plans. However the answer with employer sponsored plans is a little tricky. A resounding “Yes, But”. And that is a significant “But”.

Yes, the IRS allows any 401k plan, IRA, HSA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Profit Sharing Plan, to invest in Gold and Precious metals, IF the plan document allows it. For individual accounts, like IRAs, HSAs, SEP IRAs, the individual can select a plan, such as all the ones provided by  New Direction, which allows it. However, the individual wanting to invest in Precious Metals within their employer’s plan must look and see if the employer’s plan offers access to metals. Most do not, YET. But they can, if the employees demand it! The company can add it as an investment option, if they choose, for at least a portion of the individual’s investment option.

Gold can be a valuable and relatively easy option for an Employer to add to their plan.  New Direction can help do all the required record keeping and reporting for metals owned within a company plan and provide the structure to make it work cost effectively for the employer and employee participant in the plan.

The details of purchasing precious metals within an employer-sponsored 401K plan vary based on how the “plan document” was created and approved by the IRS, but in almost every case, the plan can be modified to allow metals, or it may be as easy as the company electing to include it from a menu of available options.

If you want to move all or a portion of your retirement plan to metals, call your retirement plan official at your employer and demand they add a precious metals option.

For those who have access to retirement funds that they already control, such as an IRA or rollover 401k, move those funds to a Self-Directed account with  New Direction and start taking charge of your retirement future. This includes people with 401k money still in previous employer’s plans, those with Traditional and Roth IRAs and HSAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEP/IRAs plus any small company owners who have a retirement plan, but no outside employees.

For more information about Gold in Retirement plans, visit Gold.NewDirectionIRA.com, send us an email: [email protected], or call us.

Some Legal Stuff

Please note, BEDFORD does not offer investment, tax, financial or legal advice to clients. Individuals who believe they need advice should consult with the appropriate professional licensed in that area. We can however provide you with all the information you need about the Depository services we offer and recommend companies which may be able to assist you.

Note:

BEDFORD may refer clients to companies that provide trustee and custodian services for Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRA”). BEDFORD only refers to companies that have developed strong reputations and are regulated by the US Government. BEDFORD is independent from and not affiliated with any of these IRA companies. The client is responsible for independently selecting the IRA custodian suitable for the client. BEDFORD does not share or assume responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from a client’s relationship with the IRA custodian.

BEDFORD does not recommend that clients invest more than 10%-20% of their retirement assets/portfolio (which may include a variety of asset classes including IRAs, 401(k)s, real estate, stocks, bonds and other investments) in precious metals and numismatic coins although other organizations and individuals may recommend different percentages. You must determine the proper percentage of precious metals and numismatic coins to allocate in and outside an IRA based upon your individual circumstances.
Only certain bullion coins and bars and proof coins may be held in a precious metals IRA. Many clients choose to purchase proof U.S. coins for their IRAs. The price of proof coins may be affected by factors other than changes in precious metals spot prices. 

Tax laws are complex and may change at any time. BEDFORD does not provide tax advice. You should consult with your tax advisor about whether including precious metals in your IRA is right for you.

There is no substitute for holding physical precious metals in your IRA. Having one of the best precious metals IRA companies helping you save is a safer approach than owning paper alternatives such as precious metals exchange traded funds or even mining stocks in your retirement account. In addition, physical precious metal IRA reviews indicate that bullion outperforms the more traditional – but highly unstable – paper-based investments such as domestic stocks or treasury bonds.

Not only can you purchase, hold, and sell real precious metals with a tax-advantaged Self-Directed Precious Metals IRA account, but also you can withdraw your bullion and take direct physical possession of it under normal IRA distribution rules. Few Americans have any idea about these fantastic options, because their brokers have never told them!