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  • Gold IRAs
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  • What analysts are saying
    • Steve Forbes "A return to the gold standard by the United States within the next five years now seems likely, because that move would help the nation..." Human Events: "Forbes Predicts U.S. Gold Standard Within 5 Years" (5/11/2011)
    • John Embry - $100.00 (no period cited) "We haven't even really seen money start to significantly flow into hard assets... it's going to have an outsized impact on the price [of silver and gold.]... King World News (July 2011)
    • Doug Casey - $5,000 (by end of 2013) "Gold could hit $5,000 an ounce in the next couple of years, as paper currencies in the United States, Europe, and Japan drop in value..." Mineweb (03/2011)
    • Tom Fitzpatrick - $100.00 (no period cited) "While the high so far this year was at the same level as the peak in January 1980, we are not convinced that the long-term trend is over yet." Bloomberg (July 2011)
    • Hal Lehr - $2,000 (in 2011) "Gold, which reached a record on May 2, may surge a further 30 percent by [2012] as investors seek to protect themselves from 'economic uncertainty'..." Bloomberg (5/2011)
    • Peter Krauth - $250 (no period cited) "...silver prices could reach as high as $250 per ounce before the silver bull finally stops running." Commodity Online (May 2011)
    • Robert McEwen - $5,000 (by end of 2015) "Gold is a favored asset relative to equities and other assets. In times of financial stress, you have people going towards precious metals and hard assets..." CNBC (4/2011)
    • Dr. Stephen Leeb - $200 (by August 2013) "My guess is that 24 months from now, that silver coin you are holding that you bought for $35 or $40, you are going to see a $200 tag on it." King World News (August 2011)
    • John Paulson - $4,000 (in 3-5 years) "Gold prices could go as high as $4,000 an ounce over the next three to five years, as the U.S. and U.K. flood the money supply." Wall Street Journal (5/2011)
    • David Morgan - $75 (no period cited) "The next leg up [for silver] could take out the $50/oz. level after a few tries and then not look back until establishing a new nominal level of $65/oz. - $75/oz. Silver demand is growing for both industry and as an investment." The Gold Report (August 2011)
    • Jim Sinclair - $5,000 "Looking for a major upturn in gold as soon as June and targeting $5,000 as a longer term objective." Mineweb (5/2011)
    • Charles Oliver - $50 to $100 (next few years) "...the long-term story for precious metals is still very firmly intact." Reuters (May 2011)
    • Christopher Wyke - $2,000 (by 2012) "Gold has been going up for the past ten years, but we think gold is going to continue to rally over at least next five years..." Professional Advisor (3/2011)
    • Louise Yamada - $2,000 (in next year) "Gold looks fine as it is moving to a new high. Gold remains in a structural bull market that was initiated in 2002." King World News (3/2011)
    • Peter Krauth - $86.75 "An important metric to understand and watch is the silver-to-gold ratio. It tells you how many ounces of silver it takes to buy one ounce of gold..." Silver Price Forecast" (12/2/2010)
    • Mac Slavo - $50.00 "Based on just the supply/demand equations, the price of silver should continue to rise and approach its historical silver-to-gold ratio..." Silver Will Be Worth More Than Gold" (12/31/2010)

Precious Metal IRA



An IRA, or individual retirement account, is a popular way for individuals to set aside money for their eventual retirement. A precious metal IRA allows individuals to store their money in the form of bullion or other acceptable gold forms, to serve as a safeguard against inflation or other financial risk. These accounts offer investors the opportunity to defer or avoid taxation on income and capital gains, but early withdrawals are often subject to strict penalties.


Unlike 401(k) plans, which can only be rolled over when one leaves their employment, IRAs are not tied to a specific employer and can be transferred at any time. This means securities in an existing retirement account can be liquidated to fund a precious metal IRA. Starting a precious metal IRA usually involves contacting a reputable custodian or trust company experienced in handling these types of investments. Once an account is opened with a trust company, the actual gold is shipped to the vault of the trust company where it is held for the life of the IRA. In order to qualify as an IRA, the bullion must be held by a third party. The storage and maintenance of the account means there will be custodial fees assessed upon it.


When a 401(k) plan is eligible for rollover, you can also transfer the funds and use them in a precious metal IRA. When the funds in a precious metal IRA are distributed, most custodians will either ship the physical bullion or send a check for the equivalent value, which is treated as taxable income to the recipient for that fiscal year. A penalty of 10 percent applies if the withdrawal occurs prior to age 59 1/2.


Before 1997, Gold and Silver Eagle coins were the only legal tender allowed in a precious metal IRA. These coins of 1 oz. or less are minted by the U.S. government. After the law was changed, bars in larger weights with a recognized assay mark were permitted. This was especially helpful for investment in silver, which holds measurably less value per ounce. (An assay mark, also called a hallmark or plate mark, is a mark stamped into goods made of silver, gold or platinum. The mark indicates the country of origin, the quality of the piece, and the date the piece was crafted.) It also permitted the investment in popular foreign bullion such as those minted by the governments of Canada and Australia, though gold Krugerrands from South Africa, being 22 karat, and other U.S. gold coins, still do not qualify. To be included in a precious metal IRA, bullion must be 99.5 percent pure. Another key change since 1997 is the addition of platinum, palladium and other platinum group metals to the list of approved bullion. Private assayers, like Pamp Suisse, Johnson Matthey and Englehard, also offer investment-grade bullion in gold, silver and platinum, though some trustees will limit their precious metal IRA accounts to legal tender coinage. United Gold Direct can help answer your questions about a precious metal IRA.