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Physical Gold is one of those commodities that have stable values that they retain. That is why the presence of physical gold in your retirement savings accounts will prove fruitful in times of economic crisis. Aside from this, it can also diversify your retirement savings.
Investing in precious metals IRAs is one of the best ways to ensure a secure Gold IRA retirement. If you currently have a 401 k but are looking for different ways to extend your portfolio, rolling over to a gold IRA is one of the best ways to establish a solid retirement account!
Alongside this, we have prepared this 401 k to gold IRA rollover guide, so that you can find a reliable gold IRA provider to help you diversify your retirement account and investment portfolio!
Top 4 Gold IRA Rollover Companies of 2023 At a Glance
Editor’s Choice - Best Buyback Program: American Hartford Gold
Runner up - Best Gold IRA Rollover Company: Augusta Precious Metals
Best Gold IRA Fees: Goldco
Best for Small Time Investors: Birch Gold
#1 Editor’s Choice - Best Buyback Program: American Hartford Gold
(Laxmi Corp) | American Hartford Gold Reviews Points.
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American Hartford Gold was founded in 2015, and since then, they have helped numerous people with investment decisions by protecting their wealth through diversification.
They will provide you with numerous options to invest in for your gold IRA. You can choose from the wide array of gold coins and bars, and these will be of the highest quality.
If you are worried about the safety of your physical precious metals, you can be rest assured since this gold IRA company collaborates with reliable custodians and depositories. You can communicate well with them and they treat their assets as if they are personal property.
Aside from those, setting up a gold IRA with American Hartford Gold will not force you to sell your existing 401 k account funds and then invest in a gold IRA account. You can rollover all your funds into a newly found gold IRA.
Moreover, after some observation, I understood that rolling over your 401 k account is a super quick task; as in less than 3 days, you will have your funds transferred from the current account.
American Hartford Gold understands that not everybody knows enough about a gold IRA. Hence they aim to help the customers in every step and explain to them what they are required to do next.
They also provide an amazing delivery system as no additional cost is required for transporting precious metals. Moreover, deliveries are also insured, so you don’t have to be on edge worrying about your gold and silver assets. Under some circumstances, you might not be subject to a storage fee either!
American Hartford Gold is a trusted choice among customers as I came across an A+ rating by BBA and a 5-star rating on Trustpilot, where thousands of customers had given AHG’s gold and silver IRAs a 5-star review and been extremely pleased with their service.
In addition to that, AHG was ranked number 1 in 2021 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
Another feature of AHG’s gold IRA is that it has been recommended by Rudy Giuliani, Bill O’Reilly and Roman Balmakov, which makes many individuals more interested in opening their gold IRA and traditional IRAs here.
Hence, due to its remarkable features, American Hartford Gold takes place in our 401 k to gold IRA rollover guide!
Pros
Tax-free and penalty-free rollovers for traditional IRA and new gold IRA account
You can secure the value of your new Gold IRA assets without the need to pay any additional costs
A highly secure storage depository offered for the precious metals retirement account
Rollover to a gold IRA will protect the worth of your account by making it more diverse
Assistance is provided throughout the paperwork process
A+ Rating from BBB and numerous 5-star ratings on different platforms
Customers can benefit from no back-end fees for their retirement account
The promise of buyback for self directed IRA transactions
Funds rolled over in the new gold IRA in as less as 3 days
The live data center provides updates regarding precious metals ira charts for better investment opportunities
You can get access to the finest-quality physical gold assets
Delivery is free for all kinds of precious metals transactions
A reliable Gold IRA custodian will help you arrange your financial objectives but do not force you into making any decision.
Gold bullion used is from the highest quality facilities
Cons
Investment in collectibles is not permitted
The prices for roth IRA, direct rollover, and existing traditional IRA are not stated on their website
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#2 Runner up - Best Gold IRA Rollover Company: Augusta Precious Metals
(Laxmi Corp) | Augusta Precious Metals stats.
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In 2012, Augusta Precious Metals started in the precious metals industry. Since then, people can already see their solid track record of services and offers, which makes them one of the most efficient among the physical gold IRA companies.
In fact, this gold IRA company is committed to bringing you the best! It is just right to say that they are one of the gold IRA providers which ensures that your nest egg is in its best form.
Their team is passionate in helping people diversify their retirement and investment portfolio through offering traditional or Roth IRA. By explaining different ways for you to liven up your precious metals IRA, Augusta Gold IRA provider catches the attention of beginner and even experienced investors alike.
In line with that, Augusta Precious Metals has one of the best services to educate customers on details about gold investments and other precious metals. What’s more fascinating is that they have Harvard-trained gold investing experts who are willing to provide a detailed and hands-on guide on how to successfully conduct your planned direct rollover.
If you currently have a 401 k and you are thinking of rolling over to gold IRA accounts, this gold IRA company is your best choice, especially if you have limited experience.
Augusta Precious Metals is considered as the best gold IRA company because they focus on transparency and direct communication. They also stand apart from other top gold IRA companies due to their logical and coherent gold IRA rollover rules.
Moreover, Augusta Precious Metals will make the entire process of rolling over to a gold IRA from a 401 k easy and simple. This gold and silver company is promised to assist you with the paperwork included in the process too.
Aside from these, they truly provide a remarkable service as they help you align your financial objectives as you grow older. Augusta can also provide professional agents who are well-versed in gold and silver markets for their loyal Gold IRAs clients.
In terms of company reviews, customers have also been highly satisfied with Augusta Precious Metals. This gold IRA provider received an A+ rating on BBB and a 5-star rating on TrustLink. Meanwhile, they also have an AAA rating on BCA, and have received 2 Stevie Awards for Sales Distinction of the Year and Customer Service Success.
Pros
Provides a gold and silver Harvard-trained economist leads precious metals professionals
The process in getting self directed IRA account in Augusta Precious Metals is streamlined with passionate gold IRA experts
Outstanding reviews as one of the best gold IRA companies on many different sites
Augusta Gold and Silver company is committed to empower their customers by helping them diversify their retirement accounts and investment portfolio
Enables you to benefit from a tax advantaged retirement account
Optimized impacts of gold and silver investing in alternative assets
The rollover to a Gold IRA is great as it will serve as a hedge against inflation
Your physical precious metals will be stored in the best and most secure private depository; Delaware Depository
An accessible and trusted Gold IRA custodian is provided to take care of your assets
Your metal assets will reach the depository within 10 days of your selection
The requirement to purchase gold Roth IRA is very low
Many options are provided for self directed IRA in a gold IRA such as gold coins, silver bullion and premium gold
Gold IRAs Services are provided to educate the customer on the best possible choices to make
Cons
It does not provide any features to manage your portfolio online
Not many options for selecting bullion
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#3 Best Gold IRA Fees: Goldco
(Laxmi Corp) | Goldco Summary.
>>>>Click here for Free Gold IRA Kit<<<<
Goldco started in 2006 and provided outstanding service for wealth and asset safeguarding regarding gold and silver coins. They open the door to customers looking to diversify their portfolios by offering them precious metal accounts for retirement.
Goldco has been in the metal IRA business for more than 10 years now, and they strive to protect the customers’ retirement savings.
If you possess any retirement account such as a 401k, 403b, IRA etc., Goldco will help you protect the assets in them through a precious metal IRA.
Goldco will provide you with a proper 401 k to gold IRA rollover guide by assigning a Goldco Specialist who will assist you in all process steps. Goldco also offers a buyback program, so you don’t have to worry about making the wrong decision if your situation changes.
Rolling over from a 401 k to a gold IRA is made easy with Goldco. In three simple steps, your entire process will be executed. Firstly, Goldco will open a precious metals account for you. Next, they will help you move the funds from your existing account to the new account.
The company will do this without being charged any additional tax or penalty fee. Once complete, Goldco will provide you with the necessary resources to help you select the metals you want to include in your account and diversify it.
Goldco has partnered with known IRA custodians to ensure the security of your assets. Normally, it takes 2 weeks to complete the rollover procedure.
However, time can vary depending on your funds and application. The experts will let you know all the things required for the rollover and will also tell you the time.
Amazing reviews back Goldco as they have been rated A+ by the BBB and AAA by BCA. They also have more than a thousand 5-star reviews from various sites. Therefore, many customers appreciate their work because of the values they have integrated into their business.
It is also noticeable that in every step of their process, Goldco ensures that they use the best practices when dealing with customers and provide them with services filled with honesty and dependability.
You can also go through the reviews of various customers on their website. Going through them, I realized that most customers had been pleased with how their questions and queries were dealt with and how Goldco representatives responded to them.
Indeed, Goldco’s polite, friendly, knowledgeable, and professional service grabbed many customers.
Pros
Helps protect assets in tax-advantaged accounts by providing metal IRA
Direct sales of metals such as gold and silver IRA are offered
GoldCo Specialist to help you learn, navigate, and explore Gold IRA investments and gold IRA rollover FAQs
Buyback guarantee offered
Queries are facilitated in an extremely professional and polite manner
Within minutes GoldCo will provide recommendations for investment that suits you the best
The entire is highly knowledgeable and well-versed in the precious metal domain
You will not feel forced into anything rather will be educated
Smooth process starting from rollover to creating the most diverse portfolio
Assistance provided at the time of account creation
The annual fee is low, and so are the management fees
Thousands of 5-star reviews making them a reliable choice
Cons
Precious metals such as platinum and palladium are not offered
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#4 Best for Small Time Investors: Birch Gold
(Laxmi Corp) | Birch Gold Group Summary.
>>>>Click here for Free Gold IRA Kit<<<<
Birch Gold started in 2003 and has been a strong contributor to the precious metals industry for a while now. According to my observation, Birch Gold is one such company that gives its’ customers a lot of free hands to put forward their financial expectations and discuss their objectives and concerns.
Therefore, Birch Gold provides customers with an opportunity to ask whatever question that comes to their minds.
Moreover, the team at Birch Gold will inform you of how beneficial your decision is and what are the pros and cons regarding it. This team consists of expert wealth managers, commodity brokers and financial advisers.
If you have a 401k and want to diversify your portfolio and grow your nest egg, Birch Gold is one of the best gold IRA companies for you! With Birch Gold, for a rollover to occur, you need to have an account value of at least $10,000.
Moreover, you will not be subject to any tax penalties when you roll over from a 401 k to a gold IRA. When you opt for a rollover in Birch Gold, you are not alone, as a specialist will guide you through every step.
In the rollover process, you will be transferring your funds into a gold IRA account, and this fund will be under the scrutiny of a custodian. Birch Gold has partnered with super reliable custodians.
You get to invest in gold bullion and other precious metals, such as silver coins, platinum and palladium.
However, to roll over to a precious metal IRA, you must ensure that your 401 k meets the eligibility requirement for the rollover. During the rollover, a precious metal specialist will work with you to provide all information and assist in the paperwork.
Within a day, you can open a precious metal IRA account; however, the funds are transferred into your account after 14 days or about a month. This period depends on how fast your existing custodian transfers the funds.
One of the brand ambassadors of Birch Gold is Ben Shapiro, and I saw that Birch Gold had been featured many times on the show widening its reach to a larger audience.
Moreover, as it is going to be almost 20 years of the existence of Birch Gold, I think that Birch Gold has maintained its reputation very well, which is evident by its outstanding customer reviews too!
Birch Gold has retained an A+ rating with BBB and has received many 5-star ratings from different websites such as Gold Dealer Reviews and Consumer Affairs. Additionally, they also have an AAA rating from the BCA.
Birch Gold mentioned in this 401 k to gold IRA rollover guide offers a great opportunity to individuals aiming to boost their retirement savings by providing them with a smooth transition into a precious metal IRA!
Pros
Great help for beginners as they help with all the basics before entering the complexities and guides are provided
The staff is extremely knowledgeable and quickly responds to queries through the Customer Relations Department.
Once any precious metal is bought, the delivery is super quick to bring it to the depository.
Financial advisors available to understand and guide you to your financial goals
Ben Shapiro is the brand ambassador for Birch Gold, making it reliable
The standards of Birch Gold include empowering the customers, empathy, ethics, transparency, efficiency and education
Birch Gold provides help with the paperwork efficiently
Cons
Missing details on the website
Not everybody can have an IRA account, and you might need a certain sizable investment.
>>>>Click here for Free Gold IRA Kit<<<<
What is a Gold IRA Rollover?
A gold IRA rollover refers to moving your existing retirement account to a self-directed IRA containing precious metals in an IRS-approved depository. Gold IRA rollovers are gaining traction, and this is because you can now grow your nest egg through gold IRAs.
Through the rollover, you can have alternative investments apart from traditional investments. If you want to include physical gold in your retirement portfolio, a gold IRA might be a good way to do so.
As an account owner, you might choose between rolling over your entire fund or some of it in your gold IRA.
Can I Roll my 401k into Gold?
Yes, you can roll over your 401 k into gold. However, as an account owner, you will have to leave your current company with which the 401k is associated.
Next, you will be required to roll over the 401k into a self-directed individual retirement account. This 401k to gold IRA rollover guide has highlighted some companies that aid in the process of rollovers.
The Difference between a Gold IRA Rollover vs. Gold Transfer
Are you confused about how a ‘gold IRA rollover’ and ‘gold transfer’ differ? They do seem the same. However, some differences set them apart.
The easiest way to understand the difference is to know that when we refer to a transfer, we discuss the same type of retirement account. However, when we refer to a gold IRA rollover, we talk about different types of retirement accounts.
To further elaborate, when you transfer an account, you can only do so from one account to the other of the same type. Such as a 401k to a 401k or an IRA to another IRA.
However, if you move your funds from a 401k to a precious metal IRA, you have performed a gold IRA rollover.
A transfer and rollover also differ in how the IRS taxes them.
Benefits of Rolling Over a 401k to an IRA
More Investment Choices
The advantages of rolling over a 401k to gold IRAs are that you are offered many different investment choices. 401k is a workplace plan which can restrict your investment options.
However, with gold IRAs, you are free to invest in as many different investments as you want, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, precious metals etc.
Additionally, it is up to you how you want to balance your portfolio, and you will not be restricted.
Lower Fees
One key advantage that a precious metals IRA offers is that if you roll over your funds to an IRA, the administrative and management cost will also be lowered. As an account owner, you may be able to take full advantage of the returns you get from your funds rather than spending it on paying fees.
Sometimes, the funds for 401k are more costly for asset classes. Plus, the internal revenue service will require a constant yearly fee that needs to be paid with a 401k plan.
More Cash Incentives Provided
IRAs also tend to provide different cash incentives. To attract customers, financial institutions offer bonuses in cash or free stock market trade on rolling over to a 401k.
Roth Account
When you decide to roll over to an IRA, you can also open a Roth account, which provides satisfying tax benefits. With a tax deferred Roth IRA, there is no requirement to pay taxes on the withdrawal. Rather, the contributed money is after-tax money.
Many times it is only possible to roll over to a traditional IRA from a 401k; however, to roll over to a Roth IRA, you will be required to roll over to a traditional IRA first.
Relaxed Rules
401k can be challenging to understand as employers have many different rules for their plans. On the other hand, IRAs have rules regulated by the IRS, so all IRAs follow the same set of rules.
Convenient Estate Planning
Once you die, your retirement account fund is given to your beneficiary, which has some tax implications. Usually, 401k funds are all given together, causing inconvenience; however, IRA has several payout choices, giving more estate planning benefits.
What are the Disadvantages of Rolling a 401k to an IRA?
Value Funds Are Stable
Stable funds are a type of investment great for those whose retirement is very near as they provide income that involves less risk and can stabilize your portfolio.
Stable value funds are provided by 401k plans and other retirement plans that have contribution matches, and you will not be able to access these if you roll over to an IRA.
Costly Account Fees
As 401k offers group buying, this feature enables low fees. Moreover, for a precious metal IRA, you have to pay additional costs such as management fees, storage fees, and the custodian fee.
Nevertheless, as a 401k account does not facilitate the investment of precious metals, there are no such additional costs, and the overall account fee becomes low too.
Strict Rules for Withdrawal Tax
You can opt for tax-benefitted withdrawals with a 401k under certain conditions and circumstances. You can also be subject to satisfactory tax treatment with a 401k, given that you have invested in your company’s stocks.
However, with an IRA, there are standard rules for withdrawal tax.
Loan Options Unavailable
You will not be able to get any loan from an IRA; however, in a workplace retirement plan such as a 401k, you might be able to get a loan through your employer. This makes the funds less accessible in an IRA too.
Risk of Loss of Creditor Protection
In IRA, the rules vary for protection from creditors; however, in a 401k, credit protections are guaranteed, and so is bankruptcy protection.
Minimum Distributions Requirement
If you decide to withdraw your money from a 401k after the age of 55, you will not be subject to any withdrawal penalty.
Nevertheless, with an IRA, the period for penalty-free withdrawal is once you turn 55 and a half. And if you withdraw earlier, you will have to pay a 10% penalty on the withdrawal.
401k to Gold IRA Rollover Guide
When you decide to roll over to an IRA, there are some steps you need to follow. Hence, we have discussed the 401k to gold IRA rollover guide.
Find a Provider for the Gold IRA
Firstly, you’ll be required to find a trusted gold IRA provider. Choose a reliable company so that you know your assets are in safe hands. A dependable gold IRA provider will guide you through your account opening and help you choose metals that align best with your financial objectives.
Determine Your Self-Directed IRA Custodian
You cannot keep the gold bullion you have invested in at home, so you will be required to select a trustworthy custodian and manage all transaction records efficiently and reliably, maintain all documents and provide services.
Open Your Account
Once you have determined who will manage your account, you have to open your account.
Accomplish the Rollover
Next, you must roll your funds into the new gold IRA account. And you can do this either directly or indirectly. In a direct rollover, the funds are directly transferred into the new account, and the gold IRA company will help you with the entire process.
While with an indirect rollover, the company will give the funds to you, and you will be responsible for transferring these funds into your new account. This method will require paperwork to show that you have properly transferred the funds.
Buy the Gold
Once you have implemented the rollover, then with the help of the gold IRA company, you can choose the metals, buy them, and send them away to a secure depository.
You also need to ensure that you buy gold following IRS guidelines and having appropriate purity standards. Also, make sure the transaction record is there with you.
Final Thoughts - 401k to Gold IRA Rollover
Now that we have highlighted the different companies that offer rollovers in this guide, we believe that the best company among all four is Augusta Precious Metals. They have outstanding customer ratings and are a reliable company that only wants to deliver the best.
Augusta also has relationships with trusted custodians and depositories, such as the Delaware depository. Hence, you will know that your funds and IRS approved precious metals are secure.
Moreover, Augusta also educates their customers to diversify their portfolio successfully, making their rollover process easy and convenient. All in all, Augusta is one of the best options for a 401k to a gold IRA rollover.