With uncertainty still surrounding the stock market today, many investors have turned to alternate investments such as gold and other precious metals for the purpose of offering their portfolios security, safety, and long-term growth potential without an inordinate amount of risk.

One way that investors have chosen to invest in gold products is through gold IRA accounts. These accounts can allow investors to take part in the many investment advantages that gold can provide, as well as the tax benefits that are associated with an Individual Retirement Account.

The Many Benefits of Investing in Gold

Today, more investors are realizing the numerous benefits of investing at least a portion of their total assets in gold. This is especially been the case since the economic downturn and market crash of 2008 and 2009.

Just some of the reasons investors choose to own gold in their portfolios include:

• Gold is Considered to Be Scarce Similar to with other types of tangible assets, the value of this particular asset can rise based in part on its scarcity. What this means is that there is only a certain amount of gold in the world. Therefore, the scarcity of this asset has the potential to greatly increase the demand for it by both consumers and investors alike. Either way, the price of a scarce asset will typically rise over time.

• Gold is in Demand from Many Suitors There is a great demand for gold, both as an investment and as a component of other products. For example, the manufacturers of certain types of electronic equipment have used gold for many years in the making of their products, and they will likely continue to do so based on golds strength and durability. Likewise, gold is certainly a key component in many jewelry items. Here, just as with any other type of supply and demand situation, when demand for gold is high, the value of this metal is likely to also rise.

• Gold Offers Investors the Potential for Appreciation and Growth Over the years, gold has provided investors with the opportunity for high return. In fact, over the past two decades, gold has outperformed both the real estate market and the S&P 500 and it has done so with much less volatility and risk.

• Gold Offers a Hedge Against Inflation Gold also offers investors a solid hedge against inflationary pressure. This is due in large part to this metals ability to maintain and increase its value no matter what is occurring in the stock and bond markets.

The Advantages of a Gold Backed IRA

In addition to making direct personal investments in gold, this metal can also be included in certain types of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Unlike IRA accounts at traditional banks or brokerage firms that typically only offer stocks, bonds, CDs, and mutual funds, a gold backed IRA can provide access to investing in physical metals assets assets that have the potential to both diversify and increase ones overall portfolio.

In addition, various types of gold bars and rounds are also allowed to be placed inside of a gold backed IRA account .

How to Select a Gold IRA Account

When opening a gold IRA, it is essential to do so through a company that specializes in this area. Gold IRAs are not typically offered via banks and traditional investment firms, and must therefore be initiated via specialists in the gold IRA field. The specialist company that is chosen should also ideally be an IRA custodian. This means that the investment company will be able to store the physical gold assets of its clients.

When selecting the ideal gold IRA company. investors should:

• List and research the companies in the marketplace. Prior to investing any funds into a gold IRA, an investor should take some time to research several of the companies in this arena. When doing so, it is important to keep in mind that there may be many companies advertised via the Internet however, this does not necessarily mean that all of these companies are equal in their offerings or customer service.

• Study the gold IRA company reviews. Once a list of several potential companies has been made, an investor should read the reviews that have been posted about each of the firms. This will provide a deeper insight as to how customers perceive the companys service and product offerings. It is likely that when conducting this research, top tier gold IRA companies such as Regal Assets will appear. This particular company has consistently received highly positive reviews from both customers and industry agencies such as TrustLink. Regal Assets is also highly regarded by the Better Business Bureau. It is companies that possess high marks and reviews that an investor should ideally lean towards when deciding upon which company will hold his or her gold IRA account.

When opening a gold IRA, investors will find that the rules regarding contribution limits and various tax advantages are similar to those of regular traditional and Roth IRA accounts. For example, when contributing new funds to an IRA account, an investor can only deposit a certain amount per year. In 2013, the IRS mandated maximum IRA contribution is $5,500. If, however, an investor is age 50 or older, they will be allowed to contribute an additional $1,000 in catch-up contribution.

Likewise, when transferring funds into a gold IRA from another IRA account or an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. the IRS has also set forth various rules and regulations such as how long an investor may hold funds before depositing them into the new gold IRA account.

Taking the Next Step

Investors who see the vast appreciation possibilities of gold can truly benefit by including this metal as an integral part of their overall portfolio. For those who are ready to take the next step and open a gold IRA, the perfect time to do so is now.