Because we’ve discussed quite a lot about the Traditional IRA before now, readers should understand that the investment options for an IRA portfolio can vary. However, IRS rules do limit investment options for IRAs, as does the custodian of the IRA. However, there are several investment types that are common for an investor’s IRA portfolio. Some of these investment types are:
Certificates of Deposit (known as CDs)
Options
Individual stocks
Individual bonds (both government and corporate)
Mutual funds
Money market funds
Exchange Traded Fund shares (ETF)
What this essentially means is that physical gold bullion cannot be part of a Traditional IRA portfolio. Other metals in their physical form, which are approved for investment, are also not investable through a Traditional IRA. However, you can still invest in gold with your IRA. Instead of investing in physical gold or other precious metals, you can instead purchase stocks in companies that mine gold and other metals in which you’d like to invest. This investment method is known as “buying paper gold.” Additionally, IRAs can also include Exchange Traded Fund shares that involve gold mining; these are known as GLD ETFs, and may prove useful for the investor who wishes to make gold a part of a Traditional IRA.
