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IRA Investors See Golden Opportunity

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04-28-2008

 



By ALLEN SYKORA

April 25, 2008; Page C11

Demand for precious metals in self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts is growing for many of the reasons other investors have been drawn to the metal -- a hedge against inflation, dollar weakness and credit-market worries.

Purchases of gold and other metals for IRAs make up a minute portion of overall investment demand, and observers said many investors don't realize they can use gold for IRAs. Nevertheless, there has been a significant pickup in gold IRAs over the past half year.

"Even though it was available, it was not very well promoted by anyone," said David Morgan, an independent precious-metals analyst with Silver-Investor.com. "It's rather cumbersome for bullion dealers to set it up."

But with the credit crisis, investors are looking for ways to buy gold, and retirement accounts make it possible to do so with funds they already have, he continued.

George Cooper, senior account executive with Centennial Precious Metals, has been handling gold IRAs for 17 years. Back in the mid-1990s, he said he might get one such call every month or two. Now he said he gets up to 50 inquires daily.

Interest in IRAs using precious metals began picking up around 2000, as the ratio of the Dow Jones Industrial Average versus gold hit a record, Mr. Cooper said. Interest further picked up after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The combination of gold hitting $1,000 an ounce (it has since pulled back to $886.80 in New York trade Thursday), the Bear Stearns Cos. bailout, and the arrival of the April 15 income-tax filing deadline spurred further investment.

The Entrust Group, another company specializing in self-directed retirement plans, recently began offering metals IRAs to clients, among other investment options.

Hugh Bromma, chief executive of Entrust, said investment in metals IRAs is "small but growing." His firm handles roughly 50,000 total retirement accounts, and only about 1% include metals.

However, he said, metals inquires are now five to 10 times greater than a year ago.

All of the precious metals -- gold, silver, platinum and palladium -- can be purchased for IRAs. However, Mr. Bromma said, probably 90% of the interest is in gold.