Last Updated on July 19, 2024 by Ben
Gold has been an essential part of the world’s economy. It can also be considered the oldest form of currency and a symbol of wealth. Nowadays, people use it to secure their savings, specifically for retirement, because it is not easily affected by economic crises.
With the current threat of a recession, it is vital to have a backup plan. Traditional assets such as stocks and bonds are more likely to decrease if the dollar’s value plummets. However, precious metals such as gold will retain their value for the longest time possible.
If you are considering securing your retirement savings, look into the gold IRA Fidelity offers and see if it suits your needs.
What Services Does Fidelity Offer?
Fidelity has made a name in the industry as one of the most reputable financial institutions in the country. They offer a wide range of services that cover their client’s needs, from retirement planning to investment.
They are an excellent company to start your journey in investing in precious metals. They have various types of coins and bars that you can choose from to diversify your retirement portfolio.
Here are the services offered by Fidelity:
Brokerage Services
Fidelity’s brokerage services are available online and offline. They provide a platform for their clients to purchase and sell investments.
Customized Investing
With Fidelity, your assets are customizable if you have more than $200,000 with the company. This includes investment strategies that can ensure higher returns and manage the possible risk in your existing assets.
Wealth Management
Suppose you have a net worth of more than $1 million and an individual asset of no less than $200,000. In that case, you can be eligible to work with a dedicated wealth manager that will help you assess your current financial situation. They can also help you create a custom financial plan for the future.
Retirement Planning
A wide variety of retirement planning options is available in Fidelity. This includes employer-sponsored and individual plans.
What Gold Products Does Fidelity Offer?
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) can be a beneficial plan for your and your family’s retirement. Depending on its type, you can get your savings tax-protected and grow tax-deferred.
These accounts are long-term, and you cannot just withdraw your savings before you reach a certain age. If you choose to withdraw your savings, you will have a penalty and be required to pay a certain percentage of the amount you took.
It is possible to put cash in an IRA, but it tends to devalue more in shorter periods, especially during inflation. It is essential to have a reliable asset that grows over time. In this case, nothing would be better than gold.
Physical assets have been proven to do better than paper assets during world crises that affect supplies and the stock market. Even if you have the funds right now, they can devalue alongside the U.S. dollar.
Frequently Ask Questions about Fidelity
Here are some frequently asked questions about Fidelity that can help you get to know the company better:
1. Does Fidelity offer precious metals as investment options?
Fidelity does offer gold-related products such as funds, stocks, and ETFs. They do not have physical gold, but you can always invest in paper-gold products through the company.
Paper gold represents the value of gold, but not in its physical form. You would not own bullion, but you would be exposed to actual gold cost and value that would benefit long-term investment and trading.
2. Can I set up a self-directed gold IRA with Fidelity?
Unfortunately, a self-directed IRA is not available in Fidelity. You cannot open such accounts with the company, but they offer other options for retirement plans.
3. Does Fidelity offer precious metals in IRAs?
Yes. If you open a traditional IRA with them, you can invest in precious metals through paper gold. This is mainly similar to stocks, bonds, and ETFs that handle the value of gold.
4. What types of precious metal products are available with Fidelity?
Fidelity offers stocks and ETFs for silver and gold mining companies. Such investment vehicles can help you gain exposure to their value and the market for precious metals.
However, they do not have any physical coins or bar bullion for investment plans.
5. What kinds of gold products are available through Fidelity?
Fidelity offers various gold-related products on their site. However, it does not come in physical forms like other precious metals IRA companies. Their products are primarily funds, stocks, and ETFs related to gold.
What Gold Products Does Fidelity Offer?
Here are the products Fidelity offers for their clients:
Precious Metals
Precious metals in the investment industry, like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, are available in Fidelity through Direct Investing Program. You can get them in various ways, but do not expect to own physical metals. You will still have paper gold.
Mutual Funds
Mutual funds are one of the primary products of Fidelity. They offer such investments in silver and gold. These funds allow you to be exposed to how the market in precious metals works in case you purchase physical gold and silver from other companies.
The Fidelity Select Gold Portfolio (FSAGX) allots over half of its assets to gold, while the Fidelity Advisor Gold Fund (FSHAX) invests over one-third of its assets in gold.
Exchange-Traded Funds
One of the top products offered by Fidelity is Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF). This allows their clients to directly invest in gold and silver mining companies, thus exposing them to their value and the market for precious metals.
ETFs can be beneficial assets as they offer greater tax efficiency and liquidity than other assets like mutual funds. Furthermore, they are much more affordable to buy and sell, as some only charge a dollar for trades.
Fidelity offers commission-free ETFs, a cost-effective way to invest in silver and gold.
Individual Stocks
There are many individual stocks that you can choose from when investing in gold and silver mining companies. They provide exposure and familiarity with how the precious metals market works if you invest in physical gold.
Traditional IRAs
Traditional IRAS are available in Fidelity, allowing you to invest in silver, gold, and other precious metals in paper forms like ETFs and stocks. They have IRA plans for self-directed and employer-sponsored retirement accounts.
You should know that self-directed IRAs are not available with Fidelity. If that’s what you’re looking for, it would be best to reach out to other companies that offer the said services. Still, they have limited coins and bars in an IRA following federal regulations.
These are some of the bullions that you can get from Fidelity:
- Gold American Eagle Coin – 0.10 ounce, 0.25 ounce, 0.5 ounces, 1 ounce
- Gold American Buffalo Coin – 0.10 ounce, 0.25 ounce, 0.5 ounces, 1 ounce
- Silver American Eagle Coin – 1 ounce
- Platinum American Eagle Coin – 1 ounce
- Bullion Quality Bars
What Does Fidelity Charge for its Gold Products/Services?
Fidelity does not charge a commission from the clients for any of their available gold-related products and services. You will pay what you expect when purchasing gold stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs without additional fees.
They also do not charge additional charges for their gold products. You can keep your gold mining stocks in your retirement account without paying special fees.
Other Things You Should Know About Fidelity
Here are other things you may want to check out about Fidelity.
1. You don’t have to pay the premium
Most physical precious metals you will come across charge a premium product and service fee. With Fidelity, there will be no additional charges for their silver and gold products. This is because most of their products are digital or paper, and premium charges usually only apply to precious physical metals.
This allows investors to purchase gold more easily without paying extra.
2. The company ensures Fidelity’s gold products for up to $1 million
The policy of Fidelity covers the gold, silver, and other products provided by the company.
3. No fees for liquidating your gold
Fidelity would not charge you any commissions or penalties when liquidating your precious metals sales.
4. Fidelity is among the largest financial services provider in the world
The company is more significant than most of its competitors and offers several gold options that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere. Fidelity is an excellent company to start with when you are still exploring your options in investing in precious metals but have yet to be comfortable buying physical assets.
5. Fidelity offers options to allow clients to purchase gold
Fidelity has many ETFs and other products that allow clients to invest in gold without purchasing physical bullion. The company also offers retirement accounts that let you invest in silver, gold, and other precious metals.
Fidelity will not charge you any additional fees for commission and storage purposes for their gold products because they only appear as digits in your account.
Alternatives
Here are some of the top companies you could invest in today.
Augusta Precious Metals
www.augustapreciousmetals.com
Star Rating
Augusta Precious Metals is notably one of the most reliable companies in the industry. Their operation started in 2012, and their main goal is to help their clients have a better retirement.
You can find thousands of good reviews about their products and services across different platforms. This proves how well they do their job and treat their customers no matter their needs.
One thing that keeps Augusta Precious Metals on top is providing educational materials to its customers. This works well for people who need more experience and knowledge in the field.
It is also much easier to set up an account with them. You will still have to face paperwork, but they will guide you throughout the journey to ensure everything you need is in place.
The only thing you should be wary of about the company is its steep minimum investment cost of $50,000. Others may find this too expensive, but rest assured that They will protect your invested money in your assets in a secured facility.
Pros
- Long-term partner of Kingdom Trust, which manages over $12 billion of their assets
- A wide variety of products are available
- An extensive list of coins
- Free shipping on all orders
Cons
- Steep minimum investment cost
- The fee structure is challenging to find
American Hartford Gold
www.americanhartfordgold.com
Star Rating
If you are familiar with the precious metals investment scene, you’ve probably heard about American Hartford Gold. This family-run business is in Los Angeles, with over ten years of experience providing gold and silver for retirement accounts.
Clients who have chosen to work with the company only have great things to say regarding their products and services. They were even granted the #1 Gold Company by the Inc. 5000 award for fastest-growing private companies.
A representative will come to your aid if you open an account with them. They will help in every step to ensure that you are missing nothing. They will then store the precious metals you purchase from the company in safe and secured depositories in the Brinks and Delaware.
If you already have existing IRAs, you can roll over your funds to open a precious metals retirement account.
Pros
- Provides specialists upon sign up
- Compliance with customer service priority
- Provides educational materials
- Complete cost disclosure on every purchase
Cons
- Prices are not available on the website
- International shipment is not available
Goldco
www.goldco.com
Star Rating
Goldco is another leading company in the industry of precious metals investments. Although their main products are gold and silver, they also have palladium and platinum bullion that you can buy through an IRA.
Nothing is more secure than having tangible assets because they are less subject to price volatility in case the economy suddenly collapses. Trading precious metals is one way to make this happen, as it maintains its value and is not directly affected by the stock market.
Many people trust Goldco for its excellent services. You can choose from their bullions, each of which comes in different weights and sizes. You can customize your investment to whatever you want, and Goldco will be the one to handle all that for you.
Additionally, they offer free storage for clients who qualify for it. They also have a buyback program at considerable prices if you choose to liquidate your precious metals assets.
Pros
- More than 15 years of experience
- Expert help is always available
- Free retirement resources
- High buyback prices
Cons
- High minimum investment cost
- Prices are not publicly available
Birch Gold
www.birchgold.com
Star Rating
Investing in precious metals mutual funds with Birch Gold Group is one of the most responsible actions you can take for your financial situation. Diversifying your retirement portfolio provides security and wealth protection for your twilight years. You don’t always know when the stock market will collapse, so it’s best to have a backup.
Unlike in other companies, platinum and palladium are available in Birch Gold. You can get bullion for your precious metals IRA from Russia and South Africa.
The only negative comments they got from their verified clients were the unavailable upfront information about the current valuation of precious metals and how the market prices affect them. However, you can always reach out to them regarding this issue, and they will be more than pleased to guide you with everything you need.
Pros
- Transparent fee structure
- Low minimum cost
- Provides updated information and news
- Wide variety of products
Cons
- Website information can be confusing
- The company is somehow tricky to contact
Final Thoughts – Gold IRA Fidelity
Overall, Fidelity is an excellent company to open an IRA. They are reputable and have specific products you might find interesting to invest in. However, with the limited availability of their plans, especially precious metals transactions and physical assets, the gold IRA Fidelity offers may not be the best option.
Many companies are just as popular as them but offer more products and services to help secure your future. Of the companies listed above, the one that stands out the most is Augusta Precious Metals.
Their presence alone in the industry is enough to praise them, but they also received excellent reviews from their clients that prove their great service. If you choose to invest in an IRA, you can never go wrong with Augusta Precious Metals.