The recent collapse of Americans’ retirement account values has sparked somewhat of a “house cleaning” of retirement accounts. In response to, and in anticipation of, horrendous losses, many U.S. investors have “cleaned house” by replacing their stocks, bonds and interest-bearing accounts with gold.

Many individuals remain unaware that retirement account funds can be used to purchase physical gold, silver and platinum, and many other individuals remain skeptical about the “healing power” that precious metals could have on their ailing IRAs and 401(k) accounts. The truth is, many people have a “what have you done for me lately” attitude towards gold because over the last 365 days quantitative easing measures and federal bond buying have boosted many dollar-backed retirement accounts.

Meanwhile, gold posted a 3.9 percent return between December 2011-December 2012. A 3.9 percent gain is nothing to scoff at considering that the average savings account or CD pays out less than 2 percent, but in comparison to gold’s decade-long run of 12-18 percent annual gains 2012 has been somewhat of a slow year.

Certified Gold Exchange believes that a “perfect storm” of tax increases, a growing national debt and hyper-inflation could wipe out many of the gains seen in U.S. stock markets over the last 12 months, and in turn gold’s value could skyrocket. With that said, let’s see how IRA and 401(k) investors could benefit from adding gold to their portfolios.

Why should I put gold inside my IRA?

If you have a Roth, Sepp or Traditional IRA and have seen your account lose a substantial amount of value since 2005, take note. Your retirement is fast-approaching and your retirement savings are moving in the wrong direction. You need to do something to stop the bleeding, whether that “something” is gold is only up to you. Gold’s value as a hedging asset has been proven time after time. If you invest a quarter of your retirement account in gold and the gold spot price falls, don’t panic. A falling gold price usually means that paper assets like stocks and cash are doing just fine.

Why should I put gold inside my 401(k)?

Unfortunately, active 401(k) accounts are not eligible for a gold rollover. However, inactive accounts (meaning you have retired or departed from the company with whom you began the 401(k) in question) can be transformed into a Gold IRA quite easily. In any case, inactive 401(k) accounts should be rolled over into self-directed IRAs because of the increased flexibility and number of investment product options, including precious metals. Certified Gold Exchange helps investors transfer inactive 401(k) accounts into self-directed IRAs every single day, and we do so without charging a fee and with commission-free advisers. We are confident that once you know the benefits that a self-directed Gold IRA has over your current 401(k) you will want to make the switch.

If you are still “on the fence” regarding gold-backed retirement accounts, click the link below for a complimentary Gold IRA & 401(k) Kit or simply check your account’s 10-year return against gold’s to determine if gold is the best investment for your future.