May 28, 2010
Chicago, IL, USA
Chicago is a really beautiful city– one of my favorites in the United States, actually, along with Austin, TX and Sheridan, WY. But while I enjoy being back in the US as a tourist from time to time, I’m itching to get out of here.
The travel I’ve just scheduled is a bit insane. Next week, I’m traveling to New York for an Atlas 400 event. Immediately after, I head to Panama… then Chile, Brazil, Madrid, London, Norway, Lithuania, Lebanon, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, India, Pakistan… and more.
I’m looking forward to the travel and meeting up with old friends on the road. Most of all, I’m looking forward to bringing you even more boots on the ground insights, especially as we gear up for our new premium service.
More to follow on this upcoming trip soon. For now, let’s jump into this week’s questions.
First, Gene asks, “Simon, I do alright, but the majority of my money is tied up in retirement savings. I’m afraid of what’s happening in the stock market right now, and I’m thinking about buying gold instead. Do you think that gold is a good buy at this price, and can I do this with my IRA?”
Great question. I mentioned a few weeks ago that it’s really difficult to ‘value’ gold as an investment speculation. Unlike a company whose balance sheet and management can be probed, or real estate that generates income and agricultural yield, it’s impossible to determine the fair price for gold.
As a speculation, I have a tough time chasing anything that has enjoyed a huge run-up, though I do believe that gold is seeing some breakaway fundamental changes right now in the way that investors are perceiving risk.
That being said, as a means to hold and protect your savings, gold probably makes a lot more sense, regardless of the price level. I hold physical gold, and I don’t really care what the spot price is. Why? Because it holds its value in relation to ‘stuff’ irrespective of the changes in paper currency.
This, after all, is the true nature of savings.
With your retirement savings, you can buy gold (and silver) through what my friend Terry Coxon calls an “Open Opportunity IRA”. This is a self-directed structure that puts you back in control of your own money and allows you to invest in just about anything, including most classes of bullion.
For US taxpayers, this Open Opportunity IRA is really a no-brainer for anyone with more than a few bucks in his retirement account… and if you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to give Terry Coxon’s book a try. It’s called Unleash your IRA, and he tells you exactly how to do it yourself.
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