WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.419 So I have to start today with a question that 00:00:03.419 --> 00:00:05.559 honestly, it sounds like it was ripped straight 00:00:05.559 --> 00:00:07.919 out of a pirate movie or maybe a high stakes 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.060 heist film. OK, I'm intrigued. Can you actually 00:00:11.060 --> 00:00:14.599 retire on a pile of gold? A literal pile. Right. 00:00:14.660 --> 00:00:16.219 And I don't mean buying a few nice necklaces 00:00:16.219 --> 00:00:18.859 for your spouse or keeping a fancy watch and 00:00:18.859 --> 00:00:21.160 a safe. I mean, can you legally look at your 00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:24.239 retirement account, your life savings? And instead 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:27.679 of seeing stocks or mutual funds or bonds, you 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:31.219 see literal gold bars. It is a really compelling 00:00:31.219 --> 00:00:32.960 image, isn't it? Yeah, it's very Scrooge McDuck. 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:36.159 Exactly, swimming in coins. But the short answer 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:39.259 is yes, you can. You actually can. You can. However, 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:41.820 it's not quite as simple as burying a chest in 00:00:41.820 --> 00:00:44.000 your backyard and marking it with an X on a map. 00:00:44.780 --> 00:00:46.840 We are talking about a very specific, heavily 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:50.119 regulated financial vehicle known as a gold IRA. 00:00:50.500 --> 00:00:53.799 Right, the gold IRA. We've all seen the ads on 00:00:53.799 --> 00:00:57.119 late night TV. usually featuring some D -list 00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:59.380 celebrity standing in front of a flag. Telling 00:00:59.380 --> 00:01:01.840 us the dollar is doomed. Exactly. Telling us 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.739 the sky is falling. But today we are skipping 00:01:04.739 --> 00:01:07.329 the fear -mongering. And we're skipping the sales 00:01:07.329 --> 00:01:10.730 pitch. We are taking a serious deep dive into 00:01:10.730 --> 00:01:13.310 the actual mechanics. Yes, getting into the details. 00:01:13.469 --> 00:01:16.989 Based on a report titled, Types of Gold IRAs 00:01:16.989 --> 00:01:19.030 Explained. And we should note, this isn't just 00:01:19.030 --> 00:01:22.430 a blog post from a random gold enthusiast or 00:01:22.430 --> 00:01:25.409 a local coin shop owner trying to move inventory. 00:01:25.430 --> 00:01:28.090 Right. This analysis comes from the gold IRA 00:01:28.090 --> 00:01:31.489 company's bulletin. And specifically, it is authored 00:01:31.489 --> 00:01:34.060 by Doug Young. We should pause just to establish 00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:35.659 who that is, actually, because in the finance 00:01:35.659 --> 00:01:38.200 world, the source really is everything. I mean, 00:01:38.459 --> 00:01:40.939 anyone can write a blog post. Who is Doug Young? 00:01:41.299 --> 00:01:44.019 He is absolutely a heavyweight in this specific 00:01:44.019 --> 00:01:46.299 niche. He's a financial markets researcher with 00:01:46.299 --> 00:01:48.420 over 20 years of experience. OK, so she's been 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:51.319 around. Very much so. But more importantly, he 00:01:51.319 --> 00:01:53.260 served as a financial director at World Freight 00:01:53.260 --> 00:01:57.099 Services LTD for 16 years. That's a serious corporate 00:01:57.099 --> 00:01:59.579 background. It is. And he's been specializing 00:01:59.579 --> 00:02:03.040 in gold IRAs specifically for over 15 years. 00:02:03.340 --> 00:02:05.459 See, that distinction matters to me. He isn't 00:02:05.459 --> 00:02:07.599 just a writer. He's been on the operational side 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.240 of finance. Precisely. The precious metals market 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:13.039 can be a bit of a wild west, honestly. Yeah, 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:15.900 I can imagine. You have aggressive salespeople. 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:19.599 complex fee structures, and regulatory tripwires 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:22.340 that can really hurt you if you aren't careful. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:25.419 Young has actually conducted over 80 evaluations 00:02:25.419 --> 00:02:29.159 of gold IRA companies since 2011. Wow, 80! Yeah, 00:02:29.159 --> 00:02:31.539 so when he breaks down the different types of 00:02:31.539 --> 00:02:34.280 accounts, he is speaking from a place of deep 00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:36.699 structural knowledge. He knows where the bodies 00:02:36.699 --> 00:02:39.599 are buried, so to speak. Okay, so here is our 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:42.180 mission for this deep dive. We are going to decode 00:02:42.180 --> 00:02:45.199 the alphabet soup. We keep hearing about traditional 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:48.139 Roth -a -sape. The acronyms. Honestly, my eyes 00:02:48.139 --> 00:02:50.139 usually glaze over when I hear those acronyms. 00:02:50.379 --> 00:02:51.500 Yeah. But we're going to figure out exactly what 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:53.680 they mean for gold investors, specifically. And 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:55.620 we're going to look at the hard numbers, specifically 00:02:55.620 --> 00:02:58.840 the 2026 contribution limits, which are vital 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:00.840 if you're planning your tax strategy for the 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:04.139 coming year. Right. So whether you are listening 00:03:04.139 --> 00:03:05.819 to this because you're prepping for a meeting 00:03:05.819 --> 00:03:09.479 with a financial advisor, or you're just insanely 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:11.659 curious about why anyone would move their money 00:03:11.659 --> 00:03:13.479 out of the stock market, which has been doing 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:15.939 pretty well historically, we have got you covered. 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:18.360 Let's get into it. But before we get into the 00:03:18.360 --> 00:03:20.659 how, the specific accounts, I want to push back 00:03:20.659 --> 00:03:23.000 a little on the why. OK, fair enough. Because 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:25.680 most of us are taught a very simple formula from 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:28.319 the time we get our first job right. Buy index 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:30.840 funds, hold them forever, let compound interest 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:33.680 do the rest. The standard advice. Yeah. Why fix 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:36.340 what isn't broken? Why does Doug Young argue 00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:38.120 that someone should complicate that by looking 00:03:38.120 --> 00:03:40.919 at gold? Well, Young argues that the set it and 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:45.139 forget it strategy in purely paper assets has 00:03:45.139 --> 00:03:47.360 a critical weakness. Which is? It comes down 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:49.759 to the concept of a shield. If you look at the 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.879 source material, he highlights three main arguments. 00:03:53.580 --> 00:03:56.039 Volatility, inflation, and diversification. Yeah. 00:03:56.120 --> 00:03:59.020 But the one that really grabs you is the protection 00:03:59.020 --> 00:04:01.120 against market volatility. Volatility, which 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:04.120 is basically the polite financial term for the 00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:06.180 market crashing and ruining your plans, right? 00:04:06.379 --> 00:04:09.479 Pretty much. Young points to a very specific, 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:12.840 painful memory for a lot of investors. The 2008 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:14.860 financial crisis. I remember that clearly. It 00:04:14.860 --> 00:04:16.779 wasn't just numbers on a screen. No, it was real 00:04:16.779 --> 00:04:19.060 panic. People who were planning to retire in 00:04:19.060 --> 00:04:21.720 2009 suddenly realized their 401ks were cut in 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:24.019 half. They had to work another five years. Exactly. 00:04:24.300 --> 00:04:27.160 That is the trauma of volatility. And here's 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:30.259 the data point. Young highlights. While the stock 00:04:30.259 --> 00:04:33.100 market was plummeting, losing massive percentages 00:04:33.100 --> 00:04:36.519 of value across the board, gold prices actually 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:39.819 surged. Oh, so it acts as a counter move. Yes. 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:43.199 We call it negative correlation. When fear creates 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:46.660 panic, selling in paper assets like stocks and 00:04:46.660 --> 00:04:49.420 bonds, capital has to go somewhere. Right. It 00:04:49.420 --> 00:04:51.759 tends to flee to safety. It flees to the tangible. 00:04:52.220 --> 00:04:54.899 Gold acts as that cushion. If your entire retirement 00:04:54.899 --> 00:04:58.360 is in stocks, you are fully exposed to that crash. 00:04:58.540 --> 00:05:01.100 Take the full hit. Exactly. But if you have gold, 00:05:01.319 --> 00:05:03.920 you have a non -correlated asset. Something that 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:05.879 doesn't necessarily dance to the same tune as 00:05:05.879 --> 00:05:08.680 Wall Street. So it's basically the don't put 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:10.420 all your eggs in one basket advice, but with 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:12.860 a historical track record. It's not about getting 00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:15.399 rich quick. It's about not getting wiped out. 00:05:15.620 --> 00:05:18.240 That's the key distinction. You aren't buying 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:21.120 gold to chase a 500 percent return like a hot 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.779 tech IPO. You're buying it to make sure you have 00:05:23.779 --> 00:05:26.560 money left if that tech stock goes to zero. It 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:29.300 is insurance. That makes sense. Then there's 00:05:29.300 --> 00:05:31.720 the second point Young raises, which is inflation. 00:05:32.060 --> 00:05:34.819 And this one feels a lot more relevant to our 00:05:34.819 --> 00:05:37.620 daily lives right now. It absolutely does. Young 00:05:37.620 --> 00:05:40.740 explains that over time, inflation erodes the 00:05:40.740 --> 00:05:43.779 buying power of money. We all feel this right. 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:46.480 $100 at the grocery store simply doesn't fill 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:48.480 the cart the way it used to. It barely fills 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:51.100 a bag these days. Right. Now, why does that happen? 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:53.620 Paper money loses value because governments can 00:05:53.620 --> 00:05:56.779 print more of it. It's unlimited. But gold isn't. 00:05:56.860 --> 00:05:59.439 Exactly. Gold is finite. It is a tangible store 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.089 of value. Historically, as the cost of living 00:06:02.089 --> 00:06:04.370 increases, the value of gold rises to match it. 00:06:04.529 --> 00:06:06.750 Can you give me an example of that? Because sometimes 00:06:06.750 --> 00:06:09.910 store value sounds a bit abstract. Sure, think 00:06:09.910 --> 00:06:12.829 of it this way. In the 1920s, an ounce of gold 00:06:12.829 --> 00:06:16.410 was worth about $20. That $20 could buy you a 00:06:16.410 --> 00:06:19.550 really nice, high -quality tailored suit. A $20 00:06:19.550 --> 00:06:22.230 suit? Those are the days. Right. Now today, an 00:06:22.230 --> 00:06:25.980 ounce of gold is over $2 ,000. Okay. That $20 00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:29.040 paper bill from the 1920s, it might buy you a 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:30.740 pair of socks today if you're lucky. Yeah, true. 00:06:30.860 --> 00:06:33.379 But the ounce of gold, it will still buy you 00:06:33.379 --> 00:06:35.660 that really nice high -quality tailored suit. 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:39.819 Oh, wow. That is a fantastic way to visualize 00:06:39.819 --> 00:06:42.480 it. So the purchasing power remained identical 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:45.060 for the gold, but the dollar completely collapsed. 00:06:45.339 --> 00:06:48.319 Exactly. So by holding gold in an IRA, you aren't 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:50.399 just trying to make a profit. in dollar terms, 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:52.079 you're trying to preserve your purchasing power. 00:06:52.420 --> 00:06:54.279 You want your retirement savings to actually 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:57.680 be able to buy things in 20 years, regardless 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:00.000 of what the currency is doing. OK. Let's assume 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.579 the listener sees the value in that. They want 00:07:02.579 --> 00:07:04.620 the shield. They want the suit. Right. Now they 00:07:04.620 --> 00:07:07.680 have to pick a container to put it in. The source 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:10.079 breaks this down into three main types of gold 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:13.480 IRAs. Let's start with the classic, the traditional 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:16.360 gold IRA. What are we dealing with here? The 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:18.560 traditional gold IRA is the most common structure. 00:07:18.860 --> 00:07:21.540 The headline here is pre -tax. Pre -tax. Let's 00:07:21.540 --> 00:07:24.680 translate that. If I earn $100 ,000 a year and 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.399 I put money into this, what actually happens? 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:29.759 It means the money you put into this account 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.699 this year is deducted from your taxable income 00:07:32.699 --> 00:07:35.240 for this current year. Oh, OK. So if you put 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:39.019 the maximum into your traditional gold IRA, the 00:07:39.019 --> 00:07:42.480 government taxes you as if you earned less money 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:44.680 overall. So I get a tax break right now. I keep 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:46.660 more of my paycheck today. That sounds pretty 00:07:46.660 --> 00:07:48.899 great. It is great for immediate cash flow. Yeah. 00:07:49.240 --> 00:07:54.279 But with the IRS, the money grows tax deferred. 00:07:54.279 --> 00:07:56.579 Meaning? That means you don't pay taxes on the 00:07:56.579 --> 00:07:59.160 gains while it sits there. But when you retire 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:01.420 and start taking the money out, whether you are 00:08:01.420 --> 00:08:03.259 taking physical distributions of the gold or 00:08:03.259 --> 00:08:06.639 liquidating it, you pay income tax on it then. 00:08:06.839 --> 00:08:09.459 OK. So I am not escaping the tax man. I am just 00:08:09.459 --> 00:08:11.860 rescheduling the appointment. Exactly. You're 00:08:11.860 --> 00:08:14.439 pushing the tax bill into the future. And this 00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:17.959 is why Young suggests this is ideal for a specific 00:08:17.959 --> 00:08:21.459 type of candidate. If you are a high income earner 00:08:21.459 --> 00:08:24.439 right now, you are likely in a high tax bracket. 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:27.160 You want to lower your tax bill today because 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:29.740 it hurts. And the assumption is that when I retire, 00:08:29.740 --> 00:08:32.279 I won't be working. So I will be in a lower bracket. 00:08:32.419 --> 00:08:34.480 That is the standard financial planning logic. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:38.639 You avoid paying 35 or 37 percent tax now and 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:41.610 pay maybe 20 or 22 percent later. It makes mathematical 00:08:41.610 --> 00:08:44.450 sense. OK, that logic holds up if tax rates stay 00:08:44.450 --> 00:08:47.309 relatively stable or go down. But what if I don't 00:08:47.309 --> 00:08:49.269 want to worry about taxes in the future? What 00:08:49.269 --> 00:08:51.090 if I think the government is going to raise taxes 00:08:51.090 --> 00:08:54.330 significantly by the time I am 70? Or what if 00:08:54.330 --> 00:08:56.970 I just hate the idea of a looming debt to the 00:08:56.970 --> 00:08:59.389 IRS? That is a very real concern for a lot of 00:08:59.389 --> 00:09:01.789 people. And if that is your mindset, you are 00:09:01.789 --> 00:09:04.789 looking at option number two, the Roth Gold IRA. 00:09:05.129 --> 00:09:07.820 The Roth. This is basically the darling of the 00:09:07.820 --> 00:09:10.279 personal finance world right now. It seems like 00:09:10.279 --> 00:09:12.200 everyone under 40 is obsessed with the Roth. 00:09:12.580 --> 00:09:15.700 For good reason, honestly. The mechanism is the 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:18.519 exact opposite of the traditional. You fund a 00:09:18.519 --> 00:09:21.399 Roth Gold IRA with after -tax dollars. So I pay 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:24.139 up front? Yes. You get your paycheck. Government 00:09:24.139 --> 00:09:26.740 takes their cut. You pay your taxes. And then 00:09:26.740 --> 00:09:28.759 you invest the remaining money. So no tax break 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:31.500 today. I feel the pain immediately. You do. But 00:09:31.500 --> 00:09:34.830 here is the payoff. And it is massive. The growth 00:09:34.830 --> 00:09:37.970 is tax -free. And crucially, the withdrawals 00:09:37.970 --> 00:09:40.129 in retirement are tax -free. Completely tax -free. 00:09:40.169 --> 00:09:43.210 Yes. If gold prices double or triple over the 00:09:43.210 --> 00:09:46.610 next 20 years, you don't pay a single cent of 00:09:46.610 --> 00:09:48.889 tax on that profit when you take it out, provided 00:09:48.889 --> 00:09:50.750 you meet the standard age and holding requirements. 00:09:50.889 --> 00:09:52.909 That sounds incredibly powerful if you have a 00:09:52.909 --> 00:09:55.450 long time horizon. You bite the bullet now to 00:09:55.450 --> 00:09:58.370 eat for free later. It is powerful. But there 00:09:58.370 --> 00:10:00.789 is another hidden gem in the Roth Gold IRA that 00:10:00.789 --> 00:10:03.059 Young highlights. and it's something people often 00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:04.840 overlook when they're comparing these. What's 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:08.000 that? It is no required minimum distributions 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:10.720 or RMDs during the account holder's lifetime. 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:13.340 Whoa, hang on. Required minimum distributions. 00:10:13.460 --> 00:10:15.860 That sounds like jargon designed to bore us to 00:10:15.860 --> 00:10:18.200 death, but tell me why it actually matters. It 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:21.039 matters because it controls your money. With 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:23.279 a traditional IRA, when you hit a certain age, 00:10:23.340 --> 00:10:26.440 currently in your early 70s, the government forces 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:28.559 you to start taking money out of the account 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:30.659 so they can finally tax it. Oh, because they 00:10:30.659 --> 00:10:32.809 deferred it. Exactly. They want their cut. They 00:10:32.809 --> 00:10:34.769 won't wait forever. But wait, what if the market 00:10:34.769 --> 00:10:38.269 is down? That is exactly the danger. Imagine 00:10:38.269 --> 00:10:41.629 the market crashes. Your gold value dips temporarily. 00:10:42.110 --> 00:10:44.190 In a traditional IRA, the government says, I 00:10:44.190 --> 00:10:46.710 don't care. Sell it and pay us. You're forced 00:10:46.710 --> 00:10:50.029 to sell at a loss. Ouch. That sounds really painful. 00:10:50.429 --> 00:10:53.090 But with the Roth? Because you already paid taxes 00:10:53.090 --> 00:10:55.210 up front, the government doesn't care when you 00:10:55.210 --> 00:10:57.409 take it out. You can leave the gold sitting there 00:10:57.409 --> 00:11:00.029 growing tax -free for your entire life. You can 00:11:00.029 --> 00:11:01.990 pass it on to your heirs without ever having 00:11:01.990 --> 00:11:04.230 been forced to liquidate a single ounce. That 00:11:04.230 --> 00:11:06.809 is a huge strategic advantage for estate planning. 00:11:07.110 --> 00:11:09.370 So the Roth is for people who want to minimize 00:11:09.370 --> 00:11:12.090 tax burdens later or who expect to be in a higher 00:11:12.090 --> 00:11:14.669 tax bracket in the future or frankly just want 00:11:14.669 --> 00:11:16.429 the government to stay out of their withdrawal 00:11:16.429 --> 00:11:19.470 schedule. Exactly. It offers complete control. 00:11:19.629 --> 00:11:22.409 Okay, so we have the traditional for the tax 00:11:22.409 --> 00:11:24.750 break now crowd and the Roth for the tax break. 00:11:24.990 --> 00:11:28.309 later crowd. But then Doug Young introduces a 00:11:28.309 --> 00:11:32.250 third player, the CEP Gold IRA. And reading the 00:11:32.250 --> 00:11:34.230 source, this one felt like the heavy artillery. 00:11:34.669 --> 00:11:38.190 It really is. CEP stands for Simplified Employee 00:11:38.190 --> 00:11:40.429 Pension. Now, this isn't for everyone. The source 00:11:40.429 --> 00:11:43.070 is very clear. This is the power tool for self 00:11:43.070 --> 00:11:45.049 -employed individuals and small business owners. 00:11:45.370 --> 00:11:48.549 So freelancers, consultants, contractors, small 00:11:48.549 --> 00:11:51.409 shop owners, this is for you. Right. If you have 00:11:51.409 --> 00:11:53.970 a W -2 job, you can tune out for 30 seconds. 00:11:54.139 --> 00:11:56.559 or just grab a coffee. But if you are your own 00:11:56.559 --> 00:11:59.279 boss, listen closely. The reason the SEB is a 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:01.659 heavy hitter comes down to one thing. Contribution 00:12:01.659 --> 00:12:03.779 limits. I saw those numbers in the text and my 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:05.980 jaw actually dropped. But before we spoil the 00:12:05.980 --> 00:12:08.820 surprise, how does the SE work regarding taxes? 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:11.240 It functions essentially like the traditional 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:14.179 IRA. Contributions are tax deductible, so you 00:12:14.179 --> 00:12:16.200 lower your business's taxable income right now, 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:18.740 and the growth is tax deferred. You pay taxes 00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:21.039 when you withdraw in retirement. OK, so the tax 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:23.019 structure is familiar, but why does Young say 00:12:23.019 --> 00:12:25.840 this allows business owners to aggressively boost 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:28.320 retirement savings? This brings us to the numbers 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:31.779 game. We need to look at the 2026 limits to really 00:12:31.779 --> 00:12:33.779 see the difference. Lay it on us. What are we 00:12:33.779 --> 00:12:36.500 looking at for next year? OK, for 2026, if you 00:12:36.500 --> 00:12:41.720 have a traditional or a Rothgold IRA, the combined 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.679 annual contribution limit is $7 ,500 if you are 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:48.899 under 50. Seven thousand five hundred. OK, that's 00:12:48.899 --> 00:12:51.299 fine. It's a nice vacation or maybe a used car, 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:54.340 but it's not exactly buying a private island. 00:12:54.620 --> 00:12:57.080 Right. And if you are 50 or older, there is a 00:12:57.080 --> 00:12:59.340 catch up provision that bumps it up to eight 00:12:59.340 --> 00:13:01.759 thousand six hundred dollars. So roughly eight 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:03.639 grand. That's a decent chunk of change, but it 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:05.659 is limited. I mean, if I have a great year and 00:13:05.659 --> 00:13:07.259 make two hundred thousand dollars, I can still 00:13:07.259 --> 00:13:09.379 only shelter eight thousand six hundred. Correct. 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:12.019 You're capped. Now let's look at the SEP gold 00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:14.120 IRA limits for twenty twenty six. I'm ready. 00:13:14.360 --> 00:13:17.080 you can contribute up to 25 % of your compensation 00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:22.220 or $72 ,000, whichever is less. $72 ,000. $72 00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:25.320 ,000, yes. That is, I mean, that's nearly 10 00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:29.169 times the limit of a standard IRA. It is a massive 00:13:29.169 --> 00:13:31.450 difference, and this is why it's such a critical 00:13:31.450 --> 00:13:34.350 option for the self -employed. If you have a 00:13:34.350 --> 00:13:36.090 banner year in your business, let's say you land 00:13:36.090 --> 00:13:39.169 a huge contract, you usually get hit with a massive 00:13:39.169 --> 00:13:41.730 tax bill. Oh, absolutely. The essay allows you 00:13:41.730 --> 00:13:45.129 to take a huge slice of that profit, up to $72 00:13:45.129 --> 00:13:48.409 ,000, and hide it from the tax man immediately 00:13:48.409 --> 00:13:50.870 by converting it into gold for your future. It 00:13:50.870 --> 00:13:53.070 really changes the calculus. Instead of just 00:13:53.070 --> 00:13:54.830 saving a little on the side, you're basically 00:13:54.830 --> 00:13:57.149 building a fortress. Fortress is a really good 00:13:57.149 --> 00:14:00.070 word for it. It allows you to catch up very quickly 00:14:00.070 --> 00:14:03.529 if you started late, or to build a really substantial 00:14:03.529 --> 00:14:05.950 safety net that is entirely decoupled from the 00:14:05.950 --> 00:14:08.570 stock market. For a business owner whose income 00:14:08.570 --> 00:14:11.590 can fluctuate wildly, having that ability to 00:14:11.590 --> 00:14:13.970 stash away a huge amount in a good year is a 00:14:13.970 --> 00:14:16.529 game changer. So we have these three distinct 00:14:16.529 --> 00:14:19.710 paths. Traditional Roth's Essay. And the numbers 00:14:19.710 --> 00:14:22.490 make it pretty clear who fits where. But let's 00:14:22.490 --> 00:14:24.970 zoom out a bit. When we look at all this information 00:14:24.970 --> 00:14:27.909 from Doug Young, how should a listener actually 00:14:27.909 --> 00:14:30.149 make a decision? Because it seems like the decision 00:14:30.149 --> 00:14:32.629 isn't actually about gold at all. You hit the 00:14:32.629 --> 00:14:34.950 nail on the head. The decision to buy gold is 00:14:34.950 --> 00:14:36.970 step one. That's the asset allocation decision. 00:14:37.429 --> 00:14:40.110 You decide you want that shield against volatility 00:14:40.110 --> 00:14:43.710 and inflation. But choosing the type of IRA isn't 00:14:43.710 --> 00:14:46.590 about the metal. It's entirely about your personal 00:14:46.590 --> 00:14:50.080 tax timeline. Right. It's a tax strategy question 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:53.519 wrapped in gold foil. Exactly. You have to ask, 00:14:53.899 --> 00:14:56.000 do I need the tax deduction today to make my 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:58.659 business viable or to lower my current high bracket? 00:14:59.100 --> 00:15:03.320 That points to traditional or CEPI. Or am I willing 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:06.860 to pay the tax now to have total freedom and 00:15:06.860 --> 00:15:09.299 tax -free income later? That points to Roth. 00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:11.139 Now, there is another layer to this strategy 00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:13.440 that we really need to touch on, the execution. 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:15.679 Because you can't just walk into a regular bank 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:17.440 and say, I'd like to put some gold bars in my 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:18.899 account, please. No, you definitely cannot do 00:15:18.899 --> 00:15:20.860 that. Young notes that finding the right gold 00:15:20.860 --> 00:15:23.759 IRA provider is absolutely necessary to navigate 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:26.480 the complex market. The Bulletin even lists reviews 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:28.759 for companies like Augusta Precious Metals or 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:31.139 Gold Co. And to be clear, we aren't endorsing 00:15:31.139 --> 00:15:33.519 anyone here. We're just citing the source. But 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:36.399 why can't I just do it myself? Why do I need 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:39.100 a specific gold IRA company? Why can't I just 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:41.120 buy some coins and put them in my safe deposit 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:44.529 box? Because of the IRS. The IRS has very strict 00:15:44.529 --> 00:15:48.370 rules about fineness. The gold has to be 99 .5 00:15:48.370 --> 00:15:51.750 % pure to qualify for an IRA. OK. You can't just 00:15:51.750 --> 00:15:53.370 throw in some old coins you found at a state 00:15:53.370 --> 00:15:56.070 sale. Furthermore, and this is the big one, you 00:15:56.070 --> 00:15:58.490 cannot hold the gold yourself. I can't keep it 00:15:58.490 --> 00:16:00.710 in my home safe, even if I have a really good 00:16:00.710 --> 00:16:03.090 safe. Absolutely not. OK. That is considered 00:16:03.090 --> 00:16:05.669 a prohibited transaction. If you take personal 00:16:05.669 --> 00:16:09.330 possession of the gold in your IRA, the IRS treats 00:16:09.330 --> 00:16:12.220 it as a full distribution. You will owe taxes 00:16:12.220 --> 00:16:15.299 and penalties immediately. Oh, wow. Yes, you 00:16:15.299 --> 00:16:18.740 need a custodian, a secure IRS approved depository 00:16:18.740 --> 00:16:21.000 to hold the metal for you. So don't try to get 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:23.200 clever and bury it in the backyard. That completely 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.899 defeats the whole tax purpose. Exactly. You need 00:16:25.899 --> 00:16:28.039 a partner who ensures the paperwork is clean 00:16:28.039 --> 00:16:31.279 and the storage is legal. That's why Young spends 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:33.279 so much time evaluating these companies. He's 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:36.299 looking for transparency and compliance. So bring 00:16:36.299 --> 00:16:39.409 it back to the big picture. We have got the volatility 00:16:39.409 --> 00:16:42.169 shield, the inflation hedge, and the massive 00:16:42.169 --> 00:16:44.809 contribution limits if you are self -employed. 00:16:45.210 --> 00:16:47.190 It feels like a very different way of thinking 00:16:47.190 --> 00:16:50.769 about retirement than the standard buy stocks 00:16:50.769 --> 00:16:53.889 advice. It all ties back to that concept of the 00:16:53.889 --> 00:16:57.370 safe haven. The source material emphasizes that 00:16:57.370 --> 00:17:00.549 gold is there to stabilize the portfolio. It's 00:17:00.549 --> 00:17:02.610 not necessarily about trying to beat the stock 00:17:02.610 --> 00:17:05.289 market every single year. It's about ensuring 00:17:05.289 --> 00:17:08.150 that when the stock market has a bad year, or 00:17:08.150 --> 00:17:10.849 a bad decade, you have a cornerstone that stands 00:17:10.849 --> 00:17:13.589 firm. It's a ballast in the ship. It keeps you 00:17:13.589 --> 00:17:15.589 upright in a storm. That's a perfect analogy. 00:17:15.990 --> 00:17:18.609 And for many people, knowing that a portion of 00:17:18.609 --> 00:17:20.630 their wealth is outside the digital banking system 00:17:20.630 --> 00:17:23.029 in a physical asset provides a peace of mind 00:17:23.029 --> 00:17:25.049 that a spreadsheet just can't offer. So let's 00:17:25.049 --> 00:17:26.670 do a quick recap for everyone before we wrap 00:17:26.670 --> 00:17:28.670 up. We threw a lot of numbers around today. Sure. 00:17:28.789 --> 00:17:30.589 Let's simplify it. One, the traditional gold 00:17:30.589 --> 00:17:33.599 IRA funded with pre -tax dollars. Good for high 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:36.119 earners now who expect lower taxes later. You 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:38.680 get the break today. Two, the Roth Gold IRA, 00:17:39.619 --> 00:17:42.240 funded with after -tax dollars. Tax -free growth, 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:45.160 tax -free withdrawals, and no RMDs. Great for 00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:46.900 long -term growth and estate planning. You get 00:17:46.900 --> 00:17:50.799 the break later. And three, the SEP Gold IRA, 00:17:51.579 --> 00:17:54.160 the heavy hitter for the self -employed, tax 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:57.900 -deductible with massive limits up to $72 ,000 00:17:57.900 --> 00:18:01.440 for 2026. Concise and clear. Now before we let 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.220 everyone go, we need to do the responsible thing. 00:18:03.259 --> 00:18:05.539 You have a specific disclaimer from the source, 00:18:05.700 --> 00:18:07.680 right? I do, and this is important. We are analyzing 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:10.740 the research, but your money is your money. The 00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:13.480 source states that all content is for educational 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:16.160 purposes only and should not be considered personalized 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:19.000 financial advice. Always consult with a qualified 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:21.380 financial advisor before making investment decisions. 00:18:21.779 --> 00:18:23.960 Absolutely. Talk to a pro who knows your specific 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:26.359 situation. But here's a thought I want to leave 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:29.119 you with today. We spend so much of our lives 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:31.079 obsessing over the number in our bank account. 00:18:31.259 --> 00:18:33.119 We check the app, we want the number to go up. 00:18:33.420 --> 00:18:35.240 But how much time do we spend thinking about 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:37.400 the quality of that money? That's the real question. 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:40.440 We assume a dollar is a dollar. But if history 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:43.220 shows us anything, it's that paper currencies 00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:47.500 can change, inflate, and lose value. Gold has 00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:50.779 been gold for thousands of years. So maybe the 00:18:50.779 --> 00:18:53.180 most important diversification isn't just which 00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:55.380 stocks you own, but whether you own something 00:18:55.380 --> 00:18:58.940 that isn't paper. all. A provocative thought. 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:00.779 It definitely makes you look at your portfolio 00:19:00.779 --> 00:19:02.779 differently. Thanks for diving in with us today. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:04.099 Always a pleasure. See you next time.