6 Things Investors Should Be Thankful For This Year

This article was originally published in 2021 and was updated for 2022.

Thanksgiving is here once again, and for many families it will finally mean a return to normalcy after the events of the past few years. As we get ready to celebrate the holiday with friends and family, it’s time to reflect and be thankful for everything we’ve been blessed with this year. Here are six things investors should be thankful for this year.

1. Good Health

Yes, this isn’t something that’s exclusive to investors, but it’s an important part of investing. After all, if you have good health it’s going to be far easier to devote time to maximizing the value of your investments.

Many of us have known people who got seriously ill from COVID or who unfortunately passed away. And with flu resurgent this year, good health can’t be taken for granted. That’s why it’s all the more important for those of us who are still healthy to be thankful that we’ve been spared the pain and suffering that others have had to endure.

2. Competition

The investing marketplace is larger than ever, and with tens of trillions of investor dollars out there looking for a return, financial firms of all sizes are competing for those dollars. The number of products and services out there is mind-boggling, and it can be confusing if you’re just wading into the investing world.

But the result of all this choice and competition is an investment marketplace that is becoming ever more beneficial to investors. From reduced fees to special introductory offers, financial firms are trying to offer more and more incentives to compete for the right to manage your money. It’s your job as an investor or potential investor to find the best products, services, and deals for you.

3. Opportunities for Diversification

Along with increased competition has come a greater variety of potential investment assets and a growing diversity of investment vehicles with which to invest in them. The days of being confined to the choices you have in your 401(k) plan or from a staid brokerage are long gone.

Now there are numerous companies and platforms offering you the ability to trade individual stocks, buy ETFs, and give your investment portfolio exposure to commodities, companies, and countries that would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. Your options are really only limited by the amount of time you have to do research and the amount of money you can invest.

Among the options available today are precious metals IRAs, which allow you to invest in physical gold and silver coins or bars while still enjoying the same tax advantages as a conventional IRA. You can even roll over or transfer assets from your existing tax-advantaged retirement accounts into a gold IRA or silver IRA tax-free. Or if you prefer to diversify your portfolio by buying gold and silver directly and storing it at home, you can do that too. Whichever method you choose, diversifying your investments with gold and silver has never been easier.

4. Tax-Advantaged Retirement Accounts

Speaking of tax advantages, investors should be thankful for tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs. Whether you invest in a Traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, a precious metals IRA, or a 401(k), 403(b) or similar account, there are tax-advantaged accounts out there for just about anyone. Even sole proprietors or employees of small businesses can get into the game with a SIMPLE IRA or a SEP IRA.

These tax-advantaged accounts allow you to build gains tax-free, only paying taxes when you take distributions in retirement. Or in the case of Roth accounts, you can build your gains tax-free and then not have to pay any taxes when you distribute funds in retirement.

If you’re not taking advantage of the tax advantages of these accounts, you could be missing out. And that’s especially the case if you work for an employer that offers matching contributions. That’s free money left on the table that in some cases could double the amount of money you’re able to save for retirement. When you have the opportunity to make investment gains tax-free, why not take advantage of it?

5. Efforts to Extend RMD Deadline

Speaking of tax-advantaged tax retirement accounts, you’re probably aware that most tax-advantaged retirement accounts require you to start taking required minimum distributions (RMD) at age 72. That’s an increase from age 70 ½ that was made just a few years ago. And there are discussions in Congress about raising the RMD age even further, or even doing away with it altogether.

The longer you’re able to keep your investments tax-advantaged, the longer you’re able to benefit from tax-free gains and keep the tax man at bay. And if RMDs are done away with entirely, it would take away one more added piece of complication and stress from your retirement.

6. Time to Protect Your Investments

Finally, investors should be thankful for having time to protect their investments. The US economy has been overdue for a recession for years, and 2020’s mini-recession was just a foretaste of what is to come. But we’re still waiting with bated breath for the actual crash, the one that could make 2008 look like nothing.

Investors have been blessed with the opportunity to see the writing on the wall, to see how the economy is struggling, and to see how inflation is negatively affecting the economy. It’s up to you now to make the decision on when and how to protect your investments against the next crash.

Whether you put your money under a mattress, decide to invest in gold and silver, or just try to ride things out and hope for the best, having a solid plan will stand you in better stead than just winging it. Make sure to consult with a financial advisor, a tax advisor, and do your own research before making a decision. But whatever you do, don’t let yourself become like one of the millions who lost huge portions of their retirement savings in 2008 and spent years before they could recoup those losses.

Markets lost over 50% of their value during the 2008 crisis, and took years to recover. Meanwhile, gold nearly tripled in value while silver more than quintupled. Many vowed back then that they would protect their retirement savings with gold and silver. So if you’re interested in protecting your savings with gold and silver, contact the precious metals experts at Goldco today to find out how gold and silver can help safeguard your savings.