The Gold IRA: My Unexpected Journey into Wealth Protection

You know that feeling when you wake up one day, stare at your coffee, and think, “Am I actually being responsible with my money, or just playing a game of financial roulette?” Yeah, that was me a few years back. I’d always considered myself reasonably smart with money—bought some stocks here, dabbled in crypto (who didn’t?), and tried to ignore the constant financial doom scrolling on Twitter. But then 2020 hit, and let’s just say, my portfolio took a ride on the world’s most terrifying roller coaster.

That was when I stumbled upon the idea of a Gold IRA. And no, it wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, when my buddy Steve mentioned it over a backyard barbecue, I gave him the side-eye. “Gold? Like pirate treasure?” I asked between bites of a charred burger. But the more I listened, the more it made sense. And now, three years later, I’m sitting here with a significantly calmer mind—and a more resilient portfolio.

So, if you’re curious about how a Gold IRA might protect your wealth, stick around. I promise to keep it real, with no financial jargon overload (okay, maybe a little, but I’ll explain it). Grab a drink, kick back, and let me share what I’ve learned.

The “Oh Sh*t” Moment That Made Me Reconsider My Strategy

Back in early 2020, I was your typical stock market optimist. I had a nice spread of tech stocks—Tesla, Amazon, and whatever company promised to deliver groceries via drone. My retirement plan? Ride that wave straight to an early retirement on a beach somewhere, margarita in hand. But then came the market crash. I remember watching my portfolio shrink like a cotton shirt in the dryer.

That was my “oh sht”* moment. The stock market suddenly felt like a house of cards built on sand. I started researching ways to diversify and stumbled across the term “Gold IRA.” Honestly, my first thought was, “Isn’t gold just for conspiracy theorists who think the dollar will vanish tomorrow?” Turns out, not quite.

Gold, unlike stocks, has been holding its ground for thousands of years. Empires have crumbled, currencies have come and gone, but gold? It’s like that stubborn grandpa who refuses to leave the poker table. And that’s precisely why people turn to it during turbulent times.

So, What the Heck is a Gold IRA?

In simple terms, a Gold IRA is a self-directed individual retirement account that lets you invest in physical gold, along with other precious metals like silver, platinum, and palladium. Instead of just holding paper assets (like stocks or bonds), you’re essentially parking a portion of your retirement savings in something you can actually touch—if you were allowed to visit the vault where it’s stored.

Why does this matter? Well, when inflation hits, or when the market throws a temper tantrum, gold tends to hold its value. It’s like the financial world’s emotional support animal—steady, comforting, and reliable.

I learned this by reading this article: A Beginner’s Guide To Investing In Precious Metals

My First Steps (and Missteps) Into Gold IRA Investing

I’ll be honest: setting up a Gold IRA wasn’t as simple as clicking a few buttons on a trading app. There were forms to sign, custodians to choose, and terms like “depository storage” to wrap my head around. I remember calling the custodian and asking, “So, can I keep the gold in my sock drawer?” Spoiler: you can’t. IRS rules require the gold to be stored in an approved facility.

Despite the paperwork, the process was worth it. I transferred part of my existing IRA into the Gold IRA and watched as that shiny safety net took shape.

Why Gold Works (Even When the World Doesn’t)

Here’s the thing about gold: it doesn’t promise crazy returns like a hot tech stock, but it also doesn’t collapse every time a billionaire tweets something weird. Historically, gold has acted as a hedge against inflation. When the dollar loses purchasing power, gold often increases in value.

During the Great Recession in 2008, while stocks were nosediving, gold prices soared. And in the aftermath of the pandemic, when inflation hit levels we hadn’t seen in decades, gold once again held its own. It’s not magic; it’s just the reality of supply, demand, and human psychology. People trust gold when they don’t trust anything else.

The “Why Didn’t I Do This Sooner?” Moment

Fast forward to today. My portfolio looks different now—still some stocks, a sprinkle of crypto for the thrill, but a solid chunk locked away in gold. And when the news starts predicting the next economic apocalypse, I don’t panic-sell anymore. I just shrug, sip my coffee, and think, “Good thing I listened to Steve.”

If you’re like I was—curious but skeptical—here’s my advice: do your homework, ask questions, and seriously consider the long-term stability gold can offer. You don’t have to go all in; even a small allocation can act like a financial shock absorber.

Lessons Learned (So You Don’t Make My Mistakes)

  1. Start Small, Then Scale: You don’t need to convert your entire IRA into gold overnight. I began with 10% and adjusted based on market conditions and my comfort level.
  2. Pick a Reputable Custodian: Not all companies are created equal. Look for ones with solid reviews, transparent fees, and a strong track record.
  3. Understand the Rules: Gold IRAs come with specific IRS regulations—like which types of gold are eligible and where it must be stored. Don’t skip the fine print.
  4. Ignore the Noise: Gold’s performance doesn’t always align with daily market trends. Patience is key.

The Bottom Line: Peace of Mind is Priceless

Investing in a Gold IRA didn’t turn me into a millionaire overnight. But it did give me something more valuable: peace of mind. Now, when the market zigzags like a caffeinated squirrel, I don’t break out in cold sweats. My financial future feels more anchored—like I’ve traded a leaky raft for a sturdy ship.

So, if you’re sitting there wondering whether your retirement savings could use a little more stability, maybe it’s time to explore gold. Who knows? It might just be your ticket to fewer sleepless nights—and better-tasting coffee.

And hey, if you’re still skeptical, I get it. But take it from me: sometimes the best investments are the ones that feel a little old-school. After all, gold’s been around for thousands of years. Can your favorite meme stock say the same? 😉

A Beginner’s Guide To Investing In Precious Metals For Diversification Purposes

gold coins and bars

Gold and silver have been valued as precious metals for centuries. In today’s world, metals are popular in portfolios and they are stored in vaults. Which of the available metals represents the best investment opportunity? What makes these metals so volatile in recent years?

Investors have many opportunities available to them when it comes to buying precious metals like gold and silver. What are some of your options? Should you invest in a Gold IRA? Should you invest in mining companies? Is there a way to invest in gold and be paid dividends? There are plenty of questions, and you need answers so you can get a better foundation as an investor in precious metals.

Gold

The mother of all precious metals is and always has been gold. Gold never rusts, is very durable and it even has industrial applications. It is widely used for jewelry and as both a form of currency and for backing currencies. Gold is not traded on supply and demand as much as it is market sentiment. Investors have access to the gold market 24/7.

Gold in many ways is hoarded, especially by the wealthy. But the smaller investors have access to gold and other precious metals like never before. There is even an app now that allows you to buy precious metals in small increments with $0 account minimums. They store the precious metals physically for you, and you can redeem them at any time. If you prefer to keep them in storage, you simply pay a small quarterly storage fee. The novel app has garnered a ton of attention.

Not only that, but you can now invest in ETN’s or exchange-traded notes that pay you monthly dividends from the premiums of covered calls written on GLD, which is an ETF that tracks the spot price of gold. The yield is good, and you can repeat the process for silver if you want dividends paid when investing in precious metals. Metals are an important part of any portfolio.  You may also want to move a 401k to gold in order to start off on a strong footing with a precious metals portfolio.

Gold helps hedge against inflation and is considered to be the best store of value over the long term. If interest rates in other markets start going haywire, that is a sign that you need to be holding gold. It is better to build a substantial position in precious metals over the long run. Gold also tends to skyrocket during regular market resets and downturns, as well as during political upheavals and wars.

Silver

Silver is more widely used for industrial reasons, but it is also a popular precious metal that has long held its store of value for centuries. Silver is not as pricey as gold, so it is popular with small-time investors. Silver and gold trade similarly when it comes to the store of value, but it is silver’s industrial uses that sometimes swing that market in different directions based on supply and demand.
Silver

Silver used to have a dominant role in film and photography before the release of the digital camera. The growth of emerging markets in third-world countries has brought about a new demand for silver in industrial applications. Did you know that silver is used to make batteries, too?

If that trend continues, how will it affect the market for silver as an investment? You would think it would send it higher, but you always have to weigh the importance of silver’s industrial uses against its store of value. Without overthinking, the best way to handle conjecture would be to incrementally buy silver over the next several years, building up a substantial position.

Platinum

Platinum is a big part of the commodities markets nowadays, too. Platinum’s price often moves higher than gold. The reason for this is platinum is rarer than gold. What else goes into the price of platinum?

Platinum also has many industrial applications. Automotive catalysts would be #1 in terms of using platinum for industrial uses. Platinum is also a popular metal in the computer industry. Auto sales, just so you know, have a lot to do with platinum prices. Considering how volatile auto markets are and how new platinum’s store of value is compared to gold and silver, platinum doesn’t make it into every portfolio of precious metals.

Platinum is gaining in popularity though, and platinum mines are sprouting up everywhere all over the world.

All things considered, it needs to be mentioned that platinum is the most volatile of the three. Gold is the standard, so most investors start there.

Palladium

Palladium is not as well known and not available on all platforms to investors. You need a dedicated commodities trading account with a firm that focuses on precious metals if you are going to invest in palladium. Palladium is a substitute for platinum in industrial applications. Palladium is also rare, which helps its value. Most of the palladium in the world comes from four countries, one of them being the US.  You can learn more about palladium here: https://gsiexchange.com/what-is-palladium-and-what-is-palladium-used-for/

Jewelers also began using palladium in 1939. Palladium coins were even circulated decades ago in Tonga. Palladium has never before been used to make coins. Did you know that palladium is used in the solar power industry? It is also widely used to make catalytic converters. Another interesting fact about palladium is that it is more durable than its counterpart.

Build Your Treasure Chest Of Precious Metals

If you are looking to start investing in precious metals, the time is now. Build your treasure chest over time. Precious metals help to protect against volatility in many ways. They are part of proper diversification, and yes, I mean that 100 percent. If you want true diversification, gold is a part of your portfolio one way or another.

The most popular way to invest in gold has always been to buy bullion. However, you can invest in the spot price of gold without physically holding or storing the precious metal. You have also been told how you can be paid monthly dividends on the price of gold. I will go one step further and provide you with the ticker, $GLDI.

Whether you hold physical metals, store them elsewhere, invest in these assets digitally or find another way, precious metals represent a great market opportunity. Do not wait another day to diversify beyond your current portfolio. Take on precious metals and watch your portfolio grow. Incrementally buying into at least one of these metals is going to help protect you against inflation and market volatility.

Montreal Web Design Tips for Businesses

A business website has become an integral part of an online marketing strategy. This is because a number of people depend on the internet to get all the crucial information they need. This has been the main reason why most companies have been trying to achieve the best online presence and this can only be possible with effective business website design tips?

Why Website Design Is Important

There are a number of reasons why a business needs a website and these include:

People depend on the internet to get information; over 90% of internet users depend on the search engines to get information on the web and over 60% depend on websites to get information about local businesses. The business must own a website if they need an online presence.  The experts at Pearl White web design have been helping local businesses created effective websites that convert since 2010.

First impression:

It forms one of the most important website design tips. A website will give the business the first impression. This will be advantageous for the 60% of individuals who do local searches and those who get referred to a business. Remember, the law is a referral driven profession.

An effective online marketing tool; referrals may not be enough, a business should advertise itself to have a larger client base. In an era where the generation is digital-focused, a website is a building block of an online marketing strategy.

Competitors having an incredible online presence; when your competitors are already online, then they could be getting an inexpensive marketing tool that you could be denying your law firm. The companies with websites are likely to be way more successful than those that don’t websites.

There are a number of website design tips which should be considered when designing a business website and they include:

Website designer: you need to choose a website design agency with experience in building business websites.

It should be that agency that has proven to possess quality workmanship in their previous work. In most cases, it is advisable that you avoid freelancers for the reason that they’ll come and go despite the fact that they can do incredible work at a fair price.

You need to hire an individual who will be with you for a very long time. The internet is a very dynamic marketplace besides, the expectations of consumers keep on changing so you need someone who can adjust to meet this criterion. It is one of those business website design tips which most people tend to ignore yet very crucial.

The website’s structure; the general design of the website plays an integral role. The website should have easy to use administrative panel such as updating the content of the website, edit and delete options. That is, you should use a content management system that you’re well conversant with.

The website should have a focus. A number of business website tends to present a lot of unnecessary information. You need to strip everything down to the common basics such as why a customer should use your services, the types of services you offer, etc.

User experience; the website should be an easy to navigate website which is responsive in design to enhance the website user experience. The search engines tend to favor responsive websites. All businesses should have websites that can be accessed via small screens while still giving the end-user a superb user experience.  Here is a great article to reference if you need some design ideas for your website.

The basics of good design are simplicity.  Keeping it simple is an under rated skill.  You want to make your website in such a fashion that it is easy to understand.  Most people want fancy and pretty websites.  These site are often confusing for the website visitor to understand.

There are simple websites out there that are pretty much just text, but they have a simple, clear, and easy to understand message.  When the visitor comes to this page, they know what’s in it for them, and they know what to do.

A simple website can convert like crazy.  Which is all a business owner really cares about.  No matter what a business owners says about how much they want a pretty website, the truth is, they want a website that makes them sales.

Effective web design is about helping a business get more clicks, calls, optins, signups, and conversions.  This important fact often gets forgotten, until after a bunch of time and money has been sunk into a website that does not make money.

The author Steve Krug wrote one of the best books on design titled “Don’t Make Me Think.”  It’s pretty much an argument for simplicity in design.  It makes sense and the book is definitely worth reading.  And, as you can see if you visit his website, he keeps things simple.

His site is super easy to use and understand.  It’s direct, no thinking involved.  Get it?

Another great benefit of having a simple and effective web design, it that the site will load super fast.  The fancier a site is, the longer it takes to load all that stuff.

There are so many benefits to keeping a design simple.  You should definitely try it.

Planning Your Website

The very first thing you want to do when starting to making your own web site is to ask yourself “what’s the purpose of this web site?”. Generally speaking, there are two types of web sites: a personal web site, and a business/commercial web site. Personal web sites usually don’t make any money, and you can get a free host (www.geocities.com or www.angelfire.com) if you’re making a personal web site. On the other hand, if you’re planning to promote your business or create your own business by making a web site, I highly recommend that you register your own .com name. Your site will look a lot more professional.

When you have a good idea of what kind of content your web site will have, you might want to draw a very rough layout of your site on a piece of paper. This technique will make it easier to design your real site layout later on. Write down all possible topics your web site might have and think of some “keywords” that will separate your site on different general topics, this will make it easier to make your site’s navigation.

Designing the site

Making your graphics

I first design my whole web site in Photoshop, this way you can make a very unique design of your web site. However, when designing your site you must keep in mind different resolution sizes and consider limiting your graphic widths. So make a file of about 760 wide (actual screen size at 800X600 resolution) so that you don’t get out of boundaries. I’m not going to show a step by step tutorial on how to actually design a web site in Photoshop, it’s beyond the topic, but here are some important things you should consider paying a lot of attention to site logo, navigation bar, backgrounds, and borders.

Also try to stay with at max 4 colors, so that your design looks consistent and professional. If you’re considering making rollover buttons for your navigation bars, make both versions of the buttons right away (the on and off conditions) on different layers. Also, make sure you have all your graphics on different layers so that you can easily modify them later.

Optimizing your Images

After you’re done designing the whole site in Photoshop, go ahead and optimize and save all the graphics separately and put them in one folder called Images. Actually, Photoshop optimizes graphics for you, so your job is to make the size as small as possible while maintaining the best quality. Simply adjust the quality slider. In some cases saving your files as .gif rather than .jpg will yield higher quality yet smaller size, especially for the smaller files with fewer colors. I suggest you try both formats .jpg and .gif.

There is a great technique used by many web site designers (including me 😉 is what I call “stretching similar patterns/backgrounds”. For example, see that gradient stretched at the top and the bottom of this screen? Try right-clicking on it and saving it somewhere on your computer. After you save it, go ahead and open it. So what do you see? A very small image which is only 1pixel wide! This technique saves a lot of loading time for your web site, simply save your similar patterns with 1pixel wide, you will be able to stretch it out using background stretching in DreamWeaver.

Making your site live

The final step of the site design is to put all your web site graphics in DreamWeaver/HTML format. I first start by going to the Layout View, in DreamWeaver, and draw one big table of 760px wide and then center it. (Read “Making a simple web site using DreamWeaver”) (Note: I think this is the best and the easiest way to design a nice looking web site for all resolutions). Another technique is to make your middle table auto stretchable so that your web site can fill up the whole screen. However, I do not recommend using this technique because your web site becomes less flexible. By designing your site in 760px wide table you will be sure that you won’t get out of boundaries of any resolution above or equal to 800X600 and you can place your graphics and content where ever you want at the same time.

What Are Your Needs For A Website

Are you a plumbing business looking to advertise your business to prospective customers, or how about
a dentist’s office trying to achieve new business by building a site. Or maybe you are an e-commerce company that sells products online? The first step in planning a website is deciding what exactly you want and need to help get your business or venture online most effectively. Most web designers work with an array of clients ranging from anyone like small business owners, authors, musicians, to medium-large sized corporations. So luckily, this means that when you enquire about website design, odds are that he/she will have worked on a project similar to yours. Often times, they will be more than happy to lead the process by asking you questions and helping you determine exactly what you want.

Budget

The budget is a very big part of the website planning equation. Many times budget is the determining factor in which way you go as far as a designer is concerned. A few suggestions when planning a web design budget would include:

1. Be prepared to spend money. Often times people under-estimate the expense of hiring a web designer to build your website project. Remember that you are paying not only for their design eye and expertise but their time to develop a large project for you. Although you will find designers on all ends of the spectrum as far as price goes, do your homework when picking a web designer.

2. Be specific with your goals. Know what your goals are for your website are. Some of these goals might include:
Drive traffic to your website for customers and clients to read about your services, contact information and more
Sell products online, use an online dedicated shopping cart for customers to use, demonstrations of products by use of video, music, multimedia, etc..

Have customers access an online database with their information for record-keeping, to access guarded or confidential information, etc.

Timeline

When do you need your new website finished and ready for the world to see? Did you need it last week? Are you relaxed about it and are fine with it being finished as you find time? Most often, web designers will require that both you the client, and the designer stick to a very detailed and organized timeline to ensure that all goals get met with comfort and ease. More importantly, it is good to establish these details upfront to eliminate any gaps in communication.

Process

The web design process is normally straight forward when working with a web design company for your solutions. Although the process in which a website is crafted starting with the concept of creation varies, a few normal steps are pretty universal.

1. Registering a domain name. A domain name is your (www.yourwebsite.com) name which people will type into the search bar when bringing up your website. Choosing a good domain name is very important as it will be the name that people remember your site. For that reason, we recommend choosing a name that is simple to remember, not too long, and lastly, related to your business. Adding in keywords that you are trying to target in a search is very effective as well. For example, If I am a painting company in Meridian, a great domain name may be www.meridianpainting.com Notice how this name includes 2 very important keywords, with one being the industry (painting) and one being your location (Meridian).
You will most likely find that many of these domain names are already taken, so it may require you to think it through for a while.

2. Setting Up Web Hosting. What is Web Hosting? Read more details about what web hosting is and why you need it. In a nutshell, the internet is comprised of many very large computers called “servers” which run 24/7 365 days a year. These servers “host” every single website that is currently online. Think of web hosting like a parking lot, with your website being the car. Without web hosting, your website is not online, plain and simple. Many web design companies will offer very affordable web hosting packages which include some cool perks like unlimited email accounts, etc.. Email accounts associated with the website are all controlled through your hosting/web design company. Although you can buy your own hosting, most people find it to be a much larger headache trying to control all of the back-end management themselves and would rather hire a design firm to manage this. After all, if you’re going to spend the money on a website, you’ll find that it’s worth paying for website hosting through that web design company.

3. Layout. The layout stage is when the actual graphic design and elements will be created for your approval. The layout acts as the framework and foundation for the entire site. Your designer will and should be clear and precise with your requests as well as any changes that you both see fit.

4. Finishing the Site. Once the layout has been approved, the rest of the site will be filled out using content provided normally by the client, as well as placing images, video and other multimedia into place.

Welcome to Montréal, a geo-friendly city!

Appointed a UNESCO City of Design in 2006, our city is brimming with attractions which speak volumes about its reputation.

In 2007, Montréal became the first urban centre to sign the Geotourism Charter of National Geographic Society, thereby reinforcing its status as a cultural, innovative city resolutely focused on sustainable development.

This Charter, which includes 13 principles, aims to support tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place-its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. In terms of tourism development in Montréal, this means adopting an approach more closely attuned to the city’s natural, heritage, and cultural persona. It further implies compliance with the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism developed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), as well as with the principles of the International Charter on Cultural Tourism drawn up by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

Montréal’s adoption of the Geotourism Charter underscores a long track record of destination stewardship, commitment to future geotourism activities, and leadership in the global preservation and tourism industries.

A geotourism map and guide of the Island of Montréal, which identifies the many attractions of the metropolis, is now available. To download the map, click here!