In 2010, an article published in the Forbes magazine had found that over 75% of US citizens nearing retirement age had less than $USD30,000 in their retirement savings account. It was later called “the greatest retirement crisis in American history,” which influenced financial analysts to look for the reasons behind such drastic numbers.
Analysts believe that 2008’s global recession was a major factor behind the low retirement savings. Poor savings, underperforming stock markets, and the lack of interests regarding retirement fired up the crisis, with median retirement account balance for near-retirement US citizens being only $14,500.
The retirement saving accounts continue to be one of the least performing investment even today, when the world is sailing on yet another broken economic system. Investors around the world are losing portfolios to wavering dollar price, as well as to the ongoing oil crisis. Such poor fundamentals are driving investors from Individual Retirement Accounts, and choose Gold or Bitcoin as their alternative hedge against the US Dollar.
Bitcoin, in particular, has gained impressive adoption over the years for its difference with the mainstream capital markets. The digital currency is considered independent, for its minting is carried out by network participants not by centralized authorities. The process evidently makes Bitcoin an impossible-to-manipulate currency which is just the thing investors are looking for these days — at least a Californian startup sees it this way.
Bitcoin IRA, a new company operating from California’s Sherman Oaks, has been launched with an aim to make Bitcoin a hedge for IRA or 401(b) accounts. It believes that the digital currency, unlike the dollar and Gold, offers a speculative and dramatic upward potential to investors.
“Gold,” states Bitcoin IRA, “has a negative correlation to the dollar, and can provide an effective safe haven when the dollar slides or the world economy contracts. Because of its independence from the dollar, bitcoin can serve as a similar hedge – but with the enhanced possibility of an upward spike and, therefore, greater returns Bitcoin and gold, can serve as complementary hedges to protect against losses, as investors prepare for retirement.”
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in its 2014 announcement ruled that Bitcoin should be treated more like a property than currency. The law further favors monitored exchange of Bitcoin with its fiat counterparts like US and Euro. This is where Bitcoin accidentally becomes an eligible alternative that can be used as hedge for IRA or 401(b) accounts.
And Bitcoin IRA has certainly figured it out, given its legally acceptable model that innovates retirement saving investments with Bitcoin. And not just innovates, the model provides an additional safety net to all the investors by relying on a non-correlated asset, the value of which can’t be dragged down by economic forces.
“As more consumers and investors embrace bitcoin globally, its growing value won’t be compromised by a bearish stock market, falling oil prices, or a weakening dollar,” Bitcoin IRA added.
The company carries out its services under the supervision of an experienced finance professional named Ed Moy. Moy has served as the Director of the United States Mint between the years 2006 and 2011. He has also served former President George W Bush as special assistant, and has also received the prestigious Alexander Hamilton Medal for public service.