Is now a good time to buy gold for retirement? How gold prices can affect a 401(k) rollover decision

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September 30, 2026 / 3:51 PM EDT / CBS News

Gold has been a difficult asset for retirement investors to ignore over the last year. The precious metal climbed rapidly as economic and geopolitical uncertainty drove demand higher, but those gains didn't last. After climbing to a record of nearly $5,600 per ounce in January, the precious metal is now trading at about $4,300 per ounce as of late September, or roughly 23% below its January peak — and it's also down by over $100 per ounce compared to just a few weeks ago.

That pullback could make gold look more appealing to investors who have been waiting for prices to come down before buying in. And for those with money in a 401(k), rolling over some of those funds into a gold IRA may seem like one way to take advantage of the lower price while adding an asset that can behave differently from the stocks and bonds typically held in retirement accounts. But a lower price doesn't necessarily mean it's the right time to make that move.

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Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/