What can I invest in an IRA?

Question:

I am looking to open a Roth IRA. Am I allowed to invest in ETFs or individual stocks? Also if I am allowed to do this, how do I go about it..for example if I open a Vanguard IRA and put 3k into their mutual funds, but want to put 1K into an ETF, how do I get that ETF into my IRA account?

Thanks guys.

Answer:
An IRA is not an investment vehicle, but a tax-deferred shell which can house virtually any type investment. About the only thing you can't put into an IRA is a life insurance policy. Just ensure that your account is set up as an IRA. This is routine for any broker or mutual fund company.

If you want to put stocks into an IRA you need to have your IRA through a brokerage, some offer both stocks and mutual funds. You might need to invest in multiple accounts through different places and just keep track of the total you're investing. I'm not sure about the legalities of that though. I know foliofn dot com allows mutual funds and stock investment through an IRA.

Besides mutual funds, Vanguard also has a brokerage "arm" so you can also invest in ETFs, stocks and bonds with them.

before you open the roth, ask the brokerage or institution what types of investments they have available. If they have the things you want, they will be able to make sure those investments end up in your IRA.

What can I invest in an IRA?

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