In this economy, prudent investors are holding physical gold in an IRA to hedge against inflation and protect their wealth.Over the last few years the value of even the most stable blue-chip shares and many currencies have been decimated by the global financial crisis. For investors that held gold during that time, it has proven to be a safe haven and their investment has doubled. For most small investors, gold is not generally part of their investment portfolio. For something that's been traded for centuries you would think that more people would know about how to profit from trading gold. Luckily the internet is full of useful research on how to get started. Retirement is one financial target that just about everyone has in common and now there is more pressure than ever to ensure you can afford it, so investing wisely now is your only change.