<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>				<article id="876819198"><artname>How You Can Fund Your IRA</artname><image file="KS105168_ec.jpg" align="left" alt="Photo of a Client" /><p><glossary def="A retirement plan created by the US government to encourage people to save for their own retirement. Benefits include tax-deferred growth and, depending on the type of IRA, tax deductibility or tax-free withdrawal. There are several qualifications and limitations as to who may contribute and when withdrawals may be made." primary="Individual Retirement Account (IRA)">IRAs</glossary> are very flexible and allow many kinds of <glossary def="The purchase of a potentially appreciable asset such as a stock, a bond, a property, or a unit of production. The purchase provides funds for the growth of businesses and governments." primary="Investment">investments</glossary> to be held within them. An important part of establishing an IRA is having a <glossary def="1. A financial institution that holds the assets of an account, such as an IRA or health savings account. In some states, the institution is considered a 'trustee' of the account. 2. A bank that holds the assets of a mutual fund. The managing of the fund, however, usually lies with another party." primary="Custodian">custodian</glossary> for the account. The custodian holds the <glossary def="Anything of value that a person or organization owns. Examples include cash, securities, accounts receivable, inventory, and property such as land, office equipment, or a house or car. (Compare with liability. The same item can be both an asset and a liability, depending on one's point of view. For example, a loan is a liability to the borrower because it represents money owed that has to be repaid. But to the lender, a loan is an asset because it represents money the lender will receive in the future as the borrower repays the debt.)" primary="Asset">assets</glossary> that you contribute.</p><p>This is true for any funding vehicle. This fact is especially important to <nodef>note</nodef> in the case of coin IRAs&#8212;the individual does not hold the coins, but the custodian does. IRAs may be funded with the following investments:</p><ulist>   <item><glossary def="A fund that is owned by many investors and that sells its shares to the public on a continuous (open-ended) basis. Mutual funds place their money in a variety of stocks, bonds, and other investments. Advantages of investing in mutual funds include diversification and professional money management." primary="Mutual Fund">Mutual funds</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A bond sold at discount and paying no interest, but instead paying the holder the face value at maturity. A zero coupon bond stated at $1,000 but sold for $600 would yield the holder a total of $1,000 at maturity. The extra $400 the investor makes would be treated as interest." primary="Zero Coupon Bond">Zero coupon bonds</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A certificate offered by a bank for a deposit that will be left untouched for a specified length of time. In return for not withdrawing the money, the customer will normally earn a yield higher than that from a savings account and will enjoy a high degree of safety of his or her money. Withdrawal of the cash in a CD before its maturity date results in a penalty fee and some loss of interest. CDs typically are held from 30 days to 5 years. Credit unions generally call CDs certificates or certificate accounts." primary="Certificate of Deposit">Certificates of deposit</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A class of stock that represents ownership, or equity, in a corporation. Each share represents an undivided interest in the assets of the corporation. Contrasted with preferred stock, common stock has voting rights in the company, but does not offer fixed dividends. Common stock prices are determined by supply of and demand for the stock and the earnings of the company." primary="Common Stock">Common stocks</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A business agreement in which a bank, credit union, or other financial institution agrees to hold and pay interest on money deposited. The customer may withdraw some or all of the money, but not by writing a share draft or check." primary="Savings Account">Savings accounts</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="An investment company that purchases a fixed portfolio of income-producing securities and sells shares of the trust to investors." primary="Unit Investment Trust">Unit investment trusts</glossary></item>   <item>Platinum, gold, and silver coins</item>   <item><glossary def="An individual retirement account in the form of an annuity. It has contribution and distribution regulations like IRAs, along with flexible premium payments. Like all other annuities, an individual retirement annuity must be purchased from a life insurance company." primary="Individual Retirement Annuity">Individual retirement annuities</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="A special type of savings account that makes it easy to invest in short-term securities. It is designed to compete with money market mutual funds and usually requires minimum balances and limited withdrawals of funds." primary="Money Market Account">Money market deposit accounts</glossary></item></ulist><p>IRAs may not be placed into the following investments:</p><ulist>   <item><glossary def="Life insurance that builds cash value that the owner can surrender for the cash surrender value." primary="Cash Value Life Insurance">Cash value life insurance</glossary></item>   <item><glossary def="Objects that are esteemed by groups of people who consider these items to have special value because of rarity or cultural or historical uniqueness. People collect a wide variety of objects, including comic books, automobiles, photos, books, and autographs. However, identifying truly marketable items is not an easy task." primary="Collectibles">Collectibles</glossary></item></ulist><p>The rules for funding an IRA are fairly straightforward. Each custodian <nodef>will</nodef> give you a list of acceptable investments that they can hold for you.</p></article>	