IRS Rules · 2026 Verified · Primary Sources Cited
The bottom line up front
Gold IRA rules are simple to summarize and brutal to break. A gold IRA must be a self-directed IRA, held by a qualified trustee or custodian, holding only metals that meet specific purity standards, stored through the custodian’s approved depository structure — never in your own possession. For 2026, new contributions are capped at $7,500 (or $8,600 if you’re 50 or older). Rollovers and trustee-to-trustee transfers don’t count toward that limit. Required minimum distributions start at age 73 for Traditional and SEP gold IRAs (not Roth). Breaking any of these rules can cost you income tax, penalties, and in the worst case, the entire IRA balance.
The storage rule is the trap that’s wrecked the most retirements. In McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021), the Tax Court ruled that an IRA owner who took physical possession of American Gold and Silver Eagle coins purchased through her self-directed IRA’s LLC received taxable distributions equal to the cost of the coins — roughly $411,000. The IRS determined income tax deficiencies of $250,558 for 2015 and $18,094 for 2016, plus accuracy-related penalties.
Now the part nobody tells you up front. The rules are where the IRS can hurt you. Pricing is where a salesperson can hurt you. In 2024, federal courts entered judgments totaling more than $76.4 million against precious metals dealer Red Rock Secured after the SEC alleged it told customers it was charging 1% to 5% markups while actually charging up to 130%.
This page is the one we wish every reader had before they took the call. It covers the nine rules the IRS actually enforces, the dollar cost of breaking each one, and the questions to ask in writing before you fund anything. Read carefully and you’ll know more than most of the people who walk into a gold IRA sales call.
At a glance
| # | Rule | What breaks it | What it costs you | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The account must be a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) | Trying to hold physical gold inside a regular Schwab, Fidelity, or Vanguard IRA | Transaction rejected, or — if you take possession — distribution treatment | IRC §408 |
| 2 | A qualified trustee or custodian must hold the account | Buying gold yourself and trying to contribute it to the IRA | Property cannot be contributed to an IRA; an improper contribution can create an excess contribution (6% excise tax until corrected), and a collectible acquisition can trigger distribution treatment | IRS Publication 590-A; Treas. Reg. 1.408-2(e) |
| 3 | Only IRS-eligible metals at the required purity qualify | Buying Krugerrands, pre-1933 U.S. coins, jewelry, or rare collectible coins | Treated as a distribution of the purchase amount — income tax plus 10% penalty if under 59½ | IRC §408(m)(3) |
| 4 | Storage must be through the custodian's qualified trustee or depository structure — not your home | Storing IRA gold in a home safe, safe deposit box, or LLC-controlled storage you can access | The coins are treated as distributed; in some fact patterns, broader IRA disqualification can also apply | IRS Publication 590-B; McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021) |
| 5 | Stay within the 2026 contribution limit | Contributing more than $7,500 (under 50) or $8,600 (50+) across all your IRAs | 6% annual excise tax on the excess until removed | IRS Notice 2025-67 |
| 6 | No prohibited transactions with disqualified persons | Lending IRA money to family, selling property to the IRA from yourself, using IRA gold as personal collateral | Entire IRA disqualified — full balance treated as distributed January 1 of that year | IRC §4975; IRC §408(e)(2) |
| 7 | Respect rollover timing rules | Missing the 60-day window on an indirect rollover, or doing more than one indirect IRA-to-IRA rollover in 12 months | Entire amount taxable plus 10% penalty if under 59½ | IRC §408(d)(3); IRS Topic 413 |
| 8 | Take Required Minimum Distributions starting at age 73 | Missing or underpaying the calculated RMD on a Traditional or SEP gold IRA | 25% excise tax on the shortfall, reduced to 10% if corrected within the IRS correction window | IRC §401(a)(9); SECURE 2.0 Act |
| 9 | No personal possession before age 59½ (outside specific exceptions) | Pulling metals out of the IRA before 59½ without qualifying for an exception | Fair market value taxed as income plus 10% early withdrawal penalty | IRC §72(t) |
Foundation
A gold IRA is a self-directed Individual Retirement Account that holds physical precious metals — gold, silver, platinum, or palladium — instead of stocks and bonds. It uses the same tax rules as any other IRA. It is not a separate account type the IRS created. It is not a special tax shelter. It is not a guaranteed investment. And it is not the cheapest or simplest way to own gold.
The phrase “gold IRA” is marketing language. The IRS doesn’t use it. What you’re actually opening is a self-directed IRA — a regular IRA with broader investment options — that happens to hold metal instead of mutual funds. Same contribution limits. Same withdrawal rules. Same tax treatment.
What makes it different is the operational complexity. A regular brokerage IRA needs one party. A gold IRA needs three:
Each one charges fees. Each one has rules. And critically, assume none of them is acting as your fiduciary financial advisor unless that role is stated in writing. Read that twice. That single misunderstanding is where most of the trouble starts.
Our one damaging admission
A physical gold IRA is not the cheapest way to get gold exposure in a retirement account. If your only goal is owning gold that moves with the gold price, a gold ETF inside your existing brokerage IRA does that for a fraction of the cost. No depository fees. No setup fees. No dealer markup. You can buy or sell in 30 seconds during market hours.
A gold IRA only makes sense when you specifically want physical metal inside a retirement account — coins or bars you could theoretically take possession of someday — and you’ve accepted the higher fees and more complex rules in exchange. If that’s not what you want, a gold ETF in a standard IRA may be a better fit. We say this because reading the rules carefully and deciding you don’t actually need a gold IRA is a valid outcome of this page.
Rule 1 of 9
Yes. A “gold IRA” is a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) that holds physical precious metals. Standard brokerage IRAs cannot hold physical gold. You must open a self-directed IRA with a custodian that supports precious metals as an alternative asset.
Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and similar brokerages run IRAs designed for securities — stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs. Their custodians aren’t set up to deal with physical metal. You can hold a gold ETF in any of these, but you can’t hold actual coins or bars.
A self-directed IRA changes that. The custodian’s job widens to include alternative assets — real estate, private notes, precious metals. Same IRA tax treatment. Different operational rules.
In a joint investor alert, the SEC, FINRA, and NASAA warned that self-directed IRAs carry risks that don’t apply to standard IRAs — fraud, high fees, illiquid investments, and weak custodian oversight. FINRA specifically warns that using a legitimate custodian “does not make the investment legitimate” and cautions investors about misrepresentations regarding custodial responsibilities.
A self-directed IRA custodian does not vet the investment you’re making. They process the paperwork. They don’t tell you whether the gold you’re buying is a good deal. You are the financial decision-maker. The custodian is the bookkeeper. The dealer is the salesperson. That changes how you should approach every conversation that follows.
Rule 2 of 9
Every IRA must be held by a qualified trustee or custodian — typically a bank, federally insured credit union, trust company, or an IRS-approved nonbank trustee under Treasury Regulation 1.408-2(e). You cannot hold your own IRA. For a gold IRA, the custodian processes contributions, files Form 5498, coordinates with the depository, and handles distributions — but does not give you investment advice or verify the dealer’s pricing.
What a custodian DOES
What a custodian does NOT do
The misunderstanding that costs the most
When a sales rep says “we work with an IRS-approved custodian,” readers often hear “this means the IRS approves of the gold I’m being sold.” It does not. The IRS approves the custodian as a qualified institution — not the metals being purchased, not the price being charged, not the dealer’s claims.
No. Regular IRA contributions must be cash. Property cannot be contributed to an IRA — this is straight from IRS Publication 590-A. The compliant path: fund the IRA with cash, a transfer, or a rollover; the IRA then purchases eligible metals through the custodian and dealer process.
Rule 3 of 9
Under IRC §408(m)(3), an IRA can hold gold of at least 99.5% purity, silver at 99.9%, and platinum or palladium at 99.95%. The American Gold Eagle is a statutory exception — it’s 91.67% pure but explicitly authorized by Congress. Buying a metal that doesn’t meet these standards is treated as a taxable distribution of the purchase amount.
| Metal | Minimum purity | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | 99.5% (.995) | Most modern bullion coins and bars |
| Silver | 99.9% (.999) | Standard investment-grade silver |
| Platinum | 99.95% (.9995) | All major platinum bullion |
| Palladium | 99.95% (.9995) | All major palladium bullion |
The American Gold Eagle exception: The American Gold Eagle is 22-karat (91.67% pure), but Congress explicitly authorized it for IRAs in 31 U.S.C. § 5112. Do not assume another 22-karat coin qualifies just because the American Gold Eagle does — verify the exact product against IRC §408(m)(3) and your custodian’s approved list before purchasing.
Coins that DO qualify (examples — verify with your custodian)
Coins that do NOT qualify (common mistakes)
This is where the worst sales pitches live. The IRS classifies almost all physical assets — art, antiques, gems, stamps, most coins — as collectibles under IRC §408(m). Section 408(m)(3) is the narrow carveout for specific bullion and certain U.S.-minted coins. Everything else is a collectible, and an IRA’s purchase of a collectible is treated as an immediate taxable distribution of the purchase price.
So when a dealer pitches you a “rare proof Liberty coin” or an “exclusive premium bullion product” at a 50% or 100% markup, two things are happening at once: (1) the coin may not be IRA-eligible at all, and (2) even if it is, you’re paying multiples of what the metal is actually worth.
Rule 4 of 9 — the one that wrecks the most retirements
No. IRS Publication 590-B states that if the IRA owner or beneficiary takes physical possession of the coins or bullion, the coins are treated as distributed. Personal possession through a “Checkbook IRA” or LLC structure does not change this — the 2021 McNulty v. Commissioner ruling confirmed it. Storage must be through the custodian’s qualified trustee or depository arrangement, not a location you control.
The metals must be in the possession of a qualified trustee — a bank, federally insured credit union, trust company, or an IRS-approved nonbank trustee. In practice, the most common IRS-approved gold depositories are:
McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021)
Donna McNulty used her self-directed IRA to purchase approximately $411,000 in American Gold and Silver Eagle coins through an LLC structure marketed to her as a “Checkbook IRA” or “Home Storage Gold IRA.” She stored the coins in a personal safe at her Rhode Island home.
The IRS audited her. The Tax Court ruled that her physical possession of the coins — regardless of the LLC paper layer — constituted taxable distributions equal to the cost of the coins. The IRS determined income tax deficiencies of $250,558 for 2015 and $18,094 for 2016, plus accuracy-related penalties.
The court’s reasoning: an IRA owner cannot have “unfettered command” over IRA assets without tax consequences. The LLC didn’t change who could walk to the safe. Mrs. McNulty could. That made it a distribution.
| What the dealer or marketer says | What you should do |
|---|---|
| ⚠"You can store IRA gold at home." | Stop the call. IRS Publication 590-B treats owner possession as a distribution. McNulty confirmed this even through an LLC. |
| ⚠"Use our Checkbook IRA or Home Storage IRA LLC structure." | High risk. McNulty rejected this argument. Get a tax attorney's opinion in writing before proceeding. |
| "The custodian stores it at an approved depository." | Reasonable. Ask for: the depository name, storage agreement, fee schedule, and segregated vs. commingled option. |
| "You can take delivery whenever you want." | True only as a distribution event. Ask exactly how it gets reported on Form 1099-R and what tax treatment applies. |
| ⚠"It's stored in a vault we own." | Verify it's a qualifying depository under your custodian's approved list, not a dealer-controlled facility. |
Rule 5 of 9
A gold IRA has the same annual contribution limit as any other IRA. For 2026, the IRS allows total IRA contributions of $7,500 if you’re under 50, or $8,600 if you’re 50 or older. This limit applies across all your IRAs combined — Traditional, Roth, and gold IRAs share the same cap. Rollovers and trustee-to-trustee transfers from other retirement accounts do not count.
| Age | 2026 limit | 2025 limit | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | $7,500 | $7,000 | +$500 |
| 50 or older | $8,600 | $8,000 | +$600 |
| Funding method | Counts against the $7,500/$8,600 limit? | Main trap |
|---|---|---|
| New cash contribution | Yes | Exceeding limit or lacking taxable compensation |
| IRA-to-IRA trustee-to-trustee transfer | No | Wrong account paperwork |
| Direct rollover from 401(k)/TSP/403(b) | No | Employer plan restrictions |
| Indirect rollover paid to you | No, if completed correctly | 60-day deadline, withholding, one-per-year limits |
| Roth conversion | No (conversion itself is taxable) | Pro-rata basis rules; CPA modeling recommended |
The penalty is 6% per year on the excess, every year, until you correct it. Two options:
Traditional IRA deduction phase-out (when covered by a workplace plan)
Roth IRA contribution phase-out (regardless of workplace coverage)
Rule 6 of 9 — the most catastrophic to break
Under IRC §4975, certain transactions between your IRA and a defined list of “disqualified persons” — including you, your spouse, your parents, your children, your grandchildren, their spouses, and entities you control — are prohibited. Engaging in one disqualifies the entire IRA under IRC §408(e)(2), treating the full balance as distributed on January 1 of that year. This is the most catastrophic rule to break and the easiest to break by accident.
Why this is the most catastrophic rule to break
For most rule violations, only the offending transaction is taxable. For a prohibited transaction, IRC §408(e)(2) treats the entire IRA as distributed on January 1 of the year the transaction occurred.
A $400,000 IRA disqualified at age 55 means:
Total cost: often well over $100,000–$150,000 — in a single tax year, for a single mistake.
If you’re tempted to do anything creative with your gold IRA that involves your family, your business, or your personal use, pause and consult a tax attorney before you do it. Not after. Before.
Rule 7 of 9
Moving money from a 401(k) or another IRA into a gold IRA is governed by IRC §408(d)(3). The cleanest path is a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer — the money never touches your hands and there are no time limits or frequency caps. An indirect rollover (a check made to you) must be completed within 60 days, and you can only do one indirect IRA-to-IRA rollover per 12-month period across all your IRAs combined.
This is the single most important distinction in gold IRA funding. Get it wrong and a $200,000 rollover can become $200,000 of taxable income.
| Feature | Direct rollover / trustee-to-trustee | Indirect rollover (60-day) |
|---|---|---|
| Does the check come to you? | No — moves institution to institution | Yes — check made to you |
| 60-day deadline? | No | Yes — 60 calendar days |
| One-per-12-months limit? | No | Yes (IRA-to-IRA only) |
| Mandatory 20% withholding from employer plans? | No | Yes — must replace from other funds |
| Default 10% withholding from IRAs? | No | Yes (you can elect 0%) |
| Risk of accidental taxation? | Low, if payee and paperwork are correct | High |
Example
You request a $100,000 indirect rollover from your old 401(k). The plan sends you a check for $80,000. The other $20,000 went to the IRS as mandatory withholding.
To complete a tax-free rollover, you need to deposit the full $100,000 into your new gold IRA within 60 days — meaning you must come up with the missing $20,000 from your own pocket. The withheld $20,000 comes back as a credit when you file, but you need the cash available now, not in April.
If you only deposit the $80,000 you received, the IRS treats the missing $20,000 as a taxable distribution — plus a 10% penalty if you’re under 59½.
This rule applies only to indirect IRA-to-IRA rollovers. You can only do one in any rolling 12-month period — across all your IRAs combined, not per account. Direct trustee-to-trustee transfers are unlimited. Roth conversions are unlimited. Direct rollovers from employer plans to IRAs are unlimited.
The takeaway: for nearly every gold IRA rollover, use a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer. There is virtually no upside to an indirect rollover unless you specifically need short-term access to the funds.
Want the step-by-step process to move a 401(k), TSP, 403(b), or IRA into a gold IRA without triggering taxes?
Rule 8 of 9
Yes — Traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE gold IRAs are subject to Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) starting at age 73under SECURE 2.0. Roth gold IRAs have no RMDs during the original owner’s lifetime. Missing an RMD triggers a 25% excise tax on the shortfall, which can drop to 10% if you correct it within the IRS correction window.
The formula
(December 31 prior-year account value) ÷ (life expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table) = your RMD
| Method | How it works | Tax treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Cash distribution | Custodian sells enough metal to generate the required cash | Cash amount taxed as ordinary income |
| In-kind distribution | Custodian ships actual coins or bars to you | Fair market value at distribution becomes your taxable amount and new cost basis — still a taxable event. Once distributed, long-term capital gains on collectibles are capped at 28% under IRS Topic No. 409. |
With a stock IRA, satisfying an RMD takes about five minutes — sell shares, transfer cash. With a gold IRA, the custodian has to coordinate with the depository, the depository has to verify the metals, and either a buyer has to be found (cash route) or shipping has to be arranged (in-kind route). Ask your custodian for its specific timeline before the RMD deadline — don’t wait until late December to start.
If you have multiple Traditional IRAs — say, a brokerage IRA and a gold IRA — you calculate the RMD for each one separately, but you can take the total RMD from just one of them.
This is useful for gold IRA holders. You can leave the gold completely untouched and pull the entire IRA RMD from your cash or stock IRA, provided the math works out. You cannot aggregate IRA RMDs with 401(k) RMDs — those are separate.
Before SECURE 2.0, missing an RMD cost you 50% of the shortfall. SECURE 2.0 reduced that to 25%, and to 10% if you correct it during the IRS correction window.
A $20,000 missed RMD:
Rule 9 of 9
Taking physical possession of IRA-held metals before age 59½ is treated as an early distribution under IRC §72(t). You owe ordinary income tax on the fair market value plus a 10% early-withdrawal penalty. Limited exceptions exist for disability, certain medical expenses, first-time home purchase up to $10,000, and Substantially Equal Periodic Payments (SEPP).
| Age | What happens |
|---|---|
| Under 59½ | Distributions hit with 10% early-withdrawal penalty plus ordinary income tax (Traditional/SEP) |
| 59½ to 73 | Distributions taxed as ordinary income; no early-withdrawal penalty; no required minimum yet |
| 73+ | RMDs begin for Traditional and SEP gold IRAs |
| Roth (qualified) | Tax-free if account is 5+ years old AND you're 59½+ or qualify for an exception |
Advantages
Disadvantages
Due diligence
Before you wire money to a dealer, get the answers to these 18 questions in writing. A gold IRA company worth considering should be able to answer them before you fund. Pushback, vague answers, or refusal to put costs in writing is information — usually expensive information.
We built this list from the IRS rules above, the FINRA self-directed IRA investor alert, the SEC’s Red Rock complaint, and the questions we’ve watched retirees wish they had asked. Save the list. Bring it to the call. Don’t decide on the call.
Who is the IRA custodian or trustee, and are they on the IRS approved nonbank trustee list or otherwise a bank/trust company/federally insured credit union?
Who is the depository, and is it segregated or commingled storage?
Who holds title to the metals — the IRA, an LLC, or something else?
Is the custodian independent from the dealer, or affiliated?
What exact coins or bars am I buying — name, metal, fineness, mint or refiner, quantity?
What IRS rule or statutory section makes this product IRA-eligible?
Are any of these products classified as 'proof,' 'premium,' 'rare,' or 'numismatic'? (If yes, that's a red flag for both eligibility and markup.)
What is the current spot price of the metal today?
What premium over spot am I paying — in dollars and as a percentage?
What will you pay me if I sell back today (the buyback bid)?
What is the spread between your buy and sell price?
What is the setup fee, annual custodian fee, annual storage fee, and transaction fee?
Are any fees waived for the first year, and what do they cost in year two?
Is this transaction a contribution, transfer, direct rollover, or indirect rollover?
Will any withholding apply? If yes, how much and from which funds?
What tax form will be issued, and when?
How are RMDs handled if I hold mostly metal? Can I take in-kind distributions?
Are you guaranteeing any return or tax outcome? (If yes, walk away.) If they describe a 'buyback guarantee,' require the written contract, the exact price formula, the limitations, and whether the buyback price can be below what you paid.
Save this list. Print it if you need to. The salesperson who refuses to put any of these in writing is telling you exactly what you need to know.
Red flags
Below is a side-by-side of language we’ve heard in gold IRA pitches and what the IRS, Tax Court, and federal regulators actually say. This is not aimed at any one company. It’s a red-flag checklist of language patterns to recognize.
| The pitch | What the IRS and regulators actually say |
|---|---|
| "You can store your IRA gold at home in a personal safe." | IRS Publication 590-B treats owner or beneficiary possession as a distribution of the coins. McNulty v. Commissioner (157 T.C. No. 10) confirmed this — even through an LLC. |
| "This rollover is 100% tax-free, guaranteed." | A direct trustee-to-trustee rollover is non-taxable. An indirect rollover that misses 60 days or violates the one-per-year rule IS taxable. The mechanic determines the tax outcome, not the company. |
| "These rare proof coins are IRA-eligible and appreciate faster." | Numismatic and rare coins generally are NOT IRA-eligible under IRC §408(m)(3). They also carry the largest dealer markups in the industry. |
| "Get free silver / a free coin / 10% bonus metal when you open." | Free promotions are paid for by the markup on what you do buy. The SEC alleged that Red Rock Secured charged markups up to 130% while telling customers it was 1% to 5%. |
| "We are an IRS-approved company." | The IRS does not approve gold IRA dealers. It approves nonbank trustees and custodians. A dealer claiming 'IRS approved' is using marketing language, not regulatory standing. |
| "Gold is a risk-free way to protect your retirement." | Gold is not risk-free. It's been through long stretches where it underperformed stocks and lost ground in real terms. The SEC, CFTC, and FINRA explicitly warn against 'guaranteed' or 'risk-free' claims for any investment. |
| "You should put most or all of your retirement savings into metals." | The CFTC, SEC, FINRA, and NASAA have issued joint warnings against this pitch. Concentration in any single asset class is a recognized risk factor, not a strategy. |
| "Act now — limited-time IRS allowance." | The IRS does not run promotions or 'limited-time allowances.' Urgency language is a recognized red flag for retirement fraud. |
| "Our custodian approves every purchase, so it's safe." | FINRA explicitly states that using a legitimate custodian 'does not make the investment legitimate.' They process; they do not vet. |
In May 2023, the SEC sued Red Rock Secured LLC and three of its executives (Case No. 2:23-CV-03680-RGK-PVC) for an alleged fraud scheme targeting retirement account holders.
The SEC’s complaint alleged:
In 2024, federal courts entered final judgments ordering Red Rock — now operating as American Coin Co. — and its executives to pay more than $76.4 million in disgorgement, interest, and penalties (SEC Litigation Release No. 25996).
This is what unverified gold IRA dealer markups can look like in practice. Use the 18-question script above, and require every number in writing.
Decision guide
A gold IRA can be a reasonable diversification tool for a specific kind of investor — someone with a substantial core portfolio, a long time horizon, fee-aware sensibilities, and a clear reason to want physical metal inside a retirement account. It is generally a poor fit for younger savers, accounts where flat annual fees eat the returns, anyone needing near-term liquidity, anyone making the decision out of fear, and anyone being pitched a heavy concentration in metals.
| Your situation | Likely best fit |
|---|---|
| Want physical metal inside an IRA | Gold IRA — proceed with the 18-question script |
| Want gold price exposure but not physical metal | A gold ETF or mutual fund inside a regular IRA — typically simpler and less expensive |
| Want gold you can hold yourself | Physical bullion outside an IRA — no IRA tax treatment, but no custodian rules |
| Worried about retirement broadly | Talk to a fiduciary advisor first; gold may or may not fit your plan |
Roth gold IRA
A Roth gold IRA follows the same rules as any Roth IRA — contributions are after-tax, growth is tax-free, qualified withdrawals are tax-free, and there are no Required Minimum Distributions during the original owner’s lifetime. The 2026 contribution limit ($7,500 / $8,600) applies, and Roth contribution eligibility phases out at higher incomes.
Key advantages
Disadvantages
A Roth conversion of pre-tax Traditional IRA dollars is taxable in the conversion year. If the IRA contains nondeductible basis, taxation depends on Form 8606 and the pro-rata rules. For most retirees, conversions make the most sense in lower-income years — early retirement, before Social Security starts, before RMDs kick in. Run the numbers with a CPA before pulling the trigger.
Methodology
What comes next
If you’ve read the nine rules, understood the storage and prohibited-transaction risks, run through the 18-question script in your head, and decided a gold IRA still makes sense — the next step is choosing a provider carefully.
Our gold IRA company review uses an evidence-first methodology to evaluate the major players — Augusta Precious Metals, Goldco, Birch Gold Group, American Hartford Gold, Noble Gold Investments, and others — on fee transparency, custodian quality, depository relationships, complaint records, dealer markup ranges, and buyback terms. We don’t rank by commission. We rank by what we’d want to know if we were the one writing the check.
Frequently asked questions
Primary sources
One last thing
If you’ve read this whole page, you now know more about gold IRA rules than most of the people who will be on the other end of any sales call you take. You know what the IRS actually requires. You know what breaks each rule. You know the 18 questions. You know the red flags. You know the Red Rock case. You know McNulty.
You’re ready to make this decision well — or to decide it isn’t for you and walk away with confidence. Both outcomes are wins. The wrong outcome is funding an account because someone on the phone made you feel rushed.
If you still can’t tell whether a gold IRA decision belongs inside your broader retirement plan, don’t take another sales call cold.
Take our free 60-second matching tool to get a personalized action plan.
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