How to Choose a Gold IRA Company: The Written Quote Checklist for 2026

How to Choose a Gold IRA Company in 30 Seconds

To choose a Gold IRA company, don't start with the rankings — start with the written quote. A company worth your money should put eight things in writing beforeyou fund anything: the IRA custodian, the depository, the storage type, every setup and recurring fee in dollars, the exact coin or bar, today's spot price (with timestamp), the premium over spot (in both dollars and percent), and today's buyback price for that same product. If a salesperson can't or won't send those eight numbers, that's not a customer service problem. That's your answer.

The companies worth requesting written quotes from first, based on public minimums and the disclosures we could verify, are Augusta Precious Metals for rollovers of $50,000 or more, American Hartford Gold for $10,000+ accounts, and Birch Gold Group for readers who want a lower published minimum or all four IRS-approved metals. The right choice is still the one whose written quote survives the checklist below — not the one with the most ads on cable news.

Here's the part nobody on the first page is telling you: the biggest cost in a Gold IRA is almost never the annual fee. It's the markup over spot price on the coins or bars you buy. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission warns that standard bullion typically carries a 5–10% markup, while numismatic or “collectible” coins can run 40–200% above the metal's actual value. On a $100,000 rollover, that difference can destroy tens of thousands of dollars on day one. In April 2024, a federal court entered a final judgment ordering more than $76.4 million against Red Rock Secured, after the SEC alleged the company told investors they were paying 1–5% markups on gold and silver coins while actually charging as much as 130%.

That's the gap this page is built to close. Below: the 8-item quote checklist, a 12-point provider scorecard, a 15-question phone script, a copy-paste email template, a stated-vs-verified comparison of the major providers, and the primary-source links to verify any company's regulatory history in 20 minutes.

The 8-Item Written Quote Checklist

This is the first-screen test. Print it. Use it on every company.

If your quote is missing any of these, you don't have a quote yet. You have a sales pitch.

A legitimate company will send it. A company that's a bad fit will tell you that's not how they work. Either way, you've learned what you needed to know in 24 hours instead of three weeks.

A Damaging Admission You Deserve to Hear

A Gold IRA is notthe cheapest way to own gold. We're not going to dance around that, because pretending otherwise is exactly the sales tactic this page exists to neutralize.

If your only goal is exposure to gold's price, a gold ETF such as GLD, IAU, SGOL, or GLDM inside an existing IRA at Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard will get you there with published expense ratios ranging from about 0.10% to 0.40%depending on the fund — which is roughly $100–$400 a year on a $100,000 position, with no dealer markup, no setup fee, no depository fee, and you can sell it before lunch. A Gold IRA can easily cost two to three times that much in the first year alone once you add the dealer's markup, custodian fee, storage fee, and eventual buyback spread.

So why would anyone open a Gold IRA? Because gold ETFs and physical gold are not the same product. An ETF is a financial claim on gold held by someone else. A Gold IRA holds physical, IRS-eligible metal for your IRA through a custodian and compliant storage arrangement inside a tax-advantaged retirement account. If you specifically want to own physical bullion — coins or bars you could in theory take possession of at retirement — and you want that ownership inside an IRA, this is one of the few legal ways to do it. That tradeoff is real. Some readers find it worth paying for. Some don't.

Here's the calm pivot:a Gold IRA does NOT win on simplicity or lowest cost — if those are your priorities, a gold ETF in your existing IRA is the better path. But because a Gold IRA gives you direct ownership of IRS-eligible physical metal inside a tax-advantaged account, the question stops being “should I pay more?” and starts being “which company gives me the cleanest written quote on the metal I actually want to own?” That's the question this page answers.

The 12-Point Gold IRA Due Diligence Scorecard

The 8-item checklist above tells you whether a quote is real. This scorecard tells you whether the company is worth quoting in the first place. Score each criterion, total the points, and use the verdict below. The whole exercise takes about 25 minutes per company once you have the links open.

The Three Role Functions in Every Gold IRA

This is the single thing page-one competitors get wrong, and it's why so many readers feel confused after a sales call. The salesperson on the phone is the dealer. The dealer isn't running your IRA. The dealer's job is to sell you metal at a markup, and the dealer's job ends when the coin ships to the storage facility.

Each role has its own fee. And critically — the dealer is rarely a fiduciary. The CFTC has explicitly warned that “many precious metals dealers are not licensed or registered to provide investment advice and are merely salespeople who are paid commissions.” That doesn't make them all bad. It does mean the title “Gold IRA specialist” on someone's business card carries no regulatory meaning whatsoever.

The SEC has also warned that self-directed IRA custodians “do not evaluate the quality or legitimacy of any investment in the self-directed IRA or its promoters.” Translation: just because Equity Trust will hold your gold doesn't mean Equity Trust thinks you got a good deal on it. The custodian is a clerk, not a watchdog. The due diligence is yours.

What you verify at each role

• At the dealer: Markup percentage, products being sold, sales-rep credentials, buyback policy, complaint history at BBB and BCA.
• At the custodian: That they're on the IRS-approved non-bank trustees list (or a regulated bank/credit union/trust). Annual fee schedule. Who they report to (state banking regulator).
• At the depository: Insurance coverage (typically Lloyd's of London or equivalent). Whether segregated storage is available. Audit frequency.

You can do all three checks in under 20 minutes. The links are in the verification section below.

What the IRS Actually Requires

The rules are surprisingly simple. A confused or dishonest salesperson can make them sound complicated to justify selling you the wrong product. Here's the whole picture in one table.

IRS purity standards

Sources: IRC §408(m)(3); IRS Pub 590-A; IRS guidance on collectibles in IRAs.

Quote Product Eligibility Filter

Before you fund anything, run the exact products in your written quote through this filter. If any cell is empty or unclear, that's an item to resolve in writing before funding.

Some proof coins (such as proof American Gold Eagles) are IRA-eligible — the issue isn't that all proofs are forbidden, it's that proof and semi-numismatic products often carry significantly higher premiums than standard bullion. If a salesperson is steering you toward those, that's a question for the quote, not a reason to slam the phone down.

Why “home storage” Gold IRAs are a trap

You'll see ads for “Home Storage Gold IRAs” or “Checkbook IRA LLCs” promising you can keep IRA gold in a safe at home. The IRS has been clear: if an IRA acquires a collectible, the amount paid for that collectible is treated as a distribution from the IRA — immediately taxable as ordinary income, plus a 10% additional tax if you're under 59½. That's directly from IRS guidance.

In 2021, the U.S. Tax Court decided McNulty v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo 2021-130). A couple set up a Checkbook IRA LLC, bought American Eagle coins through it, and stored them in a safe at home. The Tax Court ruled that physical possession of the coins by the IRA owner — even through an LLC — constituted a taxable distribution of the full amount. The penalty, plus interest, ran into six figures.

If a Gold IRA company tells you home storage is “completely legal” or “the smart way to do it,” you have learned everything you need to know about that company.

The Five Fees That Actually Matter, Ranked

Here is the actual dollar impact of each fee, ranked from biggest to smallest on a typical $100,000 rollover. Spot price assumed at $3,300/oz for illustration — verify at quote time. Gold moves daily.

1. Dealer markup over spot — biggest cost, least disclosed

The dealer doesn't sell you gold at the spot price. They sell you gold at spot plus a markup. On standard bullion (American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, basic bars), the CFTC describes a typical range of 5–10%. On numismatic, proof, or “exclusive” coins, the same source warns of premiums of 40–200%.

What those markup levels actually look like on a $100,000 IRA spend, at $3,300/oz spot:

That last row isn't theoretical. In May 2023, the SEC alleged Red Rock Secured told investors they were paying 1–5% markups while charging as much as 130%. In April 2024, a federal court entered a final judgment ordering more than $76.4 million in monetary relief. Over 700 retirement investors lost more than $50 million.

The lesson isn't that all Gold IRA companies are crooks. They aren't. The lesson is that the annual fee debate is a rounding error compared to the markup conversation. A $50 difference in annual custodian fees is meaningless if you accept a 12% markup instead of a 6% markup on $100,000. The first costs you $1,500 over 30 years. The second costs you over $5,000 on day one.

2. Buyback spread — second biggest cost, almost never discussed upfront

When you sell your gold back to the dealer, they don't pay you the spot price. They pay you spot minus a spread. Your round-trip cost is the markup plus the buyback spread.

Typical example: Spot price is $3,300/oz. The dealer sells you a 1 oz American Gold Eagle for $3,449 (4.5% above spot). If you sold it back the same day, they'd pay you about $3,200 (3% below spot). That's a 7.5% round-trip spread. You need gold to appreciate 7.5% just to break even on day one.

This is why item #8 on the written-quote checklist is non-negotiable: ask for today's buyback price for the exact product you're being sold, in writing, before you fund. A “we have a buyback program” answer is not a price. It's a marketing claim.

3. Annual storage fee

Typically $100–$275 per year, depending on the choice:

• Segregated (allocated) storage — your specific bars and coins are stored separately and tagged to your account. Usually $150–$275/yr.
• Non-segregated (commingled) storage — your gold is pooled with other clients' identical products. Usually $100–$150/yr.

For larger accounts, the extra $50–$125/yr for segregated may be easier to absorb. For smaller accounts, compare the cost against the benefit of receiving the exact bars and coins versus equivalent metal of the same product.

4. Annual custodian fee

Typically $75–$225 per year. This pays the trust company (Equity Trust, STRATA, GoldStar Trust, etc.) for IRA administration and IRS reporting. Some companies charge tiered fees by account size; others charge flat. Both are fine — the question is whether the number is in writing.

5. Setup and wire fees

One-time. Usually $50–$80 to open the account, plus a $25–$30 wire fee if you fund by wire. Some companies waive setup for qualifying rollovers, but the wire fee almost always applies. This is the smallest fee and the easiest to overlook.

How Much Does a Gold IRA Quote Have to Beat Before It Makes Sense?

Think of it as a hurdle rate, not a fee. The first job your gold has to do isn't to make you money — it's to recover the costs of getting in and out. Here's how to estimate that hurdle for your own quote in three steps:

1. Add the markup percentage (from your quote — call it X%).
2. Add the expected buyback spread at sale (typically 2–4% below spot for standard bullion — confirm in writing).
3. Add roughly 0.4–0.8% per year for combined custodian and storage fees on a typical $50,000–$100,000 account.

So a $100,000 account with a 6% markup, a 3% expected buyback spread, and 0.5%/yr combined fees held for 10 years has a break-even of roughly 6% + 3% + 5% = 14% in total gold-price appreciation just to recoup the costs of being in the trade.

That's not a reason to avoid a Gold IRA. Gold has had multi-year stretches where it climbed far more than that. But it is a reason to optimize hard for a low markup quote — because the hurdle compounds with the markup, not the annual fee.

Red Flags and the Regulator Cases Every Gold IRA Investor Should Know

The 12 red flags that should pause the conversation

1. “Risk-free.” No precious metals investment is risk-free.
2. “Guaranteed returns.” Legally, no one can promise a return on gold. If they do, walk.
3. “The dollar is about to collapse.” Doom marketing is a sales tactic.
4. “You need to move your IRA today.” Real retirement decisions are not 24-hour deals.
5. “This coin is exclusive / rare / limited edition.” Often translation: high-markup product they need to move.
6. No spot price. If they can't tell you the live spot price, they're hiding the markup.
7. No premium percentage. Dollar markup without percent context is the same trick as fine-print interest rates.
8. No buyback estimate. A buyback “program” without a price isn't a program.
9. No custodian named. You don't open an IRA with a dealer. You open it with a custodian. Names matter.
10. No depository or storage facility named. Where, specifically, will the metal be stored?
11. Home-storage pitch. See McNulty above.
12. The salesperson discourages you from talking to a CPA, fiduciary advisor, or your spouse. This one is the loudest of all. A legitimate company is happy if you slow down. A bad one needs you to act before you think.

Four regulator cases worth your time, mapped to buyer actions

These are public-record, settled or ongoing cases. Reading even the press-release summaries will inoculate you against the most common Gold IRA sales tactics.

The honest industry-wide admission

Here's the thing none of the marketing pages will tell you: in the major provider pages we checked for this audit, we did not find a public dealer-markup percentage for the exact IRA products a buyer would receive.Treat the markup as quote-required, every time, at every company — and require the product name, spot price, premium percentage, and same-day buyback price in writing before you fund. The companies that send those numbers without a fight earn our recommendation. The companies that won't, after a polite second request, earn our skepticism.

Stated vs. Verified: What the Major Companies Publish, and What You Only Learn on the Call

This table shows what each company publishes versus what you have to extract from a written quote. It is not a ranking. (For our ranked comparison, see our Best Gold IRA Companies report.) It is a transparency map. This is a public-record screen, not a legal clearance or endorsement.

Last verified: May 21, 2026. Sources cited are each company's official site or the cited regulator release.

This is a public-record screen, not a legal clearance or endorsement. Companies and their disclosures change. Re-check SEC, CFTC, state securities regulators, and BBB complaint patterns before funding.

The single most important takeaway from this table:The “markup %” column is the same for every company. That's not because they all charge the same — they don't. It's because nobody publishes it. The most consequential cost in your decision is invisible until you put it in writing. Which is the entire reason this page exists.

The 15 Questions to Ask on the Discovery Call

Print this list. Use it on the call. Don't apologize for asking. A legitimate company welcomes informed buyers; the bad ones lose interest fast.

1. What is your minimum investment for a Gold IRA?
2. Which retirement accounts can be rolled over or transferred — 401(k), 403(b), TSP, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA?
3. Who is the IRA custodian, and are they on the IRS-approved non-bank trustees list or a regulated bank/credit union/trust?
4. What is the custodian's full annual fee schedule, and is it billed by you or directly by them?
5. Which depository or storage facility will hold the metal, and is segregated storage available?
6. What is the annual storage fee — segregated and non-segregated?
7. What is the one-time setup fee, and is there a wire fee?
8. What exact coins or bars are you recommending for my account?
9. Are any of those coins proof, graded, semi-numismatic, or numismatic — yes or no? If yes, please confirm IRA eligibility in writing.
10. What is today's spot price (with timestamp), and what is the premium over spot in dollars and percent for each product you're recommending?
11. Are there any promotional fee waivers, and when do normal fees begin?
12. What would your buyback price be today for the exact products you're recommending?
13. What is your written buyback policy — settlement timeline, any restrictions on which products you'll repurchase?
14. Is your sales representative a registered investment adviser, registered broker, insurance agent, commodity professional, or none of these?
15. Will you email me a complete written quote with all of the above before I fund anything?

If the answer to #15 is yes and you receive that email within 24 hours with the rest answered, you have a real candidate. If the email is missing items, the company has told you something important about how they operate.

The Copy-Paste Email Template

If you'd rather skip the call and request the quote directly, here is the exact email to send. Customize the bracketed parts.

That one email separates the companies you want to work with from the ones you don't — before you've spent an hour on a sales call.

Choose by Your Situation, Not by the Ad

We're not telling you which company is “best” — we're telling you which companies make sense to quotefor your account size. The written quote then decides. The brand on the ad doesn't get to make this choice.

Under $10,000 — should you even open a Gold IRA?

Honest answer: usually no.

Fixed fees of $200–$400 per year on a $5,000 account is a 4–8% annual drag beforethe first dollar of market movement, before the markup, and before the buyback spread. For most readers in this bracket, you're better off with either:

• A gold ETF (GLD, IAU, SGOL, GLDM) inside your existing IRA at Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard, or
• Waiting until you have a larger rollover before opening a Gold IRA.

We say this knowing it costs us affiliate commissions. We'd rather have your trust.

$10,000 – $50,000

Companies to request written quotes from first based on public minimums and fee visibility: American Hartford Gold ($10,000 published minimum, A+ BBB, published Price Protection Guarantee for qualifying purchases) and Birch Gold Group ($5,000 published minimum, all four IRS-approved metals, published $235 annual fee structure). Both pass the published-criteria portion of the 12-point scorecard. Markup is quote-required at both.

▶ Compare American Hartford Gold and Birch Gold Group side-by-side on our main comparison page.

$50,000 – $200,000

A strong candidate to quote for $50,000+ accounts: Augusta Precious Metals. A+ BBB rating, education-led process, $50,000 published minimum. Augusta publishes a fee-sheet example showing $275 one-time setup and $225 recurring annual fees; any promotional fee waiver should be verified in writing for your specific quote before funding.

Augusta publicly emphasizes an education-led process and one-on-one web conference support. Some readers find that valuable. Some find it slow. Both reactions are legitimate.

Or compare Augusta against the other companies on our main report.

Over $200,000 or complex retirement plan

At this size, the Gold IRA decision should sit inside a broader retirement-income plan. Roth conversion timing, RMD impact, surviving-spouse income, IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount — the Medicare premium surcharge that kicks in at higher incomes) brackets, and estate plan implications can change whether a Gold IRA helps or hurts your overall picture. A fiduciary financial advisor should review the allocation decision before you fund.

A few words on legal roles, because they actually matter here:

• A fiduciary investment adviser owes fiduciary duties and is required to act in your interest.
• A broker-dealer making retail securities recommendations is subject to Regulation Best Interest, which requires consideration of costs, risks, rewards, alternatives, and your profile.
• A precious-metals dealer may be a commission-based salesperson, not an investment adviser.

Ask which legal role applies before you treat any recommendation as advice.

When a Gold IRA Is the Wrong Choice — Even If the Company Is Great

We'd rather see you not open a Gold IRA at all than open one with the wrong company for the wrong reason. Here's when the wrong question is “which company” and the right question is “should I even be doing this?”

There is no scenario in which “I'll figure it out after I send the wire” works in your favor. The companies that earn your business will still exist next month. The pressure on the call won't. That's the whole point.

A Safer 7-Step Process

If you remember nothing else from this page, remember this sequence:

1. Decide whether you need physical metal at all. A gold ETF in an existing IRA is simpler and cheaper if all you want is gold price exposure.
2. Decide the allocation. As a general editorial framework, treat precious metals as a limited diversifier, not the foundation of a retirement plan. Your allocation depends on age, risk tolerance, existing portfolio, income needs, tax status, and liquidity needs. If the amount is material to your retirement, a fiduciary should weigh in first.
3. Shortlist 2–3 companies. Use our main comparison page as a starting point. Match by your account size.
4. Send the same written-quote email to each company.Use the template above. Don't take a phone call until the email comes back.
5. Verify the custodian and depository independently using the links in this page. Confirm IRS-approved status, insurance coverage, and complaint history.
6. Run each quote through the markup and break-even math in the sections above. Compare first-year all-in costs, including markup and projected buyback spread.
7. Fund only after the quote passes the 8-item checklistand you've saved every document — quote, fee schedule, custodian agreement, depository agreement, trade confirmation, buyback policy, promotional waiver terms, and rollover paperwork.

That's it. The whole decision is in seven steps. The companies that don't survive steps 4–6 weren't going to be a good fit anyway.

How to Verify Any Gold IRA Company in 20 Minutes

Open these in tabs. Search the company name and any sales representative's name. Document what you find.

• SEC enforcement actions: SEC EDGAR
• SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure: adviserinfo.sec.gov
• CFTC SmartCheck: cftc.gov/check
• FINRA BrokerCheck: brokercheck.finra.org
• IRS Approved Non-Bank Trustees list: irs.gov
• BBB Business Profile: bbb.org
• Business Consumer Alliance: checkbca.org
• NAIC consumer complaint database: naic.org
• Your state Secretary of State business entity search (search “[your state] Secretary of State business search”)
• Your state securities regulator and attorney general — search the company name plus your state

If a company has a recent settled enforcement action, that's not automatically disqualifying — but it changes the question from “should I work with them?” to “what specifically did they fix, and how do I verify that in writing?”

Voice From the Trenches: Why This Page Exists

This isn't theoretical for a lot of readers. Public forums regularly contain versions of the same concern. From a thread on r/investing:

“Are Gold IRAs simply a scam?”

That question isn't unusual. A parent or spouse gets a call from a polite, knowledgeable-sounding salesperson. The conversation lasts 45 minutes. By the end, there's a “limited time offer” on a specific coin and a soft promise that the rollover paperwork can be done by Friday. The family member starts searching at midnight to figure out what's happening.

If that's why you're on this page — because someone in your family is being pitched, or because the pitch was you — you are not being paranoid. You are doing exactly what you should be doing: slowing down. Most Gold IRA decisions are not time-sensitive. The companies that need you to act fast are the ones telling you the most about themselves.

A Gold IRA can be a sound part of a retirement plan. It can also be a vehicle for an expensive mistake. The difference isn't the asset — gold is gold. The difference is whether the company gave you a clean written quote, named all three role functions, and let you take the night to think about it.

What If I'm Rolling Over a 401(k) or IRA?

The mechanics are simple, but the consequences of getting them wrong are not. Three things to know:

• Trustee-to-trustee transfer (cleanest path): your current IRA custodian sends the money directly to the new IRA custodian. You never touch it. No tax implications. No one-per-year limit.
• Direct rollover from a 401(k):for 401(k)-to-IRA moves, your plan administrator sends the money directly to the new IRA custodian. You'll receive a 1099-R but the distribution code shows it as a rollover.
• 60-day (indirect) rollover:the check comes to you and you have 60 days to deposit it into the new account. Miss the deadline and the IRS treats it as a fully taxable distribution, with a 10% additional tax if you're under 59½. Avoid this method when you have other options.

If you're 73 or older, Required Minimum Distributions still apply to a Gold IRA the same way they apply to any IRA. RMDs can be taken in cash (the custodian sells metal and distributes the proceeds) or “in-kind” (the custodian ships metal to you, valued at fair market value on the day of distribution). See IRS RMD FAQ.

See also: Gold IRA Rollover Rules 2026 · IRA to Gold IRA Transfer Guide · 401k to Gold IRA Rollover

How We Built This Checklist

The Retirement Index is an independent research and comparison resource for retirement planning decisions. This page was built by The Retirement Index Editorial Team using primary regulatory sources, written documentation from each major Gold IRA provider, and the verifiable record of SEC, CFTC, and state regulator actions. We do not invent author names, fabricate credentials, or use AI-generated headshots.

What we actually verified for this page

• IRS rules: IRC §408(m), IRS Pub 590-A, IRS Pub 590-B, IRS guidance on collectibles in IRAs, IRS rollover rules, IRS RMD FAQ.
• CFTC warnings: Customer Advisory on Gold and Silver Schemes Targeting Retirement Savings.
• SEC warnings: Investor Alert: Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud; Staff Bulletin on Standards of Conduct for Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers.
• FINRA guidance: 4 Tips to Know Before Buying Physical Precious Metals; BrokerCheck.
• Enforcement cases: SEC v. Red Rock Secured, LLC; CFTC and California DFPI v. Regal Assets; CFTC and 30 states v. Metals.com; Lear Capital bankruptcy plan.
• Tax Court: McNulty v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2021-130.
• Provider documentation: Each company's published minimum, fee schedule, custodian/depository names, and buyback policy as listed on their official site as of May 21, 2026 (sources cited inline in the Stated-vs-Verified table).

What we did not verify

• We did not verify any individual reader's specific quote — that's why the 8-item checklist exists.
• We did not assume promotional fee waivers are valuable without seeing the premium and buyback spread in the same quote.
• We did not use any company's marketing testimonials as evidence of investment performance.
• We did not claim any precious-metals dealer is a fiduciary unless their specific legal status has been verified.
• The “no enforcement action found in this audit” notes reflect a public-record screen on May 21, 2026 and are not a legal clearance or endorsement.

How we get paid (and what it doesn't change)

We may earn a commission when you request a free information kit from certain providers through links on this page. That commission supports our editorial work. It does not change the criteria above, and it does not influence the order of recommendations on our main comparison page. The 12-point scorecard scores every company the same way. If a competitor outscored Augusta or American Hartford Gold on the criteria, we'd say so — and we say it directly to readers whose situation makes a Gold IRA the wrong tool.

Read our full disclosure · Editorial standards · Corrections to corrections@theretirementindex.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose the best Gold IRA company?

Choose the one whose written quote passes the 8-item checklist — not the one with the most ads. The quote should name the IRA custodian, the depository or storage facility, the storage type, every setup and annual fee, the exact coin or bar, today's spot price with timestamp, the premium over spot in dollars and percent, and today's buyback price for the same product. A company that won't put those eight things in writing is not the company for you, regardless of brand.

What is the biggest hidden cost in a Gold IRA?

The markup over spot on the metal, followed by the buyback spread when you eventually sell. Annual custodian and storage fees ($175-$400/year combined) matter, but a high markup on the original purchase can cost ten times more than years of fees combined. The CFTC warns that standard bullion runs 5-10% markup while numismatic or collectible coins can run 40-200%.

What fees are normal for a Gold IRA?

Typical 2026 ranges: $50-$80 setup, $75-$225/yr custodian, $100-$275/yr storage (segregated higher than commingled), $25-$30 wire, plus a dealer markup that on standard bullion typically falls within the CFTC's 5-10% range. The right number for your account depends on which company you choose — and which company you should choose depends on what they put in writing.

Can I store Gold IRA metals at home?

No, not as a normal Gold IRA structure. IRS rules require qualifying IRA-owned bullion to be held through a bank or approved non-bank trustee/custodian arrangement; personal home storage can create taxable-distribution risk. In McNulty v. Commissioner (2021), the U.S. Tax Court ruled that personal possession of IRA-owned American Eagle coins — even through a Checkbook IRA LLC — was a fully taxable distribution. Any company pitching Home Storage Gold IRA as IRS-compliant should be treated as a red flag.

Are Gold IRA companies fiduciaries?

Most are not. The CFTC has explicitly warned that precious-metals dealers are typically salespeople paid on commission, not licensed investment advisers. A fiduciary investment adviser owes fiduciary duties. A broker-dealer making retail securities recommendations is subject to Regulation Best Interest. A commission-based precious-metals dealer is not automatically a fiduciary or investment adviser. Ask whether the representative is a registered investment adviser, registered broker, insurance agent, commodity professional, or none of these before treating the recommendation as advice.

Is a Gold IRA a scam?

A Gold IRA is a legal IRS structure when set up correctly. But the precious-metals sales industry has a documented history of bad actors — the SEC, CFTC, and multiple state regulators have taken enforcement action against several companies for misrepresenting markups, pushing inappropriate coins, and pressuring elderly retirement investors. The structure is not the scam; the sales process can be. The written quote is your protection.

Should I choose segregated or non-segregated storage?

For accounts over $50,000, the extra $50-$150/year for segregated storage may be easier to absorb. For smaller accounts, compare the cost against the benefit of receiving the exact bars and coins versus equivalent metal of the same product. The right choice depends on the quote and your reason for wanting physical metals. Your metals are insured either way.

How much should I put in a Gold IRA?

This page cannot answer that for your specific situation, and any page that claims to is overstepping. As a general editorial framework, treat precious metals as a limited diversifier rather than the foundation of a retirement plan. Your allocation depends on age, risk tolerance, existing portfolio, income needs, tax status, and liquidity needs. Talk to a fiduciary advisor before committing a meaningful percentage of retirement assets.

Can I roll over a 401(k) to a Gold IRA without taxes?

Yes, if you use a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer or a direct rollover. The money moves between custodians without you taking constructive receipt, so it is not treated as a distribution. A 60-day rollover is also tax-free if redeposited within 60 days, but the deadline is strict and there is a one-rollover-per-year limit on IRA-to-IRA rollovers. When in doubt, use a direct transfer and avoid the 60-day method.

What is the difference between a Gold IRA company and a Gold IRA custodian?

The Gold IRA company is the dealer that sells you the metal — Augusta, Goldco, Birch, American Hartford Gold, Noble, Preserve, and others. The custodian is the trust company that administers your self-directed IRA — Equity Trust, STRATA Trust, GoldStar Trust, Kingdom Trust, Forge Trust, and others. They are two separate businesses with two separate fees, and you will work with both. The depository or storage facility — Delaware Depository, Brink's, IDS, Texas Bullion Depository — is the third role.

What to Do Next

You came here to choose a Gold IRA company. Now you have the tools to do it on your terms instead of a salesperson's.

Sources

1. Internal Revenue Service. Investments in collectibles in individually-directed qualified plan accounts. irs.gov
2. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590-A — Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). irs.gov
3. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590-B — Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). irs.gov
4. Internal Revenue Service. Rollovers of retirement plan and IRA distributions. irs.gov
5. Internal Revenue Service. Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs. irs.gov
6. 26 U.S. Code § 408 — Individual retirement accounts. Cornell Legal Information Institute
7. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Customer Advisory: Beware of Gold and Silver Schemes Designed to Drain Your Retirement Savings. cftc.gov
8. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor Alert: Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud. investor.gov
9. Securities and Exchange Commission. Staff Bulletin: Standards of Conduct for Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers Care Obligations. sec.gov
10. FINRA. 4 Tips to Know Before Buying Physical Precious Metals. finra.org
11. FINRA. BrokerCheck. brokercheck.finra.org
12. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Red Rock Secured LLC, et al., No. 2:23-cv-3682 (C.D. Cal.). SEC Litigation Release No. 25996. sec.gov; SEC Press Release 2023-93.
13. CFTC. The CFTC and California DFPI Charge Los Angeles Area Precious Metals Dealer in $21 Million Fraudulent Scheme (Regal Assets, 2023). cftc.gov
14. CFTC. CFTC and 30 States Charge Los Angeles Precious Metals Dealers in Ongoing $185 Million Fraud Targeting the Elderly (Metals.com / Chase Metals / Barrick Capital, 2020). cftc.gov
15. Iowa Insurance Division. States Recoup Overcharges for Investors in Commodity Firm Bankruptcy (Lear Capital, 2023). iid.iowa.gov
16. McNulty v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2021-130 (U.S. Tax Court, 2021).
17. Augusta Precious Metals. How to Open a Gold IRA. augustapreciousmetals.com
18. Goldco. How Much Does a Gold IRA Cost? goldco.com
19. American Hartford Gold. Gold IRA FAQs; Price Protection Guarantee. americanhartfordgold.com
20. Birch Gold Group. Precious Metals IRA. birchgold.com
21. Noble Gold Investments. Support. noblegoldinvestments.com
22. Preserve Gold. How to Invest in Precious Metals IRA. preservegold.com
23. Lear Capital. Minimum Investment and Fee Transparency. learcapital.com
24. Better Business Bureau. bbb.org
25. Business Consumer Alliance. checkbca.org

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Last verified: May 21, 2026.