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Adding gold and precious metal to an IRA can be a great way to diversify your retirement portfolio. Adding alternative asset classes, such as gold, to a stock-heavy portfolio can help protect your retirement portfolio during times of economic insecurity.
In this gold IRA rollover guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know in order to move a portion of your IRA or 401(k) into physical gold and silver. Let’s get started.
Best Overall
Why Goldco? 10+ years in business, thousands of 5-star reviews, A+ ratings, competitive pricing, and low fee structure.
No account minimum.
Best for Price Transparency
Launched in 2003, highly rated Birch Gold has simple streamlined system for opening new IRAs.
$10,000 account minimum.
Best for High Net Worth Individuals
Augusta Precious Metals is a 5-star rated company focused on compliance, transparency, and customer service.
$50,000 account minimum.
Best for Low Cost Bullion
Noble Gold boasts low account minimums, competitive pricing, low fees, and top ratings online.
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$20,000 account minimum.
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Gold as a Diversifier Within Your IRA
Gold and stocks frequently move in opposite directions. While both tend to appreciate over time, they don’t move in tandem with one another. When one asset class is struggling, the other often helps to save the day.
Because gold and stocks are not highly correlated with one another, they are effective in combination: Gold has a substantial diversification benefit. As Harry Markowitz showed when he presented his Nobel Prize-winning paper, Modern Portfolio Theory, in 1955, adding gold to a portfolio with substantial stock holdings can help reduce risk without hurting expected returns.
Gold is a time-tested way of hedging your exposure to stock market risk, interest rate risk, and the threat of inflation.
Click here to review our top recommended gold IRA companies for 2025.
Tax Considerations in Gold IRAs
Holding gold in an IRA can be a very tax-efficient way to own gold. Direct ownership of gold doesn’t generate dividends or interest payments, however. Gold profits come as capital appreciation, not income. So do your tax planning with that in mind.
By holding gold or other precious metals within an IRA, you can rebalance your gold holdings as often as you like without having to worry about capital gains taxes. All taxes on capital gains or dividends are deferred until you begin taking the money out. If you hold the assets in a Roth IRA for at least five years, withdrawals (called distributions) are tax-free.
Gold within an IRA is likewise not subject to the 28% tax rate that usually applies to gains from the sale of collectibles. However, Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code prohibits the holding of any kind of collectible or jewelry with an IRA.
Related: Goldco Review – An Insider Look at the Gold IRA Dealer’s Reviews, Ratings, and Complaints
What Forms of Gold Can You Own in an IRA?
As mentioned above, you cannot own jewelry, gemstones, or collectibles within your IRA. Self-directed IRA gold and precious metal holdings are limited to bullion: coins and bars of sufficiently established purity and quality.
Note: American Gold Eagle coins enjoy special status when it comes to IRAs. They are the only gold coin exempt from the generally-applicable 0.999% purity requirement that applies to self-directed IRA holdings.
Gold IRA Basics: How to add physical gold and silver to your retirement plan #GoldIRA
IRA Contribution Limits
As of the 2025 tax year, Congress imposes an annual cap of $7,000 per year to all your IRA accounts combined. For those age 50 and older, you can make an additional contribution of $1,000, for a total of $8,000 to all IRA accounts combined. Contribution limits remain unchanged since last year.
For married couples, the annual IRA contribution cap is $14,000, with each half of the couple potentially qualifying for the over-50 ‘catch-up’ contribution separately.
If you meet the income limits, you can deduct contributions to traditional IRAs against your income in the tax year for which you are contributing. However, even if you earn too much money to take deductions on IRA contributions, you can still contribute up to the annual maximum on a non-deductible basis.
Related: Traditional vs. Roth IRA for the Gold and Precious Metals Investor
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Roth IRA Income Limits
Tax year 2024
Single filers.
You can make a full contribution to a Roth IRA if your modified adjusted gross income is less than $146,000.
If your MAGI is greater than $146,000 but less than $159,500, a partial contribution is allowed. Your eligibility to make a Roth IRA contribution phases out entirely above a MAGI of $161,000.
Married and filing jointly.
You can make a full contribution to a Roth IRA if your modified adjusted gross income is less than $230,000.
If your modified adjusted gross income is more than $230,000 but less than $239,000, you can make a partial contribution.
Your eligibility to make a Roth IRA contribution phases out entirely above a MAGI of $240,000.
Tax year 2025
Single filers.
For tax year 2025, you can make a full contribution if your modified adjusted gross income is less than $150,000.
You can make a partial contribution if your modified adjusted gross income is more than $151,500 but less than $163,500.
Your eligibility to contribute to a Roth IRA phases out completely when your MAGI exceeds $165,000.
Married filing jointly.
For 2025, you can make a full contribution if your modified adjusted gross income is less than $236,000.
You can make a partial contribution for 2023 if your modified adjusted gross income is greater than $237,000 but less than $245,000.
Your eligibility to make a Roth IRA contribution phases out entirely if your MAGI exceeds $246,000 for tax year 2025.
Related: How to Diversify Your 401(k) or IRA with Physical Gold and Silver (Tax-Free)
IRA Contribution Deadlines
The contribution deadline is generally April 15th of the year following the tax year for which you are contributing. However, in recent years, you could contribute as late as July 15th, due to the taxpayer relief provisions of the CARES Act. Check with your tax professional to ensure your taxes are filed before the deadline.
Required Minimum Distributions
You can’t defer taxes on your assets in traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, SEPs, or SIMPLE IRAs indefinitely. Generally, you must begin taking distributions from these accounts not later than April 1st of the year after the one in which you turn age 73.
Roth IRAs and designated Roth 401(k) accounts are not subject to the RMD requirement.
If you would rather not be forced to take distributions, and pay income taxes on those distributions at ordinary income rates, then you should consider holding them in Roth IRA accounts, converting existing traditional IRAs to Roth accounts, or holding them outside of retirement accounts altogether.
Do not attempt to store your IRA gold or any other assets yourself. That’s prohibited under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code. You can hold gold personally if it’s not in a retirement account.
But if you hold physical gold or any other precious metal in your IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, it cannot enter your personal possession. You must use an IRS approved custodian to hold the assets on your IRA’s behalf. For example, a gold vault company or bank facility approved for this purpose.
If you try to hold these IRA assets yourself, or in an ordinary safety deposit box without the formal custodial arrangement, the IRS may force you to distribute the entire IRA at once, causing immediate income tax and significant additional penalties.
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Allowable Gold IRA Holdings
Generally, your gold holdings in an IRA must be a minimum of 99.5% pure. As stated earlier, there is an exception for American Eagle coins.
Bars and coins held in an IRA must be bullion, valued for their weight only.
IRA Approved Precious Metals List
IRA approved bullion rounds must meet minimum fineness requirements and be manufactured by a national government mint, a COMEX/NYMEX, LME, NYSE/Liffe, LBMA or ISO 9000 accredited refiner, assayer or manufacturer.
As mentioned above, you cannot own jewelry or gemstones within your IRA. Collectible coins are prohibited in IRAs, other than American proof Golden Eagle and Silver Eagle coins. Self-directed IRA gold and precious metal holdings are limited to bullion: coins and bars of sufficiently established purity and quality.
These coins are eligible to hold in IRA accounts:
Silver:
➢ Proof American Eagle silver coins
➢ Austrian Philharmonic silver coins
➢ Australian Kookaburra coins
➢ Canadian Maple Leaf silver coins
➢ Mexican Libertad silver bullion coins
➢ Silver Chinese Panda coins
➢ South African Silver Krugerrand coins
➢ Various other .999 fine rounds
Platinum:
➢ American Eagle platinum coins
➢ Proof American Eagle platinum coins
➢ Australian platinum Koala coins
➢ Canadian platinum Maple Leaf coins
➢ Isle of Man Noble platinum coins
➢ Various other .9995 fine rounds
Palladium:
➢ Palladium Canadian Maple Leaf coins
➢ Various other .9995 fine rounds
IRA Eligible Bullion Bars
You can own IRA-approved bullion bars provided they meet minimum standards for purity, manufactured by a NYMEX or COMEX-approved refiner/assayer or national mint.
Examples of qualifying gold bars:
➢ Canadian Mint .995 fine bars
➢ Credit Suisse .995 fine bars
➢ PAMP Suisse .995 fine bars
➢ UBS .995 fine bars
➢ Various other .995 fine bars
Examples of qualifying platinum bars:
➢ Credit Suisse .9995 fine bars
➢ Johnson Matthey .9995 fine bars
➢ Various other .9995 fine bars
Examples of qualifying silver bars:
➢ Canadian Mint .9999 fine bars
➢ Johnson Matthey .9999 fine bars
➢ Sunshine Mint .9999 fine bars
➢ Various other .9999 fine bars
Examples of qualifying Palladium bars:
➢ Pamp Suisse .9995+ fine bars
➢ Baird & Co. .9995+ fine bars
➢ Various other .9995 fine bars
Gold bars must be 99.5% pure gold.
Your bullion dealer should be able to tell you whether any particular bar or coin is authorized for IRA accounts. Otherwise, speak with an IRS-approved custodian or third-party administrator for self-directed IRA accounts.
Related: How to Buy Gold and Silver with Your Retirement Account (Tax-Free)
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Prohibited Transactions
When it comes to gold IRAs, you cannot buy from or sell to any of these prohibited counterparties:
- Yourself. That is, you cannot transfer your own gold to your IRA.
- Your spouse;
- Your descendants or ascendants and those of your spouse;
- Your attorney or any other fiduciary who advises you on your IRA;
- Any corporation or other entity controlled by any of the above.
You can only hold gold in an IRA that you have purchased from an authorized gold dealer who transfers it directly to an IRS-approved custodial facility to carry on your behalf. Again, it can never enter your possession directly.
How to Buy Gold for Your IRA Account
Not every IRA custodian will hold gold for your IRA – or any other alternative assets, for that matter. Most 401(k) custodians aren’t set up to hold physical assets on clients’ behalf. They are only capable of holding paper securities.
To buy actual physical gold, silver, platinum, or palladium for your IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account, you must open an account with a self-directed IRA custodian that allows precious metals.
Once you open the account, transfer money into it, either via your existing checking account or via a trustee-to-trustee transfer from another retirement account.
Once your self-directed IRA account is funded, provide your custodian or administrator with a written instruction to purchase the metal and transfer it directly to an authorized gold IRA depository for storage.
When it comes down to choosing your metals – stick with common bullion bars and coins. Compare pricing with different dealers to ensure you’re paying as close as possible to the spot price of gold or silver.
Gold IRA Rollovers
You can do one IRA rollover a year. To use a rollover to buy gold, direct your existing IRA custodian to transfer funds directly to you or directly to the new custodian. If they send the money to you, you have 60 days to transfer the funds in a new account, or the IRS will deem you to have taken a distribution, and you will owe taxes and possible penalties on the rollover amount.
This is not an issue if you have them transfer the funds directly to your new IRA custodian in a trustee-to-trustee transfer.
When executed correctly, an IRA rollover does not generate a taxable event.
Gold IRA questions that are not covered in this article?
Contact a company that specializes in Gold IRAs. All of these companies on our list deliver premium customer service. Meaning, they hold your hand through the entire process of opening a gold IRA and ensure everything is done in compliance with the IRS.
Best Gold IRA Companies for 2025
We’ve looked at all of the top companies that specialize in Gold IRAs. Below are some of our preferred partners that we recommend to our readers.
How do you get started? Request a free guide or information kit from two or three trusted dealers. They should contact you within one business day to confirm your mailing address and send out their free resources. You may want to use this opportunity to ask to speak with a precious metals specialist.
It’s a great opportunity to:
- Ask questions
- Share your long-term goals
- Get all fees and pricing information in writing
The good news is you can’t go wrong with any of the firms listed below. Let them know you’re comparing companies.
Make them work to earn your business.
Related: Buy Physical Gold Bars and Coins with Your 401(k) without Paying Taxes or Penalties
Just a few of the companies worth considering for your precious metals IRA…
Goldco
Goldco is our top recommendation for your Gold IRA. They’ve streamlined the entire process of setting up a Precious metals IRA. From working with the IRA costodians, to setting up shipping, and storage. Their account executives can also advise on selection of metals, and ensure all is done in compliance with the IRS.
Request Your Free Gold IRA Guide Today
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Augusta Precious Metals
The team at Augusta Precious Metals will hold your hand through each step of opening your precious metals IRA. After you reach out to request your info kit, the company will also offer a one-on-one educational webinar designed by Devlyn Steele, their in-house economist.
This is a no-obligation, educational presentation. It’s an excelleint opportunity to speak directly with their team and raise questions or concerns you may have about setting up a gold IRA.
Request Your Free Gold IRA Guide:
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Noble Gold Investments
Founded in 2017, Noble Gold Investments is one of the biggest players in the precious metals IRA space. The company is highly rated with the BBB, BCA, TrustLink, and Trustpilot.
CEO Colin Plume’s specialty is providing customers with common bullion products at low markup. If you’re considering a gold IRA, we believe that you can’t go wrong with Noble Gold Investments.
Request Your Free Gold IRA Guide:
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Birch Gold Group
If you’ve listened to the Ben Shapiro Show or The Ron Paul Liberty Report, there’s a good chance you’ve at least heard of Birch Gold Group. With more than two decades of business and billions of dollars in customer transactions, Birch Gold is a trusted precious metals dealer for 2025.
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Discover how precious metals like gold and silver can supercharge your retirement savings.
Colonial Metals Group
A newer company to hit our radar for 2025 is Colonial Metals Group. CEO Paul Stone can be seen regularly as a featured guest on prestigious conservative programs such as Larry Kudlow and Roger Stone’s podcasts. But is the company legit?
The company has been featured in mainstream media outlets like NewsMax, USA Today, and Fox Business. As a newer company, they’re currently offering unique incentives to attract more customers. With overwhelmingly 5-star reviews on websites such as Trustpilot , we believe they’re worth your consideration in 2025.
Request Your Free Gold & Silver Guide Today
Protect Your Retirement Savings with Physical Precious Metals.
Getting Started
Whether you’re ready to open your gold IRA, or still in the research phase, it’s a good idea to start gathering information. Reach out to a few gold dealers. Review their free promotional materials and make sure to read reviews on sites like Trustpilot, BBB, and Trustlink.
Let these companies know you’re vetting their competition and comparing pricing on metals. A little bit of legwork now can ensure you’re working with a reputable dealer, and not overpaying for your bullion bars and coins.
