You want gold and silver in your retirement account but don't know how a self-directed IRA actually works.
It's a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) with a specialty custodian who holds IRS-approved bullion in a depository on your behalf. You don't physically possess the metal until distribution. Setup: open SDIRA → fund via rollover or contribution → custodian buys metal from a dealer → metal ships to depository in your name.
Gold: .995+ purity (American Gold Eagles are the exception at .9167). Silver: .999+. Platinum/Palladium: .9995+. Eligible products: American Eagles, Canadian Maples, Australian Kangaroos, PAMP/Credit Suisse bars from approved refiners. NOT eligible: rare coins, jewelry, or anything you'd buy 'because it's pretty'.
Custodian setup: $50-200. Annual custodian fee: $80-300. Annual depository storage: $100-300 (segregated costs more than commingled). Markup on metal: 4-12% over spot (negotiate hard — this is the biggest cost). Total first-year cost on a $50K IRA: typically $200-500 plus the metal markup.
Yes — direct trustee-to-trustee rollover is tax-free and has no 60-day rule. Make sure your old plan allows in-service rollovers if you're still employed.
No. 'Home storage IRAs' are an IRS audit magnet — the metal must be at an approved depository or your IRA can be disqualified retroactively.
You can take physical delivery (the metal is shipped to you, treated as a taxable distribution at fair market value) OR have the custodian sell it and distribute cash.
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