You can hold physical gold and silver in a self-directed retirement account, and most precious metals retirement plans at USAGOLD begin with a rollover from an existing IRA or 401(k). We’ve helped clients set these up for decades — the mechanics below are the questions we answer most. Account setup can be done over the phone quickly; your call is welcome at 1-800-869-5115.
Yes. You can buy gold and silver coins and bullion — and other approved precious metals — in a self-directed IRA or 401(k) established with a trust company. Conventional plans at banks and brokerages generally don’t allow physical metals because of the storage, insurance, and custodial responsibilities involved; a self-directed plan adds them to your available options.
The most commonly traded products approved by the IRS for retirement accounts:
Gold: American Gold Eagle, American Buffalo, Canadian Maple Leaf, Austrian Philharmonic, Australian Nugget (all sizes, proof and business strike), and accredited bars.
Silver: American Silver Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, Austrian Philharmonic (one ounce, proof and business strikes), and accredited bars of minimum .999 fineness.
Platinum: Canadian Maple Leaf, Australian Koala (all sizes), and accredited bars of minimum .9995 fineness.
Palladium: accredited bars of minimum .9995 fineness.
The full list is on our eligible items page. Note that eligibility is a product fact under the Internal Revenue Code — it is not a recommendation of any particular product.
Yes — most precious metals retirement plans at USAGOLD begin exactly this way. Current law allows transfers from IRAs and rollovers from qualified retirement plans including 401(k), 401(a), 403(b), 457, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and annuities.
It starts with a telephone consultation. We then send an email with links to the trust companies we work with that administer self-directed plans; you establish the account with the trustee, funds transfer from your current custodian, and once funded you direct the purchase of eligible metals through USAGOLD. We’re happy to help you fill out the account set-up forms — it can be done over the phone quickly.
The trustee (custodian) administers the account and the metal is stored at an approved depository — you don’t take personal possession while it’s in the IRA. Self-directed trustees don’t give investment advice; they provide administration and reporting, and work with vendors like USAGOLD for the permitted metals purchases. Trustees charge fees for these services, generally listed on their websites, so you can see costs before committing.
The trustee charges an annual maintenance fee based on account value, and the depository charges a separate annual storage fee that depends on whether storage is segregated or non-segregated. Current fee schedules are published on the trust companies’ websites, so you can see the costs before committing. Because a meaningful part of the cost is fixed, a precious metals IRA is generally more economical at higher account values — one reason most plans here start with a rollover rather than contributions built up from scratch.
No — and be wary of anyone telling you otherwise. So-called “checkbook IRAs” or “home storage IRAs” are marketed heavily, but these structures have repeatedly appeared among the IRS’s “Dirty Dozen” tax scams, and the IRS has warned taxpayers against claims that IRA precious metals can be stored at home or in a safe-deposit box. The potential penalty is severe — up to loss of the account’s tax-deferred status. USAGOLD considers the checkbook IRA a risky, problematic approach and a bad choice for our clientele; the traditional self-directed IRA with a solid trust company is the safest avenue. More on our checkbook IRA alert page.
Yes: high-markup products pitched specifically at IRA money. Independently graded modern proof and mint-state coins are often sold at large, sometimes unsustainable premiums over their metal content, with much of the premium going to the promoter. Standard bullion coins and accredited bars accomplish the same IRA eligibility without the markup.
All the rules that apply to conventional retirement plans — particularly tax treatment — also apply to self-directed plans. USAGOLD does not provide tax advice; consult your tax professional or plan administrator about your specific situation, including rollover timing rules and distributions.
Ready to start, or have a question this page doesn’t answer? Call us at 1-800-869-5115 or email [email protected]. See also: Gold IRA overview · How to do a rollover · Eligible items.
Last reviewed: July 28, 2026
