A gold IRA is a specific type of individual retirement account (IRA) that allows individuals to hold physical gold and other precious metals as retirement investments. Unlike traditional IRAs that hold assets like stocks and bonds, Gold IRAs permit investment in tangible physical metals such as gold bullion and coins. These accounts follow the same tax regulations as traditional IRAs, providing tax advantages for retirement savings. Gold IRAs offer the same tax benefits as other IRAs, such as tax-deferred growth in traditional IRAs or tax-free withdrawals in Roth IRAs. Gold is often considered a safe haven asset that can help diversify a portfolio and potentially offer protection against inflation and economic instability.
Gold IRAs fall under the Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) category, which permits investments in a wider array of assets, including precious metals, real estate, and cryptocurrency. The main feature is the ability to own physical gold, bullion, and specific IRS-approved coins and bars. Gold IRAs allow you to purchase and store physical gold and precious metals, which means you’ll need a bank or other institution to store the physical asset. Physical precious metals must be held by an IRS-approved custodian and stored in an IRS-approved depository; they cannot be stored at home. That’s one reason why gold IRAs come with higher fees than traditional IRAs. Keep in mind that you cannot store your physical gold at home or the IRS will consider it a distribution from the IRA.
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GENERAL RULES
TRADITIONAL GOLD IRA
Traditional Gold IRA Contributions are made with pre-tax money, and growth is tax-deferred until withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income. A traditional Gold IRA is a type of self-directed IRA that allows individuals to invest in physical gold and other precious metals like silver, platinum, and palladium as part of their retirement savings. Unlike traditional IRAs that typically hold paper assets like stocks and bonds, a gold IRA lets investors own physical gold, providing a way to diversify their retirement portfolios and potentially hedge against inflation and economic instability. Anyone with taxable compensation can contribute to a traditional IRA, regardless of age.
Contributions may be tax-deductible, reducing your taxable income for the year. The amount you can deduct depends on whether you or your spouse are covered by a retirement plan at work and your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI).
For example, if you're single and covered by a workplace retirement plan, your deduction is phased out if your MAGI is between $79,000 and $89,000. If your MAGI is $89,000 or more, you can't deduct your contribution.
If neither you nor your spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan, your deduction is allowed in full, regardless of your income.
ROTH GOLD IRA
ROTH IRA contributions are made with after-tax money, leading to tax-free withdrawals in retirement if certain conditions are met. A Roth Gold IRA allows you to invest in physical gold within a tax-advantaged retirement account. It combines the benefits of a Roth IRA, specifically tax-free withdrawals in retirement, with the potential advantages of holding physical gold, such as diversification and hedging against inflation. The value of your gold grows tax-free within the Roth Gold IRA. When you take qualified withdrawals in retirement (after age 59½ and meeting the five-year rule), both your contributions and earnings are tax-free. In 2025, to make a full Roth IRA contribution, your MAGI must be less than $150,000 for single filers and less than $236,000 for those filing jointly.
Your contribution limit is reduced if your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) falls within certain ranges ( between $150,000 and $165,000 for single filers in 2025).
You are ineligible to contribute if your MAGI is above those ranges ($165,000 or more for single filers in 2025).
SEP Gold IRA
Many types of businesses can establish a SEP IRA plan, but it's best suited for self-employed individuals and small businesses with no employees or many employees. With these plans, small business owners can contribute toward their employees' retirement, as well as their own retirement savings. This is a traditional IRA designed for self-employed individuals and small business owners, featuring higher contribution limits. SEP gold IRA allows individuals to invest in physical gold and other precious metals like silver, platinum, and palladium as part of their retirement savings.
Only the employer can make contributions to the SEP IRAs. Employees cannot contribute. The employer can contribute up to the lesser of 25% of each employee's compensation or a specific dollar amount, which is subject to cost-of-living adjustments. For 2025, the limit the employer can contribute is $70,000.
GOLD COINS
American Gold Eagle Coins (all sizes, proof and business strike)
American Gold Buffalo Coins (bullion coins only)
Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins
Australian Gold Kangaroo/Nugget Coins
Austrian Philharmonic Gold Coins
British Britannia Gold Coins (2013 and newer)
Chinese Gold Panda Coins
GOLD BARS
Accredited gold bars (meeting the purity and manufacturer requirements)
DISCLAIMER
The information provided by this website is for general informational purposes only. All information is provided in good faith, and we make no warranty. This information is informative and not financial advice. Please contact a Financial Advisor and tax professional to conduct IRA planning and transfers of funds.
Investing in precious metals involves risks and may not be suitable for everyone.
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