Is Your Retirement Ready for the Next Market Crash?

A Gold IRA is a self-directed individual retirement account that can hold IRS-approved physical precious metals — typically gold coins and bars meeting minimum purity standards — instead of only stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. It follows the same contribution limits, distribution rules, and tax treatment as a traditional IRA; the difference is what the account is allowed to own. Read the full rollover guide →

Often, yes — typically through a rollover. A direct rollover (funds move custodian-to-custodian) generally avoids tax withholding. An indirect rollover (a check made out to you) triggers mandatory 20% federal withholding on 401(k) distributions and must be completed within 60 days to avoid taxes and potential penalties. Read the full rollover guide →

A properly executed direct rollover from one retirement account to another is generally not a taxable event. Mistakes can create tax bills: missing the 60-day window on an indirect rollover, or taking a distribution you do not roll over, generally makes the amount taxable income (plus a 10% early-withdrawal penalty if you are under 59½, with limited exceptions). Read the full rollover guide →

Common fees include a one-time account setup fee, an annual custodian/administration fee, annual storage fees, and dealer premiums above the metal’s spot price when you buy — plus a spread when you sell back. Always get the complete fee schedule in writing before committing, and model costs over a 10-year horizon. Read the fees guide →

Only 4 of the 10 major companies we checked publish a complete fee schedule on their own website: Augusta Precious Metals, Birch Gold Group, Lear Capital, and Noble Gold Investments. Three publish zero fee figures anywhere. One — Goldco — contradicts its own numbers across three pages. Read the fee comparison →

Yes — gold is volatile and its price can fall sharply and stay down for years. Diversification does not guarantee profits or protect against losses in declining markets, and past performance does not predict future results. Anyone who tells you gold can only go up is selling you something. Read the honest pros and cons →

Compare on verifiable criteria: complete fee schedules in writing, buyback policy terms, years in business, regulatory and complaint history, whether pricing is transparent before you commit, and whether the salesperson uses pressure tactics. Be wary of anyone promising guaranteed returns. Read the 7 questions to ask →

Start with one question, word for word: “What is my all-in annual cost in dollars — every fee, every year — on my account size?” Then ask for the answer in writing, and ask the same of two more companies. Read all 7 questions →

No. Under current IRS rules, gold in an IRA must stay in the physical possession of an approved trustee at an approved depository. Taking it home is generally treated as a distribution, with income tax and a possible 10% penalty if you are under 59½. Read the home storage guide →

Quite possibly — if your plan allows in-service distributions at 59½. It is the plan’s choice, not a legal right. If the plan says yes and you move the money as a direct rollover, there are no taxes and no penalties. Ask your plan administrator first. Read the 59½ guide →

The account passes to the person named on the beneficiary form — not the will. Most non-spouse heirs must empty a traditional inherited IRA by the end of the tenth year after the owner’s death, paying ordinary income tax on distributions. The gold can be taken as physical metal or sold for cash. Read the inherited IRA guide →

A gold IRA gives you IRA tax treatment in exchange for IRA rules: custodian, approved depository, no home storage. Buying gold outright is simpler and the metal is yours to hold, but there is no tax shelter and storage is on you. Many retirees end up with some of each. Read the comparison →