Best Gold IRA Among Precious Metals IRAs of 2025

A gold IRA account, also called a precious metals IRA account, is a specialized type of individual retirement account (IRA) that allows you to invest in physical gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. Unlike traditional IRAs that hold traditional assets like stocks and bonds, a gold IRA holds IRS-approved precious metals stored in secure depositories. Gold IRAs are self-directed IRAs that are set up and operated by a custodian but controlled by you. The IRS allows self-directed IRA account holders to purchase coins and bars minted from gold or other approved precious metals, such as silver, platinum, or palladium.

The primary benefit of funding an IRA in precious metals is that it provides a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty, allowing you to diversify your retirement portfolios and potentially increase your wealth over time. These accounts offer the same tax advantages as traditional or Roth IRAs, but with the added benefit of owning a tangible, inflation-resistant asset.

“Adding silver, gold, or other precious metals to your retirement account may help protect your wealth by reducing volatility, hedging against economic downturns, and preserving value over the long term.” — Kelli Click, President of STRATA Trust Company

How a Gold IRA Works

You can fund an IRA in gold and silver, as well as platinum or palladium. To fund the account, you’ll purchase gold coins, bars, and/or other IRA-eligible precious metals and store them in an IRS-approved depository.

Gold IRAs follow the same contribution limits as traditional IRAs — $7,000 annually for 2025 ($8,000 if you’re 50 or older) — but there are a few differences to consider. For one, IRAs funded with gold have rules and regulations around what types of gold can be held in your account. Additionally, IRA-eligible precious metals must meet certain purity requirements and be produced by an approved refiner. A reputable gold IRA and/or precious metals IRA company will only sell metals that meet these requirements.

To invest in a gold IRA, you must work with a custodian — the financial institution who is responsible for the assets in your precious metals IRA — before purchasing IRS-approved precious metals to fund the account. Most experienced gold IRA companies will guide you through this process.

If you’re wondering, “is a precious metal ira a good idea?” it may help to consider the pros and cons of investing in precious metals IRAs, including gold and silver IRAs:

Pros:

• Diversifies your retirement portfolio when paired with traditional assets like stocks and bonds
• Acts as a hedge against inflation and currency risk because it can’t be devalued by printing
• Offers tax advantages similar to traditional and Roth IRAs
• Precious metals like gold are considered tangible assets with a historical track record of performing well over the long term

Cons:

• Higher fees than traditional IRAs, including storage fees
• Strict IRS rules on IRA-eligible metals and custodians
• Some precious metal companies require higher initial investments to open an IRA
• Precious metals are subject to risk, such as price volatility

Choosing a reputable gold IRA company is crucial to securing your precious metals IRA investment and receiving the best possible service. When selecting a gold IRA company, consider the following factors:

• Reputation: Look for companies with a strong reputation in the industry, as well as positive reviews from customers.
• Fees: Compare the fees charged by different companies, including setup fees, annual fees, and storage fees.
• Investment options: Consider the types of precious metals offered by the company, as well as any other investment options available.
• Customer service: Look for companies with a strong customer service team that can provide guidance and support throughout the investment process.

Buyback guarantees: Compare buyback policies, sometimes called buyback guarantees, which are the company’s promise to “buy back” metals at a certain price when you're ready to sell. Some guarantees, or prices at which the company will buy back the metals, are better than others.

Most financial institutions like banks and brokerage firms don’t offer precious metals or self-directed precious metals IRAs. To boost your retirement savings with precious metals, you’ll need to work with a reputable provider and a custodian specializing in alternative assets. The best gold IRA companies are also experts in tax reporting and compliance requirements.

Here's a quick breakdown of how investing in a gold IRA works:

1. Open a self-directed IRA account with a custodian
2. Fund the precious metals IRA account (via rollover, transfer, or cash contribution)
3. Choose a reputable Gold IRA company
4. Purchase IRS-approved gold products (or other IRA-eligible precious metals)
5. Store the gold in an approved depository
6. Regularly review and adjust your account as needed to ensure it meets your financial goals

Most precious metals providers will guide you through this process, including selecting a custodian to manage the account and storing your metals in an IRS-approved depository. (You’ll never personally handle the metals.)

How Do You Fund a Gold IRA?

To fund an IRA in precious metals like gold, you can use several methods, including rollovers from other retirement accounts, direct cash contributions, or transfers from existing custodians.

If you already have a 401(k) or other retirement account, you can execute a 401(k) to gold IRA rollover. For example, you could roll over a portion of your IRA or 401(k) to a gold IRA as a way to diversify your nest egg. The following accounts are eligible to be rolled over into a precious metal-backed IRA:

• Traditional IRA
• Roth IRA
• SEP IRA
• SIMPLE IRA
• Inherited IRA
• 401(k), 403(b), TSP accounts (from previous employers)

The tax advantages of a gold or precious metals IRA are similar to those of traditional IRAs.

If you hold gold in a traditional IRA, your contributions are tax-deductible, and you'll pay income tax on withdrawals in retirement. If you hold gold in a Roth IRA, you pay taxes on the money before it goes into the IRA, but your qualified withdrawals in retirement will be tax-free.

Traditional gold IRAs also have required minimum distributions (RMDs) and allow for penalty-free distributions starting at age 59 and 1/2.

The IRS requires that an approved custodian hold precious metals IRA account assets in an IRS-approved depository. If you store them at home, the IRS will consider it a withdrawal, and you’ll need to pay 1) taxes if it’s a traditional gold IRA and/or 2) penalties if the withdrawal takes place before age 59 1/2.

Choosing a reputable custodian in the gold IRA industry is crucial to ensure the security and compliance of your investment.

Most top gold IRA companies partner with trusted third-party storage firms and IRS-approved depositories like:

• Delaware Depository
• Brink’s Global Services
• STRATA Trust Company
• Equity Trust

These facilities provide secure, insured storage with options for segregated (your metals stored separately) or non-segregated storage alongside the metals of other investors.

Many gold IRAs have higher fees than traditional IRAs, which account for the cost to store physical assets and manage them. Gold IRA fees vary by precious metal provider, but here are the most common:

• Setup fee to process a new account or initiate an IRA/401k rollover, which can range from $50 to $275. Some custodians may waive this expense for larger accounts and investments.
• Flat transaction fee to purchase or sell metals within the account, typically about $40 per transaction.
• Annual account maintenance fee, which can vary from $75 to a few hundred dollars per year. Some custodians may offer discounts based on the size of your account.
• Annual storage fee to hold your metals in an approved depository. This can be a percentage of your investment or a flat fee. Some custodians may include insurance costs in their storage fees.

Shipping fee to move your metals to and from the depository.

There are other ways to access the benefits of gold without opening an IRA, such as investing in gold ETFs and mutual funds in your traditional IRA. Like gold IRAs, gold ETFs come with maintenance fees and transaction fees, but they may be lower than gold IRAs. Plus, you can purchase and sell them easily. This is good for investors who want more liquid assets.

If you prefer to hold the physical asset, you’ll need to open a gold IRA or invest in physical gold.

Gold IRAs come with some tax benefits that do not apply to physical gold. Plus, the IRS considers gold and other precious metals collectibles, which makes them subject to a capital gains tax up to 28%. You can keep physical gold at home, but it’s important to protect your investment. Physical gold can also be sold at any time while gold IRAs are generally considered to be a long-term holding strategy.