A gold IRA keeps retirement money tax-deferred but locks the gold in a vault. Physical gold you own is yours to hold, but you buy it with money you have already paid tax on. Tax-deferred means no tax until you take money out. Physical gold here means coins and bars you own directly, outside any retirement account. So the first question is not which gold is better. It is where your money sits today.
Where the money sits decides most of the cost. In our 2026 example, taking $100,000 out of a traditional IRA to buy coins for home cost a married couple $19,920 in extra federal tax. None of the page-1 results we could read on September 29, 2026 showed a dollar example like that. This page is part of our gold IRA comparisons, built from IRS rules, published fee schedules and a dated dealer price.
We compare costs, taxes, control and access, in that order. A custodian is the trust company that holds an IRA's assets. Neither route wins for everyone, so the page ends with a verdict by situation.
Gold IRA vs Physical Gold at a Glance: 14 Differences Side by Side#
A gold IRA and physical gold differ on 14 points, from where the money comes from to what your heirs pay, each dated and sourced in the table below. A collectible is the tax code's word for coins, metals, art and similar items. A depository is the vault that stores IRA metal, and "in kind" means paid out as metal, not cash.
Table 1. Gold IRA vs physical gold: 14 differences, checked September 29, 2026
| # | Point | Gold IRA | Physical gold you own | As of / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal basis | An IRA under 26 U.S.C. 408; metal allowed only under the 408(m)(3) exceptions, otherwise buying a collectible counts as a distribution | Legal to own since Pub. L. 93-373 (approved 1974-08-14; ownership from 1974-12-31); no federal quantity limit | law.cornell.edu; govinfo.gov |
| 2 | Where the money comes from | Untaxed transfer or rollover of retirement money, or a new contribution (2026 limit $7,500; $8,600 at 50+) | Money you have already paid tax on; IRA money must be withdrawn first, and that is taxed | IRS Notice 2025-67; Pub 590-A |
| 3 | Who holds the metal | The trustee (custodian) through a depository; home storage is a taxable distribution (McNulty, 2021) | You, a bank box or a private vault you choose | 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B); 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021-11-18) |
| 4 | What you can buy | Only coins and bars the tax code allows (which gold the tax code allows): gold .995 fine, or the American Gold Eagle by name | Any gold, including coins an IRA cannot hold, such as the Krugerrand | 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3) |
| 5 | Cost to buy | Dealer premium over spot; IRA wires get the cash price | Same premium; a card can add about 4%; some states charge sales tax (Washington from 2026-01-01) | SD Bullion and dealer terms, 2026-09-29; ESSB 5794 |
| 6 | Yearly cost | $215 to $656 a year in published custodian and storage fees at $50,000 (Equity Trust metals schedule: $235 non-segregated) | No account fees; your own safe and insurance; or a vault outside an IRA (Texas Bullion Depository 0.49% a year, $100 minimum) | Fee schedules, 2026-09-29 |
| 7 | Tax on growth | None while it stays in the IRA | None until you sell | Pub 590-B; IRS Topic 409 |
| 8 | Tax when money comes out or you sell | Traditional: every dollar withdrawn is ordinary income; Roth: $0 if qualified; 10% additional tax before 59 1/2 unless an exception applies | Only the gain is taxed: ordinary rates, capped at 28% if held more than a year, plus 3.8% NIIT at higher incomes | 26 U.S.C. 408(d)(1), 72(t), 1(h), 1411 |
| 9 | What is reported to the IRS | Custodian files Form 5498 each year and Form 1099-R on withdrawals | Dealer files Form 1099-B only for sales matching a CFTC futures contract in form and quantity; Form 8300 for cash over $10,000 | Form 1099-B instructions 2026; Form 8300 guide |
| 10 | Theft and loss | Depository's private insurance (pays metal value; has exclusions); FDIC and SIPC do not cover IRA metal | Standard HO-3 form pays $200 (2011 edition) or $300 (2022 edition) for coins lost to theft, fire or another covered cause unless scheduled; FDIC does not insure safe deposit boxes | HO-3 filings; fdic.gov, 2026-09-29 |
| 11 | Bankruptcy protection | Federal exemption for IRAs up to $1,711,975 (cases filed from 2025-04-01); rollover money from employer plans is outside the cap | No retirement-account exemption; state exemptions vary | 11 U.S.C. 522(n) |
| 12 | Getting cash fast | Custodian sells, then a taxed distribution | Sell to any dealer at its bid the same day | Dealer and custodian terms, 2026-09-29 |
| 13 | Forced sales | RMDs from 73 (born 1951-1958) or 75 (born 1960 or later) for traditional IRAs; none for Roth owners | None | 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(9)(C)(v) |
| 14 | What heirs pay | Traditional: withdrawals are ordinary income, no step-up, most heirs empty it within 10 years; Roth: $0 if qualified | Basis steps up to the value at death, so a quick sale costs little or no tax | 26 U.S.C. 1014(a)(1), (c); Pub 590-B |
Both columns can hold the very same coin. What differs is who owns it on paper, where it sits and how its money is taxed. If you are new to how a gold IRA works, start with what a gold IRA is and how it works.
Costs: What a Gold IRA and Physical Gold Cost to Buy, Hold and Sell#
Physical gold and a gold IRA cost the same to buy and sell, but a $50,000 gold IRA adds $215 to $656 a year in fees, as of September 2026. That range runs from GoldStar Trust's commingled storage to Madison Trust's 2026 schedule. So is gold at home cheaper? Only in account fees: your own safe and insurance cost money too.
Three prices set every gold deal. The spot price is the market price of raw gold. The premium is what a dealer charges above spot, and the bid is what it pays when you sell. Every fee layer on top is in our guide to gold IRA fees.
Buying costs: the same gold, the same premiums, different money#
The same 1-oz American Gold Eagle cost $4,280.53 on September 29, 2026, 3.03% over spot, whether an IRA bought it or you did. That price came from one online dealer, SD Bullion, paid by wire (a bank transfer), against its spot price of $4,154.51 at that moment.
The premium depends mostly on the size and type of the piece. A bar is priced mainly by weight, while a coin such as the Gold Eagle comes from a government mint. The table below shows 9 products at one dealer on one day.
Table 2. Premium over spot by gold product, SD Bullion, September 29, 2026
| Product | Premium over spot |
|---|---|
| 100 g gold bar | 1.07% |
| 10-oz gold bar | 1.31% |
| 1-oz PAMP gold bar | 1.79% |
| 1-oz Gold Kangaroo | 2.02% |
| 1-oz Gold Britannia | 2.57% |
| 1-oz American Gold Eagle | 3.03% |
| 1-oz American Gold Buffalo | 5.71% |
| 1/10-oz American Gold Eagle | 13.82% |
| 1-g gold bar | 22.46% |
SD Bullion wire prices, September 29, 2026. Premiums change daily.
Small pieces cost the most: 13.82% for a 1/10-oz Gold Eagle and 22.46% for a 1-gram bar.
Paying by card cost about 4% more at some dealers as of September 2026, for example Blanchard and Pacific Precious Metals (Summit Metals 4.2%). IRA purchases are paid by custodian wire, so they get the cash price.
Some states also tax gold you buy for home. Washington taxes bullion from January 1, 2026 (ESSB 5794), while Virginia's exemption runs through June 30, 2028. Each state's rule is in our table of sales tax on gold and silver by state.
Holding costs: gold IRA storage fees vs a home safe or a state-run vault#
A gold IRA on Equity Trust's precious-metals schedule costs $235 a year with pooled storage, at any balance, as of September 2026. That flat fee is 2.35% of a $10,000 account but only 0.24% of $100,000.
Non-segregated, or commingled, storage pools your coins with other owners' identical coins. Segregated storage keeps your own coins apart and costs $50 more a year at Equity Trust. The table below shows each route's yearly cost at 3 account sizes.
Table 3. Yearly holding cost at three account sizes, as of September 29, 2026
| Route (schedule) | $10,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold IRA, Equity Trust metals-only schedule (FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726), non-segregated | $235 (2.35%) | $235 (0.47%) | $235 (0.24%) |
| Gold IRA, Equity Trust, segregated | $285 (2.85%) | $285 (0.57%) | $285 (0.29%) |
| Gold IRA, GoldStar Trust commingled (GTC Rev. 01/2026) | $215 (2.15%) | $215 (0.43%) | $215 (0.22%) |
| Gold in a Fidelity IRA, bullion storage 0.125% a quarter, $15 yearly floor (FA-FEES-0926); buy charge of 2.90% to 0.99% on top | $50 (0.50%) | $250 (0.50%) | $500 (0.50%) |
| Outside an IRA, Texas Bullion Depository (0.49% a year, $25 quarterly minimum, effective 2026-04-01) | $100 (1.00%) | $245 (0.49%) | $490 (0.49%) |
| At home | $0 in account fees, plus a safe and any scheduled insurance | $0 in account fees, plus a safe and any scheduled insurance | $0 in account fees, plus a safe and any scheduled insurance |
Setup fees come on top: $50 once at Equity Trust and at GoldStar. The Texas Bullion Depository charges no setup or withdrawal fee; shipping costs $17.95 plus 0.18% of the value. Fidelity's IRA bullion purchases start at $1,000.
A state-run vault is a middle road. The Texas Bullion Depository is a state agency in the Texas Comptroller's office that publishes rates for accounts outside an IRA. It has also stored IRA metal since June 12, 2025, with Equity Trust its only named custodian as of September 2026, at negotiated, unpublished prices. So IRA gold and your own gold can sit in the same state-run vault on different terms.
Equity Trust's flat fee and the vault's 0.49% cross at about $47,960 ($235 ÷ 0.49%, SafeOunce computation). Below that balance, the state vault costs less; above it, the gold IRA costs less. On small accounts, Fidelity's 0.50% storage beats both: $50 a year on $10,000.
Home storage has no fee line, but it costs a safe, the insurance gap shown under Control and your time. We found no published price for a safe or an insurance rider, so ask your agent.
Commingled does not mean unallocated: the depository still records the pooled coins as yours. Every custodian's rate is in gold IRA storage fees.
Selling costs: the dealer's bid either way, plus gold IRA exit fees#
You sell at the dealer's bid price either way: on September 29, 2026, one dealer asked $4,280.53 for a 1-oz Gold Eagle and bid $4,049.93, about 5.4% less. That gap is the round trip, the cost of buying and then selling back the same coin. At 5.39% it cost $2,694 on $50,000 of coins that day.
A gold IRA adds three exit fees on Equity Trust's precious-metals schedule (Rev. 081726), listed below.
- Liquidation fee: $30 per sale, charged when the custodian sells your metal for cash.
- In-kind distribution or transfer-out fee: $125 per transaction.
- Termination fee: $250 to close the account.
GoldStar Trust's schedule (Rev. 01/2026) charges less to leave: a $150 termination fee, $75 for an in-kind distribution and $50 for a wire.
Home coins skip the custodian step: you can sell them to any dealer, coin shop or private buyer the same day. Money from an IRA sale stays in the IRA until you withdraw it, and that withdrawal is taxed. The steps are in how to sell gold in your IRA.
What 10 years cost on $50,000: gold at home, in a vault or in a gold IRA#
Over 10 years at a flat gold price, $50,000 of Gold Eagles costs about $2,700 to own at home before insurance and $5,100 in a state-run vault. A gold IRA costs $5,100 to $5,900 on the same terms.
Table 4. Ten-year cost of $50,000 in Gold Eagles at a flat gold price, and the gold rise needed to break even
| Route | How we added it up | 10-year cost | Gold rise to break even |
|---|---|---|---|
| At home | $2,694 round trip; your safe and insurance extra | $2,694 | 5.7% |
| Texas Bullion Depository, outside an IRA | $2,694 + $245 × 10 years | $5,144, plus shipping | 10.9% at flat-price fees |
| Gold IRA, GoldStar commingled | $2,694 + $50 setup + $215 × 10 + $150 termination + $50 wire + $10 shipping | $5,104 | 10.8% |
| Gold IRA, Equity Trust non-segregated | $2,694 + $50 setup + $235 × 10 + $30 liquidation + $250 termination | $5,374 | 11.4% |
| Gold IRA, Equity Trust segregated | $2,694 + $50 setup + $285 × 10 + $30 + $250 | $5,874 | 12.4% |
Break-even: the rise at which selling at the bid, after all fees, returns the $50,000 you put in (SafeOunce computation).
Paying fees in cash is not always allowed. IRS guidance covers only trustee administrative fees paid from outside the IRA, and each custodian sets its own rule. If the IRA holds no cash, the custodian sells metal. Provident's terms let it sell enough for the fees owed plus one more year.
In fees alone, a gold IRA and a paid vault cost about the same; the large difference is tax. Change the numbers in our gold IRA fee calculator.
Taxes: Deferred in a Gold IRA, Up to 28% on Physical Gold#
A traditional gold IRA is taxed as ordinary income when money comes out, while gold you own is taxed only on its gain, capped at 28%. Ordinary income is taxed at your normal bracket rate, like wages. A capital gain is your profit over your basis, which is what you paid, and long-term means held more than one year.
Which route costs less tax? That depends mostly on whether the money is already in a retirement account. Every tax step, from contribution to withdrawal, is in our guide to gold IRA taxes.
Why cashing out IRA or 401(k) money to buy physical gold costs the most#
Withdrawing $100,000 from a traditional IRA to buy gold for home added $19,920 of federal tax for a married 62-year-old couple in our 2026 example, leaving $77,724 of gold. The withdrawal lands in their top, or marginal, bracket. Here it pushes $79,200 of income into the 22% band.
Table 5. Cashing out $100,000 of IRA money to buy gold for home (2026)
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Federal tax on $80,000 of other taxable income ($2,480 + 12% × $55,200) | $9,104 |
| Federal tax on $180,000 with the withdrawal ($11,600 + 22% × $79,200) | $29,024 |
| Extra tax caused by the withdrawal | $19,920 |
| Cash left to spend | $80,080 |
| Gold bought at a 3.03% premium | $77,724 |
| Same $100,000 moved to a low-cost gold IRA instead | $97,059 of gold |
| Same $100,000 in a gold ETF (GLDM) inside the IRA | $99,980 (after an assumed $20, or 0.02%, trading cost) |
| Under 59 1/2: add the 10% additional tax ($10,000) | $70,080 of cash, $68,019 of gold |
Withholding, tax taken out in advance, is not the final bill. An IRA withdrawal has 10% withheld by default, which you can change on Form W-4R. A 401(k) payout made to you has 20% withheld (26 U.S.C. 3405(c)). The $19,920 is owed either way, and state tax, which follows where you live, is extra.
Moving the same money into a gold IRA by direct transfer or rollover is not taxed, and a rollover paid straight to the new custodian has no withholding. The steps are in our 401(k) to gold IRA rollover guide.
Before 59 1/2, most withdrawals also owe a 10% additional tax, which cut the gold in our example to $68,019.
Later, any gain on those coins is taxed again at the collectibles rate.
Exceptions to this gold IRA early withdrawal penalty are listed under gold IRA early withdrawal penalty.
The same $50,000 gold gain taxed 5 ways#
The same $50,000 long-term gain costs $11,372 of federal tax on coins you own. It costs $7,500 in a gold-mining fund and nothing now inside an IRA, for a married couple with $180,000 of other taxable income in 2026.
Table 6. Federal tax on the same $50,000 gain, by holding (2026)
| Holding | Federal tax on the $50,000 gain | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Coins or bars you own; gold ETFs such as GLD or IAU | $11,372 ($31,400 × 22% + $18,600 × 24%) | Collectibles: ordinary rates, capped at 28% |
| Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) with a QEF election | $7,500 on sale (15%) | Stock rates on sale, but yearly QEF inclusions of the trust's gains can be taxed at up to 28% |
| Gold-mining fund (GDX) | $7,500 (15%) | Mining shares are stock, taxed at stock rates |
| Traditional gold IRA | $0 now | Every dollar withdrawn later is ordinary income |
| Roth gold IRA | $0 | Qualified withdrawals are not taxed |
At the top bracket (single, $700,000 of taxable income), coins pay 28% ($14,000) against $10,000 at the 20% stock rate.
GLD and IAU are grantor-trust ETFs, funds taxed as if you owned their gold, so they follow the collectible rules (SPDR GLD tax FAQ). A QEF election is a tax choice for some foreign funds, such as Sprott's trust, that lets a sale get stock rates.
A 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) can apply to gold gains above $200,000 single or $250,000 joint of modified adjusted gross income. It never applies to IRA withdrawals (26 U.S.C. 1411(c)(5)). Why most people pay less than 28% is explained in the 28% collectibles rate.
Do gold dealers report your sales to the IRS?#
A dealer reports your gold sale on Form 1099-B only when its form and quantity match a CFTC-approved futures contract. The CFTC is the federal futures regulator, and a futures contract is a standard exchange contract for delivery of a set amount of gold. The IRS's own example ties its single-coin exemption to gold-coin contracts of at least 25 coins.
Cash purchases use a different form. Businesses file Form 8300 within 15 days when they receive more than $10,000 in cash in one sale or related sales (IRS Form 8300 reference guide, reviewed July 27, 2026). In a collectibles sale, cashier's checks and money orders of $10,000 or less count as cash; personal checks and wires do not.
No report does not mean no tax: your gain is taxable either way. We found no IRS list of coin counts or dollar amounts that trigger a 1099-B.
Inside an IRA, the custodian reports the account's value on Form 5498 each year and any withdrawal on Form 1099-R. So does the IRS know about your gold? Yes, and all four forms are explained in does the IRS know about your gold.
What do your heirs pay on physical gold vs an inherited gold IRA?#
Heirs who inherit gold coins usually owe little or no tax on a quick sale. The coins' basis steps up to their value at death (26 U.S.C. 1014(a)(1)), so gains made during your life are never taxed. Heirs of a traditional gold IRA get no step-up (26 U.S.C. 1014(c); IRS Publication 559). They pay income tax on every dollar they take out, and most non-spouse heirs must empty it within 10 years.
An inherited gold IRA has its own deadlines, set out in inherited gold IRA.
Control: Who Holds Your Gold and What Protects It#
A gold IRA's trustee keeps your gold in a vault you cannot enter at will, while physical gold you own sits wherever you choose. No one else's rules apply to it, and no one else's insurance covers it.
Which is safer? Neither is FDIC-protected, and each can be lost in its own way.
Why you cannot keep gold IRA metal at home#
Gold owned by your IRA must stay with the IRA's trustee, and taking it home counts as a taxable withdrawal. A trustee is the bank or trust company legally in charge of an IRA. A distribution is money or property taken out of it.
The Tax Court applied it in McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (November 18, 2021). It taxed $374,000 of Gold Eagles (2015) and $37,380 of Silver Eagles (2016) kept at home through an IRA LLC as distributions. The opinion states no penalty in dollars, whatever sales posts claim.
The ruling and the sales pitches built around it are on home storage gold IRA.
Theft, fire and failure: what protects gold at home, in a bank box and in a vault#
A standard homeowners (HO-3) form pays only $200 (2011 edition) or $300 (2022 edition) for coins and bullion unless you list them on the policy. That cap applies to loss by theft, fire or another covered cause. The FDIC does not insure a bank safe deposit box or what is in it.
A special limit is a lower cap inside your policy for certain items, such as cash and coins. The lines for jewelry and silverware say "for loss by theft". The coin line names no cause, so it caps a house fire too.
The 2022 edition (HO 00 03 03 22) raises that line to $300, according to an FC&S analysis of February 7, 2022, still leaving $49,700 unpaid. Insurers use different editions, so read your policy. Scheduled property means items listed for their full value. The Texas Department of Insurance advises: "talk to your agent about adding more coverage."
The table below shows who pays in each place, as of September 29, 2026.
Table 7. Who pays if your gold is stolen or lost
| Where the gold is | Who pays | Limit or case | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home safe | Your homeowners policy | Special limit $200 (2011 edition) or $300 (2022 edition) for theft, fire or other covered loss unless scheduled; policies vary | ISO HO-3 forms; FC&S, 2022-02-07 |
| Bank safe deposit box | Not the FDIC; your own policy or a separate one | "The FDIC does not insure ... Safe Deposit Boxes or their contents" | fdic.gov |
| IRA depository | The depository's private insurance | Delaware Depository: $1 billion all-risk + $100 million contingent; pays metal value, not premiums; excludes war, terrorism, cyber and confiscation | Delaware Depository FAQ, 2026-09-29 |
| Any of them | Not the FDIC, not SIPC | FDIC and SIPC never cover the metal itself | fdic.gov; sipc.org |
An all-risk policy covers every cause of loss except those it names, such as war. How vault policies work is covered in how gold IRA storage is insured.
A vault can fail too. First State Depository held 2,102 accounts, 90% of them IRAs, and its receiver's accountants estimated $56.8 million to $110.4 million missing (January 9, 2023).
The CFTC won a restraining order against it on September 29, 2022. Its owner, Robert Leroy Higgins, was sentenced on June 17, 2025 to 65 years in prison, with restitution of about $76 million (DOJ).
Some dealer IRA FAQs still named it as a safe depository on September 29, 2026, so ask which vault holds your metal and check it. The case is told in full on First State Depository.
Can you move physical gold you already own into a gold IRA?#
No: gold you already own cannot be put into an IRA. IRA contributions must be cash, and selling your own coins to your IRA is a prohibited transaction. A contribution is new money you add to an IRA from income.
Contributions must be "in cash" (26 U.S.C. 408(a)(1)), except for rollovers, and need earned income such as wages; Social Security, pensions and RMDs do not count. The 2026 limit is $7,500, or $8,600 at 50 and older (IRS Notice 2025-67), as shown on gold IRA contribution limits.
Selling your coins to your own IRA fails too. You are a disqualified person, someone your IRA may not deal with, so the sale is prohibited (26 U.S.C. 4975(c)(1)(A)). A prohibited transaction can make the whole IRA count as withdrawn (26 U.S.C. 408(e)(2)).
The 60-day rollover rule does not help. A rollover must return the same property, so you cannot withdraw cash, buy coins and deposit the coins (Lemishow; Estate of Caan, 161 T.C. No. 6, 2023). This sale is one of the prohibited transactions for gold and silver.
Access: Getting Cash or Coins From Physical Gold vs a Gold IRA#
Physical gold turns into cash the day you sell it, while a gold IRA needs its custodian to sell or ship the metal, and traditional IRA withdrawals are taxed. When does that cost real money? Mostly before 59 1/2, at your RMD age (73 or 75) and when coins are shipped in kind.
Before age 59 1/2: the 10% additional tax on gold IRA withdrawals#
Before age 59 1/2, most withdrawals from a traditional gold IRA owe a 10% additional tax on top of income tax, unless an exception in 26 U.S.C. 72(t) applies. This additional tax is often called the early withdrawal penalty.
Table 8. Raising $20,000 of cash at 57 (2026)
| Traditional gold IRA | Coins you own | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash needed | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| Amount sold | $29,412 | $20,000 |
| Federal tax | $9,412 | $880 |
| Fees | $30 (Equity Trust liquidation, Rev. 081726) | $0 |
Coins you own have no age rule; selling them at 57 costs only the tax on the gain. Gold IRA age rules also change at 50 (catch-up contributions), 70 1/2 (gifts to charity straight from the IRA) and 73 or 75 (RMDs). Age 55 matters only for money still in a 401(k). Every age is on gold IRA age rules.
RMDs at 73 or 75 can force gold IRA sales#
A traditional gold IRA must start paying out required minimum distributions at 73 (born 1951-1958) or 75 (born 1960 or later). Gold you own never has to be sold. A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the amount the IRS makes you take out each year: last year-end's balance divided by a divisor from the IRS life-expectancy table.
How custodians handle gold IRA required minimum distributions, in cash or in coins, is covered separately.
People born in 1959 start at 73 under proposed IRS regulations, not final ones.
A missed RMD costs a 25% excise tax, or 10% if corrected in time (26 U.S.C. 4974). Roth IRA owners take no RMDs.
Run your own numbers in the gold IRA RMD calculator.
Taking physical gold out of a gold IRA in kind#
Your custodian can ship the IRA's coins to you, but their market value that day is taxed as a withdrawal. Fair market value is what the coins would sell for that day. It is reported on Form 1099-R and is ordinary income from a traditional IRA (IRS Publication 590-B).
Shipping has its own fees: Equity Trust charges $125 per in-kind distribution (Rev. 081726), and GoldStar charges $75 plus $10 plus shipping (Rev. 01/2026). Once home, they are ordinary physical gold, taxed under the collectibles rules when sold.
Each step is on taking cash or physical gold out of a gold IRA.
Gold IRA or Physical Gold: Which Fits Your Situation?#
Neither is better for everyone: retirement money usually costs less to keep in an IRA, and after-tax savings you want within reach usually fit physical gold. Two facts decide most cases. The first is where the money sits: a transfer to a gold IRA costs no tax, while cashing out cost $19,920 on $100,000 in our example. The second is size: a flat $235 fee on Equity Trust's metals-only schedule is 2.35% of $10,000 a year but 0.24% of $100,000, as of September 2026.
The two routes can be combined: retirement money in a gold IRA, after-tax savings in coins at home. The table below matches 9 common situations to the route the numbers favor, dated September 2026.
Table 9. Gold IRA or physical gold: verdict by situation
| If you... | Better fit | Why (deciding fact) |
|---|---|---|
| Have the money in a 401(k) or IRA and want gold | Keep it inside: a gold IRA or a gold fund in that IRA | Cashing out $100,000 cost $19,920 in our 2026 example |
| Have cash in the bank, already taxed | Physical gold or a taxable gold fund | No account fees. A new $7,500 Roth gold IRA on Equity Trust's metals schedule pays $2,680 in fees over 10 years; at 22%, its tax saving matches that only if gold rises about 162% (hypothetical, no forecast) |
| Have under about $10,000 for gold | Physical gold, or a gold ETF or Fidelity IRA bullion in an existing IRA | $235 a year is 2.35% of $10,000 (Equity Trust metals schedule); Fidelity's IRA bullion storage costs $50 (0.50%) |
| Want to hold the coins yourself | Physical gold only | IRA gold at home is a taxable distribution (McNulty, 2021) |
| May need the money before 59 1/2 | Physical gold bought with savings | 10% additional tax on most IRA withdrawals; $9,412 of tax to net $20,000 at 57 |
| Are 73 or older with a traditional IRA | Either; expect RMD sales or in-kind coins | $3,774 first RMD on $100,000 at 73 |
| Plan to leave the gold to heirs | Coins get a step-up; a Roth gold IRA also passes tax-free if qualified | $0 vs about $18,282 on a traditional IRA in our example |
| Worry about theft or fire at home | A vault (inside or outside an IRA) or a scheduled policy | Standard HO-3 form pays $200 (2011 edition) or $300 (2022 edition) unless scheduled |
| Already own coins and want them in an IRA | Not possible; only cash contributions | 4.7 years and $2,306 to move 10 Gold Eagles |
IRA limits change each fall and premiums move daily, so recheck both before you act. Your tax bracket and how much of your savings is in gold matter more than any table; we give no personal advice.
The wider case for and against, from fees to lost access, is in gold IRA pros and cons.
What Should You Check Before Choosing a Gold IRA or Physical Gold?#
Check six things before choosing a gold IRA or physical gold: where your money is, your age, your bracket, the premium, yearly fees and who holds the metal. The six checks are listed below in the order they cost money.
- Check where the money is now. If it sits in a retirement account, get the tax cost of withdrawing it in writing.
- Check your age against 59 1/2 and your RMD age of 73 or 75.
- Check your tax bracket now and in retirement.
- Check the dealer's premium over spot and its buyback price on the same day.
- Check the yearly fee schedule, including exit fees.
- Check who holds the metal and what the insurance pays, and ask your agent to schedule any coins at home.
To see how far gold must rise to cover the premium and fees, use the gold IRA break-even calculator.
How we built this comparison. We read the 9 pages that rank for this question on September 29, 2026. Six came from gold sellers or carried tracked links to gold companies. None ran the same dollars through both routes, and none priced cashing out retirement money. Four called depositories, custodians or coins "IRS-approved," but the IRS approves only nonbank trustees, never a coin, dealer or depository.
Other ways to hold gold for retirement#
Physical gold and a gold IRA are only two ways to hold gold, and 7 related comparisons each have their own page.
- Gold ETFs: fund shares, compared in gold IRA vs gold ETF.
- Stocks: gold against the S&P 500, in gold IRA vs stocks.
- 401(k) plans: whether to move plan money, in gold IRA vs 401(k).
- Roth IRAs: traditional vs Roth, in gold IRA vs Roth IRA.
- Bullion dealers: a dealer or a gold IRA company, in bullion dealer vs gold IRA company.
- Coins and bars: premiums and resale, in gold coins vs gold bars.
- Brokerage IRAs: metal held in a regular brokerage IRA, in Fidelity gold IRA.
Is a gold ETF cheaper than a gold IRA or physical gold?#
For price exposure inside an IRA, yes: $100,000 in GLDM costs about $1,035 over 10 years at a flat price, against about $6,341 in a low-cost gold IRA. The ETF figure is GLDM's 0.10% yearly fee (fund 10-K, 2025) plus an assumed 0.04% round trip. The gold IRA figure is the 3.03% premium, a sale at 1% below spot and Equity Trust's $2,430 of fees (SafeOunce computation). Outside an IRA, GLD and IAU are taxed like coins.
Can a Roth IRA hold physical gold?#
Yes: a self-directed Roth IRA can hold the same eligible coins and bars as a traditional one, and qualified withdrawals, including coins taken in kind, are tax-free. A self-directed IRA lets you choose assets such as metal. Roth owners take no RMDs, and income limits apply to Roth contributions. The rules are on Roth gold IRA.
Questions readers ask about physical gold and gold IRAs#
Six more questions come up often when people compare the two.
How much gold can you legally keep at home?#
There is no federal limit on how much gold you may own and keep at home; Americans have been allowed to hold gold since December 31, 1974 (Pub. L. 93-373). IRA gold, by contrast, must stay with the trustee. How we got here starts with the 1974 legalization.
Can I convert my IRA to physical gold?#
Yes, but only inside an IRA: a trustee-to-trustee transfer moves the money to a self-directed IRA, whose custodian buys eligible gold for a depository. This IRA to gold IRA transfer is a direct move between custodians, with no tax, no 60-day clock and no once-a-year limit (IRS Publication 590-A). Taking the gold home is a taxable withdrawal. The steps are on IRA to gold IRA transfer.
What is the downside of a gold IRA?#
A gold IRA's 3 main downsides are yearly fees ($215 to $656 at $50,000, September 2026), no coins in hand, and income tax on every traditional withdrawal. The full answer to is a gold IRA a good investment weighs every downside.
What if I invested $10,000 in gold 20 years ago?#
$10,000 of gold at the LBMA PM price of $603.00 on September 28, 2006, was worth $68,732 on September 28, 2026, before any premium, fee or tax. Past prices are not a forecast. Year-by-year figures are in gold IRA returns since 1971.
Can you visit the gold in your IRA?#
Some depositories let owners view IRA metal by appointment, but you cannot take it with you. Whether you can visit your gold IRA metals depends on the depository.
Is gold at home safer from government confiscation?#
Neither route is proven safer: the 1933 gold order reached gold held by private owners. The CFTC lists "the government can't seize collectible coins" among the lies used to sell metals. Executive Order 6102 required delivery by May 1, 1933, except "$100 belonging to any one person" and rare coins, and paid "an equivalent amount." See can the government confiscate your gold.