A 401(k) to gold IRA rollover moves money from your 401(k) into an IRA that can own real gold. If the plan pays the new IRA directly, you owe no tax or penalty, and nothing is held back. A rollover moves retirement money between accounts and keeps its tax break: no tax until you take the money out. The new account is a self-directed IRA, an ordinary IRA whose custodian (the trust company or bank that holds it) allows vaulted metal.
The harder question is whether to move the money at all, because a 401(k) carries protections an IRA does not.
A gold IRA rollover can start from 6 kinds of account: a 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), the TSP, a pension or an IRA. This page covers the 401(k): the 6 protections you give up, the 7 steps, the 20% withholding trap, costs, dates and tax forms.
SafeOunce sells no metal and takes no referral fees, and every rule below is cited.
What Is a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover?#
A 401(k) to gold IRA rollover is a direct payment from your 401(k) plan to a self-directed IRA custodian, which then buys metal for the account. The metal (gold, silver, platinum or palladium the tax code allows) sits in a depository, a private vault.
Four parties handle your money, as listed below.
- The 401(k) plan or its recordkeeper, the company named on your statement (such as Empower or Fidelity): pays the money out.
- The IRA custodian: holds the IRA, pays the dealer and files tax forms.
- The metals dealer, often called a "gold IRA company": sells the metal and sets its price.
- The depository: stores the metal.
A gold IRA is a normal traditional or Roth IRA whose custodian allows vaulted metal.
Why can't a 401(k) hold physical gold?#
A 401(k) cannot hold gold coins in practice, because plans offer a menu of funds, not vault storage. The tax law also treats most coins and metal as "collectibles": if a self-directed 401(k) account buys one, the purchase counts as a taxable withdrawal (26 U.S.C. 408(m)(1)).
Gold IRAs use the law's exceptions for certain coins and for bullion held by a trustee (Step 6); typical 401(k) plans offer neither. Some plans have a brokerage window, an option to buy funds outside the menu (Fidelity BrokerageLink is one). A window can hold gold ETFs, funds that own gold and trade like stocks, but not coins. Fidelity says metals are "generally not eligible" in its non-IRA retirement accounts.
Executive Order 14330 (August 7, 2025) lists commodities among alternative assets for 401(k) plans. The Labor Department rule proposed March 31, 2026 is not final as of September 29, 2026. The limited ways to hold gold in a 401(k) are covered separately.
Which 401(k) money can you roll into a gold IRA?#
You can roll 401(k) money into a gold IRA after leaving the job, when the plan ends, or at 59 1/2 while still working if the plan allows.
Three events let 401(k) money leave the plan, listed below.
- Severance from employment: you quit, retire or are let go; death and disability also count.
- Plan termination: the employer ends the plan.
- Age 59 1/2: a withdrawal while still working, which the law allows in 401(k)s set up as profit-sharing plans; ask HR whether yours is (26 U.S.C. 401(k)(2)(B)(i)).
Only an eligible rollover distribution, the tax law's name for a payment you may roll over, can go into an IRA. IRS Publication 590-A names 7 payments that never qualify, listed below.
- Required minimum distributions (RMDs), the yearly withdrawals required from 73 or 75
- Hardship withdrawals
- Payments over your lifetime or 10 years or more
- Refunds of excess contributions (corrective distributions)
- Loans that went unpaid while you worked there (deemed loan distributions)
- Dividends on employer stock
- The cost of life insurance coverage
Pre-tax money (not yet taxed) goes to a traditional gold IRA; Roth 401(k) money (already taxed) goes only to a Roth IRA.
Can you roll a 401(k) into a gold IRA while still working?#
Yes, if your plan allows an in-service withdrawal, one taken while you still work there. Federal law lets profit-sharing 401(k) plans pay out your salary deferrals (pay you chose to put in) at 59 1/2. Ask HR for the in-service rules in writing. Plan rules for a rollover while still working differ for 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) and TSP money.
Should You Roll Your 401(k) Into a Gold IRA?#
Rolling a 401(k) into a gold IRA makes sense only for money you want in physical metal for years, after you price the protections you give up. It is not all or nothing: you can move only the part meant for metal.
The dealer's cut goes by three names on this page, defined below.
- Spread (also called markup or premium): what you pay above the metal's market value when you buy.
- Bid gap: how far below market value the dealer pays when you sell back.
- Round trip: both together, what you lose if you buy and sell straight back.
The table matches 9 situations to what usually fits; each row is explained further down.
| Your situation | What usually fits | The rule or number that decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Left the job at 55 or later and will spend from this money before 59 1/2 | Keep the spending years in the 401(k); roll only the rest | Age-55 rule: $10,500 of penalties avoided on $105,000 (26 U.S.C. 72(t)(2)(A)(v)) |
| Unpaid 401(k) loan when you leave | Budget cash to replace the loan the plan cancels, by your tax deadline | 26 U.S.C. 402(c)(3)(C): $6,400 avoided on a $20,000 loan (22% bracket, left the job before 55) |
| Company stock with a large gain in the 401(k) | Ask about the NUA tax break on company stock before rolling anything | Rolling the stock forfeits NUA (IRS Notice 2020-62) |
| Worried about lawsuits or bankruptcy | Keep rollover money in its own rollover IRA, with the paperwork | The bankruptcy limit (522(n)) does not count rollover money; outside bankruptcy, state law covers IRAs |
| Age 73 or older | Take this year's required withdrawal (RMD) from the plan first | RMDs can never be rolled over (26 U.S.C. 402(c)(4)(B)) |
| You put after-tax money into an IRA each year and convert it to a Roth (backdoor Roth) | Price the extra tax before rolling to a traditional IRA | About $1,755 extra tax on a $7,500 conversion |
| You want gold price exposure only, under about $25,000 | A gold ETF in the plan window or an IRA | 10-year cost of a bullion gold IRA: about $3,720 (37.2%) on $10,000, $4,530 (18.1%) on $25,000; GLDM, a gold ETF: about $100 per $10,000 (SafeOunce computation, flat gold price, Equity Trust segregated fees) |
| Your 401(k) is at Fidelity or you have a Fidelity IRA, and US coins or bars are enough | Fidelity's in-IRA bullion program | No gold IRA company; storage 0.50% a year |
| You want vaulted metal, are 59 1/2 or have left the job, and can hold through price swings | A partial direct rollover to a self-directed gold IRA | Direct rollover = $0 tax; break-even rise after a 5% spread about 10.4% |
Numbers as of September 2026. Situations overlap, so check every row that fits.
The table describes situations, not advice; a fee-only planner (paid by you, not by commissions) or a tax professional can check your numbers. No page can set your allocation, the share of your savings held in metal. Whether gold belongs in your savings at all is covered in is a gold IRA a good investment.
When a rollover to a gold IRA makes sense#
A rollover to a gold IRA makes sense when you want vaulted metal, the money is free to leave the plan, and you can wait years. Four conditions usually hold together, as listed below.
- Physical metal as the goal: a 401(k) cannot hold coins.
- Money free to leave: see which 401(k) money can move, above.
- Years to wait: the spread must be earned back first (see the break-even table).
- A share you can hold through a fall.
Waiting does not remove the risk. Of 41 ten-year holding periods starting 1975 to 2015, a gold IRA lost money in 10 with no costs. At a 5.4% round trip 13 lost money, and at a 23.4% spread plus the bid gap 21 did (SafeOunce computation, LBMA PM year-end prices).
Gold can also drop fast. It fell 26.1% from its record LBMA PM price (the daily London afternoon benchmark) of $5,405.00 on January 29, 2026 to $3,993.55 on July 16. On September 28 it stood at $4,144.55. The table shows what that meant for a new gold IRA.
| A $100,000 gold IRA opened January 5, 2026 (LBMA PM $4,456.40) | Value on September 28, 2026 (LBMA PM $4,144.55) |
|---|---|
| Bought at a 5% markup, $50 setup, $250 a year in fees, sold at 1% under spot | About $87,394 (down 12.6%) |
| Gold price alone | Down 7.0% |
SafeOunce computation.
When to keep some or all of the money in the 401(k)#
Keep money in the 401(k) when you need the age-55 rule, owe a plan loan, hold company stock, work past 73 or pay very low fees.
The next section prices each protection, and a side-by-side of gold IRA vs 401(k) features shows what else each account allows.
Cheaper ways to own gold without a gold IRA company#
The cheapest way for a 401(k) owner to own gold is a gold ETF such as GLDM, which charges 0.10% a year as of September 2026. A gold ETF is a fund that trades like a stock and holds gold bars in a trust; GLDM, IAU and GLD are the ticker symbols of three. You can buy one in a plan brokerage window or an existing IRA; its only holding cost is the expense ratio, the yearly fee taken from the fund.
Three routes give a 401(k) owner gold exposure, compared below as of September 2026.
| Route | What you own | Yearly cost | Minimum | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold ETF in an IRA or brokerage window | Shares of a trust that holds bullion | GLDM 0.10%, IAU 0.25%, GLD 0.40% of value | None beyond the share price | Fund annual reports (10-K) |
| Fidelity IRA bullion | Gold Eagles, 1 oz Gold Buffalos, Silver and Platinum Eagles and bars, stored at FideliTrade, the vault company Fidelity uses | Buy commission 2.90% (under $10,000) to 0.99% ($100,000 and up); storage 0.125% a quarter (0.50% a year, $3.75 quarterly minimum) | $1,000 per IRA purchase | Fidelity fee schedule FA-FEES-0926 |
| Self-directed gold IRA | Coins or bars held for your IRA at a depository | $215 to $325 a year flat, plus the dealer spread | None in law; dealers set their own | GoldStar GTC Rev. 01/2026; STRATA fee page, August 31, 2026 |
Flat fees favor large balances: on $100,000, GLDM costs $100 a year against a $285 flat fee, which wins only above $285,000.
Of 8 large brokers and recordkeepers SafeOunce checked in September 2026, only Fidelity holds physical metal in an IRA. Its bullion program, the closest thing to a Fidelity gold IRA, needs no gold IRA company.
What Do You Give Up When You Roll a 401(k) Into a Gold IRA? 6 Plan Protections#
Rolling a 401(k) into a gold IRA can cost you 6 plan protections, from penalty-free access at 55 to low fees. They apply to rolling into any IRA, not only a gold IRA.
Your plan's Special Tax Notice, the rollover explanation every plan must send (modeled on IRS Notice 2020-62), warns about the age-55 rule, loans and the company-stock break. Read it before you sign.
1. The age-55 rule for penalty-free withdrawals#
The age-55 rule lets you take 401(k) money without the 10% early-withdrawal penalty, an extra tax on money taken before 59 1/2. It applies once you leave your job in or after the year you turn 55, and never in an IRA.
| Where the $105,000 comes from | 10% penalty |
|---|---|
| The 401(k) | $0 |
| A gold IRA | Up to $10,500 (10% of $105,000) |
| Keep $105,000 in the 401(k) and roll $295,000 | $0 on the spending money |
The age-55 rule is one of the gold IRA age rules that change at 50, 55 and 59 1/2.
2. ERISA creditor protection#
Outside bankruptcy, you give up the federal shield that keeps creditors away from 401(k) money; a gold IRA relies on state law instead. In federal bankruptcy, rolled-over money stays fully protected, because the $1,711,975 limit on protected IRA money does not count it.
The federal shield is the anti-alienation rule of ERISA, the law for workplace plans: plan benefits "may not be assigned or alienated" (29 U.S.C. 1056(d)(1)), so creditors cannot take them. Inherited IRAs get no bankruptcy protection (Clark v. Rameker, 573 U.S. 122 (2014)).
How rollover money stays protected from creditors, and where state law takes over, is covered in detail.
3. 401(k) loans#
A 401(k) can lend you money; an IRA never can. The law caps a plan loan at $50,000 or half your vested balance (the part you own outright), whichever is less (26 U.S.C. 72(p)(2)(A)). The $50,000 drops by your highest loan balance in the past 12 months. If half your balance is under $10,000, the law allows up to $10,000, though your plan may allow less.
| Vested balance | Most the law lets you borrow (no loan in the past 12 months) |
|---|---|
| $15,000 | $10,000 (half is under $10,000) |
| $60,000 | $30,000 (half) |
| $200,000 | $50,000 (the cap) |
IRS Notice 2020-62 adds that "IRAs are not subject to spousal consent rules", so plan rules giving your spouse a say do not carry over. Pledging IRA metal as loan security makes the pledged part a taxable withdrawal (26 U.S.C. 408(e)(4)).
An unpaid loan when you leave has its own deadline, explained under Leaving your job with an unpaid 401(k) loan.
4. The still-working RMD delay#
If you keep working past your RMD age, your 401(k) can wait until you retire to start required minimum distributions, the yearly withdrawals the law makes you take. An IRA cannot wait. The delay does not apply to a 5% owner, someone who owns more than 5% of the employer (26 U.S.C. 401(a)(9)(C)(ii)(I); 416(i)(1)(B)(i)).
| You were born | Your RMD age |
|---|---|
| 1951 to 1958 | 73 |
| 1959 | 73 under proposed IRS regulations, not final as of September 2026 |
| 1960 or later | 75 |
In an IRA, the RMD rules start at 73 or 75 whether you work or not.
5. The NUA tax break on company stock#
Rolling your employer's stock, or the cash from selling it, into an IRA gives up the NUA tax break. NUA (net unrealized appreciation) is the stock's growth while it sat in the plan. The break can tax that growth at capital-gains rates, the rates for investment profits, instead of as income.
6. Low plan fees#
A gold IRA can cost more to hold than 401(k) index funds, because it adds a flat yearly fee plus the dealer's spread. The flat fees on this page come from these custodian schedules, as of September 2026.
| Yearly fee | What it covers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| $215 | GoldStar Trust, commingled storage | GTC Rev. 01/2026 |
| $235 | Equity Trust metals-only, commingled storage | FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726 |
| $285 | Equity Trust metals-only, segregated storage | FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726 |
| $325 | STRATA Trust, segregated storage | STRATA fee page, August 31, 2026 |
| $250 | Round figure used in SafeOunce's return examples | SafeOunce |
Commingled storage pools identical coins; segregated storage keeps yours apart. A flat fee is the same at any balance, so it weighs most on small accounts: $235 a year is 2.35% of $10,000, 0.94% of $25,000 and 0.47% of $50,000. The spread usually matters more, as the cost section shows.
How to Roll a 401(k) Into a Gold IRA in 7 Steps#
A 401(k) to gold IRA rollover takes 7 steps, and step 5 protects you from taxes: a direct rollover paid to the custodian, never to you. The 7 steps are listed below in the order you do them.
- Confirm the money can leave the plan.
- Decide how much to roll over.
- Choose the custodian and the gold IRA company separately.
- Open a self-directed IRA and get a letter of acceptance.
- Request a direct rollover payable to your gold IRA custodian.
- Buy IRA-eligible metals after the cash arrives.
- Check your first statement and tax forms.
The metal goes to a depository, never to your home. In McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021), the Tax Court taxed a home storage gold IRA as a distribution of the metal's cost.
Step 1: Confirm the money can leave the plan#
Confirm with your plan's recordkeeper (such as Empower, Fidelity NetBenefits, Alight, Principal or Voya) that you can take a distribution.
Ask the plan 4 questions first, as listed below.
- Ask whether an RMD is due this year, because it must come out first.
- Ask for your plan loan balance, if any.
- Ask which money is pre-tax, Roth and after-tax (see Roth 401(k) and after-tax money below).
- Ask for the Special Tax Notice.
Step 2: Decide how much to roll over#
Decide the dollar amount before you call anyone. The law lets you roll all or part of an eligible distribution, and the part you keep in the 401(k) keeps its protections.
The age-55 example sizes it below.
- Balance: $400,000
- Minus money you may spend before 59 1/2 after leaving at 55 or later: $105,000
- Minus any RMD due this year: $0
- Minus company stock kept for NUA: $0
- Amount to roll: $295,000
Step 3: Choose the custodian and the gold IRA company separately#
Choose the IRA custodian and the metals dealer as two separate decisions: the custodian holds your account, while the dealer sets your price. The questions to ask when you choose a gold IRA company are the same whoever you call.
Get these 5 numbers in writing before any money moves.
- Price per coin and percent over spot (spot is the current market price).
- The dealer's buy-back bid today (what it would pay you for the same coin now). No buyback is guaranteed: AHG, Lear, Preserve, Oxford and American Bullion agreements say the law bars them from guaranteeing a repurchase.
- All yearly custodian and storage fees.
- All exit fees.
- The cancellation window and what starts it.
Numismatic coins are collector coins priced above metal value. A CFTC advisory (August 4, 2020) put their markups at 40% to 200% over spot and called "semi-numismatic" "a made-up industry term". It cites a $300,000 rollover that lost nearly $150,000 to commissions and fees. These lines appear in the cases behind the 11 signs of gold IRA scams.
Sales pay explains the pitch: American Hartford Gold's Shipping and Transaction Agreement says its reps are "compensated on commission" and "not licensed" (paragraph 4D).
Step 4: Open a self-directed IRA and get a letter of acceptance#
Open a self-directed IRA of the same tax type as the money you move (traditional for pre-tax money, Roth for Roth 401(k) money) at a custodian that holds metals.
Then ask the custodian for its letter of acceptance (LOA), the form that tells your plan where to send the money. A sample J.P. Morgan form (33482_CYI v5.0) shows its fields, listed below; the rollover paperwork guide explains each one.
- Payee: "[Custodian] FBO [your name] IRA" (FBO means "for the benefit of")
- Your account number
- "Direct Rollover" on the memo line
- The mail and wire addresses
You can cancel a new IRA within at least 7 days for a full refund from the custodian, not the dealer (Treasury Regulation 1.408-6).
Step 5: Request a direct rollover payable to your gold IRA custodian#
Ask the 401(k) plan for a direct rollover payable to the custodian for your benefit, so nothing is withheld. A direct rollover pays the IRA straight from the plan; withholding is tax the plan holds back for the IRS.
A check payable to the custodian but mailed to you still counts as a direct move, so forward it promptly (IRS Publication 590-A). Payee names and wire details differ among gold IRA custodians, so copy them exactly from the letter.
A check payable to you starts the 20% withholding and the 60-day clock explained below.
Step 6: Buy IRA-eligible metals after the cash arrives#
A purchase direction is your signed order telling the custodian what to buy and which dealer to pay. Sign it only after the rollover cash shows in your gold IRA, and only for metal that is IRA-eligible under 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3).
The law gives two routes to eligibility, compared below.
| Route | What it covers | Purity (fineness) rule |
|---|---|---|
| A: named US coins | Gold Eagle, 1 oz Silver Eagle, Platinum Eagle | None: the law names them, so the Gold Eagle qualifies although it is below .995 |
| B: bullion | Coins and bars held by the trustee | Gold .995, silver .999, platinum and palladium .9995 |
The IRS says "there is no list of approved investments" (FAQ updated April 8, 2026). So "IRS-approved" coins or depositories are a sales phrase: the IRS approves only nonbank trustees (73 as of April 1, 2026). The full list of precious metals the tax code allows shows each coin's route.
Metal should reach your depository account within about 28 days of payment; later is a warning sign. The 28 days comes from the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA 2(c)(2)(D)) for metal bought on credit and is a benchmark, not an IRA deadline.
Until the metal is in your depository account, you are only an unsecured creditor of the dealer. Rosland Capital (failed) filed a liquidating Chapter 11 on July 2, 2026 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2:26-bk-16650-BB) owing about $49 million of paid but undelivered orders, with cash of 0.35% of its debts (August 6, 2026). Washington's regulator had found its IRA metal arriving 33 to 168 days after payment (consent order S-20-3045-22-CO01, August 4, 2022; no admission).
Step 7: Check your first statement and tax forms#
Check your first custodian statement against your invoice: it values metal at market price without the dealer's markup, so it shows less than you paid. Equity Trust, for example, uses "the previous day's metal type value" (as of September 2026). After a 20% spread the statement shows about 80% of what you paid; after a 33% spread, about 67%.
Check 3 items, as listed below.
- Coins, bars and quantities match your invoice.
- The plan's Form 1099-R, sent by February 1, 2027, shows code G and $0 taxable.
- The custodian's Form 5498, due by May 31, 2027, shows the rollover in box 2.
A gold IRA statement that shows less than you paid reflects how custodians value metal, not an error.
How Do You Avoid Taxes and Penalties on a 401(k) Rollover to Gold?#
You avoid taxes and penalties on a 401(k) rollover to gold by using a direct rollover, refusing a check in your name, and letting only the custodian buy metal. Three rules keep the move untaxed, as listed below.
- Use a direct rollover: the plan pays the custodian and withholds 0% (26 U.S.C. 401(a)(31), 3405(c)(2)).
- Replace the full amount if a check comes to you: deposit all of it, including the 20% withheld, within 60 days (26 U.S.C. 402(c)(3)(A)).
- Keep it cash out, cash in: never buy coins with the money yourself (26 U.S.C. 408(a)(1)).
Later withdrawals from a traditional gold IRA are still taxed as income. In a 60-day (indirect) rollover the check comes to you and you have 60 days to deposit it; the rollover deadline calculator counts them.
The 20% withholding trap in dollars#
The plan must withhold 20% for federal tax when your 401(k) check is made out to you. You then have to replace that 20% from savings within 60 days or pay tax on it.
The table shows the 20% withholding trap on a $250,000 401(k). The owner is 52, left the job at 50 (so the age-55 rule does not apply) and is in the 22% tax bracket, the rate on top dollars of income.
| Option | Reaches the IRA | Taxable | Tax + 10% penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Deposit only the $200,000 check | $200,000 | $50,000 | $11,000 + $5,000 = $16,000 |
| B. Deposit the check plus $50,000 from savings within 60 days | $250,000 | $0 | $0; the $50,000 withheld returns as a tax credit (counted as tax already paid) when you file your 2026 return in 2027 |
| C. Direct rollover | $250,000 | $0 | $0; nothing is withheld |
Two more cases of the same mistake are shown below.
| Case | Check received | From savings to avoid tax | Cost of depositing only the check |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000, age 52, 24% bracket | $200,000 | $50,000 | $17,000 |
| $100,000, age 58, left the job at 53, 22% bracket | $80,000 | $20,000 | $6,400 |
Aim to redeposit by day 45: a check received Friday, November 6, 2026 is due back by Tuesday, January 5, 2027, or it is taxed for 2026. Miss day 60 for one of 12 listed reasons, such as a paying-firm error, and IRS Revenue Procedure 2020-46 lets you self-certify for free. Deposit within 30 days after the problem ends; the custodian reports code SC on Form 5498. It is not an IRS waiver, and an audit can question it.
Why you cannot buy coins with a 401(k) check#
You cannot buy gold coins with a 401(k) check and deposit the coins in an IRA, because an IRA accepts only cash.
A plan that pays you in shares lets you sell them and roll the cash (26 U.S.C. 402(c)(6)), but you may not buy something with cash and roll that. In Lemishow v. Commissioner, 110 T.C. 110 (1998), a taxpayer took cash, bought stock and deposited it; the Tax Court held it was not a rollover.
IRAs face the stricter same-property rule: what comes out must go back. In Estate of Caan v. Commissioner, 161 T.C. No. 6 (2023), the court said "there is no similar exception for IRAs". The estate deposited cash from a sold IRA investment, not the investment, and that same-property trap failed the rollover.
Coins you already own cannot go in either: sell them, contribute cash within the 2026 limit ($7,500, or $8,600 at 50 and older) and buy again.
Does the once-a-year rollover limit apply to a 401(k) rollover?#
No: the once-a-year limit covers only 60-day rollovers from one IRA to another, so a 401(k) rollover does not count. A direct move between IRA firms does not count either (IRS Announcement 2014-32). The one-rollover-per-year rule matters later, if you move IRA money by check.
How Much Does a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover Cost?#
A 401(k) to gold IRA rollover costs about $50 to open and $215 to $325 a year (September 2026), but the dealer's spread usually costs more.
The table shows the 10-year cost of rolling $100,000 at a flat gold price, with fees paid from outside. Fees follow Equity Trust's metals-only schedule (FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726): $50 to open, $285 a year segregated, $280 to exit ($250 termination plus a $30 sale fee).
| Dealer spread when you buy | Loss if sold back at once (spread + bid gap) | Total cost, 1 year | Total cost, 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz bullion coin, about 5.4% round trip (SD Bullion, September 29, 2026) | $5,400 | $6,015 | $8,580 (8.6%) |
| 20% spread | $23,700 (23.7%) | $24,315 | $26,880 (26.9%) |
| 33% spread | $36,100 (36.1%) | $36,715 | $39,280 (39.3%) |
SafeOunce computation: $5,400 + $50 to open + $285 × 10 years + $280 to exit = $8,580.
Cost at each step of the rollover#
A rollover charges you at 5 points: leaving the 401(k), opening the IRA, buying metal, holding it and leaving later.
| Step | Who charges | Amount (as of September 2026 unless dated) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaving the 401(k) | Plan recordkeeper | Plan-specific. Empower plan notices: $0 by ACH (electronic bank transfer), $25-$75 per distribution, $30-$50 for an express check, $40 wire, $25 digital notarization | Empower participant fee disclosures dated 2023 to October 24, 2025 |
| Opening the IRA | Custodian | $50 setup | Equity Trust FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726; GoldStar GTC Rev. 01/2026 |
| Buying the metal | Dealer, plus the custodian's trade fee (its charge per purchase) | Spread: CFTC benchmark 5%-10% over spot for bullion, 40%-200% for numismatic coins; 1 oz Gold Eagle round trip 5.39% at SD Bullion on September 29, 2026; trade fee $0 (GoldStar) to $75 (STRATA, $40 + $35 handling) | CFTC release 8215-20 (August 4, 2020); dealer snapshot; custodian schedules |
| Holding it each year | Custodian and depository | $215 (GoldStar, commingled) to $325 (STRATA, segregated) | GTC Rev. 01/2026; STRATA fee page, August 31, 2026 |
| Leaving later | Custodian | Termination fee $150 (GoldStar) to $250 (Equity Trust, STRATA), plus any sale or wire fee (Equity Trust: $30, so $280 in all) | Same schedules |
Read your plan's own fee disclosure. The exit fee is only one cost to leave your 401(k) or brokerage account, and the full dated table is kept current.
How much gold must rise to cover the spread#
After a 5% spread, gold must rise about 10.4% before you can sell back without a loss; after a 20% spread, about 31%. Break-even counts both the spread when you buy and the bid gap when you sell.
| Spread when you buy | Rise needed to sell back even |
|---|---|
| 2% | 7.1% |
| 5% | 10.4% |
| 10% | 16.6% |
| 15% | 23.4% |
| About 20% | 31.1% |
| 33% | 56.6% |
Assumes the dealer buys back about 4.7% below its own cost of the metal; fees excluded. SafeOunce computation.
One point of spread on $100,000 is $1,000, about 3.5 years of a $285 yearly fee (Equity Trust segregated, as of September 2026).
To test your own quote, work out how much metal must rise to cover the markup and the fees.
How Long Does a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover Take?#
No law or custodian fixes how long a 401(k) to gold IRA rollover takes. The only fixed dates are the plan's notice period, your 7-day right to cancel the IRA and the tax-form deadlines.
The fixed dates for a 2026 rollover are listed below.
| Stage | Fixed rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Plan sends the Special Tax Notice | 30 to 180 days before payment; you can waive the 30-day minimum. IRS Publication 590-A still prints the old 90-day limit | IRS Notice 2007-7 |
| New IRA opened | Right to cancel for at least 7 days | Treas. Reg. 1.408-6 |
| Direct rollover paid | No 60-day clock | 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(31) |
| Check paid to you instead | 60 days, counted from the day after you receive it | 26 U.S.C. 402(c)(3)(A) |
| Metal bought | Shows up in your depository account within about 28 days (benchmark, not a deadline) | CEA 2(c)(2)(D) |
| Form 1099-R from the plan | By February 1, 2027 | 2026 Instructions for Forms 1099-R and 5498 |
| Form 5498 from the custodian (box 2 rollover) | By May 31, 2027, to you and the IRS; year-end value statement by February 1, 2027 | 2026 Instructions for Forms 1099-R and 5498 |
Ask both firms for processing times in writing. Three plan-side items can hold up payment: the new IRA's account number, a notarized signature and the plan's distribution form.
The payment method is the lever you control. A 401(k) payout is not a broker-to-broker transfer, so the 3-business-day clock of FINRA Rule 11870 does not apply. At Empower plans, ACH costs $0 and a wire $40 (fee notice dated October 24, 2025). Ask which method your plan uses and whether the custodian accepts wires.
This page prints no day ranges, because no primary source sets one. Provider-by-provider data on how long a gold IRA rollover takes is collected as it is published.
Special Cases: 401(k) Loans, Roth 401(k), RMDs and Old 401(k)s#
Five cases change the rules: an unpaid loan, Roth or after-tax money, an RMD year, an old 401(k) and a backdoor Roth.
Leaving your job with an unpaid 401(k) loan#
You have until your tax-filing deadline, including extensions, to roll over an unpaid 401(k) loan the plan cancels when you leave. That cancellation is a qualified plan loan offset: the plan subtracts what you owe and treats it as paid out.
A loan that defaulted while you still worked there (a deemed distribution) can never be rolled over.
Roth 401(k) and after-tax money#
Roth 401(k) money can go only to a Roth IRA, so a Roth balance needs a Roth gold IRA. A Roth gold IRA is a Roth IRA that holds metal. Its qualified withdrawals, at 59 1/2 or later once your first Roth IRA contribution is 5 tax years old, are tax-free.
The IRS rollover chart marks a move from a designated Roth account (the plan's Roth 401(k) money) to a traditional IRA "No". The plan reports a Roth direct rollover with code H. The plan's Roth 5-year clock does not carry over to the Roth IRA.
After-tax contributions, money you paid in after tax that is not Roth money, can go to a Roth IRA while pre-tax money goes to a traditional IRA (IRS Notice 2014-54).
Rolling over in an RMD year (age 73 or older)#
In a year you owe a required minimum distribution, the plan pays it first, because an RMD can never be rolled over (26 U.S.C. 402(c)(4)(B)).
A rolled RMD becomes an excess contribution (money in an IRA above what the law allows), taxed 6% a year until you take it out (IRS Publication 590-B). Later, required minimum distributions from the gold IRA can be paid in cash or in coins.
An old 401(k) from a former employer#
An old 401(k) from a former employer can be rolled into a gold IRA at any time, because you have already left that job.
If your balance was $7,000 or less, the plan could pay it out without asking you (SECURE 2.0 sec. 304). A payout over $1,000 goes by default into an automatic rollover IRA (26 U.S.C. 401(a)(31)(B)).
If the plan moved your balance into an automatic rollover IRA, you move it again by a trustee-to-trustee transfer (straight between custodians), with no 60-day clock and no once-a-year limit.
The backdoor Roth pro-rata trap#
If you use a backdoor Roth, rolling pre-tax 401(k) money into a traditional gold IRA can make your conversions mostly taxable. In a backdoor Roth you put after-tax money into a traditional IRA (a nondeductible contribution), then convert it to a Roth IRA. The IRS counts all your traditional IRAs as one (26 U.S.C. 408(d)(2)). Under the pro-rata rule, the conversion is taxed by the pre-tax share of all your traditional, SEP and SIMPLE (small-employer) IRAs at year-end.
The usual way out, moving the pre-tax IRA money into a 401(k), needs the coins sold first, because a 401(k) will not take coins. The full backdoor Roth arithmetic with a gold IRA is worked through separately.
What Tax Forms Will You Get After a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover?#
A direct 401(k) rollover produces two tax forms: Form 1099-R from the plan, with code G and $0 taxable, and Form 5498 from the custodian, showing the rollover. Form 1099-R reports money paid out; its distribution code in box 7 names the kind of payment. Form 5498 reports money paid into an IRA and its year-end value.
| Form | Who sends it | What it should show | Deadline for a 2026 rollover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 1099-R | The 401(k) plan | Box 1: amount rolled; box 2a: $0; code G (code H for Roth 401(k) to Roth IRA) | February 1, 2027 |
| Form 5498 | The gold IRA custodian | Box 2: the rollover; box 13a with code PO in box 13c for a loan-offset rollover | May 31, 2027, to you and the IRS |
| Year-end value statement | The gold IRA custodian | Metal at fair market value on December 31 (Form 5498 box 5) | February 1, 2027 |
Fair market value is the metal's market price on December 31, without the dealer's markup. Every box on Forms 1099-R, 5498 and the other gold-related forms is decoded separately.
If the 1099-R shows a taxable amount you did not expect, call the plan before you file. Estate of Caan began when a custodian reported a distribution on Form 1099-R at an out-of-date value, and the IRS taxed it.
Which Other Retirement Accounts Can You Roll Into a Gold IRA?#
Besides a 401(k), you can move a 403(b), a governmental 457(b), the TSP, a pension lump sum or an existing IRA into a gold IRA. Each has one trap of its own.
| Source | Method | The trap | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 403(b) | Direct rollover | A 403(b) invested in mutual funds (a 403(b)(7) custodial account) cannot hold bullion itself (26 U.S.C. 403(b)(7)(A)) | 403(b) to gold IRA rollover |
| Governmental 457(b) | Direct rollover | Loses the 457(b)'s penalty-free access before 59 1/2; a non-governmental 457(b) cannot roll to an IRA | 457(b) to gold IRA rollover |
| TSP (Thrift Savings Plan, for federal workers and the military) | Direct rollover | Only 4 in-service withdrawals a year at 59 1/2 (5 CFR 1650.31) | TSP to gold IRA rollover |
| Pension lump sum | Direct rollover | Your spouse must consent in writing, witnessed by a notary or plan representative (26 U.S.C. 417(a)(2)) | pension to gold IRA rollover |
| Existing IRA | Trustee-to-trustee transfer | Not a rollover: no 60-day clock, no once-a-year limit | IRA to gold IRA transfer |
Self-directed 401(k) vs self-directed IRA for gold#
A self-directed IRA is the usual home for physical gold. A self-directed 401(k) can hold it in practice only as a solo 401(k) whose plan allows metals. Custodians, costs and setup of a self-directed IRA for gold are covered on the account page.
What is a self-directed 401(k)?#
A self-directed 401(k) is a 401(k) that lets you pick investments beyond the fund menu, through a brokerage window or as a solo 401(k) for a one-person business. Brokerage windows hold ETFs and funds, not coins: the collectibles rule (26 U.S.C. 408(m)(1)) covers self-directed plan accounts too, and a window has no trustee to hold bullion.
Solo 401(k) vs self-directed IRA: which can hold gold?#
Both can hold IRA-eligible bullion, but a solo 401(k) needs a plan document, its written rules, that allows metals. In both, a bank or a nonbank trustee (a company the IRS has approved to act as trustee without being a bank) must hold the bullion, not you. An owner who acts as trustee and keeps the bullion has no IRS ruling to rely on.
The 2026 contribution limits are compared below (IRS Notice 2025-67).
| 2026 limit | Solo 401(k) | IRA |
|---|---|---|
| Base | $24,500 of deferrals (money you put in from pay) | $7,500 |
| Catch-up at 50 or older | $8,000 ($11,250 at 60 to 63) | $1,100 |
| Total cap | $72,000 before catch-ups | Not applicable |
A solo 401(k) files Form 5500-EZ, a yearly IRS return, once assets pass $250,000. Plan-document and custody rules for a solo 401(k) and gold are covered separately.
Can you convert a 401(k) to a self-directed IRA?#
Yes: converting a 401(k) to a self-directed IRA is the direct rollover in the 7 steps above. It is not taxed when both accounts have the same tax type. An IRA you already have, Roth or traditional, becomes self-directed when you transfer it to a custodian that allows metals.
Questions readers ask about moving a 401(k) into gold#
Four questions readers often ask are answered below.
Is converting a 401(k) to gold a good idea?#
Converting a 401(k) to gold is a good idea only for money you can leave in metal for years, after counting the spread, the fees and the lost protections. The decision table matches 9 situations to what usually fits.
What is the downside of a gold IRA?#
A gold IRA has 3 main downsides: metal pays no interest or dividends, spreads and flat fees eat into small balances, and traditional withdrawals are taxed as income. A $235 yearly fee (Equity Trust commingled, as of September 2026) is 2.35% of a $10,000 account. One point in the IRA's favor: the 28% collectibles tax rate does not apply inside it. The pros, cons and real downsides are weighed with long-run return data.
Why does Dave Ramsey say not to invest in gold?#
Dave Ramsey says precious metals "don't produce anything, they don't pay dividends, and they don't earn interest," and that they "violently swing" in price. Inside an IRA those points still hold. His tax point does not, because the 28% rate he cites applies only outside an IRA (Ramsey Solutions page, updated March 19, 2026). Why Dave Ramsey and Warren Buffett say no to gold is answered point by point.
What if you invested $10,000 in gold 20 years ago?#
Gold worth $10,000 at the LBMA PM price of $603.00 on September 28, 2006 was worth about $68,732 on September 28, 2026 (10.1% a year) before any costs. In a gold IRA with a 5% markup and $250 a year in fees, it reached about $49,929 (8.4% a year). With a 30% markup it reached about $37,529 (SafeOunce computation). Past returns do not predict future ones. Year-by-year returns and what $10,000 became after IRA costs are in the returns table.