Start here: gold and silver IRAs explained
If you are thinking about putting part of your retirement savings into physical gold or silver, you probably have more questions than answers. Who holds the metal? Which coins count? What happens if you want out? This page answers those in plain English, then compares three companies that sell metal for retirement accounts and for home delivery.
A gold or silver IRA is a self-directed retirement account that holds approved coins or bars instead of stocks and funds. Four parties are involved: you, a custodian that administers the account, a depository that stores the metal, and a dealer that sells it. The IRS does not allow you to keep IRA metal at home. We compare Augusta Precious Metals, Goldco and American Hartford Gold, and our order is Augusta first, then Goldco, then American Hartford Gold. This is general information, not advice.
Key takeaways
- A gold or silver IRA holds physical metal, but the metal must sit with a bank or an IRS-approved trustee. Storing it at your house is not permitted.
- The dealer, the custodian and the depository are three separate businesses, and each charges separately. Ask for every charge in writing.
- Starting amounts differ most. Augusta publishes $50,000. American Hartford Gold publishes $10,000 for an IRA. Goldco's is not published on the pages we checked, so ask.
- Buying outright and buying through an IRA are different products with different rules. Neither is better for everyone.
- Our ranking comes from what the companies publish and their public records. No company was tested, and we did not buy anything from any of them.
Affiliate disclosure
We are paid a commission if you follow a link on this page to Augusta Precious Metals, Goldco or American Hartford Gold and later become a customer. It costs you nothing extra. All three companies pay us, which is why the ranking below is explained in full. The details are on our affiliate disclosure page.
What gold and silver IRAs are
An individual retirement account is a container, not an asset. Most people fill theirs with funds or shares, but the tax code also allows a self-directed IRA, where the container can hold other things, including certain gold and silver coins and bars. The tax treatment comes from the account type (traditional or Roth). The metal is simply what sits inside.
Four parties make it work.
- You decide what to buy and give the instructions.
- The custodian is the financial firm that holds the IRA itself. It opens the account, receives the money from your old plan, pays the dealer, and reports to the IRS.
- The depository is the secure vault where the metal is kept.
- The dealer is the company that sells you the coins or bars. This is where Augusta, Goldco and American Hartford Gold sit.
Why not keep the metal in a home safe? Because IRS rules require that gold and other bullion inside an IRA stay in the hands of a bank or a nonbank trustee the IRS has approved. An IRA owner who stores the coins at home risks having the purchase treated as a withdrawal, which can mean income tax and an additional tax on early withdrawals. We link the IRS page in the rules section below.
Knowing who does what saves a great deal of confusion later. When a charge appears on a statement, the first question is always which of the four parties sent it.
Gold & Silver Guides
Each guide answers one question in depth. Start with whichever matches what you are wondering about today.
Gold IRABest Gold IRA Companies for 2026: Matched to Your Situation
Which gold IRA company fits you? Augusta, Goldco and American Hartford Gold compared by starting amount, goal, storage and buyback policy.
SilverBest Silver IRA Companies for 2026: What Silver Changes
Silver is bulkier and bought in larger piles than gold. See what that changes and how Augusta, Goldco and American Hartford Gold handle it.
Gold IRAGold IRA vs Silver IRA: A Scorecard to Decide in 2026
Gold, silver or both in an IRA? Score the two metals on price, volatility, storage, liquidity and demand, then see how a split works.
Gold IRAGold IRA Pros and Cons: Who It Suits and Who Should Skip It
A balanced look at gold IRA pros and cons: what the account does well, where it falls short, and the readers who are better off skipping it.
Gold IRAGold IRA Fees Explained: Every Charge and How to Read It
Where the money goes in a gold IRA: setup, custodian, storage, markup and selling spread. Who charges each, and how to read a quote.
SilverSilver by the Pound: How to Buy a Pound of Silver in 2026
A pound of silver is 14.5833 troy ounces, not 12. See the forms, weight, storage, paperwork and mistakes before you buy a pound of silver.
GoldGold by the Pound: How to Buy a Pound of Gold in 2026
A pound of gold is 14.5833 troy ounces, not 12. See how bars and coins add up, what to check, and the storage and paperwork involved.Gold or silver?
Both metals can sit in an IRA, and all three companies below sell both. The differences are practical.
Gold is dense and valuable, so a given amount of money buys a small, light pile. Silver is far cheaper per ounce, so the same money buys a much bigger and heavier pile that takes more vault space and costs more to ship and store. Silver also has large industrial uses, which gives it a different demand pattern from gold. Neither metal pays interest or dividends, and the price of either can fall.
Some retirement savers choose one metal, some choose a mix. How much of each is a personal decision that depends on your whole financial picture, and the right person to talk it through with is a licensed professional who is not paid when you buy. For a side-by-side look at six criteria, see gold IRA vs silver IRA. If silver is your main interest, best silver IRA companies covers what changes when you choose it.
The ranking at a glance
| # | Company | Best for | BBB | Minimum purchase | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Augusta Precious Metals 4.9/5 | Buyers making a bigger purchase who would rather study the process before buying | A+ | $50,000 | Get Augusta's Free Info Kit → |
| 2 | Goldco 4.8/5 | Buyers who put a clearly worded buyback policy first | A+ | Not published | Get Goldco's Free Gold & Silver Kit → |
| 3 | American Hartford Gold 4.7/5 | Buyers making a modest first purchase | A+ | $10,000 (IRA) | Get AHG's Free Gold IRA Guide → |
The three companies
Augusta Precious Metals
4.9/5Best for buyers making a bigger purchase who would rather study the process before buying
- In business since
- 2012
- BBB
- A+ rating; accredited from February 2015
- Minimum purchase
- $50,000, whether paying cash or funding an IRA
- What you can buy
- Coins and bars in gold and in silver
- Home delivery or IRA
- Offers both. Cash orders can be shipped to any U.S. address
- Storage
- Delaware Depository
- IRA custodian
- Equity Trust Company
- Buyback
- States that it has not turned down a buyback request. This is not a guarantee, and the policy may change
Why it ranks first
Augusta opened in 2012, carries an A+ from the Better Business Bureau and has been BBB-accredited since 2015. The thing that lifts it above the others is the amount of explaining it does up front. Its education group, headed by director of education Devlyn Steele, hosts a personal web conference that covers how gold gets priced, which custodian and depository are involved, and which questions belong in any conversation with a dealer.
Strengths
- Its minimum, depository and custodian are all stated openly.
- The learning step is placed ahead of any sales talk.
- It describes its buyback history plainly, saying it has not turned one down while acknowledging that no dealer can promise one.
Things to know
- The $50,000 minimum covers cash and IRA orders equally, so a smaller budget rules this company out.
- The personal web conference is reserved for retirement savers holding $100,000 or more.
Who it suits
Buyers planning a bigger purchase who want a solid grasp of how it all works before they commit.
Goldco
4.8/5Best for buyers who put a clearly worded buyback policy first
- In business since
- 2011, according to its BBB profile
- BBB
- A+ rating; accredited from December 2011
- Minimum purchase
- Not stated on the pages reviewed. Confirm with Goldco
- What you can buy
- Gold and silver coins (no bars were seen on the pages reviewed)
- Home delivery or IRA
- Offers both
- Storage
- Metal bought directly can be held at home, in a safe deposit box or at a bullion depository. The pages reviewed name no depository, so confirm with Goldco
- IRA custodian
- No custodian is named on the pages reviewed
- Buyback
- States it will repurchase metal sold by Goldco at any time. The "highest price" promise only kicks in after three years, and no particular rate is guaranteed
Why it ranks second
Goldco is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, and its accreditation dates to 2011, the oldest among these three companies. Its buyback language is the most detailed of the group: it says it will take back metal bought through Goldco at any time, and that its "highest price" promise starts once three years have passed from the first purchase.
Strengths
- The oldest BBB accreditation among the companies listed here.
- A buyback policy put in writing, conditions included.
- Serves home-delivery buyers and retirement-account buyers alike.
Things to know
- On the pages reviewed, Goldco gives no minimum purchase, no depository name and no custodian name. Get all three answered before you choose.
- No rate is guaranteed under the buyback promise, and the "highest price" wording only applies after the three-year mark.
Who it suits
Buyers for whom the eventual sale matters most, and who do not mind collecting specifics over the phone.
American Hartford Gold
4.7/5Best for buyers making a modest first purchase
- In business since
- 2015
- BBB
- A+ rating; accredited from June 2016
- Minimum purchase
- $10,000 for an IRA. No cash minimum is published
- What you can buy
- Coins, bars and rounds in gold and silver. Platinum also appears on its homepage
- Home delivery or IRA
- Offers both
- Storage
- Lists a number of depositories, among them Brink's Global Services and Delaware Depository. The pages disagree on the complete list, so confirm it. Storage is commingled unless segregated is requested
- IRA custodian
- Equity Trust Company is listed as the primary custodian, with Entrust listed as an alternative
- Buyback
- Asks clients to get in touch with it before selling. States that it is not legally able to guarantee a repurchase
Why it ranks third
American Hartford Gold is the newest of the three, operating since 2015, and it is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. Its published entry point is the smallest in this comparison, $10,000 for an IRA, and it spells out which depositories it uses so the buyer can pick among them.
Strengths
- The smallest published starting amount among the three.
- Several named depositories to pick from, plus segregated storage if requested.
- Cash orders are delivered to your home.
Things to know
- It says outright that it cannot legally promise to repurchase your metal.
- Storage defaults to commingled; segregated has to be requested.
- No minimum is published for cash orders, so ask.
Who it suits
Newer buyers beginning with a smaller amount, and anyone who wants some choice over where the metal is held.
For a longer comparison matched to your starting amount, read best gold IRA companies.
How a gold or silver IRA gets set up
The order of steps is similar at every company.
- Choose a company. Use the first call to ask questions. Nothing needs to be decided on it.
- Open a self-directed IRA. The company helps you apply to a custodian. A regular brokerage IRA usually cannot hold physical metal, so this account is a new one.
- Fund it. Money arrives by transfer from another IRA or by rollover from an employer plan such as a 401(k). In a direct transfer, the money moves between institutions and does not pass through your hands. You can also contribute new money up to the yearly limit.
- Choose the metal. The choice is limited to products that meet the IRS standards. Ask the dealer to confirm in writing that each item qualifies.
- The depository stores it. The dealer sends the metal to the vault, and the custodian records it in your account.
- Later, you sell or take a distribution. Selling inside the IRA returns cash to the account. Taking metal out, or taking money out, is a distribution and follows normal IRA rules, including the age rules and possible tax.
Before step 4 is final, ask for two prices in writing: what you would pay per coin or bar, and what the dealer would pay to buy the same item back today. The gap between them is the clearest picture of the real cost.
IRS rules in brief
These rules come from federal tax law, not from any company, and they apply whichever company you use.
- Collectibles are restricted. Under IRA law, gold and other bullion count as collectibles. If an IRA buys collectibles, the amount is treated as distributed in the year it was bought, and an additional 10% tax on early distributions may apply.
- There is an exception for certain highly refined bullion. The exception holds only while a bank or an IRS-approved nonbank trustee keeps the metal in its own hands. The IRS page also notes exceptions for certain coins. Because the exact list is detailed, ask your dealer and your custodian which products qualify before you pay.
- No home storage. Possession by a bank or approved trustee is the condition, and a home safe is neither.
- Trustees can be stricter than the law. The IRS notes that a trustee may add its own restrictions beyond federal law, so your custodian's rules matter too.
- Rollovers have a clock. If you receive a distribution yourself rather than moving the money directly, the IRS says the rollover must be completed by the 60th day after you receive it.
Read the IRS page yourself, linked in the sources below. Rules change, and this summary is not tax advice.
Buying outright vs through an IRA
Both routes are available from all three companies, and they suit different goals.
| Buying outright | Buying through an IRA | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the metal is kept | Wherever you choose, including at home | In an approved vault, and never at home |
| Who is involved | Just you and the dealer | Four parties: you, the dealer, a custodian and a depository |
| What you can buy | Whatever the dealer stocks | Only products that satisfy IRS standards |
| Source of the money | Money you already hold outside a retirement account | Retirement money, moved by transfer or rollover |
| Tax treatment | Ordinary rules for property you sell | The IRA's rules, traditional or Roth |
| Getting at it | Yours to keep or sell when you like | Distributions follow IRA rules |
| Extra parties charging you | Storage and insurance, if you arrange them | Custodian and depository, each with its own charges |
Outright buying gives you control and possession. An IRA gives you the account's tax treatment but takes away possession and narrows the product list. Many people who are curious start with the IRA question and discover that the outright route fits them better, or the reverse. If you are weighing it, gold IRA pros and cons lays out both sides, including who should skip it.
How we ranked them
No company was tested. We did not place orders, make calls as customers or open accounts. The ranking is editorial, and it rests on what each company publishes about itself and its public record. Five criteria carry these weights.
- Track record (30%). Years in operation, together with the company's standing and accreditation at the Better Business Bureau.
- Clarity before the sale (25%). What a buyer is able to find out about the steps, the firms involved and the terms before giving anyone a phone number.
- Buyback (15%). Whether a buyback policy is stated in plain words, and with what conditions.
- Storage (15%). Whether depositories are named, and whether the buyer has a say.
- Starting amount (15%). How much it takes to begin, and whether that number is published.
Scores of 4.9, 4.8 and 4.7 follow from those weights. They are our editorial scores. They are not customer ratings and not a statement about anyone's results. We are paid by all three companies, so the order follows the stated weighting and nothing else.
We leave out the cost of owning metal through each company. Numbers circulating online are frequently stale or wrong, and a company's own schedule is the only reliable source. Our gold IRA fees guide explains each type of charge and how to read a quote.
Red flags
- Pressure to decide today. A price that is fair now will be just as fair a week from now.
- Rare or "exclusive" coins pushed for a retirement account. Collector items come with heavy markups, and IRS rules limit them.
- Predictions about the price. Nobody knows where it is going.
- Metal kept at home inside an IRA. The rule above does not allow it.
- Buyback promised with no written terms. A dealer cannot legally guarantee a repurchase.
- Costs available only by phone. Anything real can be put in writing.
- A request to move money before you have the custodian's paperwork. Transfers go through the custodian.
Federal agencies have warned retirees directly about overpriced metals and coins sold as safe. If something feels wrong, you can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to the CFTC. Both links are in the sources.
Glossary
- Bullion
- Coins and bars valued for their metal content rather than their rarity.
- Spot price
- The market price of one ounce of the metal for immediate delivery.
- Premium
- The amount a dealer adds above spot when selling an item.
- Spread
- The gap between a dealer's selling price and its buying price for the same item.
- Custodian
- The firm that administers a self-directed IRA and reports to the IRS.
- Depository
- A secure vault that stores metal owned by an IRA.
- Segregated storage
- Your pieces are kept separate from everyone else's. With commingled storage you get back the same amount of metal, but not the very same pieces.
- Rollover
- Shifting savings out of a workplace plan, like a 401(k), and into an IRA.
- Self-directed IRA
- An IRA whose holdings can go past funds and shares to include approved physical metal.
- Troy ounce
- The unit used for precious metals. It is heavier than the everyday ounce.
Common questions
Is a gold IRA the same as owning gold?
Not quite. The IRA owns the metal on your behalf, and the depository holds it. You hold a claim through the account instead of the coins themselves. That is the trade for the account's tax treatment.
Must the whole 401(k) be rolled over?
No. You can move part of a balance. Whether to move any, and how much, depends on your plan's rules and your situation, which makes it a question for a licensed professional who is not paid on the sale.
Does the metal have to be gold bars?
No. Gold and silver coins and bars from the approved list can qualify. The list is detailed, so ask for confirmation in writing.
What about buying a pound of metal?
Many readers think in pounds. The catch is that metal is weighed in troy ounces, and a pound of the everyday kind is not a troy pound. Our guides on silver by the pound and gold by the pound do the arithmetic.
Update history
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-02 | Initial publication. Company facts checked against each company's website and Better Business Bureau profile. |
About the editorial team
Frequently asked questions
What is a gold IRA?
It is a self-directed individual retirement account that holds approved gold coins or bars instead of stocks or funds. A custodian administers the account and a depository stores the metal. The account type, traditional or Roth, decides the tax treatment.
Can silver go in the same account?
Yes. A precious metals IRA can hold approved silver as well as gold. Silver is bulkier for the same dollar amount, so storage and shipping matter more. Our silver IRA guide goes through it.
Can IRA gold be kept at home?
No. Under IRS rules, gold and other bullion in an IRA has to stay with a bank or an IRS-approved nonbank trustee. Home storage can cause the purchase to be treated as a distribution.
How much does it take to start?
It depends on the company. Augusta Precious Metals publishes a $50,000 minimum for cash and IRA purchases. American Hartford Gold publishes $10,000 for an IRA. Goldco's minimum was not published on the pages we checked, so ask. These were the published figures on 2026-10-01.
What does it cost to own metal in an IRA?
There are several separate charges, from the dealer's markup to the custodian and the depository, and we do not print company cost figures because published numbers are often wrong. Ask each party for its schedule in writing. Our guide to gold IRA fees explains how to read a quote.
Will the company buy my metal back?
Each says it handles buybacks, and none can legally guarantee one. The wording differs, and the boxes above summarize it. Ask for the buyback terms in writing before you buy.
Is it right for me?
A website cannot judge that. Metal pays no interest, its price can fall, and an IRA adds rules and extra parties. Talk it over with a licensed financial professional who earns nothing from the sale.
How is this site paid for?
By commissions from the three companies, if you follow our links and become a customer. You pay no extra. See the affiliate disclosure.
General information only. This is not tax, legal or financial advice.
Sources
- IRS: Retirement plans FAQs regarding IRAs
- Better Business Bureau: Augusta Precious Metals
- Better Business Bureau: Goldco
- Better Business Bureau: American Hartford Gold
- CFTC, FINRA and NASAA: warning to retirees about gold and silver scams
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- Each company's own website, read on 2026-10-01.