Retirement investors everywhere want to do anything possible to protect their wealth from uncertainty, currency debasement, inflation, and volatility. Many of them now recommend that you convert a small portion of your portfolio into precious metals bullion.
It’s called a gold IRA rollover, which is the process of moving some of your IRA holdings into specific physical precious metals. Plus, it could be easier than you think.
Overall, a gold IRA lets you own precious metals like gold bullion bars and store them in your retirement account on a tax-free (tax-deferred) basis. The gold IRA rollover helps you create and fund the account by transferring cash and assets from your existing IRA.
This guide helps you understand gold IRA rollovers. You can easily convert ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, stocks, and other assets to precious metals from a tax-advantaged retirement account like a self-directed Roth IRA or traditional IRA.
Our Top Recommendations
What Will I Learn?
- What’s a Gold IRA Rollover?
- Gold IRA Transfer versus Gold IRA Rollover
- 401(K) to Gold IRA Rollover
- Choosing the Best Gold IRA Rollover Strategy
- Gold IRA Rollover – Select IRS-Approved Bullion Coins and Bars
- Paper Gold Rollover versus Physical Gold IRA Rollover
- Choosing the Best Gold IRA Custodian
- Top Gold IRA Company Options
- Gold IRA Rollovers – Eligible Account Types
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Gold IRAs
- Gold IRA Rollover FAQs
- Conclusion – Are You Ready to Start the Rollover Process?
What’s a Gold IRA Rollover?
Generally, a gold IRA rollover helps you convert part of your existing individual retirement account or investment portfolio (Roth IRA, 401(k), or SEP-IRA) into gold bars or coins to protect yourself against inflation and economic uncertainty.
During the rollover, the funds get withdrawn from an existing account and are held for 60 days or less until they’re redeposited into your new IRA through a different administrator or custodian. Always speak to a financial advisor before considering this move.
>>>>>Click Here to Request Your FREE 2022 Wealth Protection Kit <<<<<
Gold IRA Transfer versus Gold IRA Rollover
You’ve got two choices when funding a gold IRA: a transfer or rollover. In a sense, a transfer is risk-managed and more secure for moving assets between each retirement savings account.
There are various gold IRA rules and conditions to be aware of, as well. The account owner could be subjected to costly IRS imposed penalties if they break them. However, you have fewer regulations for transfers than rollovers.
A gold IRA transfer is sometimes called an IRA gold transfer, and it involves the funds being moved from one custodian to another. Therefore, the account owner doesn’t receive the money that’s withdrawn from the account. Instead, the funds get transferred directly between the third parties without your involvement. It’s a no-touch and simple process.
The crucial difference between a gold IRA rollover and transfer is that, with gold IRA transfers, the money distributed doesn’t touch your bank account.
Most investors feel that a transfer is preferable to an IRA rollover because it reduces the margin of human error that the latter features.
If you do a rollover, you could inadvertently create various difficulties. For example, you might fail to move your distributed funds to the new account before the time limit ends, which is imposed by the IRS. That means you see a significant financial penalty. However, transfers aren’t susceptible to that error because the account custodian handles it automatically.
Below, you can find the top key differences between rollovers and transfers:
Gold IRA Transfer Rules
- Not taxable
- No withholding taxes
- No annual limits
- No early withdrawal penalty
- No 60-day transfer rule is in effect
Gold IRA Rollover Rules
- No tax withholding, but only if the rollover was made from and to a personal IRA.
- Strictly limited to a single rollover per year.
- Distributed funds become taxable as your ordinary income if you violate the 60-day rule.
- Distributed funds receive a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty if you’re under the minimum age (59.5).
- The 60-day transfer rule applies, so you must transfer your deposited funds into the gold IRA within that time frame.
401(K) to Gold IRA Rollover
Some investors don’t believe that they can transfer or roll over their funds from an existing self-directed or employer-sponsored 401(k) to a gold IRA. It’s possible, but the process has different rules, and you should be aware of them before continuing.
Rolling your funds from a 401(k) sponsored by a former employer into the new gold IRA rarely presents issues. You just have to select your new gold IRA custodian and request that they initiate the 401(k) to IRA rollover from their end.
However, it becomes a challenge when you’re rolling over a 401(k) from your current employer into a self-directed IRA. If that’s your goal, you should check your policy terms first. Some employer-sponsored 401(k)s don’t allow gold investments while you’re employed with that company. Call the employers and ask about the 401(k) rules to make sure it’s allowed.
Just note that it’s possible to roll over your current 401(k) into a new gold IRA. You might want to discuss your options with a financial advisor to be sure it’s suitable and appropriate for you.
Choosing the Best Gold IRA Rollover Strategy
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for you to invest in a Gold IRA. Your financial plans ultimately dictate the rollover strategy you need to fund your account.
Many people ask, “What percentage of the portfolio should be allocated to specific precious metals like silver coins or gold?” Overall, there’s no clear-cut answer to that question.
The funding level dedicated to precious metals, such as gold and silver coins, depends significantly on how close you are to retirement and your personal risk tolerance. Some investors don’t like taking on so much risk or might be within the 10-year target for retirement age, so they’re better off dedicating about 15 to 20 percent to precious metals.
Regardless, it’s often best to supplement your investment portfolio with a few alternative assets, such as cryptocurrencies, silver coins, and gold. That can provide a hedge against the broad market instability you’ve likely been hearing about.
For example, the stock market has recently been unstable, which saw higher spot prices for palladium, silver, gold, and more. There was even a bull run for Ethereum and Bitcoin. In fact, there is economic-wide uncertainty here, which casts doubt on the traditional market, so many investors want to diversify their retirement savings portfolios with gold and silver.
It’s a big decision to move some of your traditional IRA retirement money into a gold IRA. Therefore, you should work with financial advisors to ensure that gold investing is suitable for you and your situation.
Selecting a Gold IRA Allocation
Overall, many of the most accomplished investors in the world swear by the five to 10 percent rule. They include Ray Dalio, Tony Robbins, and Kevin O’Leary from NBC’s Shark Tank show. However, many risk-averse investors feel that people should go much farther beyond that mark.
Here are a few questions to guide the decision-making process:
- What’s your outlook on the entire economy over the next five to 10 years?
- Has your portfolio performed as you expected in the past five years or so?
- What’s your true purpose when investing in physical precious metals? This can include profit, risk management, and diversification.
- How close are you to your target retirement age or date?

The third question is of particular interest here. It should ultimately prompt you to determine what your true intentions are for wanting to boost your retirement accounts with gold or palladium coins. Most people choose a gold IRA because of the three orientations listed below. They include:
Diversification Orientation
Overall, the diversification orientation focuses on people who wish to invest in precious metals to protect their portfolios from overexposure to bonds, stocks, and many other traditional assets. Most risk-conscious investors choose gold to limit their potential losses if the stock market crashes or the world goes into another recessionary event.
This orientation is ideal for a precious metals allocation of five to 10 percent. Overall, investors should think about dedicating that much of the total value of their portfolio to precious metals like platinum, palladium, silver, and gold. Generally, investors like this find it too conservative to dedicate more than that amount.
Inflation or Debasement Orientation
Investors concerned with various things like widespread inflation and currency debasement might wish to dedicate more of their portfolios to silver and gold. Since gold has been a strategic strategy against inflation for a while, a gold IRA rollover could help people protect their wealth from the declining U.S. dollar.
Right now, the U.S. is seeing severe inflation threats. In April 2021, the country saw the highest year-to-year CPI rise of 4.2 percent since September of 2008. You may not know this, but gold’s value rose to over 600 percent in the 1970s because everyone wanted to flee the unstable dollar.
Investors who want a safe haven from the rising inflation should consider increasing their precious metals exposure. You may prefer something between 10 and 20 percent in silver and gold if you’re worried about the U.S. dollar. That means if the dollar continues backsliding, you could fare better with precious metals holdings than those who don’t have that option.
Systemic Collapse Orientation
Many people are concerned about the state of the economy as a whole and feel that it might not be sustainable in the future. If you’re in that boat, you might be better off dedicating more of your wealth to precious metals. Silver and gold are often seen as the “disaster hedges” because they rise in value when the global or geopolitical environment is unstable.
Overall, gold tends to benefit when panic strikes the markets. For example, there was an OPEC+ oil crisis in March 2020, where gold prices hit a seven-year high. There was also the infamous U.S-Iran airstrike in January 2020 that saw an Iranian general killed. At that time, gold prices jumped about 1.4 percent overnight during the stock market sell-off.
If you want systemic protection from war or collapse, it might be better to invest more of your wealth into precious metals. This orientation focuses on roughly 20 to 30 percent being held in gold assets as the top-recommended allocation scale.
Gold IRA Rollover – Select IRS-Approved Bullion Coins and Bars
Generally, the IRS uses strict standards regarding what gold assets you can hold in a tax-advantaged retirement account. The precious metals allowed can include but aren’t limited to these options:
- Johnson Matthey Gold Bars
- Credit Suisse Gold Bars
- Valcambi Gold CombiBar
- Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins
- American Eagle gold coins

Gold and Silver bullion are very popular investments inside a precious metals IRA.
In every case, you can’t have collectibles in any 401(k) or IRA per the IRS regulations. Rare coinage and other precious metal types that are classified as a collectible in the IRC Section 401(a) rules are not allowed.
Generally, gold bullion bars aren’t classified as collectibles. However, there are a few exceptions to coinage that allow you to invest in gold coins through a gold IRA rollover. These include:
- Some coins under the 31 USC Section 5112
- Bullion or coins kept as a non-bank trustee or in the possession of the bank
- Coins issued and minted under the laws of a sovereign state
You could see hefty penalties and fines if you invest in unapproved assets. Therefore, you should focus on gold bullion instead of rare coinage. Those who insist on choosing gold coins should thoroughly review IRA-approved coins and speak to a financial advisor.
Paper Gold Rollover versus Physical Gold IRA Rollover
There are ultimately two primary forms of gold exposure. Physical gold bullion is the first option. It describes hard, cold metal bars that are kept in a secure vault by a trusted third-party custodian. The second refers to “paper gold,” and this describes all gold-based securities, including ETF and gold mining stocks.
Aside from the convenience factor, it’s hard to argue the advantages of paper gold when you have real metal bullion. While a few investors praise gold stocks because of the added liquidity, it’s a double-edged sword because it’s easier to buy or sell the asset fast. Therefore, paper gold is often more volatile than those physical metal commodities.
A physical gold IRA rollover is the best choice if you want more exposure to the advantage of gold investing. Overall, physical gold bullion or gold bars can help you save your investment during an economic collapse and runaway inflation.
It’s ideal to hold precious metals because the physical gold is worth more than the paper options.
See below to find the top benefits of physical gold investing compared to a gold exposure from securities:
- Transferable and Moveable – Gold bars are actually portable, and you can withdraw them from the IRA and hold them yourself or put them in a vault through distribution.
- Physical Ownership – You own the precious metal bars, so they’re harder to confiscate or seize when compared to electronic assets.
- Safe Haven Store Value – During an economic crisis, the physical gold bullion is the last resort for store of value when paper and cash assets are deemed worthless.
- Counterparty Risk – A publicly-traded stock can fail to honor contractual obligations or declare bankruptcy, but a gold bar can’t. Therefore, physical gold investors don’t have those counterparty risks like paper gold investors do.
Some of the benefits noted above aren’t exclusive to precious metals. However, they present the most compelling reasons for having gold and silver in your portfolio.
Choosing the Best Gold IRA Custodian
Whenever you open a traditional IRA, you work with your Financial Advisor or local bank to help you set it up. However, they only work with traditional asset classes, and they won’t be able to be the gold IRA rollover guide that you need to navigate this special class of investment.
Conventional brokerages also don’t support these Gold IRAs. Therefore, you have to choose a gold IRA custodian based on a refined list of gold IRA companies that specialize in this process. We’ve identified our list of the best options out there for many years and only recommend top tier companies that can help you initiate and facilitate the gold IRA rollover with your existing 401(k) or IRA provider.
We’ve vetted the companies you’ll be introduced to later in this guide and you can be sure that the holdings are vaulted safely in an IRS-approved depository so that it’s compliant with IRS regulations and protocols.
Trustworthy gold IRA companies will help you with the rollover process from start to finish. They are fully transparent and give you the paperwork and documentation you need to complete the rollover without hidden fees or clauses tacked on.
There are many gold IRA companies out there, and we’ve spent thousands of hours analyzing and carefully grading each one. Below is a quick summary about how we went about finding the top gold IRA companies.
Prestige and Reputation
The gold IRA provider you select should have a solid customer satisfaction profile and reputation. Some companies do prey on unsuspecting customers or have malicious intentions. We out them in our individual company reviews and don’t do them any favors by naming them on our page highlighting the best gold IRA rollover companies.
You should avoid a precious metals company that doesn’t have good reviews online. Look for customer-generated reviews on Trustpilot, Google My Business, YouTube, the Better Business Bureau, and Reddit, as they are often authentic customer testimonials.
The goal here is to find authentic options. Some gold IRA companies publish paid reviews on social media. If they all seem similar in length and don’t provide substantive information that changes between each, that raises a red flag of inauthenticity.
Please be aware that IRS-approved non-bank trustees are the only ones allowed to operate the precious metals vault. If the custodian doesn’t say it’s IRS-approved, move to another choice. Some vendors sell numismatic coins and low-purity gold that aren’t appropriate for an IRA.
Rollover Limitations
The IRS only provides one penalty-free rollover every 365 days. If you finish your rollover on July 1, 2020, you can’t do another tax-free rollover until July 1, 2021. Therefore, it’s crucial to pick the right custodian because if you want to change before the 12-month period is over, you could incur early distribution penalties to roll those funds over once more.
Top Gold IRA Company Options

Best Overall
Goldco Minimum Opening Investment and Fees:- Annual Fees: $80 Service Fee + Third-Party Storage Fees (amounts vary)
Goldco Best Features:
- No extra fees on non-IRA transactions
- Low annual fees overall
- Lower (than average) minimum opening investment
- White-glove service for all investors
Goldco Pros:
- Easy IRA and 401(k) rollover process
- Reputable buyback program
- Dependable customer service
- Lower annual fees than industry average
- Services include gold IRA, silver IRA, 401(k) rollover, bitcoin 401(k), traditional or Roth IRA planning, and SEP IRA planning
- $10,000 or more in free silver on qualifying orders.
Goldco Cons:
- No on-site custodian or storage option; clients must the third-party storage custodians (list provided through Goldco)
Cliff Notes:
When it comes to opening a gold IRA plan, Goldco is among the most reputable services available. The company offers a straightforward 401(k) rollover process as well as a stellar buy-back program. In addition to maintaining some of the lowest annual fees in the industry, Goldco is also popular for its streamlined customer service. Upon initiating the signup process, the company connects each potential investor with an IRA specialist or dedicated account executive who provides guidance on completing the application. Once IRA specialists finalizes the account setup process, the investor or client can then transfer required funds.
After Goldco receives the funds, the IRA specialist reconnects with the investor to verify the precious metals intended for placement within the IRA. Once the investor makes the choice, the precious metals go into a third-party depository linked to Goldco. If the precious metals are not in stock, the investor can order bars or coins with a turnaround time of about four weeks. In either case, the investor receives real-time updates throughout the process, making this company the top-recommended gold IRA custodian in terms of accommodating client needs.

Best Storage
Augusta Precious Metals Minimum Opening Investment and Annual Fees:- Annual Fees: $125 Administrative Fee + $125 Storage Fee
- Other Fee: $50 One-Time Setup Fee
Augusta Precious Metals Best Features:
- Company offers free webinars and educational materials for beginner, intermediate, and highly advanced investors
- Favorite program among wealthy and celebrity investors (including Joe Montana)
- Specialized departments and one-on-one customer service agents
- Free one-on-one webinars to maximize client returns
- Preliminary web Conference with Devlyn Steel (member of the business analytics program at Harvard Business School)
- First-year fees waived for brand-new clients
Augusta Precious Pros:
- Extensive collection of webinars and educational materials to make the most of your investment
- Straightforward setup process
- Free shipping and free transit insurance
- One-on-one personal customer success agent assigned to each client
- Access to economic analytics team at all time
- Famous customer loyalty from high-profile clients
Augusta Precious Cons:
- Does not offer platinum IRA or palladium IRA options
Cliff Notes:
Investors looking for a premium gold IRA service need look no further than Augusta Precious Metals. A favorite among celebrity clients such as Joe Montana, this company has dedicated departments to handle each IRA step throughout the life of the investor’s gold or silver portfolio. Examples of dedicated departments include the economic analytics team, the IRA processing team, and the company order desk. In particular, accounts with Augusta Precious Metals include a preliminary web conference with Devlyn Steel, a Harvard Business School affiliate who accurately predicted the financial crisis of 2008. Even more impressively, each client receives a one-one-one success agent who serves as the investor’s official personal contact.
New clients can open a gold IRA or silver IRA in three simple steps. First, the investor sets up the account through one of the company’s knowledgeable customer service agents. Next, the client should fund the account with a minimum initial investment of $50,000. Clients with an existing 401(k), IRA, or other retirement account can also rollover funds from the current account. Finally, the investor determines the preferred precious metals for the IRA. Once chosen, representatives at Augusta Precious Metals send the gold or silver to one of seven secure depositories in the United States. The precious metals arrive at the storage facility within 10 days. With its laudable customer service and A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
There are various precious metals IRA companies out there, so it’s often hard to choose the best one based on your needs. Below, you can see a quick list of the most trusted and best-selling companies in the industry, and they’ve all been in business for at least a decade.
Expect to pay about $100 to $325 in gold storage fees from a reputable business. Some gold IRA companies charge no money for transfer fees and waive the administrative and storage fees during the first year.
Though this list is the first step, you should perform an in-depth analysis of each gold IRA company available, reading thorough reviews of the best choices. That way, you understand how to shop for a precious metal rollover.
Gold IRA Rollovers – Eligible Account Types
To complete your rollover, you may transfer funds from your current tax-advantaged retirement account, such as:
- TSP
- 457(b)
- 403(b)
- SEP IRA
- Employer-sponsored 401(k)
- Self-directed 401(k)
- Traditional or Roth IRA
You might have to start the rollover process after you’ve terminated employment with the company for employer-sponsored accounts, such as a 457(b) or 401(k). That’s because some employers don’t allow rollovers from one account to the other. Sometimes, you can perform a partial rollover while you’re employed once you reach 59.5 years old.
It is simple to move funds from your current account to a new gold IRA by registering the self-directed IRA through an appropriate gold IRA provider. Fill out the transfer request form to begin the process of rolling over your funds. It generally takes about 14 business days to show the money in your precious metal IRA account.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Gold IRAs
Before you think of working with a gold IRA rollover company, you should understand the advantages and disadvantages of having a gold-backed IRA. They include:
Advantages
- The biggest benefit of having your gold IRA account instead of the standard 401(k) is control. You aren’t subjected to the political climate, inflation, or market changes with a precious metals IRA account.
- Augusta Precious Metals is a great choice if you plan to invest more than $50,000.
- You’ve got more control over the fees because major brokers charge nothing to roll a 401(k) into a precious metals IRA.
- There are often small percentage fees for each transaction if an automated advisor manages the portfolio, but they can be reduced.
- It’s best not to take money from your retirement savings before it’s needed. However, it’s easier to get your funds from precious metals companies than from employer-sponsored plans.
Disadvantages
There are also disadvantages of getting a gold IRA, which include:
- Retirement savings plans often discourage contributors from withdrawing money before the account owner reaches 59.5 years of age. There’s a 10 percent penalty for doing so.
- Most penalties can be waived for early withdrawals for a 401(k) plan, but that’s not available for a gold IRA.
- You could find it challenging to move the funds from a 401(k) to the gold IRA if you don’t know how to do it successfully and without penalty.
Gold IRA Rollover FAQs
You want the very best for your retirement account, and it makes sense to invest in gold and silver. Typically, it’s ideal to consider a gold IRA, but you may still have questions. This guide provides tons of helpful information, but the FAQ section can also assist if you haven’t gotten the answers you seek.
What’s a Gold IRA Rollover?
A gold IRA rollover helps you convert your investment portfolio or retirement account assets into coins and bullion bars. That is a great way to hedge against economic uncertainty, such as inflation.
In most cases, you can move the funds from a 401(k) or 403(b). the 403(b) is called a tax-sheltered annuity plan, so people working in the public school system, ministers, and other tax-exempt employees use it. If you’ve got one, you may choose a gold IRA rollover, but you should talk with a financial advisor first.
Why Might You Execute a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover?
The 401(k) is a special retirement account that uses the stock market to invest funds while hoping that the money inside grows. It’s a common way to try and increase your investment value.
Though popular, a standard 401(k) comes with risk. The stock market falls and rises, so the money invested in it does, as well. You’ve likely seen that in the past. Overall, the market is unstable, takes a plunge, and you lose money. There’s no way to get it back until the market has restored itself.
Therefore, many people want to pull their money from 401(k) accounts because they fear instability. However, alternative investments can provide better security. Most investors don’t know about this because it wasn’t done much in the past. Only financially savvy people learned how to invest like this.
Now, though, everyone can turn money into a concrete investment strategy with gold.
What Are the Contribution Limits for 2022?
The contribution limit for a 401(k) in 2022 is $20,500. If you’re over 50 years of age, you may add up to $6,500 more.
How Long Does It Usually Take to Complete a 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover?
Generally, it takes about 60 days to finish a 401(k) rollover into the gold IRA. If it takes longer, you must pay taxes and penalties on that money. Once you complete the rollover, those precious metals are stored in a secure storage facility approved by the IRS.
How Does the Gold IRA Rollover Work?
Sometimes, any fund movement from one retirement account to another is called a “rollover.” However, it’s crucial to understand that the IRS clearly defines a rollover and transfer, and they are quite different.
With a rollover, the money moved is given to you so that you can deposit it into another account. However, a transfer means the original custodian of that IRA moves the money directly to the new custodian after you designate them to receive the funds. You never see the cash yourself.
Custodian-to-custodian transfers are the best method for establishing a self-directed IRA (gold IRA) with existing and qualified funds. The new account is created with an IRA custodian who requests the transfer of your assets from the existing retirement account to the new one with your permission. Then, the custodian accepts the money withdrawn, investing it for you.
If you choose a rollover, you should request a “direct rollover” instead of the “indirect rollover.” Overall, indirect rollovers feature withholding requirements, and you could incur early distribution penalties if you don’t do things properly.
What IRS Rules Are There for a Gold IRA?
The Internal Revenue Service has strict rules and regulations in place for your gold IRA account. Generally, the most important one pertains to a self-directed IRA, such as Gold IRAs. By federal law, you have to use an approved IRA custodian for that retirement account type.
You shouldn’t buy gold or other precious metals with the IRA account funds. The IRS requires the IRA account administrator to perform the transactions for you. You just give your custodian appropriate directions so that they can purchase precious metals. In a sense, they make arrangements for insurance coverage and shipping after they complete the transaction.
Once the precious metals have been purchased, they are stored according to the IRS regulations in place for precious metals IRAs, such as gold IRAs. The custodian of the new gold IRA account receives the gold or other precious metals and hands them over to an off-site, third-party depository sanctioned by the IRS.
You can choose the depository or use the one your account administrator has established a relationship with. They safeguard and inventory the gold holdings until you tell them what to do with the self-directed IRA, such as sell the gold or give it to you. At that point, distributions are sent by an insured delivery person to your address.
What IRS Rules Are There for a Gold IRA Rollover?
Overall, the IRS has many rules for IRA rollovers. If you prefer this route, you have 60 days to deposit your money into the gold IRA account from the date you get the funds. That means you have to research companies and custodians before that.
If you don’t finish the transaction within that period, the money is considered a taxable withdrawal, so you have a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty if you’re not 59.5 years old at the time. However, if you withdraw from personal retirement accounts into an IRA, there’s no tax withholding at all. You may only perform one rollover each year.
What IRS Rules Are There for a Gold IRA Transfer?
There are less-strict rules in place for a direct custodian-to-custodian transfer. For example, you don’t have to deal with that 60-day transfer rule because you never touch or receive any money. The transfer is often accomplished through wire transfer between the IRA custodians.
However, the original custodian may complete the transfer by issuing a check to the new custodian by mailing it to the company managing that new account. This is often the easiest way for you to invest in gold through an IRA because it’s handled in the background, and you don’t have to worry about the money being given to the new custodian.
It’s important to choose the right custodian or company here. You don’t want someone to steal your money or mismanage it.
Are There Fees Involved for a Gold IRA Rollover?
If you are moving an existing traditional IRA into a precious metals IRA, such as a gold IRA, there are no government-sanctioned transfer or rollover fees involved. However, there could be application charges included for opening a gold IRA.
The sanctioned administrators and custodians of precious metals IRAs typically charge you a processing fee to start the account opening process for a self-directed IRA. Often, these administrators charge various amounts based on their business models. However, the average is about $50. It’s up to you to understand the custodian and storage fees required.
How Does a Typical 401(k) to Gold IRA Rollover Work?
If you’ve got a 401(k), you may roll it into an IRA or any other qualified plan without dealing with any tax penalties. Here’s an overview of the most important 401(k) rollover rules:
- You can’t use the cash from the distribution to buy investments in the period between receiving the 401(k) distribution and establishing the IRA.
- You’re limited to one rollover tax-free per year from the 401(k) to an IRA. That one-year period starts on the date you receive the distribution money. It applies separately to every IRA you may own.
- When you receive the funds from the 401(k) for the rollover, you only have 60 days to finish the transaction and process. If you fail to do so in the time allotted, the IRS treats that money as a taxable distribution. Likewise, the IRS imposes a 10 percent penalty for the withdrawal on top of the traditional income taxation if you’re not already 59.5 years old.
It’s best to choose a direct rollover option with those funds. That means you don’t get a check for the distribution. Instead, the provider transfers the money directly to the custodian or administrator for you.
What’s the Best Gold IRA Company?
A typical gold IRA company specializes in setting up gold IRAs and helps you from beginning to end. This includes the IRA transfer or rollover. The best gold IRA companies handle other components of your IRA account setup, including the purchase of precious metals approved by the IRS and storage of them in an accredited and IRS-approved depository.
Overall, reputable gold IRA companies should be able and willing to handle the full process for you. However, the representatives must also answer all of your questions, regardless of the stage of the process you request information. Often, these companies form strategic alliances with wholesale metal dealers, accredited depositories, and traditional IRA custodians.
Choosing the best company for Gold IRAs depends on various factors, and the ones you deem important might be different from someone else. However, it’s best to focus on storage options, the physical location of the business, the availability of other assets and alternatives, customer support, and ratings from the Better Business Bureau and Business Consumer Alliance.
When you determine what’s most important to you, create a list of the top companies that meet those criteria. Call them or request a free gold kit to find out more about each one and the products offered.
It’s recommended for you to call multiple companies and request information before making any investment decision. You should also talk to a financial advisor before investing in gold or other asset classes.
What Precious Metals Options Are Allowed?
The IRS has very strict regulations in place about the types of gold bars/coins and other physical precious metals you can put in an IRA. Investors can ultimately hold gold coins and bullion as long as they meet these two standards:
- The physical gold has to be an official currency of any recognized public entity.
- It must meet the appropriate purity standard. The purity has to be 0.995 in the United States, but the standard is different for other countries. You must research your options thoroughly to determine what purity level is required.
Through the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act, some platinum, palladium, gold, and silver coins are permitted for those traditional 401(k) retirement accounts. They include 1/4, 1/10, 1/2, and 1-ounce coins minted through the U.S. Treasury Department. Some rounds, foreign coins, and bars with the right purity are also allowed.
Here are the physical gold types you might hold in a gold IRA:
- Swiss PAMP gold bars
- Credit Suisse gold bars
- Some gold bullion bars
- Gold Kilo bars
- American Gold Buffalo coins
- Australian Philharmonic gold coins
- Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins
- American gold eagle coin
You may also choose other metals, but there are rules in place for them. They include:
- Platinum or palladium coins have to be 99.95 percent pure.
- Silver has to be 99.9 percent pure.
- Proof coins have to stay in the original mint packaging, be in flawless condition, and include a Certificate of Authenticity.
- Bullion coins must be in the Brilliant Uncirculated condition.
- Rounds, coins, and bars not made by a U.S. mint should be accredited by a refiner, manufacturer, or assayer and meet the appropriate purity requirements.
The list below focuses on the platinum, silver, and palladium coins that are allowed:
- Austrian Silver Vienna Philharmonic
- Australian Silver Kookaburra
- British Silver Britannia
- Chinese Silver Panda
- Canadian Silver Polar Bear
- American Eagle Platinum
- Canadian Silver Snow Falcon
- Australian Platinum Koala coins
- Canadian Silver Orca
- Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf
- The American Eagle Palladium coinage
- Many others
Conclusion – Are You Ready to Start the Rollover Process?
Investing in gold and silver means that you need something other than a 401(k) account. You may remove some money from traditional retirement accounts and include precious metals through a self-directed IRA. It’s a great way to boost your savings and protect yourself during economic hardship.
These self-directed IRAs work well because you use alternative investments to save for your retirement needs. However, you must be aware that some rules apply, even when you choose a gold IRA. The IRS also places strict regulations on what metals you may use.
It’s often challenging to know what to do to save for retirement. Therefore, you should never make any changes to your accounts until you speak with a reputable financial advisor. They can give you helpful information, protect you from penalties and fines, and ensure that you use the best gold IRA provider.
Do you believe that a gold IRA rollover is ideal for your situation? If so, you should consider the best gold IRA companies. We’ve listed them all for you in this guide, and you can find plenty of helpful information to know what to do, how to do it, and the ins and outs of the IRS rules.
True diversification is crucial if you want to build your retirement wealth and reduce the risk of economic issues.
Though Augusta Precious Metals is a top choice, there are many others. Consider well-performing gold IRAs to diversify investments. From there, you may want to take your investment strategy to the next level and invest in other alternative assets. A deep diversified portfolio can include adding Bitcoin IRAs and other cryptocurrencies to a self-directed IRA you currently own.
Choose a trusted gold IRA company that meets all your needs and can help you direct your retirement funds appropriately. This gold IRA rollover guide can be extremely helpful in your cause.