Gold IRA Rollover Guide

A gold IRA rollover transfers money from your current retirement account into a self-directed IRA that holds physical gold. The process takes one to three weeks, costs nothing in taxes if you do it right, and gives your retirement savings exposure to something that does not move in lockstep with the S&P 500. You can roll over a 401k, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, TSP, 403b, or 457b.

I have done this twice now. First from a 401k I had sitting with a former employer, then from a traditional IRA about eight months later. The first time I was nervous about making a mistake that would trigger a tax bill. The second time I finished the paperwork in an afternoon. This guide covers every step of that process, what it actually costs (the marketing materials gloss over the fees), and the specific mistakes I either made or narrowly avoided.

What Is a Gold IRA Rollover, Exactly?

A gold IRA rollover moves retirement funds from one account into a new self-directed IRA that holds IRS-approved physical gold instead of stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Silver, platinum, and palladium are also options, but gold is what most people start with.

Here is the part that confused me at first: the IRS does not treat gold IRAs differently from regular IRAs. The rollover works the same way as transferring from one brokerage IRA to another. Your money moves between custodians, stays tax-sheltered, and keeps compounding without triggering a taxable event. The only difference is what sits in the account. Instead of shares of index funds, you own bars or coins in a vault.

And the vault part matters. You do not get to keep the gold in a safe at home. A third-party depository stores it for you. That is the price you pay for keeping those tax advantages. Some people hate that idea. I get it. But if you want to hold gold in your hands, buy it outside your IRA. If you want the tax shelter, accept the depository arrangement.

How to Roll Over Into a Gold IRA: The Actual Steps

I will walk through exactly what I did. Every gold IRA company structures this a little differently, but the process follows the same basic sequence.

Step 1: Pick a Gold IRA Company

This choice matters more than people realize. Your gold IRA company handles the paperwork, pairs you with a custodian, helps you pick metals, and coordinates storage. A bad company means confusing communication, hidden markups, and pressure to buy overpriced collector coins. A good one makes the whole thing feel surprisingly easy.

I compare the three companies I have researched in detail further down. Short version: look for transparent pricing, a rep who answers your questions without dodging, and zero pressure to buy right now.

Step 2: Open Your Self-Directed IRA

Your gold IRA company connects you with a custodian, which is the financial institution the IRS approves to hold your IRA assets. Equity Trust, GoldStar Trust, and Strata Trust show up most often in this space. The actual application took me about 12 minutes. You need your Social Security number, a government-issued ID, and your beneficiary details.

Step 3: Fund the Account Through a Rollover

This is where your old retirement money moves into the new self-directed IRA. Two options here: direct or indirect rollover. I will break down the difference in the next section, but the short answer is to always choose direct.

Most gold IRA companies handle the transfer paperwork on your behalf. My first rollover (from a 401k) required one phone call to my old plan administrator. The second rollover (IRA to IRA) was done entirely online. No phone calls at all.

Expect funding to take 5 to 14 business days. 401k transfers run slower because plan administrators move at whatever pace they feel like. My 401k transfer took 12 business days. My IRA transfer took 6.

Step 4: Choose Your Metals

Once the money lands in your self-directed IRA, you decide what to buy. The IRS has purity requirements for IRA gold: .995 fine or better. American Gold Eagles are the one exception, coming in at .9167 fine, but Congress specifically allowed them by statute.

The most common picks:

• American Gold Eagles (1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz)
• Canadian Gold Maple Leafs (.9999 fine)
• American Gold Buffalos (.9999 fine)
• Gold bars from approved refiners (PAMP Suisse, Credit Suisse, Valcambi)

I went with a mix of Gold Eagles and a PAMP Suisse bar for my larger rollover. For my smaller IRA transfer, I stuck with Gold Buffalos. If you are thinking about adding silver to your IRA as well, our precious metals IRA guide explains how I split my allocation between gold and silver and why.

Step 5: Metals Get Purchased and Shipped to the Depository

Your custodian buys the metals through your gold IRA company, and everything ships directly to an IRS-approved depository. Delaware Depository and Brinks are the two you will hear about most. You get a confirmation with the exact products purchased, price per ounce, and which facility is storing them.

Total timeline from "I want to do this" to "my gold is sitting in a vault": about two and a half weeks for my 401k rollover, about 10 days for the IRA transfer.

Direct vs Indirect Rollover: Get This Right

There are two ways to move retirement funds. One is simple and safe. The other can cost you thousands if you are not careful.

Direct Rollover (Trustee to Trustee)

Money goes straight from your old custodian to your new self-directed IRA custodian. You never see the funds. You never touch the funds. No taxes withheld. No deadline to worry about. No risk of accidentally blowing up your tax-sheltered status.

This is what I did both times, and it is what I recommend without reservation. Every gold IRA company I have talked to pushes direct rollovers too. There is simply no upside to doing it the other way unless your old plan administrator refuses to do a direct transfer, which is rare but does happen with some older 401k plans.

Indirect Rollover (60-Day Rollover)

Your old custodian sends you a check. You then have exactly 60 calendar days to deposit the full amount into your new IRA. Miss that deadline by a single day? The IRS treats the entire amount as a taxable distribution. Under 59 and a half? Add a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

But here is where it gets really painful. With an indirect rollover from a 401k, your old employer must withhold 20% for federal taxes. Rolling over $100,000? You get a check for $80,000. You still need to deposit the full $100,000 into your new IRA within 60 days. That means you have to come up with $20,000 out of your own pocket to cover the gap. You will get that withheld money back at tax time, but only if you deposited the full $100,000 on schedule.

I have heard from readers who did not understand this and ended up paying taxes plus penalties on what should have been a tax-free rollover. Do the direct rollover.

The 60-Day Rule Explained

If you end up doing an indirect rollover for whatever reason, the 60-day countdown starts the day you receive the distribution. Not when it was mailed. Not when you cashed the check. The day it shows up.

A few details that catch people off guard:

• The IRS allows only one indirect rollover per 12-month period across all your IRAs. Do two in the same year and the second one is fully taxable.
• There is a hardship exception if you miss the 60-day window due to a disaster, hospitalization, or similar event beyond your control. But getting the waiver requires filing a private letter ruling request with the IRS, and approval is not guaranteed.
• Weekends and holidays count toward the 60 days. If day 60 falls on a Saturday, you do not get an extension to Monday. The deposit needs to clear by day 60.

I will say it one more time. Direct rollover. Always.

Which Retirement Accounts Can You Roll Over?

Almost all of them. Here is each type and what to expect.

401(k) Plans

Traditional and Roth 401(k) accounts can both roll into a gold IRA. The catch is that most plans only allow rollovers after a "triggering event," meaning you left that employer, turned 59 and a half, or the plan was terminated. Some plans do permit in-service rollovers while you are still working there, but this varies. Call your HR department or plan administrator and ask directly. Do not assume.

Traditional IRA

This is the easiest rollover you can do. Traditional IRA to self-directed traditional IRA. No triggering event needed, no employer to coordinate with. My second rollover was this type and it was done in under two weeks. Painless.

Roth IRA

A Roth IRA can roll into a self-directed Roth IRA holding physical gold. Your contributions and earnings keep their Roth tax treatment, meaning tax-free withdrawals in retirement. One thing to watch: you cannot roll a Roth into a traditional self-directed IRA without creating a taxable event, so make sure the accounts match.

TSP (Thrift Savings Plan)

Federal employees and military members can roll their TSP into a gold IRA after separating from service. If you are still active, you may qualify for an age-based withdrawal after 59 and a half. Fair warning: the TSP bureaucracy moves slowly. Expect two to four weeks based on what readers have told me. One reader waited five weeks, though that seems to be the outlier.

403(b) Plans

Similar rules to 401(k) plans. Teachers, hospital workers, and nonprofit employees with 403(b) accounts can roll over after a triggering event. In-service rollovers depend on your specific plan's terms.

457(b) Plans

Government 457(b) plans can roll into a gold IRA using the same process as a 401(k). These plans have a nice perk: no 10% early withdrawal penalty for distributions before 59 and a half, though you still owe income tax. That does not affect the rollover itself, but it is worth knowing if you are weighing your options.

Fees to Expect (The Honest Version)

Gold IRAs cost more than a standard brokerage IRA. That is a fact, and any company that dances around it is not being straight with you. I paid more in fees for my gold IRA than I ever paid for my Vanguard account. Here is what you are looking at.

Setup Fee

A one-time charge to open your self-directed IRA. Usually $50 to $150. Both Augusta and Goldco waived mine because my account was over $25,000. If you are investing $50,000 or more, you can almost always get this waived. Ask.

Annual Custodian Fee

Your custodian charges $75 to $300 per year for maintaining the account, handling paperwork, and filing IRS reports. Every self-directed IRA has this fee. There is no way around it.

Storage Fee

The depository charges $100 to $300 per year. Segregated storage (your metals stored separately with your name on them) costs more than commingled storage (your metals pooled with other investors' metals of the same type). I chose segregated both times. The extra $50 to $100 per year buys me the comfort of knowing my specific coins and bars sit in their own space.

Dealer Markup (the Spread)

This is the biggest cost and the one companies are least transparent about. When you buy gold through your IRA, you pay a premium over the spot price, typically 3% to 8% depending on the product and the company. When you sell, you sell at slightly below spot. That spread is where the gold IRA company makes its profit.

Let me put real numbers on this. For a $50,000 gold IRA rollover, expect total first-year costs (setup, storage, custodian fee, and dealer markup) somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000. After year one, ongoing annual costs run $175 to $600. Those fees eat into your returns, which is why gold IRAs make the most financial sense for accounts of $25,000 or larger. Below that threshold, the fees represent too big a slice of your total holdings.

Comparing Augusta, Goldco, and Birch Gold for Rollovers

I have been through the rollover process or a detailed consultation with all three of these companies. Here is how each one performs for someone specifically looking to do a gold IRA rollover.

Augusta Precious Metals

Augusta is my top pick for gold IRA rollovers, particularly if you have never done this before. Their onboarding includes a one-on-one web conference where an agent explains how gold IRAs work, walks through the current economic landscape for metals, and sets expectations about costs and timelines. It runs 30 to 60 minutes. I thought it would feel like a sales pitch, but it did not. The agent answered questions I did not even know to ask, and there was no pressure to commit on the spot.

Pricing transparency is where Augusta really separates itself. They show you the exact price per coin or bar before you buy. That sounds like it should be standard, but in this industry, it is surprisingly rare. Most companies make you talk to a rep before they will quote numbers. Augusta just shows you.

The downside? Their $50,000 minimum shuts out smaller investors. If you meet that bar, though, the experience is hard to fault.

• Minimum: $50,000
• Best for: First-time gold IRA investors who want real education, not a sales pitch
• Standout feature: Upfront pricing transparency across every product
• Custodian: Equity Trust

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Goldco

Goldco is where I did my 401k rollover, and the reason was simple: they took the paperwork off my plate. Their team contacted my old plan administrator directly, handled the transfer forms, and followed up when the 401k custodian dragged their feet. I basically gave them the account details and they managed the rest. For someone dreading the 401k rollover process, that is a big deal.

Their $25,000 minimum makes them accessible to more investors than Augusta. They run promotions regularly, too. Waived first-year fees, bonus silver on accounts over a certain size, that sort of thing. Their product selection is solid across gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. One honest knock: pricing is less transparent than Augusta's. You need to talk to a rep to get specific numbers, which I found mildly annoying after Augusta's open approach.

• Minimum: $25,000
• Best for: 401k and TSP rollovers where you want someone else handling the logistics
• Standout feature: Full service rollover assistance, regular promotions
• Custodian: Various (they work with multiple custodians)

Request Goldco's Free IRA Guide

Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold has been in the precious metals business since 2003. That is over two decades of track record, which matters in an industry where newer companies pop up and disappear. If you value longevity and want a wider selection of metals for your IRA (gold, silver, platinum, and palladium), Birch Gold covers all four.

The real draw is their $10,000 minimum, the lowest of the three companies I am comparing. That makes Birch Gold the best option for smaller rollovers or for someone who wants to test the waters without committing $25,000 or $50,000. The trade-off: their educational resources are not as polished as Augusta's, and you will do most of your consultation over the phone rather than through a structured web conference. That is fine if you prefer phone calls. I found it a bit less organized.

• Minimum: $10,000
• Best for: Smaller rollovers, investors who want access to all four precious metals
• Standout feature: Lowest minimum investment, longest operating history
• Custodian: Equity Trust, STRATA Trust

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Which One Should You Choose?

Here is how I break it down:

• $50,000+ and want the best overall experience: Augusta Precious Metals
• $25,000+ and want someone to manage the rollover for you: Goldco
• $10,000+ or want the widest metal selection: Birch Gold Group

All three companies are legitimate. None of them will pressure you into buying numismatic coins with absurd markups, which is a red flag I have seen with less reputable dealers. My honest advice: request free information kits from all three, compare the pricing and minimums, then decide. That is exactly what I did before my first rollover.

Tax Implications of a Gold IRA Rollover

Done correctly, a gold IRA rollover has zero immediate tax impact. Your money moves from one tax-sheltered account to another. No distribution. No taxable event. No surprises at tax time.

But that phrase "done correctly" carries a lot of weight. Here is where taxes come into play:

• Indirect rollover not completed within 60 days: The entire amount becomes taxable income in the year you received the distribution. Under 59 and a half? Add a 10% early withdrawal penalty.
• Rolling a traditional account into a Roth self-directed IRA: This counts as a Roth conversion. The full converted amount gets added to your taxable income for the year. It might make strategic sense in a low-income year, but you need to plan for that tax bill.
• Taking a distribution instead of a rollover: If you pull money out and do not deposit it into a new IRA, you owe income tax plus the potential 10% penalty.
• Selling gold within your IRA: Not taxable. You can buy and sell metals inside your IRA freely. Taxes only apply when you take a distribution from the account itself.

Talk to a tax professional before doing a Roth conversion rollover. I cannot stress that enough. The rest is straightforward if you stick with a direct rollover.

Seven Mistakes to Avoid

I have either made these myself or watched readers stumble into them. Learn from our collective mistakes.

1. Choosing an Indirect Rollover When Direct Is Available

I have beaten this point half to death already, and I am going to keep going. The 60-day rule, the 20% mandatory withholding on 401k distributions, the one-per-year limit across all your IRAs. Every one of these risks disappears with a direct rollover. Ask for a direct transfer first. Always.

2. Not Shopping Dealer Markups

A 4% markup versus a 7% markup on a $50,000 purchase is a $1,500 difference. That is real money walking out the door. Get pricing from at least two companies before you commit. And ask for the actual per-ounce or per-coin price, not just the spot price with some vague "small premium" language tacked on.

3. Buying Numismatic or Collector Coins

Some dealers push IRA customers toward "rare" or "collectible" coins carrying enormous premiums. A coin selling at twice its melt value needs to double in collector value just for you to break even. That is a terrible bet. Stick with standard bullion: Eagles, Maple Leafs, Buffalos, and approved bars. I feel strongly about this.

4. Putting Too Much Into Gold

Gold is a hedge. It is not a growth engine. Most financial advisors recommend 5% to 15% of your retirement portfolio in precious metals. I personally sit toward the higher end of that range, but I would not put 50% or more into a gold IRA. You still need equities generating growth over a 20 or 30 year horizon. Gold protects; stocks build. You want both.

5. Taking Physical Possession of IRA Gold

The IRS requires that IRA metals be held by an approved custodian at an approved depository. If you bring your gold home, the IRS treats it as a distribution. That means taxes and possibly a 10% penalty. Some promoters pitch "home storage IRAs" as a loophole. The IRS has challenged this claim repeatedly, and courts have sided with the IRS every time. Do not gamble your retirement savings on this.

6. Ignoring Annual Fees Over Time

Those $175 to $600 annual fees look small in any given year. Over 20 years, they add up to $4,000 to $12,000 in custodian and storage fees alone. That is the ongoing cost of holding physical gold in a tax-advantaged account. Before you roll over, make sure the diversification and tax benefits actually justify those fees for your specific situation and account size.

7. Forgetting About Required Minimum Distributions

Traditional gold IRAs are subject to RMDs starting at age 73 under current rules. When that age hits, you must take distributions. That means either selling some gold to generate the cash, or taking an in-kind distribution of physical metals (which triggers income tax on the fair market value of the gold you receive). Neither option is bad, but you need to plan for it years in advance, not scramble when you turn 73.

Is a Gold IRA Rollover Worth It?

My honest answer: for the right person with the right account size, yes. For everyone else, maybe not.

A gold IRA rollover makes the most sense if you have $50,000 or more across your retirement accounts, you want real diversification away from stock market volatility, and you are comfortable paying higher annual fees than a standard brokerage IRA charges. For smaller accounts (under $25,000), the fees take too big a bite. You might be better off buying physical gold outside an IRA, where you skip custodian and storage costs entirely.

Gold has preserved purchasing power for thousands of years. It has also gone through long stretches where it did nothing while stocks doubled. It is not a guaranteed win. But as one piece of a diversified retirement portfolio? I believe it belongs there for a lot of people. And the rollover process itself is genuinely not complicated once you understand the five steps I outlined above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a gold IRA rollover take?

A direct rollover typically takes 7 to 21 business days from start to finish. IRA-to-IRA transfers land on the shorter end, usually 7 to 14 days. 401k rollovers take longer because plan administrators process transfers whenever they get around to it. My 401k rollover took 18 business days. My IRA transfer took 9.

Can I roll over just part of my 401k into a gold IRA?

Yes. Partial rollovers are completely normal. You can move a portion into gold while keeping the rest in your existing 401k. The only constraint is meeting the gold IRA company's minimum investment requirement. If you want to start with $25,000 in gold and leave the rest in your 401k, that works fine.

What happens to my gold if the custodian or depository goes out of business?

Your metals belong to you, not the custodian or depository. If either company shuts down, your metals transfer to a new custodian or depository. This has actually happened before in the industry and investors did not lose their holdings. Still, pick established custodians and depositories with solid financials. It reduces headaches if something does go wrong.

Can I add more gold to my IRA after the initial rollover?

Yes. You can make annual contributions to your self-directed IRA up to the IRS limits ($7,000 for 2026, or $8,000 if you are 50 or older). You can also do additional rollovers from other retirement accounts at any time. Each time you add funds, you purchase additional metals.

Are there penalties for closing a gold IRA?

Closing a gold IRA means selling your metals and taking a distribution, or rolling the proceeds into a different IRA. A cash distribution before age 59 and a half triggers income tax plus the 10% early withdrawal penalty. Rolling into another IRA has no tax impact. The dealer may also charge a liquidation fee, typically 1% to 3% of the sale value.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links to precious metals dealers. We may earn a commission if you purchase through our links at no additional cost to you.

If you are ready to start a gold IRA rollover, here is what I would do: request free information kits from Augusta, Goldco, and Birch Gold. Compare their pricing, minimums, and how responsive their reps are. Then pick the one that fits your account size and comfort level. The process is simpler than most people expect, and a good gold IRA company will walk you through every step on the phone.

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