How to open a precious metals IRA Select a self-directed IRA custodian. Your self-directed IRA is in the hands of a custodian. Next, select a precious metals dealer. Physical gold can play an important role in a well-diversified retirement portfolio; however, certain rules must be considered if you want to take advantage of all the benefits that an individual retirement account (IRA) of gold or other precious metals can offer.
To hold physical gold and silver in a self-directed IRA, the IRS requires that you open an account with an approved custodian and that the custodian buys precious metals on your behalf. A warehouse is a secure third-party storage facility that specializes in protecting precious metals. Your precious metals are stored, under your name, in a protected, supervised and secured third-party vault at Brink's or other warehouse to ensure maximum security. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are permitted precious metals, but there is a minimum requirement on the fineness of the metal.
If you already have one or more IRAs or mobile funds in an employer's retirement plan, you can transfer or transfer some or all of those assets to a precious metals IRA account. However, there is no maximum dollar amount for transfers or transfers from an existing IRA account to a gold, silver, or any other precious metal IRA account. Thanks to the Taxpayer Aid Act of 1997, which expanded the precious metal holdings allowed in IRAs to include one, a half, a quarter, or a tenth of an ounce U. In addition to brokerage fees and account opening fees, investors must pay additional costs for storing and insuring the precious metal.
Anyone with earned income, that is, the spouse of an employee, is eligible to open a precious metals IRA, and there is no limit to the number of IRAs a person can have. While most IRAs only offer paper assets, precious metal IRAs are self-managed retirement accounts that combine the security of owning precious metals with the tax benefits of an IRA. Many investors choose gold as a way to diversify their portfolio, either by investing in a gold IRA or by buying the metal outright. However, there is no maximum dollar amount for transfers or transfers from an existing IRA to a precious metals IRA.
Creating a secure local storage plan allows precious metals to be sent directly to the IRA administrator, so that you (the IRA administrator) can choose where to securely store your physical precious metals.
