Retirement Planning

Precious Metals IRA
Self-Directed for Gold, Silver & More

A self-directed IRA gives you complete control — and lets you diversify beyond stocks and bonds into physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

What Is a Self-Directed IRA?

Self-directed IRAs are individual retirement accounts that give the owner complete control over their investment choices. Unlike traditional IRAs, your investments aren't limited to stocks, bonds, or mutual funds — you can take advantage of alternative assets such as gold, platinum, silver, and palladium.

A Precious Metals IRA works the same as any other IRA. You can make your annual contributions, sell your metals, and when the time comes, take distributions as cash or as the physical metals themselves.

01

Portfolio Diversification

Precious metals are a proven way to diversify your overall portfolio and are broadly understood to help reduce risk during periods of market instability and inflation.

02

Federal Bankruptcy Protection

Self-directed IRAs are given protection under federal bankruptcy laws, providing an additional layer of security for your retirement assets.

03

Estate & Beneficiary Benefits

Self-directed IRAs allow the distribution of assets to beneficiaries after the owner's death with little or no tax implications.

A Critical Note on "Home Storage" IRAs

While a Precious Metals IRA allows your IRA to hold physical precious metals, there are strict rules and regulations that govern these accounts. For many years, some precious metals brokers touted "Home Storage" Precious Metals IRAs — claiming you could store your IRA metals at home or in a safe deposit box.

In truth, the rules make it next to impossible to actually qualify for home storage. As of November 2021, new case law confirms that owning precious metals inside an IRA LLC is not a viable legal structure. We have been warning clients of this for years.

The IRS Is Cracking Down

The IRS has started taking serious action against non-compliant Home Storage IRA holders. In one recent example:

$300K+ in taxes and fees assessed against a single $720,000 "Home Storage" IRA — more than 40% of the account's value wiped out.

If you currently have a "Home Storage" Precious Metals IRA, we strongly urge you to call us immediately. We have helped many investors get their non-compliant accounts corrected and into a compliant state.

Call (800) 221-7694 Now

Selecting a Custodian

You must determine and select a custodian for your Precious Metals IRA. While we will provide names of custodians we've worked with, the final choice is always yours. Each custodian has different fees, storage options, and depository relationships — we highly recommend researching multiple options before opening an account.

Once your account is open, we can guide you through most of the process. As your precious metals broker, we facilitate the buying and selling of metals in your account. Any other actions — account changes, distributions, transfers — will be handled directly with your custodian.

Your Custodian Will

Be a licensed custodian with the US Government
Provide secured and insured storage space in a licensed depository
Send you quarterly IRA statements
Handle your distribution requests
Ensure your IRA meets all legal requirements to qualify as a retirement plan

Your Custodian Will Not

Act as an investment, tax, or legal advisor
Recommend or endorse specific investments or advisors
Determine the fair market value of account investments
Perform due diligence on any investment or investment sponsor on your behalf
Determine whether a transaction constitutes a prohibited transaction under IRS code section 4975

AmFed's Recommended Custodian: CamaPlan

Through years of experience working with multiple custodians, we've found CamaPlan to be our top recommendation. CamaPlan is a Pennsylvania-based trust company that has grown from a regional firm into a national presence — with a responsive customer service team and a track record of smooth, successful IRA management for our clients.

Learn About CamaPlan ↗ Opens camaplan.com

IRS-Approved Precious Metals for IRAs

The IRS only permits certain types of precious metals to be held in a Precious Metals IRA under Internal Revenue Code sections 408(m)(3)(A)(i)–(iv) and 408(m)(3)(B). Below is a complete list of approved metals and coins.

Gold Coins

  • American Eagle Bullion & Proof
  • American Buffalo Bullion (no Proofs)
  • Australian Kangaroo / Nugget
  • Austrian Philharmonic
  • Canadian Maple Leaf
  • Any .9999 fine gold coin

Silver Coins

  • American Eagle Bullion & Proof
  • America the Beautiful Bullion (no burnished)
  • Australian Kookaburra
  • Austrian Philharmonic
  • Canadian Maple Leaf
  • Mexican Libertad
  • Any .999 fine silver coin

Platinum Coins

  • American Eagle Bullion & Proof
  • Australian Koala
  • Canadian Maple Leaf
  • Isle of Man Noble
  • Any .9995 fine platinum coin

Bars & Rounds

  • Gold, Silver, Platinum & Palladium bars and rounds
  • Must be produced by a refiner/assayer/manufacturer accredited by NYMEX/COMEX, NYSE/LIFFE, LME, LBMA, LPPM, TOCOM, ISO 9000, or a national government mint
Minimum fineness requirements: Gold 99.9%  ·  Silver 99.9%  ·  Platinum 99.95%  ·  Palladium 99.95%

Frequently Asked Questions

For a 401(k) rollover, funds are paid directly to you. Once received, you have 60 days to deposit them into your new self-directed IRA. Missing this window means you'll be required to pay taxes on the distribution. We always recommend consulting with a tax or financial advisor before completing any IRA fund transfer.
Yes — each person can hold multiple IRA accounts. However, the total yearly contribution limit remains the same regardless of how many IRAs you have. This limit applies to the combined value of all contributions across all accounts, including any gold, silver, platinum, or palladium contributed.
Yes. Your precious metals are fully insured once they arrive at the depository. In the rare event a package is damaged or lost in transit, the shipment is fully insured as well.
We always recommend consulting with a financial advisor before making decisions about your IRA. As coin dealers and brokers, we are not registered financial advisors and cannot provide financial or tax guidance. AmFed's role is to help you buy and sell the right metals at the right price — your financial advisor's role is to help you determine if a Precious Metals IRA is the right fit for your overall financial plan.
Yes. IRA contribution limits apply based on your account type and income level. Please consult with your IRA custodian to understand the specific limits that apply to your situation.
Yes — you can liquidate or take physical possession of your metals at any time. However, this is considered a distribution and there may be tax implications. We recommend speaking with your tax advisor before requesting a physical distribution.
Disclaimer: AmFed Coin & Bullion and its representatives are not fiduciaries, investment advisors, tax advisors, or legal advisors. Nothing on this page constitutes financial, tax, or legal advice. We strongly recommend consulting with a qualified financial planner or tax professional before making any IRA-related decisions. For IRS prohibited transaction rules, refer to IRS Publication 590 or Code Section 4975.

Ready to Get Started?

Call us today to learn more about setting up a Precious Metals IRA — or to find out which IRS-approved metals are the right fit for your retirement portfolio.

Call (800) 221-7694 Send a Message