Enter your own numbers — or start from typical published ranges — and this calculator adds up every fee a gold IRA charges across the years you hold it. Fees only. It does not predict gold's price or any return.
Defaults are typical published industry ranges as of Jul 2026 — edit any field with the exact figures your provider quotes you. Every custodian and dealer sets its own.
Estimates only, based on the figures you entered. Fees vary by custodian, depository, and dealer, and the markup depends on which metal and product you buy. This tool covers fees only — it does not project gold's price, appreciation, or any investment return. SilverGoldInvestment.com is a publisher, not a dealer, custodian, or licensed advisor; the dealer and custodian you choose set and disclose their own fees. Confirm every number with your provider before you commit.
Augusta Precious Metals walks you through the setup, custodian, storage, and markup fees you'd face over the phone before you open anything. Rollovers of $50k+ go through their concierge process; smaller balances route to GoldenCrest Metals.
When you request the rollover match, we introduce you to Augusta Precious Metals — the specialist team we've worked with longest. That single-dealer introduction is how SGI is compensated. You won't be contacted by a network of dealers.
Affiliate disclosure: SGI earns a per-account-opened fee when a reader opens an account with Augusta Precious Metals or GoldenCrest Metals after using our tools. Default fee ranges in this calculator are illustrative industry figures published as of July 2026 — they are not quotes from any specific provider. Verify all figures directly with each custodian, depository, and dealer.
A gold IRA has more moving parts than a standard IRA because three separate businesses touch it: the custodian that administers the account, the depository that stores the metal, and the dealer that sells you the metal. Each charges its own fee. Here is what every line in the calculator represents.
A self-directed IRA — the account type that can legally hold physical metal — is opened by a custodian, and most charge a one-time fee to establish it. It is a small, fixed cost you pay once. Some dealers cover it as a promotion for larger rollovers; ask whether yours does before you assume the published figure applies.
The custodian is the IRS-approved firm that holds the account and files the paperwork. Federal tax law requires that a qualified trustee or custodian — not you personally — hold the assets of an IRA; you cannot keep IRA metal at home. The custodian charges a flat yearly fee, and it recurs every year you keep the account open, which is why the calculator multiplies it across your holding period.
Physical metal in an IRA must sit in an approved depository, insured and segregated or commingled per your election. The depository bills an annual fee for storage and insurance, separate from the custodian's fee. Like the custodian fee, it recurs yearly. A "home storage gold IRA" that promises to skip this step is a red flag — the metal in a compliant gold IRA is held by the depository, not by the account owner.
This is the largest and least visible cost, and the one worth the most scrutiny. When you buy the metal, the dealer sells it above the spot price; the gap between spot and what you pay is the markup, or spread. On common bullion it may be modest; on proof or "premium" coins it can be far higher. Because it applies to your entire purchase amount at once, a few percentage points of markup usually dwarfs years of custodian and storage fees combined. Ask any dealer to put the markup in writing, per product, before you buy.
The calculator sums the one-time costs (setup plus purchase markup) and the recurring costs (custodian and storage across your holding period), then divides the total by your rollover amount to show the effective cost as a percentage — both in total and as a per-year average. It is a fees-only figure. It deliberately makes no assumption about what the metal will be worth later, because that is a separate question this tool does not attempt to answer.
Not every coin or bar qualifies. The tax code IRC Section 408(m)(3) carves out specific bullion and coins that an IRA is permitted to hold, by fineness and type; anything outside that list is a collectible the account cannot own. The fee you pay does not change which metals are eligible — eligibility is set by statute, and the dealer should only offer you products that qualify.
It depends almost entirely on the dealer markup, since setup, custodian, and storage fees are usually modest flat amounts. Enter your own quoted figures above to see a total for your situation. Treat any single "average" number you see elsewhere with caution — the markup is the variable that moves the total most.
A standard IRA holds paper assets a custodian can track electronically. A gold IRA holds a physical object that must be bought from a dealer, stored in a depository, and insured — three services, three fees — none of which a stock or bond IRA needs.
No. Federal law requires a qualified custodian to hold IRA assets, and IRA metal must be kept in an approved depository. "Home storage" arrangements that claim otherwise put the account's tax status at risk. The storage fee is a required cost of a compliant gold IRA, not an optional one.
The markup is the difference between the spot price of the metal and the price the dealer charges you. It is built into the purchase price rather than billed as a separate line, which is why it is easy to miss. Ask for it in writing, per product, before buying — it is usually the biggest number in the whole transaction.
Typically yes — custodian and storage fees are usually paid from the IRA itself, though some accounts let you pay them separately. How fees are billed affects your balance over time, so it is worth confirming the arrangement with your custodian.
No. It is an educational estimate of fees based on numbers you enter. It does not recommend a provider, predict returns, or account for your personal tax situation. SilverGoldInvestment.com is a publisher, not a licensed advisor — consult your own CPA or advisor before making a decision.