The short answer
How to set up a self directed IRA?
To set up a self directed IRA for physical metal, verify the custodian and account type, complete the application, choose a valid funding route, then direct an eligible metal purchase into the documented storage arrangement. Keep the agreements, quotes and confirmation records. Do not send money before the account and possession terms are clear.[2][3][4]
- 01YoudecideChoose and check the investment
- 02Custodianholds the accountAdministers the IRA and its assets
- 03Dealersells metalQuotes the product and price
- 04Depositorystores itHolds metal under the custody arrangement
What should you decide before the application?
Decide whether physical-metal ownership and the added administration fit the job you need the account to do.
Use the asset-choice trade-offs first. The setup process is easier to understand after you know the difference between a wider menu and a tax type. A conversation with a paid partner can provide documents; it is not independent personal advice.
- Gold pays no income and can lose value. CFTC guidance cautions against replacing a retirement decision with a high-pressure precious-metal pitch.[5]
Your document check
- Write down the reason for the holding and your need for cash withdrawals.
- Confirm whether traditional or Roth treatment is intended.
- Identify questions that need a tax professional before a transfer or conversion.
What order should the opening steps follow?
Work from account identity to funding to the trade, leaving the metal order until the legal and document checks are complete.
The custodian-checking guide expands step 1. The investment and possession checks should be settled before step 5.
- 01You + custodian1. Verify the account institution
Check legal identity, qualification route, permitted assets and the full agreement.
- 02You + custodian2. Open the correct account type
Supply required identity and beneficiary information through the institution’s own process.
- 03You + old and new institutions3. Agree the funding route
Distinguish new contributions, trustee transfers, eligible rollovers and Roth conversions.
- 04You + dealer4. Get the exact trade in writing
Compare product, quantity, price, current resale bid and all transaction charges.
- 05You + custodian + storage provider5. Direct and confirm the purchase
Confirm product acceptance and possession before authorizing the trade; retain the storage confirmation.
- 06You + custodian6. Reconcile the account records
Check the statement against instructions and confirmations. Understand how to sell or take a distribution.
How do you fund the new self-directed account?
Identify whether the money is a new contribution, an existing-IRA transfer or an eligible plan/IRA rollover before requesting it.
Ask both institutions for compatible instructions; do not assume a payment to you has the same rules as a payment between trustees. This page introduces the routes without acting as a rollover manual. A Roth conversion can also create a separate tax decision.
Never send an existing personal gold holding as though it were an ordinary cash contribution. Ask about the rules before proposing a transaction involving your own property.
- IRS Publication 590-A treats contributions, trustee transfers and rollovers as distinct procedures. Match the route to the source account and receiving tax type.[3]
How much must you have available to open?
The two partners publish different opening thresholds; those figures do not establish your annual IRS contribution limit.
Use the full published-fact comparison to check the fee scenario behind each arrangement. Request a current quote instead of assuming the snapshot is the offer you will receive.
Scroll horizontally to compare both companies →
| Document check | Goldco01 · Paid first placement | Augusta Precious Metals02 · Affiliate partner |
|---|---|---|
| Published opening threshold | $25,000Checked October 29, 2026 · Source for published opening threshold | $50,000Checked October 29, 2026 · Source for published opening threshold |
| Custodian named in the source | Equity Trust Company (one of several; Goldco does not publish a full list)Checked October 29, 2026 · Source for custodian named in the sourcePartial record: confirm the available arrangement. | Equity Trust CompanyChecked October 29, 2026 · Source for custodian named in the source |
| Dealer spread percentage | Not publishedChecked October 29, 2026 | Not publishedChecked October 29, 2026 |
Augusta pays for qualifying inquiries. How payment works.
What paperwork should you keep?
Keep enough evidence to reconstruct the account, funding, purchase and storage decisions.
The SEC warns that self-directed custodians do not verify all financial information supplied for an investment. Review statement values and supporting records independently where possible.[1]
Scroll horizontally to read every column →
| Record | Who supplies it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Custodial agreement + fees | Custodian | Tax type, authority, recurring and exit charges |
| Movement instructions | Sending and receiving institution | Payee, account identifiers, source tax type and route |
| Metal quote and instruction | Dealer + custodian | Product eligibility, quantity, full price and authorization |
| Storage confirmation | Custody/storage parties | Location, possession terms and holding description |
| Statements and valuation records | Custodian | Reconcile against trade and storage evidence; values are not necessarily a cash bid |
How long does opening a self-directed IRA take?
Timing varies with the institutions, funding route, document completeness and purchase/storage process; this guide does not promise a number of days.
Ask which step is pending, who owns it and what document would complete it. An LLC arrangement adds another set of terms to review. A business retirement plan follows a different establishment process.
If a proposed purchase involves you or a relative, pause for the connected-party checks before treating the transaction as routine.
What else do readers ask?
Why do a self-directed IRA?
The reason is access to assets the chosen custodian will administer outside a conventional menu. That access is useful only if the asset, costs and responsibility fit your needs. [6]
How do I open an individual IRA?
Choose a qualifying institution, establish the intended tax type, complete its application and agree a valid funding route. Confirm asset acceptance before arranging an alternative-asset purchase. [2]
Can a company guarantee my opening date?
This guide has no verified guarantee for completion. Ask for the actual stages and responsible institutions rather than relying on a general sales estimate.
Sources and checked records
Rule sources checked November 3, 2026. Annual figures keep the year stated by the source; company tables show their original field dates.
- SEC / NASAA / FINRA: custodian responsibilitiesAccessed November 3, 2026.
- 26 USC 408(a)(2): IRA trusteeAccessed November 3, 2026.
- IRS Publication 590-A: moving retirement moneyAccessed November 3, 2026.
- IRS Publication 590-B: investment in collectiblesAccessed November 3, 2026.
- CFTC: precious metal frauds and investment risksAccessed November 3, 2026.
- SEC / NASAA / FINRA: Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of FraudAccessed November 3, 2026.
Changes to this page
— First edition: ordered the six opening stages and added a record register without inventing processing times.