Your IRA or 401(k) was never limited to paper assets
Most custodians offer a narrow menu. That's a custodian limitation, not an IRS one.
A self-directed IRA is still an IRA
A self-directed IRA follows the same contribution limits and tax treatment as any other IRA. The difference is what it can hold: alongside, or instead of, mutual funds and stocks, it can hold physical, investment-grade gold and silver, or real estate. It's a different custodian and a different set of allowed assets, not a different tax structure.
A trustee-to-trustee rollover avoids taxes and penalties
Funds move directly from your existing 401(k) or IRA custodian to the new self-directed custodian. You never personally receive the money, so the transfer isn't treated as a taxable distribution and doesn't trigger the 10% early-withdrawal penalty. This is the same mechanism used any time you roll a 401(k) from a former employer into a new IRA, it simply lands in a self-directed account instead of another paper-asset account.
A defined structure, not a loophole
Gold held in an IRA must be at least 99.5% fine, and silver at least 99.9% fine, which rules out most jewelry-grade and collectible coins. The metal must be held by an IRS-approved custodian, not stored at home, and kept in an insured, approved depository. Done correctly, none of this is complicated. It just has to be done correctly the first time.
Go deeper on the mechanics
Our blog covers the rollover process, IRS rules, and timing in more detail.
See what a rollover would look like for your account
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