Course 4 · Working knowledge
Retirement accounts and metals, done correctly
The statute, the custodian, the depository and the paperwork — so nothing accidentally becomes a taxable distribution.
10 lessons, about 91 minutes
What you will be able to do
- Explain what the law permits inside a retirement account and what it does not.
- Run a rollover without creating a reportable event.
- Recognise a scheme that will not survive examination.
Lessons
Lesson 1 · 9 min · free preview
What is a self-directed IRA?
Same tax rules, wider set of permitted assets, a custodian who administers rather than advises.
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Lesson 2 · 10 min · free preview
What the law actually says about metals in an IRA
Collectibles are treated as distributions, with narrow bullion and coin exceptions.
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Lesson 3 · 9 min
Which products are eligible?
Eligibility follows fineness and named-coin rules, not marketing labels.
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Lesson 4 · 9 min
Direct transfer or indirect rollover?
Direct transfers avoid the 60-day clock and the one-per-year limit entirely.
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Lesson 5 · 10 min
Moving a 401(k) step by step
Open the receiving account, request the transfer, decide the split in writing, then buy.
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Lesson 6 · 8 min
What a custodian does — and does not do
Administration, reporting and holding. Not advice, not selection.
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Lesson 7 · 9 min
Where the metal is held, and how it is insured
Segregated or commingled storage at an approved depository, under insurance.
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Lesson 8 · 9 min
The fees, listed plainly
Setup, annual administration, storage, and the buy-sell spread.
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Lesson 9 · 9 min
Why 'home storage IRA' schemes fail
The bullion exception requires trustee possession, and litigation has gone badly for workarounds.
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Lesson 10 · 9 min
Taking metal out later
In-kind distributions and cash distributions have different mechanics and the same tax logic.
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Rather ask a person?
A specialist will answer a specific question without a pitch. No account needed, no obligation. Monday – Friday, 7am – 4pm Pacific.