Inside the account
In a traditional self-directed IRA, contributions may be deductible and growth is tax-deferred until distribution, when it is taxed as ordinary income. In a Roth, funding is after-tax and qualified distributions come out tax-free. Buying and selling metal inside the account triggers no tax event at all.
Describe this illustration: Physical gold coins in a wooden tray beside a retirement ledger, glasses and fountain pen on a deskHide description: Physical gold coins in a wooden tray beside a retirement ledger, glasses and fountain pen on a desk
A self-directed Gold IRA lets you hold physical gold — real coins in a custodian's vault — inside a tax-advantaged retirement account, not an ETF that merely tracks the price. The ledger, glasses and fountain pen in this scene are the paperwork that proves the metal is titled in your name and held by an IRS-approved custodian such as Preferred Trust Company or GoldStar Trust Company. Capstone Metals coordinates the custodian, the depository and the purchase end to end, so a 401(k) or IRA rollover into physical gold moves as a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer with no distribution and no tax event — the protected, step-by-step path this page walks you through.