Gold IRA Fees - Setup, Custody, Storage and the Hidden Spread (2026)

Gold IRA fees fall into four groups: a one-time setup fee (often around $50), a yearly custodian fee (commonly $75–$300), a yearly storage fee (commonly $100–$300) and the dealer's premium on the metal you buy. Most companies charge the first three as flat dollar amounts, so they matter a lot on small accounts and very little on large ones.

The fourth cost, the premium, is the one most people overlook, and it's often the largest. Below, we break down each fee, show what they add up to and explain how to compare companies on equal terms.

The Four Types of Gold IRA Fees

Table: Gold IRA fees by type | Fee | Typical range | Who charges it | How often | |---|---|---|---| | Account setup | $0–$300; often about $50 | Custodian, sometimes the dealer | Once | | Custodian maintenance | About $75–$300 | Custodian | Yearly | | Storage and insurance | About $100–$300 | Depository, billed via custodian | Yearly | | Dealer premium | Varies by product | Dealer | Each purchase |

Some setup and first-year fees are waived as promotions, and some custodians charge storage as a percentage of account value rather than a flat fee. Ask which model applies before you open an account.

Setup Fees

The setup fee covers opening your self-directed IRA. It's usually modest, around $50, though some providers charge more and some waive it. A few gold IRA companies also add their own application fee, so ask for the total.

Custodian Fees

The custodian administers your IRA: keeping records, sending statements, filing IRS forms and processing purchases, sales and distributions. Most charge a flat yearly fee; some use a sliding scale based on account value.

Flat fees are better value for larger accounts. A sliding scale can be cheaper for small accounts but grows as your balance rises. See gold IRA custodians.

Storage Fees

The depository stores and insures your metal. You'll typically choose between pooled (non-segregated) storage and segregated storage, where your exact items are kept apart. Segregated storage usually costs somewhat more, often around $50 more a year.

Some depositories price storage as a percentage of the metal's value, often with a minimum. If gold prices rise, percentage-based storage rises with them. See gold IRA storage.

The Dealer Premium: The Cost That Matters Most

Dealers sell metal above its spot price. That premium covers minting, distribution and the dealer's margin. It varies widely by product.

Here's why it matters. On a $100,000 purchase, every extra percentage point of premium costs $1,000 on day one. That's roughly four years of yearly fees at $225. See proof coins vs bullion.

What Fees Add Up To Over Time

Because most account fees are flat, the percentage you pay falls as your balance grows.

$10,000

2.25%

$25,000

0.9%

$50,000

0.45%

$100,000

0.23%

$250,000

0.09%

$10,000: 2.25%; $25,000: 0.9%; $50,000: 0.45%; $100,000: 0.23%; $250,000: 0.09%. Illustrative math using an assumed flat $225 yearly fee for custody and storage. Dealer premiums are not included.

Table: Illustrative 10-year account fees (assumed figures) | Account size | Setup | 10 years of fees at $225 | Ten-year total | Average per year | |---|---|---|---|---| | $25,000 | $50 | $2,250 | $2,300 | About 0.92% of the starting balance | | $100,000 | $50 | $2,250 | $2,300 | About 0.23% | | $250,000 | $50 | $2,250 | $2,300 | About 0.09% |

These illustrations show why small gold IRAs struggle on cost. If you plan to hold less than about $10,000 in gold, a gold ETF inside your existing IRA is usually cheaper. See gold IRA vs gold ETF.

Other Fees to Ask About

• Wire or transfer fees when money moves in or out, often around $25–$35.
• Distribution fees when you take money or metal out.
• In-kind shipping if you take delivery of metal at retirement.
• Account closing or transfer-out fees if you switch custodians.
• Fees from your old plan for closing or transferring the account you're rolling over.

How Gold IRA Fees Compare With a Regular IRA

A regular brokerage IRA often has no account fee at all, and low-cost index funds may charge only a small percentage of assets each year. A gold IRA almost always costs more to run because someone has to store and insure physical metal.

That's the trade-off you're making: higher running costs in exchange for direct ownership of physical gold. Whether it's worth it depends on why you want gold and how much you plan to hold. See gold IRA pros and cons.

How to Keep Fees Down

How to Compare Two Companies Fairly

Ask each company for the same four things in writing:

1. The full fee schedule: setup, custodian, storage (pooled and segregated) and any wire or distribution fees.
2. Whether fees are flat or based on account value.
3. A product quote showing the spot price and the price per coin or bar.
4. The same-day buyback price for those products.

With those numbers side by side, you can see the true cost of each company, not just the headline fee. See questions to ask a gold IRA company.

Estimate Your Own Costs

Use our gold IRA cost calculator to add up setup, custodian and storage fees, metal premiums and selling costs over your holding period, using the quotes you've received. For the markup side in detail, see gold premiums and spreads.

An Example of Flat Fees in Practice

Augusta Precious Metals, our top pick for accounts of $50,000 or more, uses outside partners commonly reported as Equity Trust and Delaware Depository. Independent fee breakdowns put its costs at about $50 to open and roughly $200–$250 a year after that, all flat. On a $100,000 account, that's about 0.2% a year. See Augusta Precious Metals fees for the full breakdown.