Before you fund

Gold IRA Pre-Purchase Checklist

Twelve things to get in writing before you move retirement money. Each one lists the answer a complete reply contains, and what should make you pause. We don't sell Gold IRAs — we review them.

How to use this checklist

Send the questions by email so the answers arrive in writing, then compare the replies against the column below. If an answer is missing or vague, that is information too — nothing here requires a decision today.

1. The price you are actually paying above the current spot price

The current spot price of the metal is public. What you pay above it is not, unless you ask for it in writing.

What is the total price per coin or bar, and what is the current spot price it is based on?
Get in writing
A written quote showing the per-item price, the quantity, the current spot price used, and the date and time that price was taken.
Pause if you hear
A single lump sum with no per-item pricing, or a refusal to name the current spot price used.
What is the price you are actually paying, including the dealer markup premium, as a dollar amount and a percentage?
Get in writing
One number per product that shows the dealer markup premium clearly. Example: $2,450 per one-ounce coin against a $2,150 current spot price means you are paying $300 over spot, or about 14%.
Pause if you hear
“Our pricing is competitive” instead of a figure, or a markup that is only revealed after funding.
What would you pay me for these same items today if I sold them back?
Get in writing
A written buyback figure per item, so you can see the gap between the buy price and the sell price.
Pause if you hear
No buyback price at all, or a spread so wide the position needs a large price rise just to break even.

2. Every fee, on one page

Fees are usually annual and usually charged for as long as the account exists.

Send me the full fee schedule: setup, annual custodian, storage, wire, and any closing or liquidation charges.
Get in writing
The custodian's own published fee schedule, plus a written statement of anything the dealer charges separately.
Pause if you hear
Verbal-only fee figures, or fees described as waived without stating for how long and what happens after.
Are any fees waived, and what do they return to?
Get in writing
The promotional period in writing, the normal amount afterwards, and the date the normal amount begins.
Pause if you hear
A free first year used as a reason to decide today.
Is storage charged as a flat fee or a percentage of account value?
Get in writing
Which method, the exact rate, and the dollar amount it works out to for the amount you plan to invest.
Pause if you hear
A percentage rate presented without the dollar figure it produces.

3. What you will actually own

Not every coin or bar is allowed in an IRA, and the allowed ones vary widely in markup.

List the exact products, by name, weight and fineness.
Get in writing
Product names, ounces per item, purity, and the number of items — enough for you to look each one up yourself.
Pause if you hear
Proof, graded, collectible or “exclusive” coins pushed over ordinary bullion without a plain reason.
Confirm in writing that each item is eligible for an IRA.
Get in writing
A written confirmation naming each product and the standard it meets.
Pause if you hear
Assurances that a rare or numismatic coin qualifies without documentation.

4. Custody and storage

In an IRA, the metals are held for you — not by you.

Who is the custodian, and who is the depository?
Get in writing
Both company names, and confirmation you can contact the custodian directly without going through the dealer.
Pause if you hear
One company presented as dealer, custodian and depository at once, or vague references to a partner.
Is my metal segregated or commingled, and is it insured?
Get in writing
Which storage type, the insurer, and what the coverage applies to.
Pause if you hear
Any suggestion that IRA metals can be stored at your home or in your own safe deposit box.

5. Getting your money back out

Ask about selling before you buy, not years later.

How do I sell, how long does it take, and what does it cost?
Get in writing
The written process, the typical number of business days, and every charge involved in selling and distributing.
Pause if you hear
An exit process nobody will describe in writing.
Do you guarantee to buy the metals back, and at what price basis?
Get in writing
Either a written buyback commitment with its price basis, or a clear statement that there is none.
Pause if you hear
A promised buyback with no price basis stated.

6. Paperwork before any money moves

Everything above should exist as documents you keep.

Send the written quote, the fee schedule, and the custodian agreement before I fund.
Get in writing
All three documents by email, with your name on them, before any transfer or rollover is started.
Pause if you hear
Pressure to fund first and paper it later.
Will you confirm you are not giving me tax or investment advice?
Get in writing
A plain written confirmation, and a suggestion to check tax questions independently.
Pause if you hear
Predictions about the price of gold, warnings that you must act now, or advice about your retirement plan.

Where to go next

Two places worth reading before you reply to a quote.

Questions to Ask Before Buying a Gold IRA

The longer guide behind this checklist, with the reasoning for each question and examples of weak answers.

Read the guide

Considering a Gold IRA? Start Here

The research hub: costs, rules, rollovers and how people get out again, grouped by part of the decision.

Open the hub

Want a second set of eyes on the answers?

Send us what you were quoted and told, and we will review it independently before you commit any funds.

Get a Second Opinion Before I Buy

Gold IRA Clarity does not sell Gold IRAs, recommend dealers, or give tax or investment advice. This checklist is education only.