Gold IRA:
What it is and how to open one
The Liberty Gold Silver Gold IRA
After a working lifetime of saving, the last thing you want is to watch what you built move with every headline. A retirement account that holds only paper assets moves with them.
A Gold IRA lets part of that account hold physical gold and silver instead — metal you own, stored in your account's name, with the account's tax structure left in place.
Liberty Gold Silver helps you understand it, choose the metal, and coordinate the custodian, distributor and depository.
Opening a Gold IRA takes a conversation, not a leap.
How does a Gold IRA work?
A self-directed IRA works like the IRA you may already have, with one difference: it can hold physical gold and silver coins and bars that meet the account rules.
You fund it from an existing retirement account by transfer or rollover. Your custodian administers the account. You choose the metal; we execute the purchase; the distributor ships it to an approved depository, which stores it in your IRA's name.
You hold real metal, in a real vault, inside a retirement account. When you want to add, sell, or take a distribution, you call the person who set it up.
Why invest in a Gold IRA?
People have used gold and silver as a store of value for thousands of years. They are not a company, not a promise, and not a currency anyone can print more of.
The reason most of our clients give is simpler than any theory: they do not want every dollar they own to depend on the same institutions, the same currency and the same markets.
No asset is safe in every circumstance, and metal prices rise and fall. Holding a portion — not everything — as physical metal is how most people use a Gold IRA.
How to open a Gold IRA
Opening one is simpler than most people expect. There is a short conversation, a custodian application, and a funding instruction — and one person coordinating all three.
Moving money from an existing IRA or workplace plan into the new account is called a transfer or a rollover, depending on where it comes from. We explain the difference; your custodian confirms the mechanics; your tax professional confirms the consequences.
With Liberty Gold Silver, you can establish your Gold IRA in three simple steps:
Submit your intake
Start online, or call (307) 293-4780 and we will complete it with you — Complete the intake. Only your contact details are collected here; identity and account details go through the custodian's secure application.
Fund your account
Your custodian opens the self-directed IRA and moves funds from your existing account. We coordinate the paperwork with them.
Purchase your gold or silver
You choose from metal that qualifies for the account; we execute the purchase; the depository confirms receipt in your IRA's name.
Eligible accounts
A Gold IRA is usually funded from a retirement account you already have. The account types below are commonly moved into one; whether yours can be, and how, is something your custodian confirms before anything moves.
If you have an existing IRA, 401(k) or other retirement account, ask us and we will walk through the route with you.
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
- 401(k)
- 403(b)
- 457
Custodian and depository information
Your custodian administers the account; an approved depository stores the metal, insured, in your account's name. We coordinate both and hold neither.
The depositories we use:
- Brink's (all Brink's depositories)
- IDS of Texas
- IDS of Delaware
- Delaware Depository Service Company (DDSC)
How a Gold IRA benefits you
The advantages people weigh, in plain terms:
The account's tax structure stays in place
Moving retirement money into metal by transfer or rollover keeps it inside a retirement account. What that means for your taxes depends on your facts; ask your tax professional.
Something you can point to
Physical gold and silver, in a vault, in your name. Not a claim on a company or a promise from anyone.
A portion held differently
Part of your savings that does not depend on the same institutions, currency and markets as the rest.
You stay in control
You decide what to hold, when to add, when to sell, and when to take distributions, within the account rules.
Physical assets
Recognised bullion coins and bars from sovereign mints and accredited refiners. Nothing exotic.
Simple to establish and keep
A conversation, a custodian application, a funding instruction. Afterwards, one person who knows your file.
Service that does not end at the sale
Questions, additions, distributions, changes of custodian, passing metal to family — call the person who set it up.
Things to know about your Gold IRA
A Gold IRA follows the same rules as other IRAs. It can hold only metal that meets the account's purity and origin rules, and that metal must stay with the custodian's approved depository while it is in the account.
Those rules are why every product on this site says “ask about IRA eligibility” until we confirm it with your custodian, and why nothing sensitive is collected on this website.
Open your Gold IRA with a conversation.
Start protecting your future now
When and how you retire is a big decision. Let us help you understand whether physical gold and silver belong in the plan — and how much.
Simply go to our intake form or call (307) 293-4780 now to get started.
FAQs about Gold IRAs
Do I actually own the metal?
Yes. Specific physical coins or bars are bought for your account and held at an approved depository in the account's name. You receive confirmation of what was bought and where it is.
Who holds my retirement account?
Your custodian does. Liberty Gold Silver is the dealer: we help you choose the metal, execute the purchase, and coordinate the custodian, distributor and depository. We never hold your account.
Where is the metal stored?
At an approved depository, in your IRA's name. We do not store IRA metal ourselves, and we do not take possession of it at any point.
Can I keep IRA metal at home?
Metal owned by an IRA stays with the custodian's approved depository while it is in the IRA. If you want metal at home, that is direct ownership, which we also do — talk to us about which fits.
Can I use money from an existing IRA or 401(k)?
That is how most Gold IRAs are funded: by transfer or rollover from an existing retirement account. Which route applies depends on the account you are moving from. Your custodian confirms the mechanics and your tax professional confirms the consequences.
How does Liberty Gold Silver get paid?
Like any dealer, we earn a margin on the metals we sell. Our specialists are paid for long-term client relationships: repeat business, referrals, and servicing your account for life.
Which metals can go in an IRA?
Certain gold and silver coins and bars that meet the account rules. We only recommend what qualifies, and we explain why a given product is or is not eligible before you choose.
What happens when I want to sell or take a distribution?
You call us. A distribution can be taken in cash or as the metal itself, subject to the account rules and your custodian's process. We help with either, and we do not promise a future price.
What are the tax consequences?
They depend on your situation and the type of accounts involved. We are a dealer, not a tax adviser. Talk them through with a qualified tax professional before you act.
Will I get sales calls if I ask a question?
No. If you contact us, one person will reply. If you download the guide, it is emailed to you and that is all. You can ask us to delete your details at any time.
The role of the depository in your Gold IRA
The depository stores the metal, insured, in your account's name, and reports to your custodian. You do not take possession of IRA metal; that separation is what keeps the account an IRA.
Making good Gold IRA decisions
The useful questions are about you, not about the metal: what you are protecting, what portion, and who you will call later. Prices move; decisions made on a portion you can hold through that tend to age well.
Silver in a Gold IRA
Despite the name, a Gold IRA can hold silver that meets the account rules. Silver comes in smaller pieces and moves more than gold; many people hold some of each.
Getting the most from a Gold IRA
Treat it as one part of a retirement plan, not the whole plan. Decide the portion with your own advisers, choose recognised bullion, and keep the paperwork simple.
This article is educational. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell anything, and it does not consider your circumstances. Prices can move in either direction.