How Much Does a Gold IRA Cost? Worked Examples at $25k, $50k and $100k
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How much does a gold IRA cost?
On the custodian schedule most companies use, a gold IRA costs $285 in account fees in year one. After that it is $235 a year with commingled storage, or $2,400 over ten years. Those dollars are the same at any balance. On $25,000 they come to 9.6% of the money over ten years. On $100,000 they come to 2.4%. Segregated storage adds $50 a year. The markup on the metal comes on top and is often the biggest cost. On larger accounts, a written fee waiver can cut the first years.
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The three lines every gold IRA pays
Strip away the marketing and a gold IRA has three account charges: a one-time setup fee to the custodian, a yearly admin fee to the custodian, and a yearly storage fee to the depository. On Equity Trust's schedule, which most of the companies we track pass on, those are $50, $125 and $110. Segregated storage raises the last line to $160.
Caution on Lear Capital: NY AG $6M consent order (2022) and 2022 Chapter 11 with multistate $5.5M restitution.Caution on Priority Gold: Site claims 'fully accredited' BBB A+ and 4.9 Trustpilot; BBB shows NOT accredited and Trustpilot shows 4.8 (2026-10-29).
Two things make the arithmetic simple. The fees are flat, so the balance doesn't matter to the dollar figure. And the fees are the custodian's and depository's, so most dealers quote the same ones. The worked examples below hold those fees steady for ten years, which no one can promise, but which is the honest way to compare.
Worked examples: $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000
Commingled storage on Equity Trust's schedule. Each cell shows the dollars and the share of the amount you put in.
| Amount | Year 1 | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $2851.1% | $1,2254.9% | $2,4009.6% |
| $50,000 | $2850.57% | $1,2252.5% | $2,4004.8% |
| $100,000 | $2850.29% | $1,2251.2% | $2,4002.4% |
And the same with segregated storage, where your own coins and bars are kept apart:
| Amount | Year 1 | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $3351.3% | $1,4755.9% | $2,90011.6% |
| $50,000 | $3350.67% | $1,4752.9% | $2,9005.8% |
| $100,000 | $3350.34% | $1,4751.5% | $2,9002.9% |
Read across the $25,000 row and the problem with small gold IRAs is plain: ten years of fees take close to a tenth of the account before the metal has to do anything. At $100,000 the same dollars are a modest drag.
Noble Gold is the one company with a full schedule of its own, and it sells segregated storage only, so set it against the second table. Its $80 setup fee is higher than Equity Trust's $50, but its yearly cost of $275 is lower than $285. That makes Noble $355 in year one against $335, then cheaper from there: $1,455 against $1,475 over five years and $2,830 against $2,900 over ten. Noble's own pages give two different figures for setup and for storage, though, so ask which applies before you rely on either. The gold IRA fee comparison on Gold IRA Companies Ranked notes which Noble page each figure comes from.
Now add the markup
Those tables leave out the cost most likely to be the largest. When the IRA buys metal, the dealer's margin is in the price. Only American Hartford Gold publishes a range: 1.00%-19.99% on bullion. Here is what the two ends of that range would add, measured as a share of the purchase price:
| Amount | 10-yr fees | + 1% spread | + 19.99% spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $2,400 | $2,650 | $7,397 |
| $50,000 | $2,400 | $2,900 | $12,395 |
| $100,000 | $2,400 | $3,400 | $22,390 |
Unlike the account fees, a spread scales with the amount: it is a percentage of everything you buy. On $100,000 it can dwarf ten years of fees. The CFTC's precious metals advisory makes the same point in general terms: transaction costs plus storage and insurance can leave a buyer needing gains well above inflation just to break even. If you want that break-even figure for your own amount and a spread you've been quoted, the gold IRA fee calculator at goldiracompaniesranked.com works it out. The markup guide explains how to get the spread for your order.
What can lower the total
- A written fee waiver. Augusta, Birch Gold, Lear Capital, Patriot Gold and Priority Gold publish waivers on qualifying accounts; Goldco doesn't. Details are on the fee waiver page.
- Commingled storage if you don't need your exact coins back: $50 a year less.
- E-statements: Equity Trust charges $60 a year for paper.
- Plain bullion rather than collectible coins, which the CFTC says typically carry higher markups.
- Fewer trades. Each round trip pays the spread again.
If Goldco is the company you're weighing, fees are only part of it; Gold IRA Companies Ranked's Goldco review covers its complaint and legal record.
Verdict
Count on about $235 a year in account fees on the standard custodian schedule, less any written waiver, plus a markup that may cost more than all of those fees together. Below roughly $25,000 the fees alone take a large share. That isn't advice to buy or not; it is the arithmetic, and a tax professional or fee-only adviser can tell you how it fits your situation.
If the numbers work for you, Goldco takes accounts from $25,000. Augusta starts at $50,000.
A representative usually calls after you request it.
Augusta's published minimum is $50,000. Below that, it isn't an option.
A representative usually calls after you request it.
Cost questions
How much does a gold IRA cost per year?
$235 a year with commingled storage, or $285 with segregated storage, at the companies that publish a full schedule. The first year adds a $50 setup fee.
How much does a gold IRA cost over ten years?
$2,400 in account fees with commingled storage, or $2,900 with segregated storage, if the published fees don't change. The markup on the metal is extra.
Is a gold IRA worth it on $25,000?
That is a personal decision, and we don't give investment advice. What we can show is the math: ten years on the standard custodian schedule is 9.6% of $25,000, before any markup. Talk to a fee-only adviser or tax professional about your own case.
Why does the cost not change between $50,000 and $100,000?
Because the fees are flat dollar amounts. The custodian and depository charge the same for a small or a large account, so only the percentage changes.
What costs are not in these examples?
The markup on the metal, wire and closing fees, paper statement fees of $60 a year at Equity Trust, and any fee waivers. Taxes on a rollover done wrong are also outside these numbers; a tax professional can check that before you move money.
Sources
- Goldco: How much does a gold IRA cost?, checked October 29, 2026
- Goldco: Gold IRA FAQs, checked October 29, 2026
- Augusta Precious Metals: What a gold IRA costs each year, checked October 29, 2026
- Augusta Precious Metals: FAQ, checked October 29, 2026
- Birch Gold Group: Prices, checked October 29, 2026
- Lear Capital: Gold IRA fee structure, checked October 29, 2026
- Priority Gold: Gold IRA fees, checked October 29, 2026
- Noble Gold Investments: Support FAQ (setup and storage), checked October 29, 2026
- Noble Gold Investments: Gold IRA, checked October 29, 2026
- Lear Capital: IRA FAQ, checked October 29, 2026
- Patriot Gold Group: No Fees for Life landing page, checked October 29, 2026
- Birch Gold Group: FAQs, checked October 29, 2026
- American Hartford Gold: Shipping and Transaction Agreement (PDF), checked October 29, 2026
- Equity Trust: Fee FAQs, checked October 29, 2026
- CFTC: Precious metals fraud advisory, checked October 30, 2026
- SEC Investor.gov: Investor Alert, Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud, checked October 30, 2026
Facts checked October 29, 2026