What Is a Precious Metals IRA?
A Precious Metals IRA is a self-directed individual retirement account (SDIRA) that holds physical precious metals — gold, silver, platinum, and/or palladium — in an IRS-approved depository, rather than traditional paper assets. The account structure provides the same tax advantages as a standard IRA while allowing investment in tangible physical assets.
The most common type is a Gold IRA, but silver, platinum, and palladium IRAs are also fully legal and IRS-approved. Each metal has different characteristics, price drivers, and IRS eligibility requirements.
IRS Requirements for Each Precious Metal
The IRS imposes specific purity requirements for each precious metal held in an IRA. Metals that don’t meet these standards cannot be held in a Precious Metals IRA:
Gold (minimum 99.5% pure): American Gold Eagles (exception — explicitly approved despite 91.67% purity), Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, Austrian Gold Philharmonic, Australian Gold Kangaroo, PAMP Suisse bars, Credit Suisse bars.
Silver (minimum 99.9% pure): American Silver Eagles, Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, Austrian Silver Philharmonic, PAMP Suisse Silver bars.
Platinum (minimum 99.95% pure): American Platinum Eagles, Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf, PAMP Suisse Platinum bars.
Palladium (minimum 99.95% pure): Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf, PAMP Suisse Palladium bars.
See our full list of IRA-approved metals for every eligible coin and bar product.
Gold vs. Silver vs. Platinum vs. Palladium IRAs
Gold IRA: Most popular. Gold is the ultimate safe haven asset with the deepest global market. Price is driven by inflation fears, dollar weakness, and geopolitical uncertainty. Lower volatility than silver. Most Gold IRA companies specialize in gold. See our Gold IRA company rankings.
Silver IRA: Silver has both monetary and industrial demand (electronics, solar panels, medical devices). More volatile than gold but potentially higher upside. The gold-to-silver ratio has historically mean-reverted, suggesting periodic opportunities. Typically requires more physical space to store the same dollar value as gold.
Platinum IRA: Rarer than gold (annual production ~190 tonnes vs. gold’s ~3,300 tonnes). Primarily industrial demand (automotive catalysts). More sensitive to economic cycles. Can provide excellent diversification within a precious metals allocation.
Palladium IRA: Even rarer than platinum. Primarily used in catalytic converters. High volatility but has produced extraordinary returns during supply shortages. Most specialized and least liquid of the four metals.
For most retirement investors, gold represents 70–85% of a precious metals IRA allocation, with silver making up the remainder. Platinum and palladium are generally limited to sophisticated investors who understand the industrial demand dynamics.
Best Companies for a Precious Metals IRA
The best Precious Metals IRA companies offer multiple metal options with competitive premiums. Our top recommendations:
- Augusta Precious Metals — Gold and silver. Best overall quality and education. $50,000 minimum.
- Goldco — Gold and silver. Best for rollovers. $25,000 minimum.
- Birch Gold Group — Offers gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Most metal options. $10,000 minimum.
- American Hartford Gold — Gold and silver. Lowest minimum of top tier providers. $10,000 minimum.
For a complete comparison, see our full ranking of all 10 providers. To understand how to fund your account, read our rollover guide.