Gold IRA vs Traditional IRA

“Gold IRA” describes the asset strategy and self-directed setup; “traditional IRA” describes the tax treatment. A Gold IRA can itself be structured as a traditional IRA.

Not opposites

A traditional IRA can hold conventional securities at a brokerage or qualifying physical precious metals through a self-directed custodian. The tax wrapper and the asset choice are separate decisions.

Compare costs and complexity

A conventional brokerage IRA can be simpler and less costly to operate. Physical-metal ownership introduces custody, storage and dealer pricing considerations.