Gold IRA Fee Calculator

How much will my gold IRA cost in fees?

Take $50,000 kept for 10 years with the Goldco preset. Fees come to $285 in year one and $2,400 over 10 years. The dealer’s spread is the other cost. With a 5% spread, the worked example below costs $4,900 in all. That 5% is only an illustration, because Goldco doesn’t publish its spread.

Enter your own amount, years and fees below. This calculator does not project gold prices. It adds account fees and the spread you enter.

Results shown:

• Year-one fees
• Total account fees over your chosen years
• Spread cost on your purchase
• Total cost (fees plus spread)
• Total cost as a share of what you put in

How the calculator works

All numbers are in today’s dollars. We use your inputs and these formulas:

1. Year-one fees = setup + admin + storage
2. Total account fees = setup + (admin + storage) × (years − waived years)
3. Spread cost = amount × spread %
4. Total cost = total account fees + spread cost
5. Cost share = total cost ÷ amount, shown as a percentage

A worked example with the Goldco preset (Equity Trust’s $50 setup, $125 admin and $110 non-segregated storage), $50,000 for 10 years, and a 5% spread you entered yourself:

• Year-one fees: $50 + $125 + $110 = $285
• Account fees over 10 years: $50 + $235 × 10 = $2,400
• Spread cost: $50,000 × 5% = $2,500
• Total cost: $2,400 + $2,500 = $4,900
• Total cost as a share of the amount: $4,900 ÷ $50,000 = 9.8%

The 5% spread in that example is only an illustration. It is not Goldco’s spread, which Goldco doesn’t publish.

Assumptions and limits

We’d rather you know exactly what this tool leaves out.

• Fees stay the same every year. They can rise. Equity Trust’s storage rates, for example, are now $10 higher than the figures on Goldco’s February 2025 cost page.
• The spread is up to you. Most dealers don’t publish one. American Hartford Gold is the exception: 1% to 19.99% on bullion and up to 59.99% on certain numismatic coins. Ask your dealer for the figure on the exact product, in writing, and enter it.
• Spread is counted once, on the way in. In real life, the price you get when you sell is usually the dealer’s bid, which can be lower than the market price. That’s another cost we don’t model.
• No price projections. Gold prices have risen and fallen for long periods. This tool calculates costs without estimating future metal values.
• No taxes. Withdrawals from a traditional IRA are taxed as income. Taxes depend on your situation.
• No small fees. Wire fees ($30), paper statements ($60 a year at Equity Trust), liquidation ($30 at Equity Trust) and account closure ($250 at Equity Trust and Noble) are left out.
• Waivers only count if you have them in writing. Enter the number of years from the offer you were actually given.
• No RMDs. From age 73 you’ll generally have to take withdrawals, which may mean selling metal and paying the spread again. See our rollover guide.

Where the presets come from

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Goldco’s own cost page shows $100 and $150 storage, and an older Goldco FAQ says “around $80” for admin. To test those figures, choose Custom.

We have no preset for American Hartford Gold or Patriot Gold Group because they don’t publish a full fee schedule. Choose Custom and enter what they quote you. For more on each company’s fees, see our guide to what the costs mean.

How to use the results

• Compare total cost with the amount you put in. The percentage shows the fee burden over your chosen years, including the spread you entered.
• Compare two dealers on the same spread. The fee difference between the cheapest and dearest published schedules is about $50 a year. The spread can be thousands.
• Check what the total leaves out. Taxes and the dealer’s buyback price can affect what you receive when you sell.