A gold IRA pays the dealer twice: a premium over spot when the metal is bought, and a gap below spot when it is sold back. Together, those two marks are the round-trip cost. The dealer sets each mark per item and per day, and none of the four dealers reviewed on this site publishes the figure.
Key takeaways
- The round-trip cost is the premium over spot paid at purchase plus the gap below spot taken at sale, measured on the same item.
- In a hypothetical with $2,000 spot at purchase and at sale, a 5% premium in and a 2% discount out cost $140 an ounce, or 6.7% of the purchase price, before any fee.
- None of Augusta Precious Metals, Birch Gold Group, Goldco, or Noble Gold Investments published a premium-over-spot figure as of September 21, 2026.
- A sale inside the IRA leaves the cash in the account. Custodians charge separate fees for liquidations, in-kind distributions, and terminations, and all three published schedules bill shipping separately.
Premium, spread, and round trip
The premium is the amount above spot that a dealer charges for a specific coin or bar. The dealer’s bid is the price, usually below spot, at which that same dealer will buy the item back. The spread is the gap between those two marks. The round-trip cost is the purchase price minus the sale price, for the same item.
premium % = (price paid − spot) ÷ spot
Both marks move with the market. A premium quoted on Monday can differ on Tuesday, and the dealer sets its bid on the day of sale, not the day of purchase. No single published number covers every product and every date, so the buyer has to check it item by item and day by day.
The arithmetic
In this hypothetical, the round trip costs $140 an ounce, or 6.7% of the purchase price, before any fee. The example uses round numbers and names no company.
Spot is $2,000 an ounce on the purchase day and $2,000 an ounce on the sale day. The IRA buys at $2,100, a 5% premium over spot. It later sells back at $1,960, 2% below spot.
- Purchase price: $2,100
- Sale price: $1,960
- Round-trip cost: $140 an ounce
- Share of the purchase price: 6.7%
For the sale to return the purchase price, the dealer’s bid has to rise from $1,960 to $2,100, which takes a gold price rise of about 7.1%. Scale changes the dollars, not the structure: on a $50,000 purchase, each percentage point of premium is $500.
What the dealers reviewed here publish
None of the four dealers reviewed on this site publishes a premium-over-spot figure. That result comes from a check of each dealer’s public materials on September 21, 2026.
Augusta Precious Metals tells buyers to ask for the spread in writing, per its gold IRA page. The Birch Gold Group risk disclosure states that the company does not guarantee a customer can sell any item for a profit, and that refund returns apply only to counterfeit coins, within 90 days. Goldco describes its buyback as “guaranteed at the highest price” on its website, without published terms. Noble Gold Investments describes a buyback program but publishes no pricing terms or timeline for it.
How selling inside an IRA works
The owner instructs the custodian, and the dealer buys the metal from the IRA. The cash lands in the IRA, not with the owner. No tax is due while the cash stays inside the IRA. Taking the cash out is a distribution. Taking the metal itself out is an in-kind distribution, taxed at fair market value on the distribution date.
Custodian fees on the way out
Selling triggers custodian fees, and three published schedules show the amounts. All three bill shipping separately.
- Equity Trust (form FS-0004-05, revision printed 081726): $30 per precious-metals liquidation, $125 per in-kind distribution or transfer out, $250 full termination.
- STRATA Trust Company (checked September 21, 2026): $40 per purchase, sale, or exchange, $100 asset re-registration for a transfer out or distribution, $250 account closure.
- Preferred Trust Company (schedule dated January 20, 2026): $200 per precious-metals sale or in-kind distribution, $300 full transfer out or termination.
Proof and numismatic coins
Premiums on proof and collector coins are usually far above bullion premiums. The buyback price on those coins is usually far closer to metal value than to the price paid. That gap widens the round trip on any coin bought for collector value rather than metal content.
What to ask before buying
Six questions, asked before the trade, put the round-trip number in writing.
- Which spot price did you use, and what is the price per item? Get both in writing.
- What is your current bid on these exact items?
- Is the buyback a commitment or a courtesy?
- How is the buyback price set?
- How long does settlement take?
- Which custodian fees apply to a sale?
Related research
Frequently asked questions
What is the round-trip cost in a gold IRA?
The premium over spot paid when the metal is bought plus the gap below spot taken when it is sold back, measured on the same item. The dealer sets it per item and per day, and none of the four dealers reviewed on this site publishes it.
Do gold IRA dealers publish their spreads?
As of September 21, 2026, none of Augusta Precious Metals, Birch Gold Group, Goldco, or Noble Gold Investments published a premium-over-spot figure. Augusta tells buyers to ask for the spread in writing, and Birch Gold Group's risk disclosure states that it does not guarantee a customer can sell any item for a profit.
In the hypothetical on this page, what does the round trip cost?
At $2,000 spot on the purchase day and the sale day, a 5% premium in and a 2% discount out cost $140 an ounce, or 6.7% of the purchase price, before any fee. The gold price must rise about 7.1% before the sale returns the purchase price.
Where does the money go when metal is sold inside an IRA?
The dealer buys the metal from the IRA, and the cash lands in the IRA, not with the owner. No tax is due while the cash stays in the IRA. Taking the cash out is a distribution, and taking the metal out is an in-kind distribution, taxed at fair market value on the distribution date.
What do custodians charge when precious metals are sold?
Published schedules show Equity Trust at $30 per precious-metals liquidation, STRATA Trust Company at $40 per purchase, sale, or exchange, and Preferred Trust Company at $200 per precious-metals sale or in-kind distribution. All three bill shipping separately, and transfers out or terminations carry separate fees.
Do proof and collector coins cost more to round-trip?
Their purchase premiums are usually far above bullion premiums, and the buyback price is usually far closer to metal value. That gap widens the round trip on coins bought for collector value rather than metal content.