What we model
A one-time purchase of eligible metals in a self-directed IRA, followed by a fixed number of years of account and storage fees and a hypothetical sale. Inputs are editable. The default annual $150 account fee and $115 commingled-storage fee come from STRATA's published Precious Metals Tier, reviewed October 29, 2026. The example 8% markup and 2% buyback discount are made-up illustrative assumptions—not observed quotes or estimates for STRATA or any dealer.
The equations
Let B = initial IRA balance, S = setup costs deducted before purchase, M = dealer markup above spot (decimal), D = dealer resale discount below spot (decimal), A = annual account + storage expenses, T = years held, E = exit/sale expenses, and G = total gold spot-price change.
Spot-equivalent gold value purchased: (B − S) ÷ (1 + M)
Total separate account costs: A × T
Estimated sale proceeds: spot-equivalent gold value × (1 + G) × (1 − D) − E
Net gain/loss: sale proceeds − B − (A × T)
Cost with flat gold price: B + (A × T) − [spot-equivalent gold value × (1 − D) − E]
Required cumulative spot-price increase to break even: [B + (A × T) + E] ÷ [spot-equivalent gold value × (1 − D)] − 1
Annualized equivalent of that increase: (1 + required cumulative increase)^(1 ÷ T) − 1
What that means
The purchase markup is calculated as the initial dollars available to buy metal minus the spot-equivalent metal value. A buyback discount is applied to the spot-equivalent metal value at the modeled future spot price. This prevents counting the purchase and sale costs as if they were the same expense. Percentage markups are measured above spot; buyback discounts are measured below spot, so they are not arithmetically interchangeable.
As an illustration, a $50,000 account with $0 setup, 8% illustrative purchase markup, 2% illustrative buyback discount, $265 combined annual fees, $0 exit costs, and 5 years has approximately $46,296 of spot-equivalent metal after purchase. If gold stays flat, the total modeled round-trip and ongoing cost is about $5,955. These are example assumptions, not a forecast or a dealer quote.
Quote Analyzer math (new tool)
The quote analyzer starts with a written metal invoice, rather than a hypothetical percentage markup. Let P be the quoted spot price per fine troy ounce, Q be the total fine troy ounces, I be the metal invoice, R be the quoted dealer buyback price per matching fine troy ounce, A be annual custody plus storage charges, T the holding period in years, and F the sum of separately charged setup, purchase and exit fees.
- Dealer purchase premium: (I − P × Q) ÷ (P × Q).
- Modeled cost if spot stays flat: I + A × T + F − R × Q.
- Break-even cumulative spot change: [I + A × T + F] ÷ (R × Q) − 1.
- Hypothetical outcome after spot-price change G: R × Q × (1 + G) − [I + A × T + F], treating G as a decimal.
The last two equations assume the current buyback-to-spot ratio stays constant if gold prices move. Actual future spreads can change. Annual costs are treated as fixed separate outlays, not deducted by liquidating IRA metal. If the buyback price or any fee is missing, the tool intentionally withholds full cost and break-even results. A disclosed waiver is entered as zero; an unknown charge remains blank. The quote label stays in the browser and is excluded from shareable URLs. This is a deterministic cost model, not a forecast.
Custodian disclosure comparison
The custodian comparison models only primary-source fee components. STRATA's annual disclosed components are $150 administration plus $115/$175 storage. Entrust's one-asset annual recordkeeping fee is $219, or $329 for two or more asset types, plus 0.17% of invested asset value above $50,000, capped at $2,299; depository storage is a separate unknown. Equity Trust publishes $110/$160 annual metal storage in its official FAQ, but an account-specific annual maintenance rate must still be confirmed. Figures can vary by contract, fee waiver and provider schedule. The table is alphabetical and has no paid ranking.
Blank fee fields, waivers, and input validation
In both calculators, a blank fee represents a missing figure and blocks a complete cost/break-even result. A known, documented waiver or $0 charge must be entered explicitly as zero. Input values outside the stated ranges are not silently clamped, and invalid or missing holding periods do not produce a calculation. The homepage quick model remains hypothetical; for a real product-level quote, use the Quote Analyzer.
Limitations you must understand
- Who pays annual fees: We treat them as separate cash outlays. Actual IRAs may pay them from account cash or by selling holdings, which can change the result. Because contributions and distributions have tax rules, this is not a substitute for actual account cash-flow modeling.
- Fixed rates: Annual fees stay constant over the holding period. Actual storage based on asset value, volume, insurance or custodian tier can change.
- No taxes: The model excludes taxes, distributions, early-withdrawal penalties, rollovers, RMD mechanics, liquidity constraints and tax treatment.
- No return predictions: The gold-price change is user-provided and cumulative; the annualized number is only the mathematical equivalent of required total growth.
- No omitted expenses inferred: Additional shipping, handling, dealer commission, per-trade transaction and closure charges are only included if the user adds them into a model input.
- Spot-based model: It does not price individual numismatic/collectible coins, whose valuations can differ considerably from metal content. Check IRA eligibility before purchasing.
Sources and editorial policy
We prefer primary sources, including published custodian schedules, IRS publications, and CFTC/FINRA investor alerts. A fee listed on a custodian website is a published fee—not proof every account is offered that arrangement. A fee missing from public disclosures should be treated as unknown, not zero.
Last reviewed: October 29, 2026. This site is educational, not personalized financial, legal or tax advice.