A precious metals IRA rollover uses the same account-movement rules as a gold rollover; silver, platinum, palladium or a mix changes the product and custody checks. Each purchase must fit the statutory exception and the receiving trustee’s restrictions. [1] [3]
Start with your existing account, then obtain written acceptance of the proposed metals before releasing funds.
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Which metals and fineness can a rollover IRA hold?
Qualifying gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion can fall within the exception in 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B); the test includes fineness and eligible trustee possession. Specified coins have a separate exception under paragraph (3)(A). [1] [6]
Fineness means purity. The bullion provision ties the minimum to what a contract market requires for delivery against a regulated futures contract; it does not print a percentage for each metal. Ask the custodian to identify the applicable minimum and document that the exact product meets it, rather than relying on an “IRA eligible” sales label. [1]
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| Proposed holding | Exception to verify |
|---|---|
| Silver bullion | Fineness at least the applicable regulated-futures delivery minimum; eligible trustee possession. |
| Platinum bullion | The same statutory fineness test, applied to platinum; eligible trustee possession. |
| Palladium bullion | The same statutory fineness test, applied to palladium; eligible trustee possession. |
| Gold in a mixed order | The same bullion test, or the applicable specified-coin exception. |
| Coins | The specific paragraph (3)(A) exception, or qualifying bullion under (3)(B); not every coin qualifies. |
The IRS investment FAQ says there is no approved-investment list and that precious metals must meet specific requirements. The statute generally treats an IRA’s acquisition of a collectible outside an exception as a distribution equal to its cost. [2] [1]
For silver, keep the product check narrow: confirm whether the particular coin or bullion fits an exception, then obtain receiving-custodian acceptance. For more on silver IRA account and product choices, use that guide before finalizing the order; it answers the holding-choice question. Both sites are published by Lead Partner AS and may earn commissions from provider referrals. [6]
Do silver or platinum change the rollover route?
No separate silver, platinum or palladium payment route is described in the IRS rollover guidance; choose by the source account, destination tax type and payee. The purchase comes after the account move. [4] [5]
- 401(k) money: confirm an eligible distribution with the plan, then use the 401(k) release and direct-payment checks; those account checks also matter when the target metal changes. [4]
- Existing IRA: ask about a compatible trustee transfer and use the IRA transfer instructions to preserve the intended account tax type. [4]
- Money paid to you: read the receipt deadline and IRA frequency guide before choosing an indirect route. [5] [4]
The payee and withholding comparison and rollover versus trustee-transfer guide own the detailed route rules. Choosing a non-gold metal does not by itself establish a tax-free move: IRS Topic 413 makes eligibility and Roth treatment relevant. [5]
What should change in your product and storage checks?
Ask the receiving custodian to accept each exact product and describe the trustee-controlled storage arrangement in writing. IRS guidance permits trustees to impose additional investment restrictions and requires qualifying bullion to be physically possessed by an eligible trustee. [3]
For the custody rule, read the IRS IRA investment and home-storage answers. Do not interpret the statutory exception as permission to store IRA bullion at home. [3]
These are questions to resolve, not verified features of a particular provider. Storage availability, segregation options, metal-specific fees and delivery terms for your proposed account are unknown here; FINRA and the CFTC identify custody, storage, insurance and administration as costs and arrangements to check. [7]
How should a mixed-metals allocation be documented?
Request separate order lines for each metal and reconcile the completed purchase with the IRA statement. This is an editorial recordkeeping checklist based on the regulators’ written-price and statement-review guidance, not a required allocation formula. [7]
For each line, record the metal, exact product, fineness, unit weight, quantity, agreed price and charges, together with custodian acceptance and the storage reference. Keep the approved order, dealer confirmation and custodian receipt together so a missing or substituted item is visible. [1] [7]
Ask for the proposed dollar amount by metal and any cash left in the IRA; do not accept a single “mixed metals package” description as your only purchase record. Confirm discrepancies before approving a replacement order. These are practical checks; this guide does not recommend a percentage allocation or establish a provider’s reporting format.
The FINRA/CFTC investor bulletin recommends checking the repurchase price and all costs before paying, then checking that the statement reflects the bullion purchased. Ask for a separate current sale-back quote for each product; a statement value alone is not a dealer’s executable offer. [7]
How do you complete a precious metals IRA rollover?
Confirm the source account’s release rules, obtain receiving acceptance, arrange the correct payment and separately approve an itemized metal order. Keep the payment receipt and custody records together. [4] [1] [7]
- Confirm the source
Ask the plan or IRA provider which money can move and identify its tax character.
- Clear the proposed metals
Give the receiving custodian the exact silver, platinum, palladium and any gold products for written acceptance.
- Arrange the account movement
Use the existing account-route guide and the receiving institution’s written payee instructions.
- Approve the purchase separately
Review product lines, written prices, repurchase quotes and storage terms before signing.
- Reconcile completion
Match funds received, the approved order and the custodian’s metal record.
The handoff cost and timing guide helps you ask each institution about release, wire, setup and storage costs. A silver or platinum order’s turnaround and total cost remain unknown until the institutions provide their terms.
What should you check before authorizing the move?
Proceed only after you can identify the account route, accepted products, custody arrangement and written total costs. FINRA and the CFTC warn that precious-metals prices fluctuate and that inflated markups and fees can erode retirement savings. [7]
Keep a private copy with the printable handoff checklist. Keeping the current account is an available decision if the proposed costs, custody work or investment exposure do not fit your needs; no return comparison or price forecast is offered here.
Our two paid-partner comparison contains the company terms already recorded on this site, with their individual checked dates. This page has not established either partner’s platinum or palladium availability, product acceptance or metal-specific storage price; request those answers rather than inferring them from an information-request link.
What else should you check?
Check the account-specific rule and the conditions in each answer before approving a payment.
Can I roll a 401(k) into a silver IRA?
Eligible plan money can move to an accepting IRA, followed by a separate qualifying silver purchase; the plan’s distribution conditions still matter. [4] [1] Start with the 401(k) account checks.
Can one IRA hold silver, platinum and palladium?
The statute’s bullion exception names all three, but each product must meet its fineness and possession requirements and the trustee may restrict investments. [1] [3] Confirm acceptance of the entire proposed mix before funding.
Does choosing silver make a rollover tax-free?
No; the account movement’s eligibility and tax treatment still control, including whether money is moving to Roth from another account type. [5] Metal choice does not replace those checks.
Can I keep rollover bullion at home?
The IRS says qualifying bullion must be physically possessed by a bank or an IRS-approved nonbank trustee, including where an IRA-owned LLC acquires it. [3] Ask the custodian to document the custody arrangement before purchase.
Which sources support this guide?
Rule sources checked November 11, 2026; access dates are shown below. Company records carry their own checked dates beside the figures.
- 26 U.S.C. 408(m): collectibles, coin exceptions and qualifying bullionAccessed 2026-11-11.
- IRS: Retirement plan investments FAQsAccessed 2026-11-11.
- IRS: IRA FAQs — investments and bullion custodyAccessed 2026-11-11.
- IRS: Rollovers of retirement plan and IRA distributionsAccessed 2026-11-11.
- IRS Topic 413: Rollovers from retirement plansAccessed 2026-11-11.
- IRS Publication 590-A: Contributions to IRAs — collectibles exceptionAccessed 2026-11-11.
- FINRA/CFTC: 10 Things to Ask Before Buying Physical Gold, Silver or Other MetalsAccessed 2026-11-11.
Changes to this page · November 11, 2026
First published November 11, 2026: added the non-gold rollover task, statutory metal/fineness checks, three explanatory visuals, mixed-order records and a pre-purchase checklist. Official sources fetched and read on this date; numerical futures specifications and individual partner metal availability remain unverified.
Pre-launch check: metadata, answer order, link wording and publication dates reviewed. Release state: pre-launch; no production baseline.
Where should you go next?
Choose the next guide for the decision in front of you.