Gold IRA Research & Data Center
Independent research, data and tools for understanding Gold IRAs, precious metals and retirement-account rules. Every dataset here is computed from, or systematically compiled from, named primary sources — IRS publications, BLS and World Bank data series, Federal Reserve and academic data, custodian schedules and company-published documents — with methodology stated, limitations documented, and figures that could not be verified labelled rather than estimated. Several datasets are downloadable as CSV.
Educational only: These research pages do not provide financial, tax, legal or investment advice, and none asserts a verdict about any company. Customers should speak to a financial or tax advisor before making decisions. Goldco does not offer tax or legal advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
The Research Library
Each entry states what the research answers, its headline finding, and its data coverage. Findings are as of each page's stated verification date and change when the underlying sources do.
Gold IRA Fees Benchmark
What does a Gold IRA actually cost by account size?
Key finding: Current named schedules include both flat and value-tiered structures, so no universal annual range applies. GoldStar's published commingled example is $215 a year at every balance, while Equity Trust's totals rise with the account value.
Named current custodian and depository fee schedules
Gold vs S&P 500 in Every Bear Market
How has gold behaved when stocks fall 20% or more?
Key finding: Gold rose in 4 of 7 bear markets since 1973, ranging from +144.6% to −41.7% over identical intervals.
1973–2022, 7 episodes · CSV available
Gold vs Inflation: 55 Years of Data
Does gold actually hedge inflation?
Key finding: Positive real return in 31 of 55 years; the high-inflation band contains both gold's best year (+93.1%) and its worst (−30.0%).
1971–2025, CPI regime bands · CSV available
Rollover Eligibility Matrix
Which retirement accounts can move into a gold IRA, and when?
Key finding: Six pre-tax account categories can generally roll to a traditional gold IRA; SIMPLE IRAs qualify after the 2-year rule. Roth-source accounts require a Roth destination, and non-governmental 457(b) plans are not eligible rollover sources.
10 source-account rows, IRS/TSP primary sources · CSV available
Custodian & Depository Database
Who actually works with whom behind a gold IRA?
Key finding: Of 33 publicly evidenced relationships, only 15 are independently confirmed — and 4 of 8 custodians decline to name dealers at all.
12 dealers, 8 custodians, 9 depositories · CSV available
Dealer Markup & Premium Data
What do regulators actually state about dealer markups?
Key finding: No regulator maintains a current benchmark. A CFTC advisory places bullion at spot plus 5–10% and numismatic coins at 40–200% above spot; enforcement cases allege far higher markups against named firms.
Regulator statements and enforcement allegations, kept separate
Gold Allocation Backtest
What did adding gold to a 60/40 portfolio actually do?
Key finding: Six portfolios computed monthly over 674 months: gold's effect on risk was more consistent than its effect on return. Volatility bottomed at 15% gold and the return ordering reversed with the start date.
0–25% gold, April 1968 – June 2024, code and validation log published · CSV available
Distribution Benchmark
What does it take to get money or metal back out?
Key finding: A cash exit runs a derived ~6–20 business days across published stages; in-kind figures range from 1–2 days to 6–8 weeks.
Custodian process pages and fee schedules · CSV available
Provider Transparency Scorecard
What do providers actually disclose publicly?
Key finding: 0 of 5 frequently reviewed providers published a fee schedule at the conventional URL when checked.
10 disclosure criteria, dated observations · CSV available
U.S. Depository Directory
Which facilities store IRA metal, and what can be verified about them?
Key finding: A source-verified directory separating company claims from independent records — including what could not be verified.
U.S. depository operators
Storage Legality Matrix
Which storage arrangements are actually legal for IRA metal?
Key finding: Four storage models compared on legality, cost, insurance and audit exposure — anchored to the McNulty ruling.
Segregated, commingled, safe-deposit, home
Gold IRA Industry Statistics
What verifiable numbers describe this industry?
Key finding: A curated statistics reference where every figure is cited to a public source — built to be checked.
Industry-wide sourced statistics
How This Research Is Produced
The method behind every dataset is the same: figures come from named primary sources with observation dates; derived figures state their calculation rule; company claims are labelled as claims and never upgraded into independent facts; and where no defensible public figure exists, the gap is documented as a finding rather than filled with an estimate. The full approach is described in the research methodology, and corrections are handled per the corrections policy.
Reviewed and edited by Daniel M. — Editor, 401kToGoldIRA.org.
Using This Research
Each dataset page includes citation guidance, and the CSVs are provided for reuse with attribution. Journalists, researchers and site owners are welcome to cite these datasets; the underlying tables remain in server-rendered HTML so every figure can be checked in a browser.