Costs / Working formula
Gold IRA Fee Drag Calculator: Flat Charges Over Time
See how a fixed custody and storage bill accumulates over a holding period you choose. This is cumulative fee arithmetic against a starting balance, not a forecast of metal prices, investment performance or an account’s future value.
The formula
Fee share (%) = fees ÷ starting balance × 100
“Fee drag” here means cumulative listed charges as a share of the starting balance. It does not include compounding or predict an ending account value.
Holding periods are editable illustrative inputs. Fees are held constant; no returns, taxes, new deposits or withdrawals are modeled. Percentages use the original balance.
Static example · Goldco
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| Assumed years | Initial charges | Annual custody + storage | Cumulative fees | Share of starting balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $50 | $235 | $285 | 1.14% |
| 5 | $50 | $235 | $1,225 | 4.90% |
| 10 | $50 | $235 | $2,400 | 9.60% |
| 20 | $50 | $235 | $4,750 | 19.00% |
Which schedules enter the calculator?
Only company examples with verified setup, annual administration, standard storage and minimum figures enter these worksheets. American Hartford Gold has unpriced administration and setup. Noble has conflicting schedules. Both remain readable as fee sheets.
Birch includes its listed initial wire charge. Lear includes an initial adjustment to match the published first-year subtotal. Goldco, Augusta and Priority use a narrower setup, custody and storage subtotal; other event-dependent charges are excluded. These different scopes are explained on each source sheet.
Goldco example inputs
| Check | Rule / published terms |
|---|---|
| Setup input | Goldco example: $50 Initial custodian setup amount described on the company’s cost page. Used with the separately cited custody and storage inputs below. goldco.com source· as of |
| Annual administration input | Goldco example: $125 Published annual custody amount. It is an input to the example, rather than a prediction of future changes. goldco.com source· as of |
| Annual standard storage input | Goldco / Equity Trust example: $110 Current custodian non-segregated schedule, rather than the older storage figure on the company cost article. An account-specific written schedule is still needed. trustetc.com source· as of |
A restricted estimate, with visible exclusions
Dealer purchase premiums, resale spreads, taxes, shipping and event-dependent wire, sale or closure charges are outside the subtotal unless explicitly itemized. Promotional waivers are not assumed. A blank or unverified amount is never treated as a free service.
Publisher record· as ofInitial charges are counted once
The setup and initial adjustment enter the cumulative total at the beginning. Custody and storage repeat for each full holding period entered. Increasing the period therefore repeats the annual charges without charging setup again. The worksheet uses full annual billing periods; it does not assume that a partial period qualifies for a prorated bill or that an early closure earns a refund.
Publisher record· as ofThe starting balance is a comparison base
The denominator stays at the original balance you enter. The worksheet does not reduce an account balance after each charge or calculate forgone investment returns on money used to pay fees. If account charges are paid from outside funds, the account’s statement balance may behave differently from this cumulative cost measure. The result still describes a sum of listed charges.
Publisher record· as ofRead constant fees as an assumption
The annual custody and storage inputs are held constant for the entire period. Their recorded check dates describe the included schedule, rather than a promise that the charges will stay unchanged. Replacing a custodian, changing the storage election, buying more metal or closing an account can change the applicable bill. Obtain current written terms before extending a dated fee example into a long holding period.
Publisher record· as ofFee drag over time FAQ
What does the gold IRA fee drag calculator measure?
It adds setup and the identified initial adjustment to repeated annual custody and storage charges. It expresses cumulative listed fees as a share of the starting balance you enter. It does not calculate a future account value.
Publisher record· as ofDoes fee drag include investment returns or compounding?
No. The formula holds the starting balance and listed annual charges constant. It does not model metal prices, investment returns, compounding or returns forgone on money spent paying fees.
Publisher record· as ofIs setup charged again for each holding year?
No. Setup and the initial adjustment enter once. Only annual custody and annual storage repeat across the whole-year holding period entered in the worksheet. Partial-year billing or refunds are not assumed.
Publisher record· as ofWhich costs are outside the fee drag total?
Dealer purchase premiums, resale spreads, taxes, shipping and event-dependent charges are excluded unless explicitly itemized. Birch’s initial wire and Lear’s initial reconciliation are included as explained in their schedule notes. Promotional waivers are not assumed.
Publisher record· as of