Costs / Working formula
IRA to Gold First-Year Cost Calculator
Estimate the listed initial account charges as a share of your chosen balance. Pick a company with a verified, usable schedule. This subtotal does not estimate a dealer spread, a tax bill or the cost of every future account event.
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
This table is available with JavaScript disabled. Change the inputs above when JavaScript is enabled.
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 ofHow the balance affects the percentage
A fixed account charge has the same dollar subtotal at a larger balance, but represents a smaller share of that balance. This worksheet changes the denominator when you edit the balance. It does not scale a flat custody or storage charge as if the provider charged a percentage of assets. The listed purchase minimum is checked separately from that calculation.
Publisher record· as ofAn initial adjustment needs an explanation
The adjustment line is reserved for an identified initial charge or a reconciliation to a published initial total. Read the company note before treating two results as directly comparable. A narrower subtotal can exclude a charge that another example includes. Obtain the complete schedule applicable to your intended custodian and transaction before using an estimate as a budget.
Publisher record· as ofFirst-year cost FAQ
What does the first-year gold IRA cost calculator include?
It adds the listed setup charge, identified initial adjustment, annual administration and standard storage. It reports that restricted subtotal in dollars and as a share of the starting balance you enter.
Publisher record· as ofDoes a result include the dealer spread or my tax bill?
No. Dealer purchase premiums, resale spreads and taxes are outside the subtotal. Shipping and transaction-dependent charges are also excluded unless explicitly itemized in the selected schedule note. A result is not an all-in account quote.
Publisher record· as ofWhy are some company fee sheets missing from the selector?
The calculator requires verified usable setup, administration, standard-storage and minimum inputs. American Hartford Gold has unpriced setup and administration in the supplied records, while Noble has conflicting schedules. Missing figures are not treated as zero.
Publisher record· as ofDoes increasing the balance increase flat account fees?
Changing the balance changes the percentage denominator. It does not scale the listed flat charges as a percentage of assets. A separate note compares the entered balance with the company’s published purchase minimum.
Publisher record· as of