For people over 50
Protect your retirement savings, without the sales pitch
Plain-English guides to keeping your savings safe from inflation, market drops, high fees and scams. When gold comes up, we explain what it can do and what it can't.
Start with the basics Avoid gold IRA scams-
Protect your savings
Inflation, market drops, living longer and fees. The risks that matter most after 50, and the tools people use for each.
Read the guide -
Understand gold IRAs
How a gold IRA works, what it really costs, the IRS rules on storage and withdrawals, and who it suits.
How gold IRAs work -
Avoid scams
The red flags US regulators warn about, and the questions to ask any gold company before you sign anything.
See the 10 red flags
Start here
- How to Protect Your Retirement Savings After 50The big risks to savings after 50, and the usual tools for each one.
- How Much of Your Retirement Portfolio Should Be in Gold?Why most plans keep metals to a small share, if they hold any.
- What Is a Gold IRA and How Does It Work?Who holds the metal, what it costs, and who it suits.
- Gold IRA Fees ExplainedEvery fee in one place, with a 10-year cost example.
- Gold IRA ScamsThe warning signs US regulators list, in plain words.
- 12 Questions to Ask a Gold IRA Company Before You SignA printable checklist for any call with a gold company.
Gold is one part of a plan, not the whole plan
Gold and silver can play a small role in a retirement plan. They also pay no income, cost money to store, and can go many years without gaining value. Most people are better served by a mix of stocks, bonds and cash, with metals as a small share for some. Every guide on this site says both sides, links its sources, and never promises returns.
Latest guides
- Gold IRA vs. Gold ETFA gold IRA holds real coins in a vault. A gold ETF is a fund you can often buy in your current IRA. Compare yearly costs, what you own, taxes and 401(k)s.
- What Does a Gold IRA Custodian Do?A gold IRA custodian holds the account and reports to the IRS. How it differs from the dealer and the vault, how each is paid, and how to check one.
- Can You Move Your 401(k) to Gold While You Still Work There?Sometimes. Many 401(k) plans allow an in-service rollover once you reach a set age, but some do not. How to check your plan and what to do if it says no.
- Can You Hold Gold in a Roth IRA?Yes. A self-directed Roth IRA can hold IRA-approved gold. How it differs from a traditional gold IRA, the 5-year rules, no RMDs and the tax on conversions.
- Gold IRA TaxesTraditional gold IRA contributions can be deductible, Roth ones never are. How growth and withdrawals are taxed, and how gold outside an IRA is taxed.
- What Interest Rate Changes Mean for Your Retirement SavingsHow Fed rate changes reach savings, CDs, bonds, annuities, mortgages and stocks, why bond prices fall when rates rise, and what falling rates mean.
Who we are
Founded by Jaynous Kool, a long-time precious metals investor. About us
How we're funded
Some pages may link to companies that pay us a fee. That never changes what we write. Affiliate disclosure
How we check facts
Every rule and number links to its source, such as the IRS, the SEC or the FTC. Editorial policy