Gold set a record of $5,589.38 an ounce on Jan. 28, 2026, CBS News reported. On Sept. 30, 2026, spot gold traded at $4,152.86, according to Reuters. That is roughly 26% below the peak, by our math, and getting back to the record would take a gain of about 35%.
A drop like that invites buy-the-dip pitches. For a gold IRA, the price on the screen is only part of what you pay. Dealer markups and account fees are separate from the price of gold.
Gold can diversify a retirement portfolio because its price does not always move in step with stocks and bonds. Holding qualifying bullion in an IRA can also preserve the account’s tax advantages. Those potential benefits are why some investors consider gold IRAs, but the extra costs can materially change the math.
Why the spread sets your break-even
The spread is the gap between what a dealer charges to sell you gold and what it pays to buy it back. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission says spreads vary widely, from less than 20% at some dealers to more than 300% at some fraudulent ones.
The spread decides how far gold must climb before you are whole. If the buyback price is 5% below what you paid, gold has to rise about 5.3% to get you back to even. At a 10% spread, it has to rise about 11.1%. At 15%, about 17.6%. Those figures exclude account and storage fees, which are added on top.
The CFTC’s precious metals fraud page describes those other costs. Self-directed IRAs carry monthly administrative fees plus handling and storage charges, and numismatic, or collectible, coins typically carry higher markups than bullion. The page cites a case in which a gold dealer and IRA custodian charged a customer nearly $150,000 in commissions and fees for rolling over a $300,000 retirement account.
Dealer premiums typically run 2% to 10% above the spot price before setup, storage and custodian fees, costs that weigh on a gold IRA compared with Treasury bills.
Questions to put in writing
The CFTC’s customer advisory suggests asking for the agreed retail price and every fee, cost and commission in writing, along with storage, insurance and administrative costs. It also asks whether you are buying bullion or numismatic coins.
Add one more question: what the dealer would pay to buy back what you purchase, on the day you buy it. A few rules for putting gold in an IRA without getting scammed can screen out the worst dealers.
Metals also have no income to offset those costs. The CFTC notes that precious metals do not pay dividends or compound like other assets, and that their prices are just as volatile as those of other assets. A decline of roughly 26% since January illustrates the second point.
One way to start comparing
Anthem Gold Group offers gold and silver IRAs, which put physical gold and silver inside a tax-advantaged retirement account. Its guide is free and obligation-free, and a specialist can walk you through your options in minutes. If you get a quote from Anthem or any other dealer, ask each one the CFTC’s questions. Request a free guide now.
Moving retirement money into any single asset deserves a second opinion from a financial advisor who can review the full picture.
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