SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0 Changes That Affect Gold IRAs

Two federal laws changed the retirement account rules that apply to every IRA: the SECURE Act (2019) and SECURE 2.0 (2022). A Gold IRA is a self-directed IRA that is allowed to hold approved physical metals, so these laws apply to it the same way they apply to any other IRA. In our reading of the sources below, they do not create special rules for gold. This page covers the changes most likely to matter to someone holding metals in an IRA. For the wider rulebook, see Gold IRA rules.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Some points below are our reading of IRS guidance, and we label them that way. A CPA or enrolled agent can apply them to your situation.

What changed for required withdrawals (RMDs)?

A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the amount the IRS requires you to withdraw each year from a Traditional IRA once you reach a certain age. The starting age has moved up.

The IRS says you "generally have to start taking withdrawals from your IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, or retirement plan account" once you reach age 73 (IRS RMD page). For an IRA, the first deadline is April 1 of the year after the year you reach that age. The IRS FAQ gives an example: if you reach 73 in 2024, your first RMD is due by April 1, 2025, and the second by December 31, 2025 (IRS FAQs).

The statute also sets a later age. In the text of 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(9)(C)(v), "In the case of an individual who attains age 74 after December 31, 2032, the applicable age is 75." IRS Notice 2023-54 says the applicable age is "either age 73 or age 75, depending on the individual's date of birth" (Notice 2023-54).

Our interpretation, please confirm. The sources we reviewed describe the ages by the year you reach them. The statute sets 73 for someone who attains age 73 before January 1, 2033, and 75 for someone who attains age 74 after December 31, 2032. Notice 2023-54 says the age depends on date of birth. We did not find a birth-year table in the IRS pages we opened. If you were born near the line, ask a tax professional which age applies to you.

What if you miss an RMD?

The IRS says the amount not withdrawn "may be subject to an excise tax of 25%, 10% if the RMD is timely corrected within two years." It also says the penalty may be waived if you show the shortfall was due to reasonable error, by filing Form 5329 with a letter of explanation (IRS FAQs).

Why RMDs deserve extra thought with a Gold IRA

An RMD is calculated from your IRA balance "as of the close of business on December 31 of the preceding year" (IRS Pub. 590-B). With a Gold IRA, that balance includes the value of the metals the custodian holds for the account.

That raises practical questions the IRS pages we reviewed do not answer:

• Does your custodian allow you to take an RMD in cash, in metal, or both?
• If cash is needed, does the account hold enough cash, or must some metal be sold first? How long does a sale take, and what are the dealer and custodian fees?
• How does the custodian value the metal at year-end for the RMD calculation?

We could not confirm from IRS sources whether an RMD may be taken as metal rather than cash, so we do not state it either way. Those answers also come from your custodian's account agreement. Put these questions to them before you reach your RMD age. See Gold IRA fees for the costs to ask about.

Prices of gold and silver can fall as well as rise. A planned sale to fund an RMD happens at whatever the market is then.

What changed for inherited IRAs (the 10-year rule)?

The IRS says that for owners who die after December 31, 2019, "the entire balance of the deceased participant's account must be distributed within ten years" (IRS FAQs). Pub. 590-B words the deadline as December 31 of the year containing the 10th anniversary of the owner's death.

The rule has exceptions. The IRS beneficiary page lists these "eligible designated beneficiaries":

• a spouse or minor child of the account holder,
• a disabled or chronically ill individual, and
• an individual who is not more than 10 years younger than the owner.

(IRS beneficiary page).

Do heirs have to take yearly withdrawals in years one through nine?

Pub. 590-B says that if the owner died before their required beginning date, "no distribution is required for any year before the 10th year." The July 2024 final regulations addressed the other case. Some commenters suggested a beneficiary should not have to keep taking annual distributions if the account is emptied within 10 years. Treasury and the IRS disagreed, and the final regulations keep the rule "requiring such a beneficiary to continue receiving annual payments" (IR-2024-190).

Our interpretation, please confirm. Read together, these sources suggest that the answer depends on whether the owner had reached their required beginning date at death. We did not find a plain-English IRS statement that sets out every case, including the dates the final regulations apply. A CPA or enrolled agent should confirm how the rules apply to a specific inherited account.

The IRS also gave penalty relief in the early years. Its beneficiary page cites Notice 2022-53 and says the IRS will not treat certain beneficiaries subject to the 10-year rule as having failed to take the right RMD for 2021 and 2022 (IRS). We did not verify later relief years, so check current IRS guidance if this applies to you.

Why this matters for inherited metals

Heirs of a Gold IRA face the same deadlines as heirs of any IRA. Large holdings of physical metal may need to be sold or distributed on a schedule. The sources above do not say how a custodian handles that, so it is worth asking the custodian how an inherited Gold IRA works and what it costs.

What are the 2026 IRA contribution limits and catch-up amount?

The IRS lists the 2026 limit for all your Traditional and Roth IRAs combined as $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older (IRS). The IRS says the IRA catch-up limit for people 50 and over "was amended under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022" to include an annual cost-of-living adjustment, and is $1,100 for 2026, up from $1,000 for 2025 (IRS news release). That is $8,600 minus $7,500.

Contributions to a Gold IRA count toward the same limit as any other IRA. Rollovers are treated separately: the IRS lists rollover contributions as not subject to the annual contribution limit. See the 401(k) to Gold IRA rollover guide.

What did not change for Gold IRAs?

We found no change to the collectibles rule in the sources we reviewed. That rule comes from IRC 408(m). The IRS says an individually directed account's acquisition of a collectible "is treated as an immediate distribution from such account in an amount equal to the cost to the plan of such collectible." It excludes bullion "of a certain fineness if a bank or approved non-bank trustee keeps physical possession of it" (IRS collectibles page). See Gold IRA rules for the eligibility rules.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting to ask about RMDs. Ask your custodian how RMDs from metals work before you need one.
• Assuming a fixed age applies to everyone. The applicable age depends on date of birth.
• Assuming every heir gets the same rule. Eligible designated beneficiaries have exceptions, and yearly withdrawals can still be required in some cases.
• Missing the paperwork. Custodians report IRA activity to the IRS and to you. See Gold IRA reporting for what to expect.

Related questions

Do Roth Gold IRAs have RMDs?

Not while the owner is alive, according to the IRS. Beneficiaries of Roth IRAs are subject to RMD rules (IRS FAQs).

Can I take my RMD in gold?

We could not confirm this from an IRS source, so we cannot say. Ask your custodian what its account agreement allows.

Do I need to take an RMD from each IRA?

The IRS says IRA owners "must calculate the RMD separately for each IRA they own" but "can withdraw the total amount from one or more of the IRAs" (IRS FAQs).