🏆 GOLD IQ LESSON ONE - GOLD IRAS

👋 Welcome to Gold IQ - IRA Basics Course

Welcome to The Smarter Path to Gold in Your Retirement Account. If you’ve ever wondered how physical gold fits into a secure retirement plan, this is the place to start. This isn’t a sales pitch—it’s an educational journey. By the end, you’ll understand exactly how gold works inside an IRA, why it’s different from paper assets, and whether it makes sense for you.

Think of this as your personal roadmap. Each section builds on the last, guiding you from big-picture concepts to practical details. And when you’re ready, you’ll know exactly what step to take next.

📖 Course Overview

This course is designed to answer the exact questions most people have when considering a Gold IRA. Each lesson is short, clear, and focused on what matters most—giving you confidence, not confusion. By the end, you’ll know exactly where gold fits into your retirement plan, and the next steps you can take to secure it. 

What You’ll Learn About Gold IRAS

• Module 1: Why Gold Belongs in the Conversation
  Discover why gold has outlasted markets, governments, and currencies—and how it protects wealth when paper assets fail.
  
• Module 2: IRS Rules That Protect You
  Learn the strict IRS standards for IRA-approved gold and why these rules guarantee you only receive the highest-quality metals.
  
• Module 3: What Products Qualify
  See which coins and bars are eligible—including American Eagles, Maple Leafs, and globally trusted bullion.
  
• Module 4: Fees, Storage & Security
  Understand the simple, transparent fee structure and the world-class vaults (like Brinks and Delaware Depository) where your metals are stored and insured.
  
• Module 5: Control & Transparency
  Explore how a self-directed IRA puts you in full control with real-time access to every coin and bar you own.
  
• Module 6: Distributions & Liquidity
  Learn how to take cash or physical gold distributions in retirement—and why this flexibility shields you from “bad timing.”
  
• Module 7: The Buyback Advantage
  See how liquidation works, why it’s often easier than selling stocks, and how Gold IQ guarantees a simple, no-fee buyback option.
  
• Module 8: The Process Step-by-Step
  Follow the clear, guided 5–7 day process for setting up and funding your new gold-backed IRA.
  
• Module 9: Addressing Common Concerns
  Get straightforward answers to the questions everyone asks—about authenticity, safety, and selling.
  
• Module 10: Education First, Always
  Understand why Gold IQ was built on education, not sales—and why our clients value knowledge as much as metals. 

Basic  Course Tertminology

Ask: the coin or bar’s selling price

Bid: the coin or bar’s buyback price 

Coin Grading: the system used to describe the condition of the coin (typically on a low-to-high scale of 1-70)

Markup: the amount to a coin or bar’s cost to reach the selling price

Melt Value: the value of a coin or bar based on the precious metal content then multiplied by the price of the metal.

Obverse: the front or “head” side of the coin

Premium: the amount charged above a coin or bar’s melt value

Reverse: the back or “tail” side of a coin

Spread: the difference between what a coin or bar’s asking price and the bid price 

Spot Price: The price paid for a precious metal with immediate delivery (may be referred to as the ask, selling, bid or buyback price)

Hedging

Financial hedging is where a company or an investor looks to reduce or eliminate their exposure to an asset they already own. This can be done by taking an equal and opposite position using futures contracts. An owner of silver for instance, fearing a price drop ahead, could sell futures contracts which will rise in value if silver falls. That profit offsets the loss, creating the ‘hedge’.

The main use of hedging is by commercial businesses involved in the production of a raw material or product. In the gold mining industry, so-called ‘producer hedging’ became increasingly popular during the long price drop of the 1980s and ’90s. Fearing further price drops ahead, which would result in lower revenues for gold miners, the industry as a whole borrowed and sold 3,100 tonnes of gold by 2001 – then equal to 15 months of the world’s entire gold-miner production. That locked in current prices, with the gold loan ready to be paid back as the miner dug gold from the ground in future. Some miners became over-hedged however, losing money when the gold price then began to rise. The industry started to close its hedging positions, buying back the metal it had sold at rising prices. The gold miners’ hedge-book was effectively closed in early 2011, as prices rose to new all-time highs.

Inflation

Inflation is characterized by widespread and continued price rises that reflect a loss of purchasing power in a currency. What can be bought with 100 Dollars today, for instance, is much less than could be bought 20 years ago. When a currency loses value more rapidly, demand for gold or silver in that currency may rise as individuals look for a more stable store of wealth and value.

Troy Ounce

One troy ounce is the standard unit used for weighing and pricing precious metals in the English-speaking West. Coming from Troyes in France, the troy ounce is not the same as an imperial ounce, weighing 1.097 times as much. The troy ounce is used to quote benchmark prices in the London physical and New York futures market. 1 kg = 32.1507466 troy ounces.

Treasury Bond

A Treasury bond is a fixed-income investment, sold by the US government to raise spending money. T-bonds (as they’re also known) then trade in the investment market, rising and falling in price to reflect interest rates, the outlook for inflation, so-called ‘safe haven’ demand when stock markets fall, and also concerns over the amount of US debt in issue. Treasury bonds’ annual interest payments are fixed in Dollar terms, as is the redemption value of each bond when it matures and the US government pays back the principal loan to whoever now owns it.

Exchange Traded Funds – ETFs

ETFs are a financial instrument traded on the stock market and designed to track the market price of another asset, such as a group of businesses, bonds, or a specific commodity. Created as a trust, an ETF will typically hold enough of the underlying asset to back its market value. Investors then own shares in that trust, but do not own the underlying asset directly.

The largest gold ETF is the SPDR Gold Trust (ticker: GLD). At the gold-price peak of 2011, it was the largest ETF in the world, overtaking the S&P ETF (ticker: SPY), which tracks the value of the US stock market. To cover storage and other fees, the SPDR charges an annual management fee of 0.40%. It is deducted daily from the amount of gold backing each share, meaning that the net asset value of the shares shrinks over time, down from one-tenth of an ounce at launch in 2004 to some 96.5% in late 2013.

Assay – A test to determine the quality and purity of a gold or silver product. When a gold or silver product ships with an “assay”, this is a guarantee from the assayer that the product in question does indeed contain the described amount and purity of gold or silver.

Brilliant Uncirculated – A coin that has never been in circulation, and is in shiny, new, and immaculate condition. 

Circulated – Coins that have been distributed to the public as currency. Usually in much worse condition than uncirculated coins.

Commodity – A physical product that is commonly traded and holds value based on the product’s industrial and commercial value.

Condition – The condition of a gold or silver bar, round, or coin. Common conditions are “New”, “Varied”, “Brilliant Uncirculated”, “Proof”, “Circulated”, etc.

Divisibility – How easy it is to piece out and distribute a fixed weight of a certain product. Ex: Ten 1 Ounce Silver Bars are more divisible than One 10 Ounce Silver Bar.

Gold-Silver Ratio – The amount of silver you can buy with one ounce of gold, based on present spot prices. Ex: a gold-silver ratio of 50 means that one ounce of gold would buy fifty ounces of silver at present prices.

Junk Silver – Any silver product that contains less than 90% silver content. Junk silver products usually contain between 35% and 90% silver. Ex: pre-1965 US coins.

Legal Tender – Coins that can be used as national currency. Ex: The 1 Ounce American Gold Eagle has legal tender of $50 USD.

Liquidity – The ease of buying and selling a certain product or metal. Ex: 1 Ounce Silver Bars are extremely liquid, as there is a huge active base of both buyers and sellers. 

Mint – The refining or fabricating company which created a certain bar, round, or coin. Ex: Golden State Mint.

Proof – A coin that has been struck with greater pressure than normal using special dies to make the design more highly polished. Proof coins are collectibles and trade at a higher premium than brilliant uncirculated or circulated versions of the same coin.

Purity – The gold or silver content contained within a bar, round, or coin. Usually displayed as .XXX. Ex – .999 1 Ounce Silver Bars, indicating 99.9% purity.

Monster Box – US Mint sealed boxes of Silver Eagles. … Occasionally, a Silver Eagle Monster Box is called a Green Monster Box because of the box’ deep green color. A Silver Eagle Monster Box contains five hundred 1-oz .999 fine Silver Eagles, which are packaged twenty-five tubes to a box, twenty Silver Eagles to a tube.

📚 GOLD IQ - GOLD IRA BASICS COURSE

Module 1: Why Gold Belongs in the Conversation

Let’s start with the big picture. If you’ve ever looked at your retirement account and wondered, “What happens if the market takes another hit?”—you’re not alone. 

Thousands of investors have asked the same question. This module sets the stage by showing why gold has always been the reliable counterweight to uncertain times.

Most Americans hold retirement accounts packed with paper assets—stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. These rise and fall with the market, but they share a weakness: when the dollar loses value, they can sink fast.

Gold is different. For thousands of years, it has outlasted governments, currencies, and economic collapses. When stocks crash, gold has historically risen. That’s why investors around the world treat it as a safeguard—a tangible anchor when everything else feels uncertain.

You’ve seen inflation erode the dollar’s purchasing power. Doesn’t it make sense to own something that inflation can’t print away?

Module 2: IRS Rules That Protect You

Here’s something most people don’t realize: the IRS doesn’t just allow gold in retirement accounts—they actually set the standards for what kind of gold qualifies. Think of it as guardrails that protect you from lower-quality or risky metals.

Not every gold coin or bar qualifies for an IRA—and that’s a good thing. The IRS has strict standards:

• Only brand-new, uncirculated, investment-grade metals qualify.
  
• Metals must meet purity standards (e.g., 99.5% pure for gold, 99.9% for silver).
  
• Collectibles, used coins, or anything damaged are automatically disqualified.
  

That means when you buy metals for your IRA, you’re guaranteed the highest quality and authenticity. No fakes, no worn-out coins—just true investment-grade assets.

If you’re putting your life savings into gold, isn’t it reassuring that the IRS enforces quality this strictly?

Module 3: What Physical Metals Products Qualify

Now that you know the IRS only allows the best metals, let’s talk about which specific coins and bars make the cut. This isn’t about obscure collectibles—it’s about globally recognized, highly liquid forms of gold and silver that are trusted everywhere.

The most common IRA-approved products include:

• Gold & Silver American Eagles
• Canadian Maple Leafs
• Austrian Philharmonics
• Bars from IRS-recognized refiners like PAMP Suisse, Credit Suisse, and Johnson Matthey
  

Even proof coins are allowed—but only if they’re still sealed in their mint packaging with the certificate of authenticity.

These aren’t obscure collectibles—they’re some of the most widely recognized and trusted coins in the world. 

Can you see how that helps protect your wealth?

Module 4: Minimal Fees, Storage & Security

One of the first questions people ask is: “How much does this really cost, and how do I know my gold is safe?” Fair question.

Here’s where gold IRAs stand apart: simple, transparent fees.

• Setup fee (one-time): $115 (includes account setup, processing, and wire fee).
  
• Annual maintenance fee: $75
  
• Annual storage & insurance fee: $100 (covers vaulting + full insurance)
  
• Total annual ongoing cost: $175
  

Even if you hold $100,000+ in metals, the annual fee only increases slightly (to $225). There are no management fees, profit-sharing, or surprise charges.

Your metals are stored at IRS-approved private depositories, such as:

• Brinks (Salt Lake City)
  
• Delaware Depository (Wilmington, DE, the largest private facility of its kind)
  

Both meet Bank Protection Act and UL standards, and both carry $1 billion all-risk insurance underwritten by Lloyd’s of London.

Every quarter, you’ll get a detailed holdings report—down to the year your coins were minted. Plus, 24/7 online access lets you view your account anytime.

Wouldn’t you feel more confident knowing your gold is in the same vaults trusted by banks, billionaires, and even governments?

Module 5: Control & Transparency

If you’ve ever felt in the dark about what’s really inside your 401(k) or mutual fund, you’re not alone. The good news? A self-directed IRA with physical gold puts you in full control.

This is a self-directed IRA. That means:

• You’re in complete control of your account.
  
• No purchases are made without your explicit approval.
  
• You see everything—holdings, statements, reports—in real time.

Transparency isn’t a buzzword here. Before you buy, you’ll know the exact breakdown—price, weight, purity, and allocation. Nothing happens behind the curtain.

Doesn’t it feel better when you know exactly what you own, instead of guessing what’s inside a mutual fund?

Module 6: Distributions & Liquidity

Fast forward to retirement—how do you actually use the gold in your account? This section is all about flexibility. Whether you want cash, physical gold delivered, or both, the choice is yours.

At age 59½, you can begin taking distributions penalty-free. At 70½, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) begin. But unlike paper assets, gold gives you choices:

• Sell and withdraw cash → Gold IQ will buy back metals anytime, with no liquidation fees. You receive at least spot price, and often higher depending on demand.
  
• In-kind distribution → Physical gold shipped directly to your door.

This flexibility shields you from being forced to sell during a downturn. With gold, you’re never at the mercy of “bad timing.”

Wouldn’t it be reassuring to know you can either cash out or take home real gold—whichever makes the most sense for you?

Module 7: The Gold IQ Buyback Advantage

One of the biggest concerns people have before buying gold is: “What if I need to sell?” The truth is, selling gold is often easier than selling stocks—and with our buyback guarantee, it’s even smoother.

With Gold IQ, it’s simple:

• No liquidation fees
  
• Lock in price instantly when you submit a sell form
  
• Funds are wired quickly—often faster than stock settlement

And you’re never locked into selling to us. Gold has no counterparty risk—you can sell to anyone, anywhere in the world. But our clients typically come back because we make it fast and fair.

Imagine the peace of mind of knowing your gold can be turned into cash at any time—without penalties or red tape.

Module 8: The Gold IQ Process Step-by-Step

If you’re picturing mountains of paperwork or a long, drawn-out process, you can relax. Setting up a gold IRA is simpler than most people think. In fact, we handle nearly everything for you while keeping you in control at every step.

Setting up your gold-backed IRA is straightforward:

1. Open a self-directed IRA.
   
2. Transfer or roll over funds from your current retirement plan. This is tax-free.
   
3. Select your metals portfolio—you approve every detail before purchase.
   
4. Ship to depository—fully insured, fully verified, stored in your choice of facility.

The process usually takes 5–7 business days, depending on your current custodian.

Isn’t it refreshing to know this isn’t months of paperwork, but a single guided process that’s done for you in a week?