IRS Rules for Gold IRAs: What Metals Qualify?

If there's one area of gold IRA investing where getting the details wrong can cost you dearly, it's IRS compliance. I've watched investors lose significant tax advantages — and in some cases trigger massive, unexpected tax bills — not because they made bad investment decisions, but because they didn't fully understand the rules governing what they could hold, how it had to be stored, and what counted as a prohibited transaction.

The IRS rules for gold IRAs are not especially complicated once you understand the underlying legal framework. But they are specific, and the penalties for violations are severe enough that every investor needs to understand them clearly before putting a single dollar into a precious metals account.

This article covers the complete compliance picture: the legal foundation under the Internal Revenue Code, exactly which metals qualify and which don't, purity and manufacturing standards, storage requirements, custodian obligations, prohibited transactions, and the consequences of getting any of it wrong. After 15 years in this space and having personally navigated these rules with my own gold and silver IRA, I want to give you the clearest, most accurate version of this information available.

The Legal Foundation: IRC Section 408(m)

Everything about the IRS rules for gold IRAs flows from a single section of the Internal Revenue Code: Section 408(m). Understanding what this provision says — and why it says it — is the key to understanding all of the rules that follow.

The baseline rule of IRC 408(m) is straightforward and might surprise you: gold is classified as a collectible under the IRS code. So is silver. So are platinum and palladium. As a general matter, the IRS prohibits IRAs from holding collectibles — the same category that includes artwork, antiques, gems, stamps, wines, and rare coins. If an IRA purchases a collectible, the IRS treats the acquisition cost as an immediate taxable distribution to the account owner, plus a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you're under age 59½. The entire purchase amount becomes taxable income in the year it's acquired.

This is not a technicality. It's the fundamental legal architecture of precious metals IRAs: gold is, by default, a prohibited investment — and the only reason you can hold it in an IRA at all is because Congress carved out a specific, narrow exception.

That exception was created by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, which amended IRC 408(m) to permit IRAs to hold certain precious metals. The key language in IRC Section 408(m)(3) allows gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion to be held in an IRA, provided they meet strict purity standards and are held in the physical possession of a bank or IRS-approved non-bank trustee. Both conditions must be met simultaneously. Failing either one collapses the exception and the default collectibles rule applies.

This is why IRS rules for gold IRAs are so specific about purity thresholds, approved products, custodian requirements, and storage mandates — every rule traces back to the conditions necessary to maintain the exception under 408(m)(3). The entire legal structure of a compliant gold IRA exists to satisfy those two requirements.

The Four Qualifying Precious Metals

The IRS rules for gold IRAs permit four precious metals: gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Each has its own minimum purity standard, derived directly from the requirements of IRC 408(m)(3).

Gold: 99.5% Minimum Purity (with one important exception)

Gold held in an IRA must be at least 99.5% pure (0.995 fineness). This standard corresponds to the international benchmark for investment-grade bullion and is the threshold the IRS set to distinguish legitimate bullion investments from collectible coins valued for their rarity rather than their metal content.

There is one significant statutory exception to the 99.5% rule: the American Gold Eagle coin. The American Gold Eagle is minted from 22-karat gold — approximately 91.67% gold — alloyed with silver and copper for durability. It falls well short of the 99.5% purity threshold. Yet it is explicitly approved for IRA investment under IRC Section 408(m)(3)(A), which references certain coins described in 31 U.S.C. Section 5112. Congress specifically carved out the American Gold Eagle by name, granting it IRA eligibility despite its lower purity as a recognition of its status as official U.S. legal tender.

No other sub-99.5% gold product shares this exemption. The American Gold Eagle's approval is statutory and specific — it cannot be extrapolated to other coins that fail the purity threshold.

Silver: 99.9% Minimum Purity

Silver must meet a higher purity standard than gold: at least 99.9% pure (0.999 fineness). This reflects international standards for investment-grade silver bullion and applies to all approved silver coins and bars.

Platinum: 99.95% Minimum Purity

Platinum requires the highest purity threshold of the four metals: 99.95% pure (0.9995 fineness). This is the standard for internationally traded investment-grade platinum bullion.

Palladium: 99.95% Minimum Purity

Palladium, like platinum, must be 99.95% pure (0.9995 fineness) to qualify for IRA inclusion.

Approved Gold Coins for IRAs

Meeting the purity standard is necessary but not sufficient for IRA eligibility. The IRS also requires that approved coins be minted by sovereign governments and, in most cases, qualify as legal tender. Here is a complete reference for gold coins that meet IRS standards:

American Gold Eagle

The American Gold Eagle is available in four sizes: 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz. All four denominations are IRA-eligible. Despite its 91.67% gold content, the American Gold Eagle is explicitly authorized by statute. It is one of the most widely held and liquid gold coins in the world — and the one I personally hold a significant quantity of in my own IRA, in part because of its broad market recognition and resale ease at distribution.

American Gold Buffalo

The American Gold Buffalo, introduced in 2006, was the first 24-karat gold coin ever minted by the United States Mint. At 99.99% pure, it comfortably exceeds the 99.5% threshold and is fully IRA-eligible. The Buffalo is available in 1 oz denomination only.

Canadian Gold Maple Leaf

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, is 99.99% pure and available in 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz, and 1/20 oz denominations. All are IRA-eligible. The Maple Leaf is one of the most traded bullion coins in the world and carries sophisticated anti-counterfeiting features.

Austrian Gold Philharmonic

Minted by the Austrian Mint since 1989, the Vienna Philharmonic is 99.99% pure gold and available in 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz sizes. All denominations are IRA-eligible and widely recognized internationally.

Australian Gold Kangaroo (Perth Mint)

The Australian Gold Kangaroo, produced by the Perth Mint, is 99.99% pure and available in multiple denominations including 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz. All are IRA-eligible.

Australian Gold Lunar Series (Perth Mint)

The Perth Mint's Gold Lunar Series coins are 99.99% pure gold and IRA-eligible. These coins feature a rotating zodiac design, but they are valued for their bullion content rather than collectible appeal and meet IRS purity standards.

British Gold Britannia

The Gold Britannia, produced by the Royal Mint of the United Kingdom, is 99.99% pure as of 2013 (earlier issues were 91.67%). Post-2013 Britannia coins are IRA-eligible. Pre-2013 issues with lower purity should be confirmed with your custodian before purchase.

South African Krugerrand

The Krugerrand is 91.67% gold — the same purity as the American Gold Eagle — but it does not benefit from the statutory exception granted to American Eagles. Because it fails the 99.5% threshold and is not specifically named under IRC 408(m)(3)(A), the Krugerrand is generally considered not IRA-eligible. This is a common point of confusion for new investors; the Krugerrand's long history as a premier bullion coin makes it seem like an obvious IRA candidate, but the IRS rules do not recognize it.

Approved Gold Bars and Rounds

Gold bars and rounds can also qualify for IRA inclusion, but they face stricter manufacturing requirements than sovereign-minted coins.

To be IRA-eligible, gold bars must:

• Meet the 99.5% minimum purity standard
• Be produced by a refiner, assayer, or manufacturer accredited by or certified by one of the following recognized exchanges or bodies: NYMEX, COMEX, NYSE/Liffe, LME (London Metal Exchange), LBMA (London Bullion Market Association), LPPM (London Platinum and Palladium Market), TOCOM, or ISO 9000
• Bear proper hallmarks identifying the weight, fineness, and refiner

Common IRA-approved gold bar producers include PAMP Suisse, Valcambi Suisse, Credit Suisse, Johnson Matthey, and the Perth Mint (in bar form). Bars from these producers are widely recognized, consistently hallmarked, and straightforward to have appraised at distribution.

A note on gold rounds: Privately minted rounds — as opposed to coins produced by sovereign government mints — are generally not IRA-eligible unless they can be verified to meet all bullion requirements and come from an accredited refiner. Most private mint rounds do not clear this bar. When in doubt, stick to sovereign-minted coins or bars from major LBMA-accredited refiners.

Approved Silver Coins and Bars

Silver must be at least 99.9% pure. IRA-approved silver products include:

Coins:

• American Silver Eagle — The only silver coin explicitly guaranteed by the U.S. government for its silver content and weight. Available in 1 oz denomination. It is the most widely recognized silver coin in the world and the most liquid for IRA distribution purposes.
• Canadian Silver Maple Leaf — 99.99% pure, produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. Available in 1 oz.
• Austrian Silver Philharmonic — 99.9% pure, produced by the Austrian Mint.
• Australian Silver Kookaburra — 99.9% pure, produced by the Perth Mint in 1 oz, 2 oz, 10 oz, and 1 kg sizes.
• Australian Silver Koala — 99.9% pure, Perth Mint.
• America the Beautiful Bullion Coins — 99.9% pure, selected 5 oz versions produced by the U.S. Mint.
• Mexican Silver Libertad — 99.9% pure, produced by the Casa de Moneda de México (Mexican Mint).

Bars: Silver bars meeting the 99.9% purity standard from LBMA-accredited or COMEX-approved refiners are IRA-eligible. Common approved producers include Sunshine Minting, A-Mark, Johnson Matthey, and PAMP Suisse.

Approved Platinum and Palladium

Platinum

Platinum coins and bars must be 99.95% pure. Approved platinum products include:

• American Platinum Eagle — The U.S. Mint's official platinum coin, available in 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz. Fully IRA-eligible.
• Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf — 99.95% pure, Royal Canadian Mint.
• Australian Platinum Koala — 99.95% pure, Perth Mint.
• Platinum bars from LPPM-approved refiners meeting the 99.95% standard.

Palladium

Palladium products must also be 99.95% pure. Approved options include:

• American Palladium Eagle — Introduced in 2017, this is the U.S. Mint's official palladium coin. Fully IRA-eligible.
• Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf — 99.95% pure, Royal Canadian Mint.
• Palladium bars from LPPM-approved refiners.

Platinum and palladium are held less commonly than gold and silver in precious metals IRAs, partly because of thinner markets and higher price volatility relative to gold. But for investors seeking broad precious metals exposure within a tax-advantaged account, both are legitimate and fully IRS-compliant options.

What Doesn't Qualify: Prohibited Metals and Products

Understanding the disqualifications is just as important as knowing the approvals. The IRS rules for gold IRAs categorically prohibit the following:

Collectible and Numismatic Coins

Any coin whose value derives primarily from its rarity, historical significance, condition grading, or collector appeal rather than its metal content is considered a collectible under IRC 408(m) and is prohibited. This includes:

• Rare gold coins (pre-1933 U.S. coins, double eagles, etc.)
• Proof coins in graded or certified slabs (PCGS, NGC-graded coins)
• Commemorative coins
• Limited-edition numismatic issues

This is one of the most important distinctions to understand — and one of the most common areas where bad actors in the gold IRA industry exploit investors. Some dealers aggressively push "premium" or "collector" coins for IRA purchases, claiming the higher premiums represent added value. In reality, these products are potentially ineligible for IRA inclusion and come with inflated markups that primarily benefit the dealer. Always buy standard bullion products for IRA purposes.

Sub-Purity Products

Any gold product below 99.5% fineness (other than the American Gold Eagle) is prohibited. Any silver product below 99.9%, any platinum below 99.95%, and any palladium below 99.95% fails the IRS threshold and triggers the collectibles disqualification.

Jewelry and Decorative Items

Gold or silver jewelry, regardless of purity, does not qualify. The IRS explicitly designed the precious metals IRA exception for investment-grade bullion, not wearable or decorative items.

Unaccredited or Uncertified Products

Gold bars or rounds from manufacturers not recognized by NYMEX, COMEX, LBMA, or equivalent bodies do not meet the IRS manufacturing standard, even if their purity is otherwise sufficient. Proper hallmarking — confirming weight, fineness, and refiner identity — is a condition of eligibility.

Gold You Already Own

This bears special emphasis: you cannot contribute gold you personally own into an IRA. The IRS requires that IRA metals be purchased through a custodian-facilitated transaction after the account is funded with cash. Attempting to transfer personal gold into a gold IRA is not a permissible contribution under any circumstances, and doing so would constitute a prohibited transaction.

Purity and Approval Reference Table

The Custodian Requirement

IRS rules for gold IRAs mandate that all precious metals IRAs be managed by a qualified custodian or trustee. This requirement isn't administrative preference — it's a condition of the 408(m)(3) exception itself. The tax code explicitly states that qualifying bullion must be held in "the physical possession of a bank or an IRS-approved non-bank trustee."

Standard brokerages — Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab — do not act as custodians for physical precious metals. You need a specialized self-directed IRA (SDIRA) custodian that is specifically authorized by the IRS to hold alternative assets including physical metals. These custodians handle all purchases and sales on your behalf, coordinate storage at an approved depository, maintain IRS-required reporting, issue Form 1099-R at distribution, and ensure the overall compliance of your account.

You cannot buy IRA metals directly. Even if you wire money from your IRA account to a dealer personally, that constitutes a prohibited transaction. All metal purchases must be facilitated through your custodian, who instructs the dealer and arranges for direct shipment to the approved depository.

The Storage Requirement: No Home Storage, No Exceptions

This is the rule I emphasize most strongly — and the one where the consequences of non-compliance are most severe.

All precious metals held in a gold IRA must be stored at an IRS-approved depository. You cannot store your IRA gold at home, in a personal safe deposit box at a bank, or anywhere else outside of an authorized depository facility. This rule has no exceptions for personal safekeeping, even if your home safe is more secure than a commercial vault.

Why Home Storage Is Prohibited

The prohibition on home storage flows directly from the physical possession requirement of IRC 408(m)(3). The statute requires that qualifying bullion be in the physical possession of a bank or approved non-bank trustee — meaning an institution that meets specific IRS requirements, not an individual account holder. When you take personal possession of IRA metals, you are the one in physical possession, not the trustee. This violates the condition of the 408(m)(3) exception, and the general collectibles prohibition of 408(m) immediately applies.

This was conclusively established in McNulty v. Commissioner, a 2021 U.S. Tax Court case (157 T.C. No. 10) in which the court ruled that an IRA owner who stored gold coins at home — through an LLC structure — had violated IRS rules. The entire IRA was treated as distributed, with the full value becoming immediately taxable income.

The "LLC Loophole" Is Not a Loophole

Some companies market a "home storage gold IRA" scheme, suggesting that if you establish an LLC to hold your IRA's metals, you can store them personally because the LLC technically holds the assets. This arrangement is not recognized by the IRS. As the IRS has stated directly on its website: the physical possession exception requires a bank or IRS-approved non-bank trustee to hold the metal — not an LLC owned by the IRA holder. The McNulty decision specifically addressed and rejected this structure.

Anyone marketing a home storage gold IRA should be avoided entirely. The risk is not a minor compliance note — it's potential disqualification of your entire account.

What Home Storage Triggers

If the IRS determines that IRA metals were stored at home or otherwise in personal possession:

• The full purchase cost of those metals is treated as a taxable distribution in the year the prohibited transaction occurred
• If you were under age 59½, a 10% early withdrawal penalty applies on top of the income tax
• In the most severe cases — where the violation constitutes a prohibited transaction under IRC Section 4975 — the entire IRA can be disqualified, treating its full fair market value as distributed in a single year
• The IRS treats the disqualification as occurring on the first day of the taxable year in which the violation occurred, meaning the tax liability goes back to January 1 of that year

The penalties escalate further for prohibited transactions that go uncorrected: an initial 15% excise tax on the amount involved, rising to 100% if the transaction is not corrected within the taxable period.

IRS-Approved Depositories

Major IRS-approved depositories used by gold IRA custodians include:

• Delaware Depository (Wilmington, Delaware)
• Brinks Global Services (multiple locations)
• CNT Depository (Bridgewater, Massachusetts)
• International Depository Services (IDS) (Delaware and Texas locations)
• Loomis International

These facilities are insured, independently audited, and subject to IRS oversight. They provide regular account statements confirming your specific holdings.

Segregated vs. Commingled Storage

Most depositories offer two storage options:

Segregated storage: Your specific coins or bars are physically separated from other investors' metals, identified with your account number, and stored in their own section of the vault. When you take a distribution, you receive your actual specific coins or bars back. Segregated storage costs more — typically $25 to $50 more per year than commingled — but provides absolute certainty about which physical metal is yours.

Commingled storage: Your metals are pooled with identical metals belonging to other investors. You are credited with owning a certain weight and type of metal, but not specific identifiable pieces. At distribution, you receive metal of equivalent type and weight. Less expensive, but less specific.

I personally use segregated storage. The marginal cost difference is modest, and knowing that specific coins bearing my account identification are sitting in a separate section of the vault is worth it to me.

Prohibited Transactions Under IRC Section 4975

Beyond the rules about what metals qualify and how they must be stored, IRS rules for gold IRAs also govern who can transact with the account. IRC Section 4975 defines "prohibited transactions" — dealings between an IRA and a "disqualified person" that are forbidden regardless of whether they're financially beneficial to the account.

Disqualified persons include:

• You, the IRA owner
• Your spouse
• Your lineal descendants and their spouses (children, grandchildren, and their partners)
• Any entity in which you hold a 50%+ ownership interest
• Your IRA's custodian or any fiduciary of the account

Prohibited transaction examples include:

• Selling your personally-owned gold to your IRA
• Buying gold from your IRA for personal use before a qualified distribution
• Borrowing money from your gold IRA
• Using your IRA metals as collateral for a personal loan
• Paying yourself or a family member to manage or store your IRA's metals
• Taking personal delivery of metals purchased for your IRA (even temporarily)

The prohibited transaction penalties under Section 4975 begin at a 15% excise tax on the amount involved. If the transaction is not unwound within the correction period, the excise tax increases to 100% of the amount involved. In the most serious cases — where the violation triggers full account disqualification — the entire IRA balance becomes taxable income in a single year.

Contribution, Rollover, and Distribution Rules

While the IRS rules specific to gold IRAs center on qualifying metals and storage, the account also operates under the same IRS framework as all other individual retirement accounts:

Annual contribution limits (2025): $7,000 for investors under age 50; $8,000 for investors 50 and older. These limits apply across all IRAs combined — not per individual account. Exceeding the limit triggers a 6% excess contribution excise tax for each year the excess remains in the account.

Rollovers: You can roll over funds from an existing traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), TSP, or other qualified plan into a gold IRA without tax consequences. The preferred method is a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer, where funds move from your existing custodian directly to your new gold IRA custodian without passing through your hands. This eliminates the 60-day clock and the once-per-12-month rollover limit that apply to indirect rollovers. I used a direct transfer when I moved a portion of my conventional retirement holdings into my gold IRA, and the process was seamless.

Early withdrawal penalty: Distributions before age 59½ are subject to the standard 10% early withdrawal penalty plus ordinary income tax. Limited exceptions apply (disability, first-time home purchase, substantially equal periodic payments under IRS Rule 72(t), and others) — the same exceptions that apply to conventional IRAs.

Required minimum distributions (RMDs): Traditional gold IRAs require RMDs beginning at age 73. You can satisfy an RMD by selling sufficient metal to generate the required cash distribution, or by taking an in-kind distribution of physical metal (taxed at fair market value on the distribution date). Planning your RMD strategy in advance with your custodian is important — particularly if you want to take in-kind distributions to personally hold metal in retirement.

Roth gold IRA: A gold IRA structured as a Roth account — with after-tax contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free qualified withdrawals — has no RMDs during the account holder's lifetime and follows Roth income limits for direct contributions.  I further examine a Roth vs. Gold IRA on this page.

Documentation and Record-Keeping

One compliance area that investors sometimes underestimate is documentation. Every metal in your IRA needs a verifiable chain of custody:

• Coins and bars should arrive in original sealed packaging or accompanied by assay certificates
• Bars must bear hallmarks confirming weight, fineness, and refiner identity
• Your custodian maintains records of all purchases, transfers, and the depository's holdings on your behalf
• Any tampering with, cleaning of, or alteration to metals can compromise their IRA eligibility

Your custodian handles the IRS reporting — including Form 5498 (fair market value reporting) and Form 1099-R at distribution — but you should maintain copies of all purchase confirmations and depository statements for your own records.

Red Flags to Watch For

After 15 years in this industry, these are the compliance warning signs I watch for when evaluating gold IRA providers:

Pressure to buy numismatic or "premium" coins. Any dealer who steers you toward graded, rare, or collectible coins for IRA purposes is either uninformed or acting against your interests. Collectibles are prohibited. Standard bullion products are what belong in a gold IRA.

Claims that home storage is legal. It is not. Any company marketing a "home storage gold IRA" is misrepresenting the IRS rules. The McNulty Tax Court decision settled this question definitively.

Percentage-based storage or custodian fees. Flat-fee structures are the norm at reputable providers. Percentage-based fees become disproportionately expensive as your account grows and provide no additional service in exchange for the higher cost.

Claims you can contribute gold you already own. You cannot. IRA metals must be purchased through a custodian-facilitated transaction after funding the account with cash. Personal gold cannot be contributed regardless of its purity or form.

Vague answers about which depository holds your metals. Your custodian should be able to tell you exactly which depository holds your account's metals, what type of storage is used (segregated vs. commingled), and how to verify your holdings independently.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the IRS rules for gold IRAs in plain terms? A gold IRA is a self-directed IRA governed by IRC Section 408(m). The IRS permits gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in retirement accounts, but only if they meet strict purity standards, are purchased through a qualified custodian, and are stored at an IRS-approved depository. Gold must be at least 99.5% pure (with the American Gold Eagle as a statutory exception), silver 99.9%, and both platinum and palladium 99.95%.

Can I hold any gold coin in an IRA? No. Only IRS-approved coins that meet purity and manufacturing standards qualify. American Gold Eagles, American Gold Buffalos, Canadian Maple Leafs, Austrian Philharmonics, and Australian Kangaroos are approved. Rare coins, numismatic issues, and coins below the purity threshold (other than the American Gold Eagle) are prohibited.

Why is home storage of IRA gold not allowed? The IRS requires that IRA-held bullion be in the physical possession of a bank or IRS-approved non-bank trustee, not the account owner. Personal possession violates the conditions of the IRC 408(m)(3) exception, triggering the collectibles disqualification — meaning the metal's purchase cost is treated as a taxable distribution. The U.S. Tax Court confirmed this in McNulty v. Commissioner (2021).

Can I put gold I already own into an IRA? No. The IRS requires IRA metals to be purchased through a custodian-facilitated transaction after the account is funded. Personal gold cannot be contributed to a gold IRA under any circumstances. Attempting to do so constitutes a prohibited transaction.

What happens if I accidentally buy a non-qualifying metal for my IRA? The IRS treats the purchase as a taxable distribution equal to the cost of the metal in the year it was acquired. If you're under 59½, the 10% early withdrawal penalty also applies. In severe cases involving self-dealing, the entire IRA can be disqualified.

Do the same rules apply to silver IRAs? Yes. An IRA holding silver is subject to the same IRS framework as a gold IRA — the same custodian requirements, the same storage mandate, and the same purity standards (99.9% minimum for silver). The account is commonly called a gold IRA or precious metals IRA regardless of whether it holds gold, silver, platinum, or palladium.

What is the difference between segregated and commingled depository storage? Segregated storage means your specific metals are physically separated from other investors' holdings and identified with your account. At distribution, you receive your actual specific coins or bars. Commingled storage pools identical metals together, with each investor credited for a weight rather than specific pieces. Segregated storage costs slightly more but provides greater specificity.

Can I take physical delivery of my IRA gold? Not while it remains in the IRA. You can take an in-kind distribution — receiving actual physical coins or bars — but this counts as a taxable distribution at fair market value on the distribution date. After paying the applicable income tax (and penalty if under 59½), the metal belongs to you personally and can be stored however you choose.

Final Thoughts

The IRS rules for gold IRAs are, at their core, designed around a single legal principle: qualifying precious metals must be in the custody of an approved trustee, not in personal possession. Every specific rule — purity standards, custodian requirements, storage mandates, prohibited transaction rules — is a derivative of that foundational requirement.

After 15 years in this space and having personally maintained a compliant gold and silver IRA throughout that period, I can tell you that working within these rules is entirely straightforward when you work with reputable providers. Choosing a specialized SDIRA custodian, purchasing only IRS-approved bullion products, and using an established depository for segregated storage covers the vast majority of what you need to do. The rules aren't burdensome — they're just specific.

What creates problems is either ignorance of the rules or working with providers who obscure them. Knowing exactly what the IRS requires — as you do now — puts you in a position to make compliant choices and avoid the costly mistakes that uninformed investors make.