A gold Roth IRA is a specialized self-directed individual retirement account (SDIRA) that enables investors to hold physical gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. Unlike standard Roth IRAs that focus on paper assets like stocks and bonds, a gold Roth IRA requires the metal to meet IRS purity standards—gold must be at least 99.5% pure, except for American Gold Eagles—and be stored in an IRS-approved depository, not at home. The account is funded with after-tax dollars, and withdrawals are tax-free once the account holder reaches age 59½ and has held the account for at least five years.