Key Takeaways Collectibles, such as works of art, carpets, antiques, metals, gems, stamps, coins and alcoholic beverages, cannot be held in these accounts. With a self-directed IRA, you (or a disqualified person) cannot personally perform any work on the property, no matter how big or small. Any repair, improvement or maintenance must be done by a remunerated, non-disqualified person to avoid any unfair advantage for your IRA investments. The IRS considers this money you saved by doing the work yourself to be an indirect benefit, so you should stay away from investing in collectibles such as gold in your IRA. They exist to prevent you and your IRA from having an unfair advantage over other investors and to prevent you (or you, through your family) from directly benefiting from the IRA at least until you retire.
There are tons of options, but to ensure that you comply with all the rules and regulations, it's best to work with a self-directed IRA depositary, such as IRA Innovations, to find the right investments you can make.
