What are IRA contribution limits?
The IRS limits how much new money you can put into IRAs each year, a figure it adjusts periodically, with an additional catch-up allowance once you're 50 or older. The cap applies across all your IRAs combined, not per account.
Eligibility to contribute also depends on income and, for deductibility, on workplace plan coverage. The limits govern contributions only, not growth, and not money moved between retirement accounts.
Why do limits push metals buyers toward rollovers?
Arithmetic. A meaningful metals position costs more than a single year's contribution allowance, and building it a few thousand dollars at a time would take years while premiums on small purchases eat into the position.
Transfers and rollovers move existing retirement balances without touching contribution limits at all, which is why nearly every metals IRA is funded from an existing IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or TSP.
How do contribution limits show up in practice?
If you're starting a metals IRA, the funding question is almost never 'how much can I contribute this year' but 'which existing account should fund it.' Annual contributions can add to the position later, within the caps.