How is a Roth metals IRA different from a traditional one?
Tax timing. Traditional IRA contributions are typically pre-tax and distributions are taxed as ordinary income; Roth contributions are after-tax and qualified distributions, generally after 59½ and five years, are entirely tax-free, including decades of growth.
Roth IRAs also have no required minimum distributions during the owner's lifetime, which pairs naturally with a long-horizon asset like metal you may never want forced to sell.
What stays the same?
Everything structural. The metals still must meet IRS fineness standards, a custodian still administers the account, and an approved depository still holds the metal. Roth status changes the tax treatment, not the custody rules, home storage is just as prohibited.
Eligibility and contribution limits apply to Roth IRAs specifically, including income phase-outs on direct contributions.
How does a Roth show up in practice?
Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth is taxable in the year of conversion, the whole converted amount counts as income. For large metal positions, that bill can be substantial, and it deserves modeling with a tax professional before you commit.