It may be possible to transfer your 401(k) plan to gold bars without incurring taxes. To be able to do this, you will need to have rollover-qualified 401(k) funds. Once you transfer them to an individual retirement account, you can buy the gold with the money.

Rollover Eligibility
If you’re still employed, talk to your employer to find out what your plan’s rules are. Typically, you need to quit your job, become disabled, reach retirement age, or have your plan terminated to take money out of a 401(k).
If you don’t have rollover-eligible cash, you probably won’t be able to buy bars with your 401(k) money unless you make a withdrawal and pay taxes and fines.

Self Directed Account
If you’re still employed, talk to your employer to find out what your plan’s rules are. Typically, you need to quit your job, become disabled, reach retirement age, or have your plan terminated to take money out of a 401(k).
If you don’t have rollover-eligible cash, you probably won’t be able to buy bars with your 401(k) money unless you make a withdrawal and pay taxes and fines.

Rolling Over Funds
If you have funds eligible for rollover, contact your plan administrator and let them know that you will be rolling funds into your self-directed IRA. He will normally send you your paperwork to fill out and forward the money to your IRA account.
If the money is going to go to you, it’s important to get it into your self-directed IRA in less than 60 days. The IRS will still consider a tax-free rollover as long as it is redirected to the new account within that period.
Buying The Ingot
Once your funds are in your self-directed account, you can buy your gold. Your gold must be at least 99.5 percent pure, in the form of IRS-approved non-collectible bars or coins, such as American Eagle gold or Canadian Maple Leaf gold.
Let your gold dealer know that you are purchasing gold for your self-directed IRA and direct your custodian to pay the dealer out of funds in your IRA. Once the funds are released, the reseller will ship your gold to your custodian’s secure storage facility.
Gold Alternatives
If you want to invest in gold without holding the physical metal, you can buy “paper gold”. This includes mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that hold physical gold or shares in mining companies.
If your employer’s 401(k) allows you to choose your funds, you can do so without spending your money. You can also keep these bonds in most regular IRAs, saving you from having to open a self-directed account.