The most common real barrier is complexity: a Gold IRA requires a self-directed IRA custodian, not just a brokerage account, and setting one up plus arranging funding (a new contribution or a rollover/transfer) takes more steps than opening a standard IRA online.

Fee opacity is another real barrier – setup fees, annual custodian fees, and storage fees vary by provider and aren’t always disclosed clearly upfront, which makes comparing options harder than comparing a typical brokerage’s expense ratios.

Minimum investment requirements are a third factor – many custodians set minimums (commonly in the low thousands of dollars) that can be a real threshold for someone just starting out. None of these barriers are unusual or a sign something is wrong – they’re just the real tradeoffs of a less standardized account type compared to a typical IRA.