Claims about where “smart money” is flowing in self-directed IRAs (SDIRAs) rarely cite a real data source. The IRS does not publish asset-allocation breakdowns for SDIRAs specifically, and no single trade association tracks all SDIRA custodians comprehensively — so any specific claim about fund flows into metals, real estate, or private equity within SDIRAs should be treated as unverified unless the source names a specific, checkable study.

What’s verifiable: IRC Section 408(m) permits certain precious metals in a self-directed IRA; Section 4975 bars IRA investment in life insurance and collectibles, and bars transactions with “disqualified persons” like the account owner or close family. Those are the concrete rules governing what an SDIRA can hold — not a claim about where money is currently “flowing.”