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Gold and other precious metals can hedge against inflation, protecting you against market uncertainty and economic collapse. In addition, this precious metal offers diversification outside of traditional assets like stocks and bonds. That’s where gold IRAs come in — they’re a type of retirement account that lets you diversify your portfolio to include gold and other metals.
Here are our picks for the best gold IRA companies out there.
Best Gold IRA Companies
Lear Capital – Product Name Only : Best overallGoldco – Product Name Only : Best for gold IRA educationAmerican Hartford Gold – Product Name Only : Best for larger accountsRosland Capital – Product Name Only : Best for low costBirch Gold Group – Product Name Only : Best investor resourcesOxford Gold Group – Product Name Only : Best for beginnersSilver Gold Bull – Product Name Only : Best investment selectioniTrustCapital – Product Name Only Best for gold and cryptocurrenciesAugusta Precious Metals – Product Name Only : Best gold purity percentage
Compare the Best Gold IRAs
Gold IRA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are gold IRAs a good idea?
It ultimately depends on what you’re looking for in an investment. You can roll over existing retirement accounts into a gold IRA, and gold IRAs offers perks like diversification outside of stocks and protection against inflation. However, keep in mind that set-up costs, storage fees, and custodial fees can also be on the higher end for gold IRAs. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the costs to avoid being caught off guard.
How much money do you need to start a gold IRA?
Minimum purchase/funding requirements can vary per company, but set-up costs, storage fees, and annual fees typically exceed $100 (although you’ll pay less in set-up costs at some platforms). For instance, Rosland Capital has a
Should you roll your 401(k) into a gold IRA?
If you’re in search of an alternative to mutual funds and other funds in your retirement account, gold IRAs might be worth considering. However, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the fees and investment risks before making a decision. You might also want to consult a financial advisor or precious metals IRA specialist.
What are the disadvantages of a gold IRA?
The downside of a gold IRA is that it doesn’t award dividends, and doesn’t typically yield high returns and various fees. These various fees for gold IRAs include ongoing maintenance fees, storage fees, custodial fees, and set-up fees.
Gold IRA Reviews
Best Overall
Lear Capital
The Lear Advantage IRA is a self-directed IRA offering free gold and silver guides, a price match guarantee, free metal evaluations, and a huge selection of gold metal tools and analyzers. It supports rollovers from IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and thrift savings plans.
Certain limited mintage coins and IRAs offer free set-up and storage. Plus, all customers receive a 24-hour risk-free purchase guarantee on all orders, and no-fee buybacks. You’ll also receive a free investment kit and up to $15,000 in bonus coins when you join.
Lear Capital is available on mobile for iOS and Android devices.
What to look out for: Set-up fees are on the higher side, with a one-time $280 fee (waived for eligible IRAs and mintage coins). Lear Capital charges a $200 annual fee.
Best for Gold IRA Education
Goldco
As for its selection of gold coins, you can invest in Gold American Eagle, Gold American Eagle Proof, Gold Liberty, Gold Phoenix, Gold Independence Hall, and more. Plus, you don’t necessarily need an IRA to buy gold at Goldco. You can also request to have gold directly delivered to you. You can either get physical gold or have Goldco convert the gold into cash for you.
Goldco promotes an “education first” approach to help investors expand their knowledge of the economy and the ins and outs of gold IRAs. Beginners can get Goldco’s free gold IRA kit for info about IRAs, gold assets, and wealth protection.
The gold company also has a buy-back program for users to sell precious metal assets back to Goldco.
What to look out for: You’ll need at least
Best for Larger Accounts
American Hartford Gold
Its gold selection features Saint Helena Sovereign Gold, Australia Wildlife Gold, Canadian Buffalo, American Eagle, American Eagle Proof, and more (you can find its complete selection here).
Assets in gold IRAs and silver IRAs are shipped to a secure facility. AHG supports rollovers from traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, 403(b)s, 457 plans, 401(k)s, and thrift savings plans. There’s a $10,000 minimum to open a gold IRA.
AHG also charges a
What to look out for: American Hartford Gold doesn’t provide exact fees on its website; it says depository storage fees vary based on account size and the particular precious metals you’ve got in your account. You can get more information by contacting the firm’s account representatives.
Best for Low Cost
Rosland Capital
It is also a great option for investing in specialty coins as Rosland Capital offers gold, silver, and platinum bars, bullion coins, premium coins, exclusive coins, and exclusive specialty coins.
Compared to similar gold companies, Rosland Capital charges lower, flat-rate fees. Moreover, the fee structure is fairly transparent. Rosland Capital charges a
Folks new to gold IRA investing can benefit from a free information gold kit when they sign up. Orders above $20,000 also get $1,000 in free gold. IRA rollovers require a $10,000 minimum, but accounts of $20,000 or more get a free year of storage.
What to look out for: The website lacks extensive information, and the only way to open an account is by calling a representative.
Best Investor Resources
Birch Gold Group
Like many of the other precious metal companies on this list, Birch Gold Group provides users with a free info kit on gold and gold IRA investing. Investors also get a free gold bar with every $10,000 purchased.
In addition, the company pairs you with a precious metals specialist to both ease the set-up process and track your investments’ performance. Another advantage is that it stores your gold in insured depositories (it currently uses Brink’s Global Service). It also uses the Delaware Depository, which offers insurance of up to $1 billion.
What to look out for: You’ll need at least
Best for Beginners
Oxford Gold Group
New users get a free investment guide and access to real-time gold data, annual performance charts, precious metal spot prices, and historical data on gold performances. Oxford Gold Group also provides a repurchase program and a secure climate depository for you to hold your investments.
Oxford Gold Group supports rollovers from traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457(b)s, pension plans, and thrift savings plans.
What to watch out for: Fees for Oxford Gold Group are on the higher side. Also, keep in mind that gold and other precious metal assets can’t be shipped directly to your home. All precious metal investments are held at the company’s depository.
Best Investment Selection
Silver Gold Bull
It offers both gold coins and gold bars, giving investors access to products like American Gold Buffalo coins, British Gold coins, African Gold coins, pre-1933 US Gold coins, and more. Both buyers and sellers can use the platform to exchange gold and other assets, and it even offers cryptocurrency payment options.
In addition, Silver Gold Bull lets you set up more than one precious metals account, and you can maintain an existing 401(k) or employer-sponsored plan while setting up an IRA through the platform.
What to look out for: You’ll need to contact the company for more information on gold IRA fees.
Best for Gold and Cryptocurrencies
iTrustCapital
There’s no monthly account fee with iTrustCapital and crypto transactions have a 1% buy and sell fee. And when it comes to gold, you’ll pay $50 over spot per ounce. This gold IRA requires a $1,000 minimum to open an account.
iTrustCapital sources its gold and silver offerings from Kitco, and it says it ledgers transactions on the blockchain through Tradewind’s VaultChain platform. It stores your precious metals — in bullion form — at the Royal Bank of Canada. Plus, iTrustCapital doesn’t charge storage fees.
What to look out for: When it comes to precious metals, iTrustCapital only offers gold and silver, so it isn’t a good choice if you ever want to consider other metals. iTrustCapital does not offer investment advice.
Best Gold Purity Percentage
Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta makes sure that the gold coins and bars it provides are 99.5% pure, although one exception is the American Gold Eagle coin, which is 91.67% pure. You’ll pay zero in management fees, but you’ll have to account for IRA set-up fees and depository storage fees.
What to look out for: Augusta Precious Metals has a minimum order requirement of
Other Gold IRAs We Considered:
- Alto IRA: Alto IRA supports many investment options, including precious metals, cryptocurrencies, farmland, venture capital, and more. However, it doesn’t support SIMPLE IRAs, and some offerings are only available to accredited investors.
Webull – Product Name Only : Webull doesn’t offer gold IRAs or other physical precious metals for people to invest in. However, it does offer lower-cost gold exposure through gold ETFs. Investors looking for a cheaper way to gain exposure to the gold market through a regular online brokerage account may prefer Webull.- Patriot Gold Group: Patriot Gold Group offers both gold and silver, with a no-fee IRA account option for its users. It also offers a knowledge center and helpful tools, but it has a $25,000 minimum requirement.
- Gold Alliance: Gold Alliance offers the option of investing in gold, silver, palladium, and platinum at Gold Alliance. And as for the types of precious metals it provides, these include collectibles, common bullion, limited mintage, 90% silver, and IRA-eligible. Note, though, that you’ll be limited to web use.
- Orion Metal Exchange: Orion Metal Exchange offers a simple platform with access to gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Plus, its services include depository storage, insured home delivery, and a free buyback policy. But it has a more limited selection of tools and educational resources.
- Rocket Dollar: Rocket Dollar’s investment selection consists of precious metals, cryptocurrencies, real estate, private equity, startups, and more. Plus, it doesn’t have any minimum opening deposit requirements. A downside, however, is that its fees are on the higher side.
Noble Gold Investments – Product Name Only : Noble Gold Investments is a reputable company offering a suite of gold and other precious metal products like silver, platinum, and palladium. Annual fees are generally low but Noble’s website doesn’t provide clear pricing on products. Storage is also limited as storage facilities are only available in Texas.Advantage Gold – Product Name Only : Advantage Gold offers several IRS-approved gold products, including popular coins and bars. The company also offers silver, palladium, and platinum products. Advantage Gold’s best perk is its investor resources like retirement savings tools, charts, and educational videos. But pricing and fees are unclear. You’ll have to call a representative to find out more.
Why You Should Trust Us: Our Methodology for Gold IRAs
Personal Finance Insider’s mission is to help smart people make wise decisions with their money. Since the word “best” can be subjective, we highlight both the benefits and drawbacks of each gold IRA listed in our guide. Platforms are given a rating between 0 and 5.
We spent hours comparing and contrasting each platform’s investment products, fees, and features so you don’t have to. Here’s our methodology on how we rate investment platforms.