Essentially, a gold-based IRA can be one of your best options for protecting your retirement funds against inflation and market volatility. A gold IRA, also known as a precious metals IRA, is a type of self-directed retirement account that lets you invest in tangible precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum.
Setting up a gold IRA account is slightly more complex and involves a few moving parts than setting up a regular IRA account, which can be done easily by most investors. That’s why many people rely on the best gold IRA companies to facilitate the process for them.
Gold IRA companies can help convert your paper assets to gold bullion and coins using a procedure known as a gold IRA rollover, even if you already have an IRA or 401k that holds equities and bonds.
However, not every gold IRA provider is the same. While some businesses have a good reputation and are open and honest, others have hidden costs that can add up quickly.
In this guide, we’ve reviewed the best gold IRA companies in the industry to help you decide. On a number of criteria, including reputation, annual fees, precious metal selection, and gold IRA reviews, we graded each gold IRA service.
1. Goldco
Goldco offers goods that can help you improve your retirement savings plan. This business, which has won multiple awards, is the market leader in precious metals.
The Better Business Bureau has given Goldco an A+ rating, while the Business Consumer Alliance has given it a AAA rating.
By shifting the funds to a precious metals IRA, this reputable gold IRA company can assist you in protecting the assets in different retirement accounts.
One of the company’s gold Specialists can guide you through the process of transferring the assets from your account into a precious metals IRA account, regardless of whether you have an IRA, TSP, 401(k), or 403(b).
Goldco offers investors and collectors the opportunity to purchase gold bullion in addition to gold and silver coins. The business has a strong buyback program as well.
To ensure that the process of setting up a gold IRA goes well, Goldco works with you.
Additionally, this business allows direct sales of gold and silver. You can buy physical gold to invest money from other savings accounts or you can use it as a retirement account.
Furthermore, Goldco offers a huge selection of gold and silver coins, including:
Silver American Eagle
Gold American Eagle
Silver Great Barrier Reef
Gold Australian Striped Marlin
Silver Military Guinea
Gold Marlin
Additionally, different-sized gold and silver bars are available. These bars have a fineness of .9999.
2. Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals, which was established in 2012, provides investors with a wealth of knowledge on precious metals investing. The company provides gold and silver investment options, and it holds client assets like gold coins and gold bars using Delaware Depository, a well-liked gold IRA provider.
On its website, Augusta Precious Metals provides a wide range of customer education resources. Ironically, one of the qualities that elevate this business to the top of our list is its video-blog series of reasons against gold possession.
Customers are valued by Augusta as more than just transactions. Instead of just handling account data and moving on to the next job, Augusta’s team provides ongoing support and educates clients on precious metal portfolio diversification. This customer-focused strategy promotes loyalty, peace of mind, and trust.
The business is dedicated to making the setup of a self-directed gold and silver IRA as simple as possible.
To start a self-directed IRA, you and the Augusta team will first work with a custodian. You will then transfer funds from your old account to your new one, choose your preferred precious metal, and place your order.
The order minimum is $5,000, compared to a minimum of $50,000 at several other gold IRA firms. It also has a buyback policy without any fees.
3. Birch Gold Group
Most gold IRA companies have websites that lack basic information about fees and other costs of physical precious metals.
On the websites of the majority of gold IRA providers, there is little fundamental information on fees and other expenditures. One of the few gold IRA businesses we found that lists costs on its website is Birch Gold Group, which was founded in 2003. It contained the most information about annual costs, both one-time and recurring, in our opinion.
Instead of charging a percentage of the account value, Birch Gold Group imposes a flat annual fee, which could be more expensive for investors with smaller balances but may benefit larger investors.
Customers have a choice between Equity Trust Business/STRATA Trust Company and Delaware Depository/Brink’s Global Services for the storage of their precious metals.
Birch Gold Group stands by your side and keeps you informed of the benefits and hazards associated with investing in precious metals. Additionally, you’ll learn how to avoid potential scams and schemes.
You can go at your own pace whether you want to look through the website or pick up the phone to contact a specialist.
As you diversify your portfolio, Birch provides you with the knowledge and support you need to feel powerful.
You are more than just a number at Birch Gold Group. Essentially, you’re a unique individual with plans and goals for a lifetime.
Customers’ faith in Birch Gold is shown through their reviews and testimonials. The team will work hard to earn your trust as you diversify your portfolio. Birch prioritizes its customers, from offering resources to help them learn more about investing to refusing to reveal their contact information to outside parties.
4. Oxford Gold Group
The gold IRA company Oxford Gold Group sells gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. This company has an exceptional rating on websites like Consumer Affairs, Trustpilot, and Google My Business, as well as an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Silver and gold IRAs are available from Oxford Gold, and the company offers a variety of resources to help you open one. You can find information about how to transfer money to a precious metal IRA, how these IRAs work, the available various types, and the reasons why they are sensible investments on the Oxford Gold website.
According to its website, users can quickly create an account—often within 24 hours. Additionally, the company partners with Delaware Depository and Brinks and charges a $180 annual fee.
Oxford Gold Group offers a wealth of materials for beginner precious metals investors, including an encyclopedia of terminology like “spot price.
Through the Oxford Gold website, you can directly buy coins and bars of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. The business offers a variety of well-known silver and gold coins in addition to other goods, including:
Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin
Guinea “Rose Crown” coin
America the Beautiful Silver coin
Gold Canadian Polar Bear & Cub coin
PAMP Suisse Silver Bar
1-oz and 10-oz gold bars
By paying close attention to the unique needs of each of its clients and giving them the resources they need to make wise financial decisions, Oxford Gold Group aims to go above and beyond other precious metals companies. On its website, the business provides a thorough learning center to help you with the purchasing process.
5. Noble Gold Investments
Founded in 2016, Noble Gold Investments offers a wide selection of coins and bars that investors can purchase in addition to an easily accessible blog.
The gold IRA custodian offers real-time account information. Customers are required to pay two annual fees: an account fee of $80 and a price of $150 for insurance and segregated storage, which involves storing each customer’s assets separately rather than together.
Noble Gold has its own depository in the state of Texas as well as Delaware Depository and Brinks, two renowned precious metals depositories, giving consumers yet another option for storing their precious metals.
Expertise, reliability, and friendliness are the three main pillars on which Noble Gold bases its claim of delivering outstanding service.
The team is well-educated about investment products. Furthermore, the Noble objective entails using knowledge and talents to create value for its clients in addition to protecting wealth.
Investment know-how would be a given for a company of this caliber, but the Noble team’s abilities go deep. You will feel like friends and partners on your retirement investment path thanks to these features and the company’s widespread dedication to serving its customers with respect and honesty.
Noble Gold Investments is a fantastic option because of its five-star ratings, secure storage and delivery, A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and AA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance.
6. American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold is a reliable gold IRA company offering gold or silver IRAs. The company is situated in Los Angeles, California, and is family owned and operated. It has won numerous awards, including the title of #1 Gold Company on the 2021 Inc. 5000.
Although American Hartford Gold promotes gold IRAs, you can also include investments in silver in your retirement account if you want. To invest in gold IRA accounts with American Hartford Gold, just follow these steps:
Call American Hartford Gold to speak with a specialist and complete the documents.
Transfer an existing IRA to a new, self-directed gold IRA.
Select the gold or silver products to add to your IRA.
Purchase your precious metals IRAs.
Equity Trust, a trusted custodian of gold IRAs, is the channel through which American Hartford Gold offers precious metals IRAs. You can store your precious metals with a secure storage organization like Brinks, Delaware Depository, or International Depository Services Group after you decide on which ones you’ll add to your account.
When you purchase precious metals through American Hartford Gold and its gold IRA investors, you will have ongoing access to an account representative to stay on track with your investments. By contacting the number listed on the corporate website, you can reach your representative at any time.
Before investing, you might want to learn more about gold investment by downloading the company’s free handbook. With the help of precious metals IRAs, you can take control of your money thanks to the information in this 25-page guide.
What Is a Gold IRA?
A gold IRA is the only way to own precious metals in an IRA and is similar to a standard IRA where you might hold stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Gold IRAs are tax-preferred investment vehicles.
In place of “gold IRA,” the phrase “precious metals IRA” may also be used. Although the former is technically correct, “gold IRA” is the phrase that tends to stick in people’s minds.
The Internal Revenue Service classifies gold IRAs as self-directed IRAs. Self-directed IRAs are allowed to hold alternative investments, such as precious metals, by IRS laws (a gold IRA’s tax treatment differs from that of a Roth IRA, an after-tax savings account).
How Does a Gold IRA Work?
There are various parties involved in the process of setting up a gold or silver IRA. You first open an account and purchase precious metals or physical gold from one of the best gold IRA companies that were mentioned above.
The gold IRA provider will assist you with the rollover process if you decide to fund the account with assets that are currently held in another IRA account.
Additionally, the gold IRA provider also arranges for the involvement of the financial institution chosen as the account custodian and the depository institution where the precious metals you purchase are stored (according to IRS regulations, you are not allowed to hold IRA gold and other precious metals at home).
Some of the best gold IRA companies let you choose from a variety of custodial companies and depository options, while others insist that you use a custodian and depository that they select.
Gold IRA Rollover
Rollovers from a variety of retirement accounts can be used to create a gold IRA. Money maintained in a 401(k), 403(b), 457, pension, or Thrift Savings Plan account may be rolled over without incurring taxes or penalties.
How to Choose a Reputable Gold Investment Company
Finding the best gold IRA company can be difficult. The majority of gold IRA companies have similar services, so it may be difficult for you to choose just one.
Here are some pointers for choosing the best gold IRA company:
Do Your Research on Gold and Silver IRA Companies
Precious metals investing is a big deal, so you shouldn’t pick the first gold IRA company you come across. Instead, we advise using lots of time to look into all the gold IRA companies that satisfy your needs.
You can research providers by reading articles, conducting Google searches, and visiting companies’ websites directly. This step can help you narrow down the dozens of top gold IRA companies in the industry. We have a page with our top recommendations to make it easier.
Get Recommendations
One of the best ways to learn about a gold IRA company is to talk to current customers. Asking your friends, relatives, or acquaintances who have precious metals IRAs about their custodian and their experiences with them is recommended.
If you don’t personally know anyone who invests in gold, silver, and platinum IRAs, you can also join investment forums and ask the members for recommendations. Then, you can use the suggestions to narrow your list down to one gold IRA company.
Examine Precious Metal Products
We also advise looking over the precious metals products that a gold IRA provider has to offer. Make sure the vendor you choose sells the product or precious metal you want to buy, such as an American Gold Eagle coin, if you’re interested in buying one.
Examine Storage Options
You should be given the option of having your precious metal items stored in a safe depository by your gold IRA provider. However, ensure that you look over a provider’s storage options before choosing one. The top depositories are fully insured, so even if they misplace or damage your gold assets, you can still get your money back.
Review the Costs and Fees
There may be annual fees associated with buying a precious metal IRA through a custodian that varies from $150 to $500. Furthermore, some businesses can overcharge you for their precious metal coins and bullion products, so be aware.
As a result, be sure to research a precious metals provider’s fees and costs before you start investing with them. You certainly don’t want to register an IRA with a company only to discover that it is significantly more expensive than competitors in the precious metals market.
Conclusion – Top Gold IRA Companies for You
Opening a gold IRA can provide you with a more stable option to build your assets while also helping you diversify your retirement portfolio. You can’t go wrong choosing any of the businesses on our list because they all give dependable, ethical gold investments with reasonable costs and secure storage options.
We hope you find the best gold IRA company for your needs!
