As long as there is stability in the global economy, people will continue to seek safe havens for their investments. Precious metals are one of these safe havens. They provide an alternative investment option to keep up with the fluctuating value of stocks and other financial instruments.
With traditional IRAs, you can easily set one up and maintain it yourself through a custodian, but setting up and maintaining a physical IRA requires a few more moving parts than just opening an online account. You might need to find a custodian and an Approved Depositor (AD) to buy the actual metal for your IRA.
We selected the top 18 gold IRA providers by looking at their overall BCA score, considering factors like fee structure, education materials, customer service, and the ability to set up an account and buy precious metals. Best Overall: Patriot Gold GroupBest for Transparent Pricing: Augusta Precious MetalsBest for Customer Support: Goldco Precious MetalsFor smaller investors, Noble Gold is best.Best for IRA Rollovers: Regal AssetsFor first-time buyers, Advantage Gold is best.
Best Overall: Patriot Gold Group
Patriot Gold Group
Patriot Gold Group has an extensive history of providing excellent service to its clients at competitive prices. Investor-direct pricing great reviews from key consumers long history in the gold IRA industry need to fill out the form on the website to obtain enough info minimum investment required.
Patriot Gold Group has earned a reputation for providing excellent customer service while maintaining low prices, which makes them our top pick among all companies offering gold IRAs.
Patriot Gold has earned top ratings from the key consumer rating agency, including an AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance and five stars from Consumer Affairs.
Patriot Gold offers direct sales through dealers, which means investors don't pay any extra fee when they buy precious metals from Patriot. However, Patriot doesn't offer detailed information about its services and products. Investors must call to get this info.
Patriot Gold prides itself on its long track record of providing excellent customer service. Their representatives are trained to help customers set up accounts, answer questions, and provide advice. They're always looking for ways to improve their services so they can better serve their clients.
Best for Transparent Pricing: Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metal’s customers appreciate its low prices and know precisely how much they are spending and for what. For this reason, we consider Augusta one of the best gold IRA companies for transparent fees. Low-cost, transparent fee structureMoney-back guarantee guaranteed fair pricing on purchases doesn't offer platinum or palladium minimum investment specified online purchases.
Pricing is crucial when evaluating gold IRA providers. Many providers claim to offer a low cost, but few actually disclose all their fees. With Augusta Precious Metals, the price schedule is clear and straightforward, making us the pick for the most affordable gold IRA provider.
Family-run Augusta has been building its reputation for transparency and honesty since its opening in 2012. They've earned the best ratings from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and they offer a 100 percent refund guarantee for new clients and price guarantees for annual storage fees. To get started, call Augusta today.
Augusta works with the highly reputated Delaware Depository for its customers’ storage requirements, with vault locations throughout North America. Because the account is self-directing, there are no annual maintenance fees.
Augusta's overall quality of services is good, as indicated by its high consumer ratings. Its onboarding and transaction processes require no assistance from customers. However, customers cannot purchase items online.
Augusta has two major drawbacks: Its limited selection of precious metal investments and its high minimum initial purchase requirements for setting up an IRA account. Investors looking to buy platinum or palladium will have to look elsewhere because Augusta specializes in gold and silver bullion, not precious metals. It offers convenient IRA rollover options but the prices aren't transparent.
Best for Customer Support: Goldco Precious Metals
Because we're committed to providing excellent service to our clients, we've been named one of the top five gold IRA companies by Money Magazine for the past three years running. Extensive educational resources, competitive pricing10% back in free silver coins for new account minimum investment applies.
Other companies may offer similar services, but no other company offers such excellent service and support. Founded in 2006 by Jim Rickards, Goldco Precious Metal provides superior service and support.
Customers receive white glove services from Goldco. They're offered direct access to specialists who help them throughout the entire buying experience. Goldco provides extensive educational materials for customers, including books, videos, blogs, and newsletters.
It’s their excellent service that earns them near-perfect ratings on consumer review sites.
For more details regarding charges, minimum balances, custodians, and safekeeping, please visit http://www.goldco.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=2. You can also request a free brochure if you wish to learn more about these services. Setup is simple and fast; completed mainly online. Goldco also provides IRA and 401(k), rollover accounts to move your current retirement savings into a new investment vehicle.
Best for Smaller Investors: Noble Gold
Noble Gold
We think Noble Gold is the best option for small investors because they offer an affordable minimum investment and comprehensive educational materials. Low minimum investment flat monthly storage and service feeAnnual fees can be relatively high for small accounts.
Noble Gold was established in 2016. It’s a relatively new player in the gold IRA market but one that has already made quite an impression. With its low minimum investment requirements and extensive educational resources, it’s quickly becoming a favorite among new investors.
Noble Gold has also garnered good ratings from the consumer review sites Consumer Affairs and Better Business Bureau. It received one complaint in the past three years that was satisfactorily addressed by the company.
Noble Gold offers a complete range of services, including a free consultation, which helps you understand your customers' requirements better. Once you know their requirements, our advisors guide and educate you throughout the entire buying process.
Noble Gold's fees are not the cheapest, but they are competitively priced. New clients do not incur a setup charge, but all accounts are assessed an $80 annual maintenance charge. Additionally, all clients are billed a $150 annual service charge. The good thing about these charges is that they are set in stone and apply to everyone regardless of account size. Furthermore, the service charge covers the costs associated with segregated vaulting. (Noble Gold does not provide commingled vaulting.)
Noble has an extensive network of partners and supply sources which allows them to offer their clients competitive prices on gold buys. Noble also provides a no-questions-asked buy-back service.
Noble Gold's custodianship is held by Equity International. You can view your account details at any time on their website. They utilize International Depository Services (IDS) for custody. It has two facilities in the United States and one in Canada. Custody at the hi-tech IDS facility is insured by Lloyd's of London.
Customers can browse Noble Gold's website for as long as they want, reading educational material and gathering the information they may need before calling a customer service agent to set up an account. However, most of the account setup process must be completed by phone.
Best for IRAs: Regal Assets
Regal Assets
When most Regal Assets' primary focus is IRA rollover services, you can be sure that they know exactly what they're doing. That's why they made our list as one of the top 10 best gold IRA companies for IRA rollover services. Extensive IRA rollover track record there are no fees when transferring an IRA from one company to another. Flat monthly fees for both services and storage can not make purchases online.
With its top consumer reviews and competitive pricing, Regal Assets has grown into one of the leading gold IRA companies since launching in 2010. However, when the majority of a firm's revenue comes from IRA rollover transactions, it merits special recognition as the best IRA rollover provider. Regal Assets backs that claim up with superior IRA rollover expertise and customer support. But if that wasn’t enough, it now offers no transaction costs for the client.
While Regal isn't ranked by Consumer Affairs, they've received an A+ rating from the Business Consumer Association and many positive ratings on other third-party review sites.
Regal's business model is simple and straightforward. They charge a flat annual rate for storing your coins. The rate covers both the cost of coin handling and the cost of segregated coinage. You do not pay any additional transaction costs. An initial deposit may be required. Contact the firm to find out about the details if you're interested in investing with them.
Regal also excels at customer service. From the beginning, Regal's IRAs offer an extensive range of educational resources, which help clients through the entire life cycle of opening an account.
Best for first time buyers: Advantage Gold
Advantage Gold
Because we offer so many benefits at an affordable price, we're the best choice for first-timers looking to invest in precious metals. Low annual feesRelatively short operating history online purchase not available.
Since 2014, Advantage Gold has been operating well beyond its age. It has established itself as the top gold IRA company for first-time investors with its low minimum investment requirements, personalized service, and comprehensive educational platforms.
Since its inception in 2014, Advantage Gold has strived for excellence by providing superior services to clients. With no complaints filed since 2015, the young company has surpassed expectations.
Advantage Gold appeals to gold IRAs of all kinds, but it has an especially strong appeal for first-timers. It offers extensive resources and educational materials to help newbies learn about investing in gold and other precious metals without feeling pressured into buying anything they don't want. There are no high-pressure sales tactics at any point during the process.
Advantage Gold has low fees and account minimum requirements. It also offers a very liberal buy-out policy, allowing for repurchase at the current market value, which is higher than what most competitors offer.
The preferred custodian of Advantage Gold is STRATA TRUST COMPANY. For its clients' storage needs, the firm works with Brinks Global Services USA, Inc. and DEPOSITORY OF DELAWARE, both highly reputable vaults.
Final Verdict
With gold IRAs, you're not just investing in an asset; you're also buying insurance against inflation.
Patriot Gold Group ranks highest among gold IRA providers because it receives good ratings from consumers, has a long track record of serving clients, and it is an online retailer, which means there are no fees associated with buying precious metal products.
It's important to look at our full list of options and choose an IRA provider that fits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
A gold IRA is an investment account where you put your savings.
A gold IRA is an investment vehicle that offers investors the opportunity to invest in precious metal bullion without paying taxes until they withdraw the money. Unlike a regular IRA, where investments are held in securities, a gold IRA invests in physical gold and silver coins, bars, rounds, and ingots. Investors do not own the physical gold themselves—they simply buy shares in the fund holding them.
According to the IRS, there are certain minimums for the fineness of precious metals used in an IRA. For example, the IRS considers.999 fine gold to be acceptable, but any lower than.9999 fine would be unacceptable.
What Does a Gold IRA Cost?
In general, there are three types of fees associated with a gold IRA. An initial set-up charge may vary between $50 and $150. Some financial institutions waive the fee if you make a large initial deposit. Annual maintenance charges run about $50-$150 per year. Custodial fees are generally around $50-$200 per year. Gold storage fees depend upon the type of storage facility used.
Most gold IRA companies do not charge commissions for buying or selling gold. However, they may add a markup to the spot price, effectively taking a cut out of the deal. Some companies are transparent with their markups, while some aren't. Companies that purchase directly can eliminate the middleman, reducing their markup.
With a gold IRA, you may pay higher fees than if you invest in a traditional or Roth IRA.
Which type of gold coins should I buy?
Investors who purchase precious metals for their retirement accounts can opt for either bullion or sovereign coins. Both are basically valued by a per-ounce basis, but sovereign coins might be the better option because they're considered less risky than bullion.
Based on the article https://www.investopedia.com/best-gold-ira-companies-5087720
