6 Best Gold IRA Companies for 2021
Best Gold IRA Company Reviews
Discover the top gold investment companies 📈
Learn how to get a 401k to gold IRA rollover.
See our top Gold IRA custodians for your precious metals IRA.
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Disclaimer: The information provided is accurate, reliable and honest. We may be compensated if you use products or services based on our expert recommendations.
The 6 Best Gold IRA Companies for 2021
- Best Overall: Augusta Precious Metals
- Best Customer Service: Goldco
- Lowest Minimum: Birch Gold Group
- Best Price Matching: American Hartford Gold
- Wholesale Pricing: Monetary Gold
- Large Metals Selection: Apmex
One Percent Finance presents the best Gold IRA companies to secure your retirement account.
If you’ve been searching for ways to protect your wealth and retirement in today’s uncertain economic times, you have come to the right place. Like many ultra high net-worth individuals, world banks and governments, we believe that Gold and other Precious Metals are some of the best investments you can make today as part of a well diversified portfolio.
We launched this section of our website to highlight the fact that one of the safest and most efficient ways Americans can invest in physical precious metals is to convert part of their IRA, 401(k), Annuity or other retirement plans to a physical gold backed IRA….TAX FREE (often called a 401k to Gold IRA rollover).
How We Made Our Gold IRA Reviews
We looked at over 20 well-known Gold IRA companies (custodians) in order to find the top picks. We read their websites, marketing materials, gold kits, reviews, ratings, complaints, and used our knowledge about the industry to form this list.
In this carefully researched guide, you’ll learn what a Gold IRA is, and how you can add precious metals to your retirement portfolio. Our hope is that by the time you get to the bottom of the page, you will be equipped with enough knowledge to form an educated decision on whether or not a Gold IRA is the right way to invest in gold for you.
We Did The Work For You
Research
We searched for as many Gold investment companies that we could find. We started with gold IRA custodians that have been in business the longest. Why trust your retirement to a company that hasn’t been around for long?
Read
We studied their educational materials and their free Gold IRA ebooks and looked for important information regarding their service, fees, and storage.
Reviews
We looked at customer reviews across the internet from Google, Trustlink, BBB, BCA, RipOffReport and even Yelp! In some cases, there are very specific complaints alleged against gold IRA custodians on these platforms.
Reputation
We checked to see if the gold investment companies are accredited and in good standing with 3rd party business trust associations like the BBB and BCA.
Top 6 Gold IRA Company Reviews
Augusta Precious Metals Review
Overall Best Gold IRA Company
Augusta Precious Metals is one of the most trustworthy and reputable Gold IRA investment companies. For those who appreciate family owned and operated businesses, and who are looking for a personal touch, price transparency, and customization to your gold investment, Augusta Precious Metals is our top choice.
Read our full review to see why Joe Montana trusts Augusta with his fortune!
Highlights
- ✓ Endorsed by Joe Montana
- ✓ Easy gold IRA setup
- ✓ Transparent pricing
- ✓ Top reputation
- ✓ Low fees
- ✓ BBB: A+ Rated
- ✓ BCA: AAA Rated
Promotion:
Limited Time Offer: Get up to 10% back in silver. See if you qualify!
Goldco Review
“White Glove” Gold IRA Service
Goldco are gold IRA experts and one of our top Precious Metals IRA investment companies. Goldco’s team of experts offer white glove service from start to finish. Customer satisfaction is the #1 priority and they strive to over-deliver on their promises.
Goldco offers very low fees and are widely considered the best in the business.
Highlights
- ✓ Endorsed by Chuck Norris
- ✓ Best Gold IRA service
- ✓ Low fees
- ✓ Customers love them
- ✓ Fantastic reviews
- ✓ BBB: A+ Rated
- ✓ BCA: AAA Rated
Promotion:
Limited Time Offer: Get 10% back in silver. See if you qualify!
American Hartford Gold Review
Price Match Guarantee
With an almost perfect reputation based on hundreds of verified client reviews and excellent ratings from all major consumer protection agencies such as Better Business Bureau and BCA, it’s no wonder that American Hartford is the preferred gold and silver dealer by Bill O’Reilly and other important voices in the precious metals world.
What really separates American Hartford Gold Group from all the other gold IRA companies is their Price Match Guarantee.
Highlights
- ✓ Only company endorsed by Bill O’Reilly and Rudy Giuliani
- ✓ Price match guarantee
- ✓ Buyback commitment
- ✓ 800+ stellar reviews on TrustPilot
- ✓ BBB: A+ Rated
- ✓ BCA: AA Rated
Promotion
Get up to $1,500 in free silver for qualified purchases!
American Hartford Gold will meet or beat any competitor’s price. Give them a call now at 866-243-8055 and request their free gold IRA investment guide.
Birch Gold Review
Lowest Minimum
Birch Gold Group has helped thousands of Americans move their IRA, 401(k) and other tax-advantaged retirement accounts out of stocks, bonds and mutual funds and into IRAs backed by physical gold and silver. It’s for this reason that they pride themselves on being Gold IRA Specialists.
Birch Gold is one of our top gold investment choices: they have the lowest minimum and a stellar reputation.
Highlights
- ✓ Lowest minimum Gold IRA
- ✓ Best customer education
- ✓ Free shipping
- ✓ Top customer reviews
- ✓ BBB: A+ Rated
- ✓ BCA: AAA Rated
Promotion:
Limited Time Offer: Get up to $10,000 in Precious Metals for FREE with Purchase!
Monetary Gold Review
Wholesale Pricing
Monetary Gold is your one stop shop for gold and silver investing. Monetary Gold sources their precious metals directly from the exchange and cuts out the middle-man: passing the savings on to you.
It’s like shopping for your precious metals at Costco in bulk!
Highlights
- ✓ Best pricing for metals
- ✓ Low Minimum Gold IRA’s
- ✓ Zero fee buyback program
- ✓ BBB: A+ Rated
- ✓ BCA: A Rated
Promotion:
Apmex Review
Best Gold Selection
Apmex offers the widest selection of precious metals products. Apmex offers customers the option of buying gold & silver for home delivery or purchasing metals through a Gold IRA.
Highlights
- ✓ Broad precious metals selection
Promotion
No known promotions at this time.
Best Overall Gold IRA’s
Four custodians made our list for most trustworthy and best overall gold investor satisfaction. They are Augusta Precious Metals, Goldco, Birch Gold Group, and Monetary Gold.
We’ve organized our reviews of the best Gold investment companies based on the main comparison points across this industry as a whole – with full transparency, highlighting the fine print. We found that the important information is often difficult to find or missing. We’ve done the digging for you.
Continue reading below for valuable information about the best Gold IRA company and how you can benefit from gold investing.
Gold IRA Quick Tips
- Only buy approved precious metals for your IRA, avoid collectibles and numismatics
- Pick an IRS approved depository to store your metals
- Avoid bleeding money with high fees by picking a Gold IRA company that offers low or no fees
- Understand the spot price of precious metals and how much over spot you’re paying
- Get a few Gold IRA starter kits before picking a company
What is a Gold IRA?
A Gold IRA is very similar to a traditional IRA (Individual Retirement Account) that provides you with certain tax advantages. The main differences are that it is self-directed, and it allows ownership of physical precious metals.
With a Gold IRA, your retirement funds are no longer limited to paper-backed assets such as mutual funds, stocks or bonds. You’re investing in gold itself.
How does a Gold IRA work?
When you’re looking to get a gold IRA, usually you go through a specialized firm, like the best gold IRA companies reviewed on this page. These custodians source IRA approved precious metals, purchase them on your behalf, using funds that are held in custody. This is so that you are not buying the gold and silver yourself using withdrawn funds, which would cause tax liabilities. Here are the steps you can expect to encounter when you’re going through the process with any gold IRA company:
- Fund your gold IRA account: These specialized gold IRA custodians usually have minimum investment amounts. Otherwise, the time it takes might not be worth it on a small transaction, as their margins can be small. Expect minimums to be between $10,000-$50,000. Luckily we’ve listed a lot of this information for you. If you were to fund the account in a more traditional way, with either pre or post tax moneys, the 2020 annual contribution limit is $6,000-$7,000 depending on your age. Some have more cash sitting in a 401k or existing IRA that they would like to use. You can do a 401k to gold IRA rollover in this case, allowing you a larger amount of funds to ‘roll’ into gold.
- Don’t forget the fees: These gold IRA companies are in the business of making commissions on the precious metals that they buy for your IRA. Expect to pay around 3%-5% above the spot price for your metal. It’s similar to how a real estate agent makes a commission, usually 3%, when they represent a buyer or sell a house. Again, similar to buying a house, there are some other fees you can expect to pay:
- Admin or Initial Setup fees: The first time account setup fee is a one-time fee for processing paperwork and getting you setup with your new Gold IRA account. This fee will be between $50-$90.
- Depository fees: Storing your gold takes physical space in government approved location. It’s like a storage facility with heightened security, insurance and monitoring. The fees associated with storing your gold in one of these depositories are around $100-$300 annually. This can add up, so find the lowest fees.
- Annual fees: Gold IRA companies charge a yearly custodian fee. This is to maintain your account in good standing. Annual fees range from $0-$300. Some custodians waive fees for a lifetime if you hit a certain minimum. Some will waive the first year as a promotion. It’s good to ask about these to see if you qualify. It could save you a lot of money in the long run.
- Withdraw when ready: When you reach 72 (or if your are 70 ½ years old on or after January 1, 2020), you take required minimum distributions (RMD) on your IRA account. This means you must withdraw from your IRA every year. Read more about retirement account withdrawal tips.
3 Simple Rules for a Gold IRA
IRS Approved Metals
Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are required by the IRS to meet certain standards of purity and fineness: Gold .995%, Silver .999%, Platinum .9995%, Palladium .9995%
Storage
IRA held Precious Metals must be stored in an insured 3rd party depository.
Taxes
Precious Metals IRA’s are subject to the same tax laws of traditional, Roth, SEP or Simple IRA plans.
How To Start a Gold IRA
Starting a Gold IRA is pretty simple. You can either rollover a current IRA, or you can convert a 401k, Roth IRA, SEP, 403b, TSP, Annuity or Pension Plan. This is often called a 401k to gold ira rollover.
A precious metals IRA (gold IRA) is a form of self-directed IRA.
It’s unlikely that your current employer, will allow you to transfer funds into a Gold IRA plan. However, after you’ve transitioned out of your job, you can have control of those retirement funds without penalty, all while maintaining tax-deferred status. That is the key.
To invest in gold in your self-directed IRA, an expert advisor will walk you through the paperwork, then guide you through the metals choosing process and selecting a depository.
Total Time Needed :
30
Minutes
Total Cost:
0-300
USD
Required Tools:
Things Needed?
Steps to start a Gold IRA:
Fill out your Gold IRA application
Fill out an application with your preferred Gold IRA company to open your account.
Fund your account
Choose how you would like to fund your new precious metals IRA account. You can do a 401k to gold IRA rollover for example.
Choose your precious metals
We recommend diversifying within your precious metal assets, include silver and even platinum and palladium.
Why Invest in a Gold IRA?
Investing in a gold and silver precious metals IRA is a method of wealth preservation for 3 simple reasons:
Protection
Gold and silver are physical & tangible asset that cannot be created by man or printed by the government.
Liquidity
Gold is recognized as a currency worldwide and can be converted to any cash currency quickly.
Diversification
Reduce the overall risk of your retirement portfolio with this tangible asset and protect yourself against inflation.
What is a Gold IRA depository?
When you buy gold and silver as part of an IRA then they are legally required to be stored in an approved depository.
A depository is a company that owns a highly-secure building to protect investors’ assets in a dedicated storage location. For example, there is a depository at Fort Knox! The vault at Fort Knox is used to store a large portion of the United States’ gold reserves as well as other precious items belonging to or in custody of the federal government.
Similarly, a gold ira depository is a safe house where you can store your precious metals with bank vault-level security. This gives the you peace of mind knowing that your gold investments are safe and also means that you do not have to worry about storing these valuables in their home (which we do not recommend!).
A few of the strategies that depositories implement to ensure the safety of investors’ assets are:
- Constant monitoring
- Disaster-proof structures
- Armed security
- Insurance that guarantees investors’ assets to a large extent
Why You Should Invest In Gold
- Gold is incredibly rare – very little supply & surging demand when you look at the history of gold
- During periods of great fear, people run to what they feel is safe (gold & silver)
- Government debt is spiraling out of control (over $19 trillion)
- Financial experts are predicting a massive correction in the stock market
- It provides the flexibility and liquidity that other tangible investments can’t offer
- Silver and Gold are currently undervalued (Gold is approximately 30% lower than its all time high price and Silver is around 60% lower)
- Russia and China are continuing to increase their gold reserves (preparing for US Dollar debasement)
“Anyone who gets educated and takes action, will have massive amounts of wealth transferred towards them instead of away from them” – One Percent Finance
How Rare is Gold?
If you could gather all the gold mined in history, melt it down, and pour it into one giant cube, it would measure only about 21 Meters across.
Source: BBC News
- That’s all the gold owned by every government on earth, plus all the gold in private hands, all the gold in rings, necklaces, chains, and gold art.
- That’s all the gold used in tooth fillings, in electronics, in coins and bars.
- It’s everything that exists above ground now, or since man learned to extract the metal from the earth.
- All of it can fit into one Olympic sized swimming pool. it would weigh about 91,000 tons — less than the amount of steel made around the world in an hour.
Why is a Gold IRA Rollover a good way to invest in gold?
While most savvy investors understand the benefits of investing in precious metals like gold, silver, platinum and palladium, not everyone has tens of thousands of dollars sitting around in cash that would allow them to buy it directly.
Even if you did have large sums of cash ready to buy gold with from a dealer, that’s after-tax money; your net capital that’s left after the tax man gets his cut of your gross income. That’s why the Gold IRA has become very popular.
Many people do have a larger amount of investable funds in their IRA or 401k. You can do a 401k to Gold IRA rollover of your funds, TAX FREE.
Now investors can add or rollover gold, silver and other precious metals directly into a precious metals IRA. Such accounts are ideal for first-time gold investment hopefuls that are seeking the security of physical gold and silver, as well as investors with existing retirement accounts, including IRAs, 401(k), 403(b) plans.
While such retirement accounts once included only stocks, bonds, and money-backed assets such as U.S. Treasury Bills and mortgage-backed securities, now retirement investors can share the security of an IRA account backed by physical gold and silver.
Precious metal IRAs in gold, silver, platinum and more have become a key way for those on the road toward retirement to diversify their assets and reduce the effects of inflation on their retirement savings.
Coins and bars approved by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must be held in an insured, licensed depository for safekeeping, then can be taken home based on federal rules for withdrawal.
Get started: Our overall best Gold IRA company that we recommend is Augusta Precious Metals. Commitment to service sets Augusta apart from other companies. Every member of the Augusta team – from CEO to receptionist – is dedicated to helping retirement savers realize their dream of financial independence. Read our Augusta Precious Metals review.
Quick Gold Investment Company comparison
Best Overall
Our Rating
- Annual Fees: $180
- Account Min: $50,000
- Promotion: No fees
Best Service
Our Rating
- Annual Fees: $175+
- Account Min: $25,000
- Promotion: $10,000 in free silver
Low Minimum
Our Rating
- Annual Fees: $180
- Account Min: $10,000
- Promotion: $10,000 in free metals
Price Matching
Our Rating
- Annual Fees: $180
- Account Min: $10,000
- Promotion: $5,000 in free silver
Wholesale Prices
Our Rating
- Annual Fees: $100+
- Account Min: $5,000
- Promotion: $5,000 in free metals
Questions to Ask Gold IRA Companies
- Does the Gold investment company specialize in Gold IRA’s?
- Many companies are bulk dealers in gold and silver. The IRA’s are often just a small portion of their business. Why not go with a company who focuses on Gold IRA’s exclusively? You are almost guaranteed to get personal service this way.
- What is the premium over spot price for Gold?
- It’s very common for Gold IRA companies to charge a premium on the precious metals that will be included in your investment portfolio. You can often read complaints on ripoffreport.com or BBB about how the person was charged ’10%, 20 %, 30% over spot‘.
- We advise you to keep updated on the current trends in Gold prices to verify that you are getting a fair deal on your metals at the time of purchase. Make sure that the price is locked in so that are no surprises!
- Obviously, the lowest spot price is best, but it’s only one factor when choosing which Gold IRA company to trust with your hard earned nest-egg.
- Risk Disclosure: It is important to understand that all investments come with risk. Gold IRAs can have the same risks that any other investment has. The price of gold can be volatile and can go up and down.
- Will they buyback the gold when it’s time to cash out your Gold IRA?
- When you want to liquidate your holdings for cold-hard-cash, what are you going to do? Sell them on eBay? No. You probably don’t want to do anything, you just want the money.
- Ask the company if they will buy them back from you. this is called a buyback. You just sit back and wait for the check in the mail. It should be that simple. Different custodians offer different buyback offers, so do your best to get the best deal for your stash.
- What are the Gold IRA fees?
- Some custodians charge flat fees, no matter how much Gold you hold in your IRA. The fees cover administrative, setup and storage costs on an annual basis. Other companies charge scaling fees – meaning you will be charged a % based on how much Gold is being stored.
- Also, we have seen some companies waive the fees completely for the first year, or forever if you meet their minimum requirements.
- What do past Gold IRA clients say?
- With the internet, there is so much information out there. You can paint a pretty clear picture of how reputable, trustworthy and experienced a company is just by reading reviews, testimonials and complaints. If you find even 1 complaint on a company, it might not be worth the risk.
- The next complaint could come from you! Do your research, check reputable online sources like the Better Business Bureau. You can always just refer to our chart above, we’ve done this for you.
- How long have they been in the Gold IRA business?
- What you want is a company (actually, the people behind the company) to have pedigree in the industry in which they claim to be experts in. Find out how long they have been dealing in precious metals…or more importantly, Gold IRA’s.
- How long does it take to receive my Gold?
- You should know when you will get your Gold should you request it. If it takes more than 7 business days, we would consider that unacceptable.
- How long does it take for a IRA or 401k to Gold IRA rollover?
- The best gold IRA companies offer quick turnaround times. Your Gold IRA or 401k should not take more than 2-3 days to process. The companies that offer simple online application forms will be able to process your ‘paperwork’ more efficiently than those who are still using paper and ink.
- Can I apply for a Gold IRA online?
- So you want to apply for your Gold IRA…how do you do it? Does the company mail or fax the paperwork to you? That is fine, but you’re probably reading this on a computer or phone, wouldn’t it be great to apply right now? Some companies offer online applications, while others don’t seem too. Ask about this.
- It will also give you some insight as to how modern or outdated their operations truly are. I would go with the modern methods, as you will be able to track the progress of your application easier and not have to worry about your file sitting on someones desk.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gold IRAs
Eligible Accounts for a Rollover into a Gold IRA
Gold IRA Eligible Retirement Accounts
See our Quick IRA Checklist for more detailed information about your IRA limits and allowances.
What the Wealthy are Saying About Gold Investing
“Banks, insurance companies, pension funds and Mom and Pop on Main Street are stripped of their ability to pay for future debts and retirement benefits,”
“Central banks seem oblivious to this dark side of low interest rates. If maintained for too long, the real economy itself is affected as expected income fails to materialize and investment spending stagnates.”
“I don’t like bonds; I don’t like most stocks; I don’t like private equity. Real assets such as land, gold, and tangible plant and equipment at a discount are favored asset categories.” from Fortune magazine in July. – Bill Gross
“Gold has been a very good investment since 1999,” Faber told the FOX Business Network’s Trish Regan. “[It’s] much better than the S&P 500 and much better than tech stocks in the U.S. Certainly over the last six months nobody can accuse me of having been wrong to buy gold.”
Faber, who is the publisher of “The Boom, Gloom & Doom Report,” also recommended buying Treasury bonds, despite a recent plunge in the yield after last week’s Brexit vote. He also said he is certain there will be more quantitative easing from the Federal Reserve, in part due to the U.S. presidential election.
“Both candidates for the presidency will increase the deficit meaningfully,” he remarked. “And that will require the Fed to buy more paper that is issued by the Treasury.” He added, “in the long run, most governments in the Western world, if they had to account like a corporation, would be bankrupt. And so more money printing will become a necessity.” – Marc Faber
Jim Rogers Talks Markets: A Recession Is About To Hit
“Corporate earnings are down in the United States for the last 3 quarters. The recession, it is starting, it is in place. Most stock markets around the world are down, most stocks in the United States are down. If central banks were not printing so much money, everything would be down.” – Jim Rogers
Featured IRA Approved Precious Metals
American Gold Eagle
The American gold eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States. Authorized under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, it was first released by the United States Mint in 1986. Since its introduction, the Gold American Eagle coin has been in high demand every year. The modern Gold Eagles are a whisper of history as they showcase the design that made its first appearance on American Gold coins in 1907.
American Silver Eagle
The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. It was first released by the United States Mint on November 24, 1986. It is struck only in the one-troy ounce size, which has a nominal face value of one dollar and is guaranteed to contain one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver.
American Platinum Eagle
The American Platinum Eagle is the official platinum bullion coin of the United States. In 1995, Director of the United States Mint Philip N. Diehl, American Numismatic Association President David L. Ganz, and Platinum Guild International Executive Director Jacques Luben began the legislative process of creating the Platinum Eagle. After over two years of work, the coins were first released by the United States Mint in 1997.
Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf
First minted in Nov. 2005, the Palladium Maple Leaf coin is the latest and first Palladium addition to the Maple Leaf bullion coin series issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. Guaranteed by the Canadian Government for weight, purity and face value, the Palladium Maple Leaf is legal Canadian tender with a face value of 50 Canadian dollars. Moreover, the Palladium Maple Leafs are struck in pure .9995-fine Palladium.
We hope that you have found our list of the best Gold IRA companies useful. Once again, thank you for visiting and please check back often as new information is added frequently! – One Percent Finance
Risk Disclosure: Investments of any kind involve risk, including gold, silver and all precious metals. Customers who are interested in investing should consult with a licensed professional investment advisor. Consumers should proceed with caution when being told that any investment is guaranteed, as past performance does not guarantee future returns.
Disclaimer: The owners of this website may be compensated to recommend specific companies, products or services. While we strive for accuracy, the content of this website, including recommendations, may not be independent or neutral.
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