Which Gold IRA Company Is Best?

The All Star Lineup

*Disclosure: We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commission from buying links on this site.*

Investors often turn to gold during periods of economic uncertainty. That’s because gold has a long history of being an excellent store of value, preserving its purchasing power even during inflationary periods.

Gold also offers peace of mind that comes with knowing you own a tangible asset that can’t be wiped out by a financial crisis. And unlike stocks and bonds, there is no counterparty risk with gold–you are the sole owner of your investment.

Gold IRA Review

A gold IRA (IRA is short for Individual Retirement Account) allows you to invest in physical gold and silver bullion, providing the same inflation protection and peace of mind as a traditional IRA but with the added benefits of diversification and asset protection. There is much more to consider than just how much money you are willing to invest.

There are thousands of precious metals companies in the world. The only question you need to ask whenever you are dealing with your savings is “whom can you trust?” The best answer to that question is to work with industry leaders who have a long history of protecting thousands of investors, like yourself through a precious metals IRA.

We have vetted this all star lineup based upon the following criteria which include:

  • Customer Care
  • Pricing
  • Fees
  • Education
  • Money Back Guarantee
  • Reviews from trusted online sources
  • Variety of Inventory Selection

Each company in our ALL Star Lineup for Gold IRA Review has an A or A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and strong commitment to your well-being through exceptional customer service.

Wishing You Much Prosperity and Peace of Mind.
The InflationSurvivor. Com Team

 

1. American Hartford Gold

American Hartford Gold is a precious metal IRA company that has been in business since 1973. American Hartford Gold’s mission statement is “to provide investors with the education and resources they need to make informed decisions about investing in gold.” In addition to offering gold IRA accounts, the company also provides guidance on how to invest in gold and silver, as well as other precious metals. They are headquartered in Los Angeles, California and have 100 employees.

American Hartford Gold Minimum Investment

What really makes AHG different from other gold ira companies, is their minimum investment, which is one of the lowest oin the industry. As of today, minimum required investment to buy physical gold (not IRA investment) is just $1500.

They offer a wide range of investment options, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. American Hartford Gold specializes in IRA approved collectible gold and silver coins which can be purchased within a gold ira.

They also offer a variety of account types, including self-directed IRAs, Roth IRAs, and Traditional IRAs. American Hartford Gold has a strong focus on customer service and education, and they offer a wide range of resources on their website to help investors make informed decisions about their investments.

American Hartford Gold only sells precious metals that are produced by American Mints. This means that their selection is limited compared to other companies that sell internationally produced metals. The company offers a variety of gold and silver products, including coins, bars, and rounds.

The company has a strong track record, excellent customer reviews, offering over 35 years of experience; it is one of the largest and most well-established companies in the industry; it has a A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau; and it offers a money-back guarantee.
Overall, American Hartford Gold is a very reputable company with a strong focus on customer service and education.

American Hartford IRA Fees

IRA Setup Fees – No Fee!
Custodian Maintenance Fees (Annual) – $80*
Storage Fees (Annual) $100*

The fee is charged by the self-directed IRA institution, not by AHG. You can get up to three years of account maintenance fees covered by American Hartford Gold, under certain conditions.

Pros

  • Excellent Customer Service
  • Commitment to education
  • Low $5000 entry
  • Price match guarantee
  • Buyback commitment

Cons

  • Limited inventory compared to companies that sell international coins
  • Slightly higher fees than other competitors.

2. Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group is a precious metal IRA company that was founded in 2003. The company specializes in helping people to invest in precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

They feature a team of precious metal and IRA experts who work with clients to help them choose the right investments for their needs and have a great website filled with educational resources. The company offers a variety of services, IRA rollovers being one of the most prominent among them.

In addition, Birch Gold Group offers free educational resources on their website to help people learn more about investing in precious metals. Over the years, Birch Gold Group has helped thousands of investors protect their retirement savings from inflation and market volatility. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. If you’re looking for a precious metal IRA company that can help you diversify your retirement portfolio, Birch Gold Group is worth considering.

Birch Gold Group has been in business for over 20 years and is one of the largest precious metals dealers in the United States. They offer a variety of products and services, and their prices are very competitive. They also have an excellent track record when it comes to customer service and are endorsed by notable figures like Ben Shapiro and many others.

Birch Gold is dedicated to your safety and trust as they are very aware that they are diversifying your investments so that you can weather any economic storm.

Birch Gold Group IRA Fees

IRA Setup Fees (One Time) – $50
Wire Transfer Fee – $30
Custodian Maintenance Fees (Annual) – $80
Storage Fees (Annual) – $100

Birch Gold Group can cover a year of fees under certain conditions.

Pros

  • A+ rating Better Business Bureau
  • Offer Free Shipping on All Orders
  • No Fees on the first year on transfers over $50,000
  • Hard asset IRA availability
  • Great Friendly Customer Service 1-on-1 care

Cons

  • Fees slightly higher than competitors’

3. Noble Gold

NOBLE Gold Co. is a provider of online gold IRAs. The company has three IRS-approved vaults, two located in the United States in Delaware and Texas, and one overseas, in Ontario, Canada. As such, the company is a great option for those interested in investing in gold and other precious metals. In addition to its gold IRAs, the company also offers precious metal coins and royal survival packs. These are hand picked mixtures of precious metals that can be easily liquidated in the case of an emergency.

They offer home delivery of gold bullion and have a variety of gold storage options to choose from. They are one of the leading gold IRA companies in the United States and have been in business for over 10 years.

The company’s website is easy to use and includes high-quality photos of its products. Detailed information is provided for each product, including the history and packaging of the product. The site also lists the products available in each category. Noble Gold Investments is a gold IRA company that specializes in gold IRA rollovers and gold storage. They offer a home delivery service for gold bullion, and they have a wide range of products available for purchase. It also offers an America the Beautiful silver coin, which honors the nation’s national parks, forests, and historical monuments. This silver coin will serve as an excellent gift for any collector. However, you should be aware that you should not invest in this product unless you understand the risks involved.

Aside from offering gold coins, they also offer platinum, palladium, and other precious metals. These products are sold as coins, which means you can choose the denomination that suits you best. The company also offers rare coins.

Noble Gold IRA fees

IRA Setup Fees  –  No Setup Fee!
Custodian Maintenance Fees (Annual) – $80
Storage Fees (Annual) – $150

Pros

  • Quick, Fast efficient signup process,
  • Low Annual Fees
  • A+ Better Business Bureau Rating
  • Transparent Fee structure
  • Available not only in US, but in Canada as well
  • Large variety of coins to choose from
  • Fast secure home delivery options for bullion
  • Long list of outstanding customer reviews across all feedback networks

Cons

  • Only offers national storage options. Not relevant for international customers.
  • Younger company

4. Advantage Gold

IRA gold with Advantage Gold

For an individual planning for retirement, whether you are considering investing in gold for small savings or a more substantial long-term investment, buying gold into a self-directed IRA can help protect your wealth and can increase risk-adjusted returns. Having a modest amount of gold within a balanced retirement investment portfolio can potentially reduce the overall risk of the portfolio, helping to protect against downturns in the stock market.

Gold has also become more accessible to retirement investors, due to the development of a wide range of investment products, such as a Gold IRA, that investors can include in their retirement savings portfolio. The diversity of a retirement investment plan with a precious metal IRA that includes IRS approved precious metal products (such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium) means that gold can be used to enhance and create a wider variety of individual investment strategies and risk tolerances.

The Advantage Gold, one the top Gold IRA companies in the industry, believes that having a self-directed IRA backed by IRS approved gold coins, bullion and bars and other approved precious metal products is a sound diversification of anyone’s retirement portfolio and a major reason someone should consider investing in gold as part of their retirement planning.

Advantage Gold IRA Fees

IRA Setup Fees (One Time) – $50 
Custodian Maintenance Fees (Annual) – from $95 to $250 (depending on the custodian)
Storage Fees (Annual) – from $50 to $100

 

Pros

  • They specialize on helping first-time precious metals investors
  • Official U.S. Mint dealer, so you can be confident in the authenticity of your purchases
  • Patient customer service that answers all your questions fully and transparently
  • Fast cash-out process (sometimes less than 24 hours)

Cons

  • No online interface for the account set-up (has to be over-the phone);
  • Newer company (2014)

Gold…

There are plenty of reasons to keep it around and make it a part of your portfolio. Gold has been proven historically for its reliability and effectiveness and for maintaining its purchasing power over time. Whenever you evaluate investment alternatives, we suggest to always look at them for the long term. Our advice is that when you consider precious metals you should plan on holding the investment for a minimum of 5-10 years.

gold performance chartMassive fluctuations will occur across all major asset classes. History proves that GOLD is the most conservative way to ensure that you are protecting your purchasing power against currency debasement. This has been the case for centuries!
A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a long term chart of the price of Gold in U.S. Dollars.

Keep in mind that during this time inflation, according to government statistics was averaging around 3.5%. This means that your purchasing power for holding Federal Reserve Notes was declining by 3.5% every year. Yet look at how gold has performed. Particularly since 1971 when President Nixon shut the gold window.

Dollar Cost Average for Your Gold IRA Investment

After you convert your funds into a Gold IRA, we suggest utilizing a dollar cost averaging strategy.

Dollar cost averaging is a strategy whereby an investor spreads out their gold purchases evenly over a period of time, rather than buying all at once. By buying gold in this way, the investor lowers their overall average cost per ounce, since they will inevitably buy some gold when prices are low and some when prices are high.

To dollar cost averaging in gold purchases, simply decide what percentage of your net worth you would like to invest in gold, and then divide that figure by the number of months or years over which you plan to spread your purchases. For example, if you have $100,000 additional to invest and you want to spread your purchases over 10 years, you would invest $10,000 per year or $833 per month. Once you have decided on your investment amount and timeframe, simply buy gold consistently each month or year within that timeframe and dollar cost averaging will take care of the rest. Over time, this dollar cost averaging strategy will help to protect your savings and ensure that you are regularly investing in gold.

Your Gold can be stored in various forms such as bullion or coins that will protect your IRA from massive economic fluctuations outside influences like rising interest rates – all while providing you with valuable peace of mind during times of turmoil. Instead of trying to time your gold purchases, our suggestion is to set aside a portion of your regular savings into a gold savings program and use a dollar cost averaging strategy.

Third-Party Fees

Make sure you are aware of the additional costs that are likely attached to a service such as companies introduced in this gold IRA review. Be aware of every cost.

Since you are working with a third party/custodian to set up your gold IRA, you can encounter fees to launch your account ($50-$100), annual maintenance fees ($75-$300), seller fees in addition to the market price ($40), insurance fees ($100-$300), and storage fees (proportional to the gold you own). Some vendors will absorb many of those fees as we have described in our brief reviews.

Types of Gold IRAs Offered

After forming a gold IRA, you must wait until you pass age 59 ½ to withdraw assets without incurring a 10% penalty plus taxes. Roth IRAs work similarly when self-directed to enable customers to invest money after taxes and therefore avoid paying taxes on distributed assets.

Additionally, owners of a traditional gold IRA are still expected to withdraw a minimum yearly amount once they pass the age of 70 ½.

The Roundup

Each of these companies are highly accredited and expert and all have received thousands of positive reviews from satisfied customers. Get your questions answered and most importantly make sure you are comfortable with the service you receive before you transact.

You will often find that these companies bend over and go the extra mile to make this experience as easy as possible for you.

These companies service different types of investors so shop around for what serves your needs the best.

Augusta Precious Metals is a perfect choice for a customer who places a high value on education before, during and after the sale and enjoys exceptional customer service.

Noble Gold is a solid choice if you are looking for to prepare you for the hardest times to come, making sure you have everything you need to stay in control.

Goldco has an impressive reputation backed up by tens of thousands of satisfied customers. You can rest assured that all of your questions and concerns will be handled to your satisfaction.

Birch Gold puts their business know-how to work and they are dedicated to you being able to weather any economic storm. With them, you can be certain you are getting the smartest advice.

American Hartford shows they care about the little guy. You will be getting exceptional customer service care even though you are not a high roller.

Ease of Purchase

Overall Rating

Bottom Line
American Hartford offers brokerage services for precious metals IRAs, one of the newest types of IRAs available to consumers. As with other IRAs, precious metals IRAs can be part of a diversified retirement portfolio and should be approached with care and consideration as with any part of retirement planning.