Best Gold IRA Companies In 2023

Investing in a gold IRA can be a smart move to prepare yourself for your retirement. But with all the companies offering their IRA services, it can be difficult to know which one is the best for you. That’s why we did the heavy lifting for you and reviewed dozens of companies to shortlist the 5-best gold IRA companies with which you’ll be able to secure a more stable retirement portfolio.

Let’s explore our best gold IRA companies and how each can benefit you to secure your financial future.

What Is The Best Gold IRA Company In 2023?

We reviewed dozens of gold and precious metals IRA companies and compared them based on features, fees, and quality of service, among other characteristics. Of those, the top-five, best-ranked were:

1. Augusta Precious Metals—Best overall gold IRA.
2. American Bullion—Best for secure storage options.
3. Noble Gold —Best for low minimum investment and gold IRA packages.
4. Birch Gold Group—Best for precious metals educational resources
5. Goldco—Best for free and silver bonus.

#1 Augusta Precious Metals—Best Overall Gold IRA

Augusta Precious Metals holds the “Best Overall” rating from Money Magazine in 2022 for its wide range of services that allow you to diversify your retirement with gold and silver. It also offers one of the highest APRs on its gold IRA with a whopping range of 4.5%–5.5%. This provides a higher return on investment which enables you to earn more on your savings. This may not seem like much, but you’ll be surprised how much difference a fraction of a percentage point can make on your portfolio's total growth because of the compounding effect.

If you want to sell your purchased gold or silver, Augusta Precious Metals offers a gold IRA buyback program so you can trade your assets without penalty. Not only that, but they also provide free shipping and insurance on qualifying purchases and a free 1-on-1 conference if you’d like to know more about owning gold and silver IRAs.

Features

• Waives its annual fees for gold and silver IRAs for up to 10 years (conditions aren’t mentioned in the website, thus, it requires to contact their agent for its qualification).
• Offers free shipping and insurance on qualifying purchases (on all orders above $5,000 or more).
• Wide array of options in IRS-approved gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bars and coins.
• Flexible gold IRA account options, including Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs.
• Ability to roll over existing IRAs or 401(k)s into a new gold IRA account.
• Offers multiple gold bullion products such as:
  • Gold American Eagle coins.
  • Gold American Buffalo coins.
  • Gold Britannia coins
  • Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins
  • Gold Canadian Polar Bear coins
  • Austrian Gold Philharmonic coins
  • South African Gold Krugerrand coins
  • Our Choice Hallmark Gold bars

Pros Of Augusta Precious Metals

• Takes only as little as 15 minutes to set up a gold IRA account.
• Free gold IRA guide and 1-on-1 web conference on gold IRAs.
• Accepts payment by personal check (up to $50,000) and bank wire.
• There are no management fees since their gold IRA is a self-directed IRA account.
• Has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), providing one of the best customer services in the industry.
• Wide selection of gold and other precious metals such as silver, platinum, and palladium bullions and coins.
• Offers secure and insured storage like Delaware Depository to secure your precious metals safely and is inaccessible by the facility’s creditors.
• Extends the premium gold and silver coin cancellation period for first-time customers for up to seven calendar days.

Cons Of Augusta Precious Metals

• No online purchases
• Has a higher spread of up to 33% for premium purchases.
• Requires a higher minimum investment of $50,000 than other custodians.
• No resale or buyback program, which means that selling your precious metals cannot guarantee its profit.
• Some of their fees are not entirely transparent, and you can only determine the exact fees by contacting their agents.

Pricing

• A $50 initial set-up fee and a $100 annual depository and storage fee.
• No additional commission fee is added to the listed prices.
• It has zero management fees for the gold and silver IRAs.
• A minimum order of $50,000 for both non-IRA purchases (cash) and IRA purchases.

Best For

• Best for free shipping on qualifying purchases, zero management fees, and customer service.

#2 American Bullion—Best For Secure Storage Options

American Bullion is one of the most popular gold IRA companies that allows you to invest in gold bullion products or other precious metals such as silver. It offers a wide selection of gold and silver coins and bars, which are stored safely in the Delaware Depository. If you are a beginner in owning gold assets, they offer a free, easy-to-read gold guide to help you answer most of your commonly asked questions about the gold IRA.

Once you have applied for American Bullion’s gold IRA, you can enjoy free storage and $0 custodian account fees for the first year (with a minimum investment of $50,000). You can also open your account through an online portal which makes it easier for you to check your investments wherever you go.

Features Of American Bullion

• No account fees for the first year.
• It has flexible account options such as Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs.
• Free to open and maintain your IRA account.
• Easy access to your IRA account through an online portal.
• Free storage for the first year following your purchase of precious metals.
• It has the ability to buy gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars that have been authorized by the IRS.
• It has the option to select between secure storage at a third-party facility or home storage (provided that you have a minimum net worth of at least $250,000).

Pros Of American Bullion

• Retirement plans such as a 401(k), TSP, TSA, 403(b), or 457(b) can be rolled over to a Gold IRA account.
• It has the lowest gold bar spread of $99.80 per ounce over COMEX making it cheaper to trade.
• If you choose for home storage, smaller packages are safely delivered directly to your door while larger packages are secured in an armored vehicle with Brink’s.
• Offers various gold bullion products such as
  • American Eagle Gold Coin, Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin, American Buffalo Gold Coin, Austrian Philharmonic Gold Coin, PAMP Suisse Gold Bar, American Eagle Gold Proof Coins
• Receives positive ratings for customer satisfaction and favorable comments from both customers and independent rating agencies.
• Helpful customer support is available via phone call at 1-800-465-3472 from Monday–Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm (PST).

Cons Of American Bullion

• Limited selection of precious metals compared to other custodians.
• Requires you to invest, roll over, or transfer at least $50,000 into your gold IRA account.
• Specific fees such as storage fees and transaction fees are not available on their website and can only be obtained by contacting their customer service.

Pricing Of American Bullion

• A set-up fee of $50.
• A minimum investment of $50,000 into your account.
• An annual account fee of $95, which is subject to change.

Best For

• Best for investors who like to purchase gold with free storage for the first year or who want to store their gold at home.

#3 Noble Gold—Best For Low Minimum Investment And Gold IRA Packages

Noble Gold is a California-based company that allows you to purchase physical gold and silver products either to store them at home or in a precious metal IRA. They stand out from the others for their minimum investment of only $2,000 and a low annual administrative fee of $80—which is a great deal if you’re still a beginner at investing in gold.

If you’re a first-time buyer, you’ll receive a free coin when you open an account on their website. And if you want to access your investments in case of emergencies, Noble Gold offers a Royal Survival Pack valued at $10,000–$500,000 and above. These consist of gold and silver products for you and your family to spend or trade during an economic crisis.

Features Of Noble Gold

• First-time investors receive a free coin.
• Provides clear pricing with no additional costs or charges.
• Offers a buyback program that enables you to sell at fair market value.
• Gives you the option to deliver your gold bars directly to your house or convert them into a gold IRA.
• Each of their gold bars has a fineness of at least 999, is VAT-free, and is approved by the IRS.
• Wide selection of investment options, including gold and other precious metals for its gold IRAs.
• Gives you various options to purchase different gold coins and bars from world-renown mints such as:
  • Pamp Suisse
  • Johnson Matthey
  • IGR
  • Perth Mint
  • Australian Gold
  • California Gold
  • American Gold
  • Canadian Gold
  • St. Gauden Set
  • Austrian Gold
• Offers a Royal Survival Pack (with 7 packages) that includes

a mix of gold and silver coins, bars, and bullions to help you prepare for emergencies and economic uncertainty.

Pros Of Noble Gold

• Provides resources to educate you about precious metals IRAs.
• Offers Noble Ambassador Survival Pack for those who want to hold precious metals within North America (outside the United States).
• Has the option to purchase gold with Bitcoin with the Noble Ambassador pack.
• Can choose between purchasing gold bars to invest in a gold IRA or storing them at home.
• Partnered with International Depository Services (IDS) to provide you with LBMA, COMEX/CME, and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) approved storage.
• Easily address your concerns to their support team by phone at (877) 646-5347 or email at [email protected].

Cons Of Noble Gold

• It only ships and stores your precious metals in Delaware, USA or Ontario, Canada (no matter where you are in the world).
• Higher storage, management, and administration fees than other custodians.

Pricing

• A $2,000 minimum investment for direct purchase or transfer and a $5,000 minimum for gold IRA rollovers.
• An $80 recurring annual administrative fee and a $150 annual storage fee if you store it in Texas or Delaware.
• A $5,000 to $500,000 Royal Survival Package to keep your precious metals at home in case of emergencies

Best For

• Best for low minimum investment and unique gold packages for emergencies and economic instability.

#4 Birch Gold Group—Best For Precious Metals Educational Resources

Birch Gold Group is a precious metal provider that helps you open an IRA to invest in gold and precious metals. They offer an extensive collection of gold and silver products, including palladium and platinum—which some companies like Augusta don’t offer. The company is also known for having high-quality customer service. Their team of specialists will guide you throughout the investment process to make sure that your gold IRA is created correctly with your financial goals in mind.

What sets them apart from the other custodians is that there are no fees when you transfer over $50,000 to your gold IRA. These include initial set-up, maintenance, and wire fees which are waived for the first year.

Features Of Birch Gold Group

• No fees for transfers over $50,000 for the first year.
• Provides transparency on their website when it comes to their fees.
• Allows you to diversify your portfolio by investing in other precious metals besides gold and silver.
• Free info kit to guide you on how to protect your retirement savings.
• Extensive collection of physical gold investments and other precious metals such as silver, platinum, and palladium.
• Offers a wide range of gold bullion products, including bars and coins such as:
  • American Gold Eagle.
  • American Buffalo Gold
  • Canadian Gold
  • Valcambi Suisse
  • South African Gold, and more.

Pros Of Birch Gold Group

• Provides educational resources for you to learn more about your gold IRA investment.
• Keeps its social media accounts and podcasts updated to offer insights on precious metals and the market.
• Partnered with secured depositories such as Delaware Depository and Brinks for your precious metals.
• Has a personalized service to assist you in converting your retirement accounts and answering your questions.
• High customer ratings on various review platforms such as Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot, and Google Reviews.
• Specializes in converting your previous IRAs and 401(k) plans into a new gold IRA account to hold precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
• Helpful customer support is available from Monday to Friday, 6 am to 5:30 pm PST, via phone call and email.

Cons Of Birch Gold Group

• Limited to U.S. investors.
• There’s a minimum initial investment of $10,000.
• It has a gold bar spread of $215 per ounce over COMEX (according to Forbes).
• They don’t work with non-self-directed IRAs.
• There may be hidden fees since their website doesn’t display actual figures.

Pricing

• A $50 initial set-up fee.
• A $30 wire transfer fee.
• A $40 transaction fee.
• A $80 annual maintenance fee and a $100 annual storage fee.
• A $10,000 account minimum for your first purchases, and no minimum after that.

Best For

• Best for investors who invest occasionally and are looking for lower maintenance fees.

#5 Goldco—Best For Free And Silver Bonus

Goldco is a top-rated IRA company that sells gold and silver directly to its clients so that you can easily purchase your own at competitive prices. It’s transparent with its fees, clearly stating them on its website. You can open a gold IRA account with $130 for its initial set-up and annual management fee. However, it requires a minimum investment of $25,000 which can be a little bit too much for small investors or those just starting to save for retirement.

One of Goldco’s gold IRA’s unique features is that you can choose to store your precious metals in a segregated depository—but with an annual storage fee of $150. Though if you are confident enough with its security, you can go for the $100 annual storage fee to store it with other people's gold.

Features Of Goldco

• Free secured storage for qualifying purchases for up to 3 years.
• Offers a great buyback program to guarantee instant access to your capital if you ever need it.
• Has the option to fund your retirement savings on IRA-approved coins and bars.
• Provides free shipping on deliveries and a 10% silver bonus on qualifying purchases.
• Has white-glove customer service to help you with necessary paperwork from start to finish.
• Offers a beginner’s guide kit to help you understand more about gold and precious metal investing.

Pros Of Goldco

• Annual storage fees may apply after 3 years.
• You can roll over your retirement accounts into a new gold IRA.
• A competitive annual fee of $180 compared to other gold IRA companies.
• Provides a strong emphasis on educational resources and customer support.
• Stores your gold coins and bars separately from the others for an additional fee (segregated storage).
• Has an A+ rating from the BBB and an AAA rating from Business Consumer Alliance.
• Easy account set-up in 3 steps:
  • You open your gold IRA account.
  • You fund it.
  • You purchase your precious metals.
• Maintains high purity standards on gold and silver and offers an exceptional buyback guarantee with their value-for-cost ratio.
• Convenient customer support you can call at 855-450-1394, available from Monday to Friday between 7 am to 4 pm (PST).

Cons Of Goldco

• A high minimum investment of $25,000, which is higher than what some other custodians offer.
• Only offers gold and silver investment (no platinum and palladium metals).

Pricing

• A $25,000 minimum investment for a gold IRA account.
• A $50 set-up fee and an $80 annual account management fee.
• A $100 annual storage fee if you want to store your gold in a non-segregated account, and a $150 fee if you want segregated storage.

Best For

• Best for inventors who only want to invest in gold and silver with free shipping.

What Is A Gold IRA?

A gold IRA is an individual retirement account (IRA) that allows you to invest your savings for retirement in gold and other precious metals like silver, palladium, and platinum. With a gold IRA, you can acquire physical gold bullion or coins and store them in IRS-approved deposit boxes.

Gold IRAs can be beneficial for your retirement in 5 ways:

• Diversification.
• A hedge against inflation.
• Tax benefits
• Control of your investments in precious metals.
• Long-term growth.

Having one is an excellent option for young adults and people near retirement age who are seeking long-term stability while protecting their money from economic uncertainty.

There are 3 different types of gold IRAs: Traditional, Roth, and Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRAs. Choosing the best type for you depends on your lifestyle, investment goals, employment status, and risk tolerance.

Remember that opening a gold IRA comes with additional costs, including set-up, maintenance, transfer, storage, and transaction fees. These may not be suitable for you if you have a lot of payments to settle annually.

If you're interested in investing in a gold IRA for your retirement, consider doing your research first or talk to a financial advisor to determine which IRA is the best to build your long-term wealth.

Benefits Of A Gold IRA

As mentioned above, there are a few major benefits to opening a gold IRA:

#1 Diversification

Having gold in your portfolio helps reduce your overall risk and provides added security when there are economic crashes. Different asset classes, including stocks, bonds, and gold investment, perform differently in different market conditions. Consequently, when one type of asset like stocks goes down, gold may go up in price, helping you cover your losses, thus making it a great tool for diversification.

#2 Tax Benefits

Gold IRAs can offer different tax benefits, depending on the type of account. If you opened a traditional gold IRA, its contributions are tax-deductible, which means that it reduces your taxable income for that year. On the other hand, Roth gold IRAs are paid with after-tax dollars, which means that your retirement withdrawals are tax-free.

#3 Inflation Hedge And Growth

Gold has been a stable asset that tends to hold its value over time. It provides growth as its price often increases despite market fluctuations.

#4 No Counterparty Risk

Unlike paper assets or stocks, physical gold doesn’t depend on the performance of a company or the government. Its value is determined by market supply and demand factors, which makes it valuable to your retirement portfolio.

#5 Limited Supply

The value of gold increases as it has a limited supply. Gold on the Earth’s crust is finite so it becomes rarer as it is mined. That means that the supply of gold tends to go down as time passes, boosting its value in the long term.

5 Tips To Consider When Choosing The Best Gold IRA Company

• Reputation and experience: To find the right company for your gold IRA, you must read different reviews and ratings on third-party websites such as BBB, Trustpilot, or even Consumer Affairs and choose one with a solid track record with its customers.
• Fees and expenses transparency: Look for companies that disclose fees on their services since some companies charge higher fees than others, which could result in reduced profits.
• Investment options and flexibility: Always choose a company that aligns with your investment goals, whether you want to invest your money in physical gold or both in gold and other precious metals.
• Storage security options: Before making a decision, you must ensure that your investments will be locked away in a reputable storage facility. These facilities include private security companies such as Delaware Depository and Brinks.
• Customer service and support: Opening a gold IRA doesn’t mean that you can just invest and forget; there are times when you’ll want or need to sell your gold or when you’ll want to invest more. That’s when you need someone to address your concerns; thus, choose a company that’s responsive and approachable.

Gold IRA FAQs

How much does a gold IRA cost?

The cost of having a gold IRA depends on your chosen custodian or broker. Fees include the initial set-up fee, management fees, storage fees, and transaction fees. These can range between $50 to $250 annually, thus, it’s important to do your research on the company that you are going to invest in to ensure you’re getting a good deal.

What is the cheapest gold IRA company?

The cheapest gold IRA company is Augusta Precious Metals. It has a one-time initial fee of $50 and $100 for the annual non-segregated storage fee. There is no maintenance fee since its gold IRA is self-directed, thus, you won’t need to pay any fees to manage your account. It also offers free shipping on all orders if you make a purchase of $5,000 or more within the United States.

Which gold IRA company has the lowest minimum investment?

The gold IRA company with the lowest minimum investment is Noble Gold Investments. Noble Gold requires a minimum investment of $2,000 if you are buying or transferring directly from them. However, if you are rolling over your IRA, then it requires a minimum investment of $5,000 – unlike other custodians that need a minimum of $10,000 or more for investing,

Is a Gold IRA worth it?

Yes, a gold IRA is worth it. Gold IRAs can be beneficial for 5 main reasons: diversification, inflation hedge, tax benefits, value, and limited supply. Investing in gold and other precious metals is a great tool for diversification since it can help reduce your portfolio risk and volatility. Gold can also be a good hedge against inflation as its value tends to rise as the value of paper currency declines. Lastly, it is a tangible asset that can be held and traded globally for centuries, representing real tangible value.

Can I keep my gold IRA in a safe at home?

No, you cannot keep your gold IRA in a safe at home. Although there are custodians that would deliver your precious metals directly to your home, that investment isn’t considered an IRA contribution. The IRS forbids storing your gold at home since it may compromise its safety and must always be stored in an IRS-approved depository.

Can you physically hold gold in a gold IRA?

Yes, you can physically hold gold, especially if it’s a self-directed gold IRA account. Remember that you must wait to take distributions or make withdrawals until you turn 59 ½. Otherwise, you may have to pay an early withdrawal penalty fee to the IRS.

Can I cash out my gold IRA?

Yes, you can usually cash out your gold IRA at any time. However, you may be subject to a 10% early-withdrawal fee if you start taking distributions from your account before turning 59 ½. It’s also worth noting that to cash out you must find a buyer for your gold. Some gold IRA companies offer buyback programs to buy your gold back from you if you decide to cash out, but others don’t. In the latter case, you may not have immediate access to your funds when you need them.