Advantage Gold Review
With over twenty years of personal experience related to precious metals and gold IRAs, and having made thorough evaluations of many different gold IRA companies, I feel qualified to share my research procedures and findings on Advantage Gold with you today.
I have concluded my extensive research with a qualified assessment of whether I consider Advantage Gold to be a worthy choice as a suitable and trusted gold IRA company.
Review Summary: Advantage Gold have come a long way in a short time as they have only been in business since 2014. They focus strongly on providing extensive education which is backed up with first class customer service. They have been voted #1 Trusted Gold IRA Company by Trustlink seven times, which speaks volumes and is a remarkable achievement for such a young company (compared to many of their competitors).
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‘At a Glance’ Analysis
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| Website | www.advantagegold.com |
| Phone No. | 1-800-341-8584 |
| RATINGS: | |
| BBB Rating (Scale of A+ to F) | A+ |
| BBB Customer Ratings |  |
| BBB Complaints |
0 complaints closed in last 3 years |
| BCA Rating (Scale of AAA to F) | AAA |
| BCA Complaints (last 3 years) |
0 |
| Trustlink Rating | |
| RETIREMENT FUNDS: | |
| Gold IRAs Offered (US) |  |
| Crypto IRAs Offered (US) |  |
| Gold RRSPs Offered (Canada) | |
| GENERAL: | |
| Preferred Depository | Brinks Global Services USA and Delaware Depository |
| Preferred Custodian | Self Directed IRA Services (SDIRA) |
| Minimum IRA Investment | $5000 |
| Physical IRA Application | |
| Digital IRA Application | |
| FEES: | |
| Set Up | $295 |
| Admin (annually) | $175 |
| Storage (annually) | $100 |
| TIMESCALES: | |
| IRA Transfer Process | 3 to 5 business days |
| 401k Rollover Process | 7 to 10 business days |
| Delivery of Metals | Up to 28 days |
| PEACE OF MIND | |
| US Mint Listed Dealer | |
| ICTA Member | |
| TRUST Pilot | not sure |
| ethics.net | not sure |
| Special Promotion | First year fees waived for new Gold IRA investments of $50,000+ |
| Website: |  |
Request Your Free Advantage Gold IRS Loophole Report
Advantage Gold’s Free Report provides a wealth of information about Gold IRAs, IRS Regulations and the Company itself.
You can request Advantage Gold’s Free IRS Loophole Report here
How Advantage Gold Have Evolved
Los Angeles based Advantage Gold are relative newcomers to the precious metals industry, having been in business since just 2014.
I have tracked them during that relatively short period, and can see that they have carved out a solid reputation. The company proudly proclaims that their main area of specialization is the conversion of existing traditional IRAs into Precious Metals IRAs. For that they maintain a dedicated, fully staffed department.
Advantage Gold put a big emphasis on education and ensure that all their customers are given the opportunity to learn as much as they desire about all aspects of Gold IRAs and the different types of coins and bullion that can be included in them.
I was impressed with their ‘First Time Gold Investor Program’ which provides a wealth of information about precious metals investment and the IRA rollover process.
The Company Today
- Advantage Gold in has 35 employees, the majority of whom specialize in IRAs.
- They offer just one type one investment account, which is the Gold IRA. This is a self directed IRA, which puts you in control of what’s included in it.
- Their product range is made up of gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion and coins, all of which are IRA approved. They concentrate on providing bullion and coins from the U.S. and Royal Canadian mints, rather than from mints elsewhere in the world.
Company Video
Management Team
The Advantage Gold Management Team bring with them a wealth of experience.
Co-Founder Kirill Zagalsky
Kirill Zagalsky
Kirill Zagalsky started his career in the precious metals industry, working for a national US Minted listed dealer.
From there he climbed the ranks to the position of Vice President with an established commodity brokerage firm.
He returned to his precious metals roots when Advantage Gold was incorporated.
Joint Co-Founder Adam Baratta
Adam Baratta
Adam Baratta worked as a Senior Account Executive for a well known US Mint listed dealer before joining forces with Zagalsky. There he specialized in Gold IRA Rollovers.
During his entrepreneurial career he has helped pioneer multiple ventures in the entertainment industry as well as co-founding a motion picture production company in partnership with NBC Universal and NHL.
Mr Baratta is also an award winning writer. His book ‘The Great Devaluation‘ sold over 10,000 copies in the first week of publication and has been ranked #1 Financial Book in America by USA Today. You can get a free copy here.
Ratings
I am aware from experience of evaluating many different gold IRA companies over the years that ratings at the main, independent customer review portals present a good reflection of a company’s past and present performance. That’s why I made this an important part of my research.
These are my findings as of :
BBB – Better Business Bureau
At the Better Business Bureau Advantage Gold have achieved an A+ Rating, which is the highest accolade.
At the time of my most recent BBB check there had been no closed complaints recorded against Advantage Gold in the previous 3 years.
Also at the time of my most recent check the Company had a 4.84/5 Rating based on 83 customer reviews.
BCA – Business Consumer Alliance
At the Business Consumer Alliance Advantage Gold have achieved a maximum AAA rating.
At the time of my most recent check they had received no complaints in the previous 3 years.
Trustlink
It’s at Trustlink that Advantage Gold come into their own. There, they have been voted #1 Trusted Gold IRA Company seven times.
It’s not surprising therefore that the vast majority of customer reviews posted at Trustlink (of which there are over 450) are very positive and collectively give them 5 out of 5 stars.
Ratings Compared
In the table below I have compared Advantage Gold’s ratings at independent review sites with the ratings of other leading Gold IRA Companies I have reviewed
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Gold IRA Company |
BBB |
BCA |
Trustlink |
Consumer Affairs |
| Advantage Gold | A+ | AAA | 5 out of 5 Stars | 5 out of 5 Stars |
| American Hartford Gold | A+ | AAA | 5 out of 5 Stars | 4.8 out of 5 Stars |
| Augusta Precious Metals |
A+ | AAA | 5 out of 5 Stars | 4.9 out of 5 Stars |
| BGASC | A+ | Not Listed | Not Listed | Not Listed |
| Birch Gold Group | A+ | AAA | 5 out of 5 Stars | 4.9 out of 5 Stars |
| Blanchard & Company | A+ | BBB | 1 out of 5 Stars | Not Listed |
| Goldco | A+ | AAA | 5 out of 5 Stars | 4.9 out of 5 Stars |
| Goldline | A | A | 2.5 out of 5 Stars | Not Listed |
| Rosland Capital | A+ | AAA | 3.5 out of 5 Stars | Not Listed |
Reviews and Complaints
Positive Reviews
The majority of the Advantage Gold Reviews that I found during my research were positive. Customers were seen to be particularly impressed with:
- The customer service. There were many mentions of knowledgeable and understanding staff who went out of their way to assist and for whom nothing was too much trouble
- The level of Education that Advantage Gold provide
- The streamlined Gold IRA process and the way Advantage Gold handle all the paperwork for you
Negative Reviews
The amount of negative reviews / complaints I found were few and far between and most of those had been resolved by Advantage Gold to the customer’s satisfaction.
Sample Reviews
Below are some examples of reviews I found on well respected independent consumer portals:
Website
I was impressed with the amount of information that the Advantage Gold website provides. It is clear that one of the website’s main objectives is to educate.
The Gold IRA section explains all about the Gold IRA process, investing in gold, different types of retirement accounts and details of all the IRS approved gold and silver.
The Learning Center provides broader information about IRAs in general, Retirement Tools, investment charts and videos. A particularly interesting and informative video that I recommend you look out for is the one where the Advantage Gold co-founders interview ‘Gold Evangelist’ Jim Rickards.
From the website I was able to access the Advantage Gold blog. I could see that this is updated around twice a week with relevant and topical information.
Products
In line with their focus on precious metals IRAs the products that Advantage Gold offer are exclusively gold, silver, platinum and palladium IRA approved coins.
And in line with their focus on educating their customers, on their website they provide images and comprehensive information about each coin that they offer.
Range of Services
Gold/Precious Metals IRAs
Advantage Gold’s core business is Gold IRAs. Their wide selection of precious metals are all IRS approved. They will help you to convert your existing retirement plan into a Gold IRA or to set up a brand new one. In doing so they will liase with your custodian if you already have one or introduce you to their recommended one, Self Directed IRA Services (SDIRA – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Horizon Bank) if you don’t. As your metals must be stored at a third party IRS approved depository they will arrange storage on your behalf at one of Brink’s Global Services Los Angeles, Brink’s Global Services Salt Lake City or Delaware Depository Wilmington DE.
Direct Delivery of Precious Metals
Investing In Gold through Advantage Gold is not restricted to Gold IRAs. If you wish to purchase any of their precious metals outside of an IRA they will deliver them direct to your nominated location. If you invest more than $25,000 they provide free rapid delivery which is fully insured.
Buy Back Program
Whenever you are ready to liquidate your metals in the future Advantage Gold will offer you their buy back services. The procedure is quick and simple. You fill out a form and submit it to them. They will then lock in a fair market price, transfer your metals to your chosen vault or location and wire you the funds.
Training & Education
If you are investing in precious metals for the first time this is a big advantage of working with Advantage Gold. They provide a wealth of useful, relevant and trustworthy information to help you make your investment decisions.
Responsive & Supportive Customer Service
Advantage Gold make Customer Service a high priority. i found during my extensive research that this comes well recommended by their customers. Many of the reviews I read referred to the high level of customer service that they received. Many mentioned that they didn’t experience some of the pushy sales tactics that they had with other companies.
Fees
Fees Compared With Their Competitors
In the following table I have compared the type and amounts of Advantage Gold’s fees with those of other leading Gold IRA Companies
| Gold IRA Company | Set Up Fees |
Admin Fees (annually) |
Storage Fees (annually) |
*Fee Type |
| Advantage Gold | $295 | $175 | $100 | Flat |
| American Hartford Gold |
$50 | $100 | $150 for segregated $100 for non-segregated |
Flat |
| Augusta Precious Metals | $50 + $30 wire fee | $80 | $150 for segregated $100 for non-segregate |
Flat |
| BGASC | Not divulged | Not divulged | Not divulged | Not divulged |
| Birch Gold Group | $90 | Not divulged | $160 | Flat |
| Blanchard & Company | $25 | $60-$250 (scaled) | $100 (scaled) | Scaled |
| Goldco | $50 + $30 wire fee | $80 | $150 for segregated $100 for non-segregate |
Flat |
| Goldline | $125 | $60-$250 (scaled) | $100 (scaled) | Scaled |
| Rosland Capital | $50 | £225 | Not divulged | Flat |
What Makes Advantage Gold Unique?
As part of my research, I checked out what this Company is doing differently to the competition. My research included me calling Advantage Gold and speaking to one of their Customer Service representatives. I found the gentleman I spoke to very helpful and clearly very knowledgeable about all aspects of the Company’s services and products. This is what I found:
- In line with their mission to educate new investors in all aspects of precious metals including Precious Metals IRA procedures they have created a unique First Time Gold Investor Program.
- Their Education Center is the most comprehensive learning center of all the companies we researched. This includes webinars, workshops, videos, analytical market charts and e-books.
- They have been voted #1 Trusted Gold IRA Company at Trustlink for the past five years in a row.
- They have two Welcome Bonuses. For IRA investors they will waive your first year fees if you invest more than $50,000. For Direct Delivery customers they provide free rapid and fully insured delivery if your investment exceeds $25,000.
- Advantage Gold are a US Mint Listed Dealer. This gives peace of mind that the precious metals they supply are authentic.
Pros and Cons
Although I discovered some negative points about Advantage Gold, you can see here that their pros quite considerably out weight their cons:
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Substantial education provided |
Still a relatively new Company in the industry |
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Excellent ratings across the board |
Limited foreign selection of coins (predominantly US and Canadian) |
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Voted #1 Trusted Gold IRA Company at Trustlink for past 5 years consecutively |
No cryptocurrency – so neither Crypto IRAs nor Combined Gold/Crypto IRAs offered |
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Specialist IRA department with knowledgeable staff |
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Great Customer Service record |
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U.S. Mint listed dealer |
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Buy back program available |
Who Are Advantage Gold Best Suited For?
I gave some thought to who I think can benefit from what Advantage Gold has to offer. This was my conclusion:
- New and First Time investors who can benefit from the excellent education offered
- Investors with retirement funds who want to add physical precious metals to their portfolios
- Long Term Investors who prefer long term stability to short term gains and recognize the benefits that precious metals have to offer
Advantage Gold vs. Competitors
Advantage Gold have made it into my list of Top 4 Gold IRA Companies in . It has to be said that fourth place is no mean feat for a company that has been in business for a relatively short time when compared with some of the long and well established companies who give them very stiff competition.
My 4 Best Gold IRA Companies
| Gold IRA Company | My Rating | Best For | Find Out More | |
| Best Overall | Augusta Precious Metals | |
ZERO BBB and BCA Complaints Ever | Read Review |
| #2 | Goldco |  |
High Percentage of Satisfied Customers | Read Review |
| #3 | American Hartford Gold | |
Best Gold IRA Newcomer | Read Review |
| #4 | Advantage Gold |  |
Education | Visit |
Summary
Despite being a relative newcomer into the industry Advantage Gold have grown their business and their reputation at a rapid pace. They provide first time investors with a wealth of information, putting a strong emphasis on education, and they specialize in precious metals IRAs.
My Verdict
My conclusion is based on the extensive research I did and with the benefit of me being able to make direct comparisons with the many other gold IRA companies that I have evaluated over the past 12 years. As a veteran in the precious metals and gold IRA fields I consider myself well qualified to make a rounded and informed judgement.
In my opinion Advantage Gold are most definitely a company worthy of consideration for your Gold IRA, even though they didn’t quite make it to my ‘Top Pick’ of gold IRA companies.
I encourage you to visit different gold IRA companies’ websites, to explore their products, and to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions.
My Rating:
Request Your Free Advantage Gold IRS Loophole Report
Advantage Gold’s Free Report provides a wealth of information about Gold IRAs, IRS Regulations and the Company itself.
See Also:
Augusta Precious Metals vs Advantage Gold
About the Author: Doug Young
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