Best Gold IRA Companies:
Reviews & Comparisons
The 3 Best Gold IRA Companies
| Gold IRA Company | Our Rating | Best For | Find Out More | |
| Best Overall | Augusta Precious Metals |  |
ZERO BBB and BCA Complaints Ever | Website Read Review |
| #2 | Goldco |  |
High Percentage of Satisfied Customers | Website Read Review |
| #3 | American Hartford Gold | |
Best Gold IRA Newcomer | Website Read Review |
Reviews:
Side-By-Side Comparisons of the Best Gold IRA Companies:
Years in Business / Minimum IRA Investment
|
Gold IRA Company |
Started in Business |
Min. IRA Investment |
| Advantage Gold | 2014 | $5,000 |
| American Hartford Gold |
2015 | $10,000 |
| Augusta Precious Metals | 2012 | $50,000 |
| BGASC | 2012 | $30,000 |
| Birch Gold Group | 2003 | $10,000 |
| Blanchard & Company | 1975 | Not Specified |
| Gainesville Coins | 2000 | No Minimum (?) |
| Goldco | 2006 | $25,000 |
| Goldline | 1960 | On Application |
| Lear Capital | 1997 | $5,000 |
| Rosland Capital | 2008 | $10,000 |
Complaints History
Comparisons of the number of complaints recorded at Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Business Consumer Alliance (BCA):
|
Gold IRA Company |
BBB |
BCA |
|
| Advantage Gold | 1 complaint closed in last 3 years
1 complaint closed in last 12 months |
0 in last 3 years |  |
| American Hartford Gold |
22 complaints closed in last 3 years
11 complaints closed in last 12 months |
2 in last 3 years | |
| Augusta Precious Metals | ZERO (All Time) | ZERO (All Time) | |
| BGASC | 0 | Not Listed | |
| Birch Gold Group | 9 complaints closed in last 3 years
2 complaints closed in last 12 months |
2 in last 3 years | |
| Blanchard & Company | 1 complaint closed in last 3 years
0 complaints closed in last 12 months |
0 in last 3 years | |
| Gainesville Coins | 13 complaints closed in last 3 years
6 complaints closed in last 12 months |
Not Listed | |
| Goldco | 12 complaints closed in last 3 years
9 complaints closed in last 12 months |
0 in last 3 years | |
| Goldline | 15 complaints closed in last 3 years
7 complaints closed in last 12 months |
0 in last 3 years | |
| Lear Capital | 39 complaints closed in last 3 years
15 complaints closed in last 12 months |
6 in last 3 years | |
| Rosland Capital | 21 complaints closed in last 3 years
2 complaints closed in last 12 months |
9 in last 3 years | |
Independent Ratings
Comparisons of ratings at independent and trusted consumer review sites:
|
Gold IRA Company |
BBB |
BCA |
Trustlink |
Consumer Affairs |
| Advantage Gold | A+ | AA | 5 out of 5 Stars | 5 out of 5 Stars |
| American Hartford Gold | A+ | AA | 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 | 4.8 out of 5 Stars |
| Blanchard & Company | A+ | BBB | 1 out of 5 Stars | Not Listed |
| Gainesville Coins | A+ | Not Listed | Not Listed | Not Listed |
| Goldco | A+ | AAA | 5 out of 5 Stars | 4.8 out of 5 Stars |
| Goldline | A+ | A | 2.5 out of 5 Stars | Not Listed |
| Lear Capital | A+ | AAA | 4.5 out of 5 Stars | 4.7 out of 5 Stars |
| Rosland Capital | A+ | AAA | 3.5 out of 5 Stars | Not Listed |
Fees
Comparisons of fees charged:
| 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-segregated |
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 |
| Gainesville Coins | $25+ (scaled) | $60+ (scaled) | $100+ (scaled) | Scaled |
| Goldco | $50 + $30 wire fee | $80 | $150 for segregated $100 for non-segregated |
Flat |
| Goldline | $125 | $60-$250 (scaled) | $100 (scaled) | Scaled |
| Lear Capital | $275 | $100 | $150 | Flat |
| Rosland Capital | $50 | £225 | Not divulged | Flat |
Notes:
- * There are different options for storage and it is very important to understand the differences between these: The Important Differences Between ‘Segregated’, ‘Commingled’, ‘Allocated’ and ‘Non Allocated’ Storage
- ** Some of the best Gold IRA Companies charge flat fees and some charge scaled fees. The latter are a % of the fund value. It is very important to understand the implications of these two types of fees because doing so can save you thousands of dollars over time.
Preferred Custodians and Depositories
Typically, strong working relationships will have been built up between the Gold IRA Companies and their preferred Custodians and Depositories over a number of years.
| Gold IRA Company | Preferred Custodian |
Preferred Depository |
| Advantage Gold | Self Directed IRA Services (SDIRA) | DDSC and Brinks Global |
| American Hartford Gold | Equity Trust Company | Equity Trust, Brinks, Delware Depository, IDS |
| Augusta Precious Metals | Equity Trust Company | Delaware Depository Services (DDSC) |
| BGASC | GoldStar Trust Company | Brinks Global |
| Birch Gold Group | Self-Directed IRA Services | Delaware Depository Services (DDSC) |
| Blanchard & Company | GoldStar Trust Company | HSBC Bank NYC |
| Gainesville Coins | New Direction IRA | Gainesville Storage |
| Goldco | Equity Trust Company | Delaware Depository Services (DDSC) |
| Goldline | GoldStar Trust Company | Delaware Depository Services (DDSC) |
| Lear Capital | Self-Directed IRA Services | Brinks Los Angeles |
| Rosland Capital | Equity Institutional | Delaware Depository Services (DDSC) |
New Customer Incentives
As with many businesses it’s normal for companies to make special offers to new customers. The Gold IRA space is no different. This is how the various offers compare.
|
Gold IRA Company |
Incentive #1 |
Incentive #2 |
Incentive #3 |
| Advantage Gold | Year 1 Set Up and Storage Fees waived | ||
| American Hartford Gold | Free Silver – Receive up to $10,000 in FREE silver delivered to your front door, on qualifying purchases | Up to 3 years with no IRA Fees; No Transfer, Storage or Maintenance Fees | |
| Augusta Precious Metals | Free Gold – choose from 3 Gold Coins | Up to 10 years of custodian and storage fees covered by Augusta | Free one-on-one educational web conference with Harvard trained economist |
| BGASC | Rare coins available | ||
| Birch Gold Group | None advertised | ||
| Blanchard & Company | None advertised | ||
| Gainesville Coins | None advertised | ||
| Goldco | 5% back in FREE silver when you invest $50,000-$100,000 | 10% back in FREE silver when you invest $100,000+ (no maximum) | First year fees waived for IRAs above $50,000 |
| Goldline | Free bullion coin on $10,000+ investments | Free shipping to the depository of your choice | |
| Lear Capital | $500 Bonus on account opening | 30 Day Price Guarantee | |
| Rosland Capital | None advertised |
Due Diligence Resources
You might find the following useful when conducting further research into Gold IRA Companies and Gold IRAs
10 Top Tips For Comparing Gold IRA Companies
How to identify ones you can really trust
Everything you need to know about Gold IRAs
Gold Investing Mistakes To Avoid
How to avoid some of the common mistakes that inexperienced investors make
Forewarned is forearmed! Avoid a big dent in your finances
Understanding The Importance of Silver
Why you shouldn’t overlook silver
What Makes a Good Gold and Silver IRA Provider?
Author: Doug Young
