Gold IRA Companies Compared Side by Side
I have over twenty years of personal experience in the precious metals and gold IRA fields to draw upon, and I have thoroughly evaluated a large number of gold IRA companies over the past 10 years.
Here I have compared the best gold IRA companies of side-by-side in respect of years in business, minimum IRA investment levels, complaints received, ratings, fees, preferred custodians & depositories and new customer incentives.
My desire is to pass on the benefit of extensive research I have conducted, combined with knowledge and experience I have gained over the years to help you make informed decisions when choosing a gold IRA company you can trust.
My 3 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 | Website Read My Review |
| #2 | Goldco |  |
High Percentage of Satisfied Customers | Website Read My Review |
| #3 | American Hartford Gold | |
Best Gold IRA Newcomer | Website Read My Review |
Reviews:
Side-By-Side Comparisons of the Best Gold IRA Companies:
Years in Business / Minimum IRA Investment
My many years of experience working in the precious metals field have taught me that these are particularly important considerations for first time customers when researching Gold IRA Companies. That’s why I am displaying them for comparative purposes.
|
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
I’ve constantly found that most people researching Gold IRA Companies tend to focus more on the number of positive reviews recorded than the number of complaints revealed. In my opinion the latter, and the way they were dealt with, are equally important and sometimes more significant.
In this table I am displaying what I discovered at Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) during my extensive research into the number of complaints made about all the Companies referred to.
|
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
I have listed below comparisons of the ratings awarded by Better Business Bureau, Business Consumer Alliance, Trustlink and Consumer Affairs during my most recent inspection of these authoritative independent review sites.
Drawing from my extensive experience in the precious metals industry I can confidently assert that these are the sites that command the most respect from customers.
|
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
In this table I have shown comparisons of the various fees charged by each company. Below it I have explained what I consider to be the vital importance of understanding the different storage options available, and the significance of understanding the impact that different fee types can have.
| 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 I consider it very important to understand the differences between these. I have explained why here, and highly recommend that you check it out: The Important Differences Between ‘Segregated’, ‘Commingled’, ‘Allocated’ and ‘Non Allocated’ Storage
- ** Some Gold IRA Companies charge flat fees and some charge scaled fees. The latter are a % of the fund value. Experience has taught me that it is essential 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
From many years of evaluating Gold IRA Companies I have learnt that typically, strong working relationships will have been built up between them and their preferred Custodians and Depositories over a number of years. I suggest that you consider working with their preferred and recommended partners to get the smoothest operation.
| 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
I am happy to share my research and personal experiences to benefit others. I hope you find the following articles that I have personally written helpful when conducting your own 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?
About the Author: Doug Young
See full bio
