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10 Top Gold IRA Companies (2017)

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Your FREE Gold IRA eBook can be found here!


Welcome to the Smart Gold IRA company review page. We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching, collecting data and reading customer praises and complaints to compile this list for you. If you’re interested and ready to invest directly or by doing a rollover into a Gold IRA this year, this is a great place to start.

Have a look around, read our valuable resources, and of course read the reviews of each company. You’ll quickly begin to see what makes each company unique in both their strengths and weaknesses. A reputable company leaves a trail of positive reviews, while less trustworthy companies will leave clues alluding to dishonest practices and dealings.


 Here is a list of the Top Gold IRA Companies

Rank Company Logo BBB Trustlink
Reviews
Minimum
Investment
Annual
Fees
Full
Review
1 Noble Gold Noble Gold Logo A+
0 Complaints
5 Stars
30 Reviews
$5,000 First Year

Waived

Read
Review
2 Birch Birch Logo A+
1 Complaint
5 Stars
49 Reviews
$10,000 Waived After

$50,000

Read
Review
3 Augusta Augusta Logo A+
2 Complaints
5 Stars
224 Reviews
$1,500 First Year

Waived

Read
Review
4 Blanchard Blanchard Logo A+
2 Complaints
1 Star
1 Review
Unlisted Variable Read
Review
5 Goldco Goldco Logo A+
3 Complaints
5 Stars
215 Reviews
Unlisted Waived After

$25,000

Read
Review
6 GoldSilver GoldSilver Logo A+
6 Complaints
5 Stars
3 Reviews
No Minimum Variable Read
Review
7 Monex monex Logo A+
8 Complaints
4 Stars
40 Reviews
Unlisted Variable Read
Review
8 Apmex apmex Logo A+
32 Complaints
5 Stars
1 Review
No Minimum Variable Read
Review
9 Lear Capital lear capital Logo A+
36 Complaints
0 Stars
320 Reviews
Unlisted Variable Read
Review
10 JM Bullion jmbullion Logo A+
93 Complaints
0 Stars
0 Reviews
No Minimum Variable Read
Review


Your next step is to pick a Gold IRA company

Now that you are doing your research on the best Gold IRA companies, it’s important to remember that this is a huge financial decision. But it does not have to be a difficult one. Even if you don’t know all of the details, or how to get started with your purchase or rollover into Gold, we’re here to make sure you understand the basics.

The greatest benefit for a list like the one we have provided, is that we’ve done the work of finding these companies for you. All you have to do now is pick a few, and give them a call.

There are many precious metals dealers out there; some focus on selling the metals for cash, while others focus on Gold IRA’s. We’ve narrowed this list down to the companies that offer direct and 401k to Gold IRA rollovers.

With the information included in these reviews, you can make an educated decision based on verifiable sources such as:

We’ve also taken these factors into consideration:

  • Storage type (segregated or commingled)
  • Customer service reputation
  • First time Gold IRA friendly (or not)
  • Annual fees
  • Minimum investment amount
  • Expertise in Gold IRA’s
  • Online presence (facebook, Google+)
  • Online IRA setup

Our top rated Gold IRA Company

#1. Noble Gold Investments

Smart Review: Noble Gold specializes in Gold IRA rollovers as well as direct investment opportunities. Noble Gold has a perfect track record with a total of 0 complaints across all trusted review and complaint resources. Noble Gold is first time Gold IRA friendly, but can also cater to the investment veteran. Their CEO, Charles Thorngren is an ex-stock broker with decades of experience in a wide range of investments. Their expertise is second to none. Noble Gold offers a low-pressure sales environment, with education and genuine care at the heart of their business. As an added bonus, Noble Gold covers the storage fees for the first year for Gold IRA customers. Read full review here.


If you have been searching for ways to protect your wealth and retirement in today’s uncertain economic times, you have come to the right place. Like many ultra high net-worth individuals, world banks and governments, we believe that Gold and Precious Metals are one of the best investments you can make today as part of a well diversified portfolio. We launched this section of our website to highlight the fact that one of the safest and most efficient ways Americans can invest in physical precious metals is to convert part of their IRA, 401k, Annuity or other retirement plans to a physical gold backed IRA….TAX FREE (often called a Gold IRA rollover).


Your FREE Gold IRA eBook can be found here!


Benefits of Having a 5-20% Gold & Silver Allocation in your IRA

The primary reasons you want to own physical gold (not paper gold) as part of an IRA are:

  • Hedge against the declining dollar and money printing policies. Again, history has shown that any decline in the value of the dollar correlates with a rise in the price of gold. While all other assets tend to follow the health of the dollar, gold gives your portfolio additional protection in case the dollar goes south.
  • Safe haven in times of geopolitical, economical and financial turmoil. Gold is often called the “crisis commodity”, because people worldwide flee to its relative safety when world tensions rise. While governments and central banks respond to crises by printing more money, gold cannot be produced and the limited supplies make it a hot commodity during those times.
  • Hedge against inflation AND deflation. History has shown that gold not only responds positively during inflationary times but holds up against deflation as well.
  • Supply and demand fundamentals. Gold is not just a beautiful shiny metal, it has real life commercial uses in various industries such as electronics, architecture, high-technology, medicine and more.  There are a limited amount of gold mines, and less mines are being discovered each year.
  • Store of value. As mentioned initially, you don’t necessarily get rich by owning gold. That is not the point of investing in physical metals. However, unlike stocks and bonds, the value of gold can never be zero.
  • Portfolio Diversification and Protection. As pointed out previously, gold has had a negative correlation to stocks, bonds and the dollar. Is your portfolio stock-heavy? All successful investors will tell you that when it comes to investing: you don’t want to put all your eggs in the same basket.

 


 

We Recommend Gold and Silver IRA’s Because One Percenters Invest In Them. You are likely here because you are doing your due diligence on the BEST Gold IRA companies. We don’t blame you. We know how important this is to you. That is why we created this section on our site. We encourage you to spend the time to read the Gold IRA company reviews below.

Why Gold Now?

“Anyone who gets educated and takes action, will have massive amounts of wealth transferred towards them instead of away from them”

Gold is incredibly rare – very little supply & surging demand
During periods of great fear, people run to what they feel is safe (gold & silver)
Government debt is spiraling out of control (over $19 trillion)
Financial experts are predicting a massive correction in the stock market
It provides the flexibility and liquidity that other tangible investments can’t offer
Silver and Gold are currently undervalued (Gold is approximately 30% lower than its all time high price and Silver is around 60% lower)
Russia and China are continuing to increase their gold reserves (preparing for US Dollar debasement)
How Rare is Gold?

If you could gather all the gold mined in history, melt it down, and pour it into one giant cube, it would measure only about 21 Meters across!
world gold supply

That’s all the gold owned by every government on earth, plus all the gold in private hands, all the gold in rings, necklaces, chains, and gold art. That’s all the gold used in tooth fillings, in electronics, in coins and bars. It’s everything that exists above ground now, or since man learned to extract the metal from the earth. All of it can fit into one Olympic sized swimming pool. it would weigh about 91,000 tons — less than the amount of steel made around the world in an hour. That’s rare.

What is a Gold IRA?

A Gold IRA is very similar to a traditional IRA (Individual Retirement Account) that provides you with certain tax advantages. The main differences are that it is self-directed, and it allows ownership of physical precious metals.
With a Gold IRA, your retirement funds are no longer limited to paper-backed assets such as mutual funds, stocks or bonds.

Why is a Gold IRA Rollover better than buying Gold the old fashioned way?

While most savvy investors understand the benefits of investing in precious metals like gold, silver, platinum and palladium, not everyone has tens of thousands of dollars sitting around in cash that would allow them to buy it directly. Even if you did have large sums of cash ready to buy gold with from a dealer, that’s after-tax money; your net capital that’s left after the tax man gets his cut of your gross income. That’s why the Gold IRA has become very popular.

Many people do have a larger amount of investable funds in their IRA or 401k. You can rollover your funds into a Gold IRA, TAX FREE.
Now investors can add or rollover gold, silver and other precious metals directly into a precious metals IRA. Such accounts are ideal for first-time investors seeking the security of physical gold and silver, as well as investors with existing retirement accounts, including IRAs, 401(k), 403(b) plans.

While such retirement accounts once included only stocks, bonds, and money-backed assets such as U.S. Treasury Bills and mortgage-backed securities, now retirement investors can share the security of an IRA account backed by physical gold and other precious metals.

Precious metal IRAs in gold, silver, platinum and more have become a key way for those on the road toward retirement to diversify their assets and reduce the effects of inflation on their retirement savings. Coins and bars approved by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must be held in an insured, licensed depository for safekeeping, then can be taken home based on federal rules for withdrawal.

Best Gold IRA Company Selection Criteria

1. Verifiable online reviews. Look for reliable, independent review services to see what real customers say about the gold IRA company’s products and services. If most reviews are positive, the consumer probably can assume future gold IRA transactions would also be positive.

2. Live interaction. Don’t purchase gold and silver online without talking to a live representative. Ask questions, find out about the company, determine how transactions work. Identify potential problems. A live conversation helps determine the legitimacy of a gold IRA provider.

3. Hard questions. All sales representatives have scripts to follow, but they also should be able to go off-script in a serious, sincere conversation about your investment needs and the proper role of physical gold and silver in your portfolio.

4. Absence of high pressure. Any gold IRA company is in business to make a profit, but legitimate companies know the best path to profit is honest service and quality products. If your gold IRA account executive is using intimidation and severe scare tactics, it’s time to try another company.

5. Professionalism. This can be difficult to define. Clues that indicate a company operates with professional integrity include efficiency, respectfulness, quality marketing materials, clear communication, high-level knowledge and more.

6. Official paperwork. The purchase of physical gold and silver within a gold IRA necessarily includes official confirmation steps and paperwork to make your investment valid for tax deferment. If you don’t see paperwork, do not transfer your money.

7. Reasonable prices. Compare prices and ensure the company is offering prices at the market average or lower. Conversely, if prices are too good to be true, there is probably a less-than-honest reason.

 

10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Gold IRA Company

How long does it take for my Gold IRA/401k Rollover to process?

Your Gold IRA/401k should not take more than 2 days to process. The companies that offer simple online application forms will be able to process your ‘paperwork’ more efficiently than those who are still using paper and ink.

Are you experts in Gold IRA’s?

Many companies are bulk dealers in Gold and other precious metals. The IRA’s are often just a small portion of their business. Why not go with a company who focuses on Gold IRA’s exclusively? You are almost guaranteed to get personal service this way. For such an important (and large) transaction, choose someone who you feel good about and can build a rapport with.

Do they charge a premium over spot price for the Gold?

It’s very common for Gold IRA companies to charge a premium on the precious metals that will be included in your stash. You can often read complaints on ripoffreport.com or BBB about how the person was charged ‘10%,20%,30% over spot’. We advise you to keep updated on the current trends in Gold prices to verify that you are getting a fair deal on your metals at the time of purchase. Make sure that the price is locked in so that are no surprises!

What are the fees? Are they flat or scaling?

Some companies charge flat fees, no matter how much Gold you hold. The fees cover administrative, setup and storage costs on an annual basis. Other companies charge scaling fees – meaning you will be charged a % based on how much Gold is being stored. Also, in some cases, we have seen some companies waive the fees completely for the first year, just to get you going.

What do past clients say?

With the internet, there is so much information out there. You can paint a pretty clear picture of how reputable, trustworthy and experienced a company is just by reading reviews, testimonials and complaints. If you find even 1 complaint on a company, it might not be worth the risk. The next complaint could come from you! Do your research, check Trustlink, Consumer Affairs, the ripoffreport, BBB. You can always just refer to our chart above, we’ve done this for you.

What kind of storage do you offer?

Will your gold be held in segregated or commingled storage? Basically, will my Gold be kept with other peoples Gold, or separately?

How long have you been dealing with Gold IRA’s?

What you want is a company (actually, the people behind the company) to have pedigree in the industry in which they claim to be experts in. Find out how long they have been dealing in precious metals…or more importantly, Gold IRA’s.

What is the delivery time when I request my Gold?

You should know when you will get your Gold should you request it. If it takes more than 7 business days, we would consider that unacceptable.

Will you buyback my Gold when I want to cash out?

When you want to liquidate your holdings for cold-hard-cash, what are you going to do? Sell them on eBay? No. You probably don’t want to do anything, you just want the money. Ask the company if they will buy them back from you. this is called a buyback. You just sit back and wait for the check in the mail. It should be that simple.

Can I apply online?

So you want to apply for your Gold IRA…how do you do it? Does the company mail or fax the paperwork to you? That is fine, but you’re probably reading this on a computer or phone, wouldn’t it be great to apply right now? Some companies offer online applications, while others don’t seem to. Ask about this. It will also give you some insight as to how modern or outdated their operations truly are. I would go with the modern methods, as you will be able to track the progress of your application easier and not have to worry about your file sitting on someones desk.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I already have an IRA, can I rollover or transfer my existing IRA/401k to a self-directed precious metals IRA?

Yes, absolutely. a ‘rollover’ is an ideal way to purchase gold and other precious metals because of the tax savings. A self directed IRA custodian can help you do a rollover or transfer your existing IRA into a ‘Gold IRA’. For a list of our top rated Gold IRA companies, see our list and reviews here.
How long will it take to rollover my existing IRA/401k?

This will vary based on which company you choose to do the Gold IRA rollover with. It would be best to clarify this by calling different companies. For our top rated Gold IRA company, see our list and reviews here.
I’m doing a rollover using my 401k funds, how much time do I have to deposit them into my new Gold IRA?

With a 401k rollover, generally your money is paid to you directly. You have 60 days once you have the funds to transfer them into your self-directed IRA (SDIRA). If you fail to do so, it is considered a withdrawal and there could be tax implications and penalties.
I don’t want to put ALL of my funds into Precious Metals, what should I do?

You are allowed to have more than one IRA account. You can choose to allocate any amount you please towards physical precious metals. Gold IRA companies have there own policies and minimums. See our list of companies to compare their requirements.
How long does it take for my Precious Metals to physically be in my Gold IRA account?

Once your SDIRA account is funded and your precious metals are ordered, the metals will usually ship out from within 1-5 business days. This completely depends on which company you choose to handle your SDIRA however. It’s a good question to ask.
Are my Precious Metals safe in an IRS approved depository?

Yes, absolutely. Much safer than at home! Your precious metals are fully insured at metals depositories. This is what they do.
It’s even possible to store your precious metals outside of the USA (Canada for example). Why would you want your gold outside of your own country? In 1933, the US government demanded that every citizen turn in there gold holdings as the government did not have enough of their own. The ‘Executive Order 6102’ required all persons to turn in their gold on or before May 1, 1933. The order forbid the hoarding of gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates within the continental United States. The effect of the order, in conjunction with the statute under which it was issued, was to criminalize the possession of monetary gold by any individ
ual, partnership, association or corporation. The gold confiscation was believed by some to be a bailout of the privately-controlled Federal Reserve Bank.

executive_order_6102

*Note: If you just want to buy gold and keep it in your house or bank deposit box, that is always an option – this would simply happen outside of an IRA Rollover or Transfer. IRA funds cannot be used in that case.

How do I know my Precious Metals actually exist?

Depositories provide up-to-date accounting and reporting with online portals to check on your precious metals; Like another bank account. Only with your gold, it’s physically there, not just a number on a screen.
The best storage is ‘segregated’ and not ‘commingled’. Segregated meaning your metals are kept in their own space with your name on them, separated from other peoples metals. Since the metals in the depository belong to you, you should be able to schedule a visit to see and touch your stash within the safety of that depository, without taking the distribution/withdrawal and suffer the tax implications.

What are the tax benefits of purchasing Precious Metals through an IRA?

Rather than using after-tax dollars to purchase precious metals, a rollover involves using pre-tax funds to make the purchase.
If you were to take a distribution of your IRA funds, pay the penalties and taxes, then decide to buy gold with your net proceeds, your buying power would be significantly less. This is the IRS ‘loophole’ that is mentioned for Gold IRAs; the ability to buy gold with your gross funds rather than net funds

I want to keep my Precious Metals in my house/bank, is this possible?

There are companies that offer Home Storage Gold IRA programs. However, we would not recommend this. IRS rules for precious metals IRAs state that the precious metals must be shipped to an approved IRA depository.
Otherwise, it would be considered a distribution and have tax implications. The depository holds your precious metals until the time you want to sell or take physical possession of them.

*Note: If you just want to buy gold and keep it in your house or bank deposit box, that is always an option – this would simply happen outside of a IRA Rollover or Transfer. IRA funds cannot be used.

When can I take possession of my Precious Metals?

Anytime you want. However, this is considered a distribution and there will be taxes/penalties to pay.
What are the fees involved with a Precious Metals IRA?

This all depends on which company you choose to do your rollover. The size, precious metals and storage type will affect the fees for you as well.
Some companies will pay the fees for you, to gain a competitive advantage (this does not mean that there are no fees involved in storing your precious metals – it’s just a matter of who is going to pay them for you or not). Most Gold IRA companies don’t clearly disclose there fees. Fee structures are often difficult to find, take a look at our Gold IRA company list for more information about fees for each company on our list.

How to Open Up or Rollover to a Gold IRA

Starting a Gold IRA is pretty simple. You can either rollover a current IRA, or you can convert a 401k, Roth IRA, SEP, 403b, TSP, Annuity or Pension Plan.
It’s unlikely that your current employer, will allow you to transfer funds into a Gold IRA plan. However, after you’ve transitioned out of your job, you can have control of those retirement funds without penalty, all while maintaining tax-deferred status. That is the key.

To invest in a Gold IRA, an expert advisor will walk you through the paperwork, then guide you through the metals choosing process and selecting a depository.

Get started: our #1 pick that we recommend is Noble Gold Investments. The Noble Gold founders have completed over $200 Million in precious metal transactions and have over 20 years of combined experience. Noble Gold full review.
Steps to open your Gold IRA

1. Open Your Account

Fill out a short online application at noblegoldinvestments.com. You can also request an application by mail, email or fax. When the application is finished, they will take it from there. Then you will be linked up with a Gold IRA custodian.

2. Transfer Your Funds

Noble will work directly with your IRA custodian to rollover assets of your 401k or IRA into your new Gold IRA.

3. Choose Your Metals

Choose the IRA approved precious metals you would like to add to your Gold IRA account and they will ship them to their preferred IRS approved depository where your metals will be secured and insured. Noble will pay your first year of fees!

ira approved gold

General Rules for a Precious Metals IRA

Rule 1 : Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are required by the IRS to meet these standards of purity and fineness:

Gold .995%
Silver .999%
Platinum .9995%
Palladium .9995%
Rule 2: IRA held Precious metals must be stored in an insured 3rd party depository.

Rule 3 Precious metals IRA’s are subject to the same tax laws of traditional, Roth, SEP or Simple IRA plans.
Eligible accounts for Rollover into a Gold IRA

Roth IRA
Traditional IRA
SEP
401(k)
403(b)
TSP (Thrift Savings Plans)
Some annuities
Pension plans
See our Quick IRA Checklist for more detailed information about your IRA limits and allowances.

What the 1% are saying about Gold

With the looming election in November, financial market experts are saying to avoid paper backed investments. Check out what Bill Gross, the successful bond manager who runs the $1.5 billion Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund, says about the future of the stock market and inflatable assets:

bill gross
Bill Gross
“Banks, insurance companies, pension funds and Mom and Pop on Main Street are stripped of their ability to pay for future debts and retirement benefits,” he said. “Central banks seem oblivious to this dark side of low interest rates. If maintained for too long, the real economy itself is affected as expected income fails to materialize and investment spending stagnates.”

“I don’t like bonds; I don’t like most stocks; I don’t like private equity. Real assets such as land, gold, and tangible plant and equipment at a discount are favored asset categories.” from Fortune magazine in July.

marc faber
Marc Faber
While Marc Faber isn’t bearish on global stocks, the Swiss investor is looking to other areas of the market for a place to make money: Gold and U.S. government debt.“[Gold] has been a very good investment since 1999,” Faber told the FOX Business Network’s Trish Regan. “[It’s] much better than the S&P 500 and much better than tech stocks in the U.S. Certainly over the last six months nobody can accuse me of having been wrong to buy gold.”
Faber, who is the publisher of “The Boom, Gloom & Doom Report,” also recommended buying Treasury bonds, despite a recent plunge in the yield after last week’s Brexit vote. He also said he is certain there will be more quantitative easing from the Federal Reserve, in part due to the U.S. presidential election.

“Both candidates for the presidency will increase the deficit meaningfully,” he remarked. “And that will require the Fed to buy more paper that is issued by the Treasury.” He added, “in the long run, most governments in the Western world, if they had to account like a corporation, would be bankrupt. And so more money printing will become a necessity.”

jim rogers
Jim Rogers
Jim Rogers Talks Markets: A Recession Is About To Hit “Corporate earnings are down in the United States for the last 3 quarters. The recession, it is starting, it is in place. Most stock markets around the world are down, most stocks in the United States are down. If central banks were not printing so much money, everything would be down.” – said Jim Rogers in August.

Click below for your free, no-obligation gold investment eBook

gold IRA investing guide
Featured IRA Approved Precious Metals

american gold eagle coin
American Gold Eagle

‘The American gold eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States. Authorized under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, it was first released by the United States Mint in 1986. Since its introduction, the Gold American Eagle coin has been in high demand every year. The modern Gold Eagles are a whisper of history as they showcase the design that made its first appearance on American Gold coins in 1907.’

american silver eagle coin
Silver American Eagle

‘The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. It was first released by the United States Mint on November 24, 1986. It is struck only in the one-troy ounce size, which has a nominal face value of one dollar and is guaranteed to contain one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver.’

american platinum eagle coin
American Platinum Eagle

‘The American Platinum Eagle is the official platinum bullion coin of the United States. In 1995, Director of the United States Mint Philip N. Diehl, American Numismatic Association President David L. Ganz, and Platinum Guild International Executive Director Jacques Luben began the legislative process of creating the Platinum Eagle. After over two years of work, the coins were first released by the United States Mint in 1997.’

canadian palladium maple leaf
Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf

‘First minted in Nov. 2005, the Palladium Maple Leaf coin is the latest and first Palladium addition to the Maple Leaf bullion coin series issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. Guaranteed by the Canadian Government for weight, purity and face value, the Palladium Maple Leaf is legal Canadian tender with a face value of 50 Canadian dollars. Moreover, the Palladium Maple Leafs are struck in pure .9995-fine Palladium.’

Click Here to Get Your Free No-Obligation Gold IRA Investment eBook

gold and silver IRA investing guide

We hope that you have found our list of the top rated Gold IRA companies useful. Once again, thank you for visiting and please check back often as new information is added frequently! – One Percenter


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