Gold is an excellent asset for your retirement because it is a hedge against inflation, it’s a safe haven in times of economic uncertainty, and it can be used to diversify your portfolio by adding another asset class.
In this article we will discuss some of the best gold IRA companies that offer investors the opportunity to invest in gold through the use of an IRA or 401(k).
The biggest advantage of a gold IRA is that it allows you to diversify your assets.
Best Gold IRA Companies
What Are Gold IRA Companies
There are a lot of ways to invest in gold, but one of the best is through an IRA. It is a great way to get started in the world of investing and can be done with just a few dollars.
In this article, we will discuss some of the best gold IRA companies that allow you to invest in precious metals.
We will also go over what makes these companies so great and how they compare to other options available for investors.
There are many different types of IRAs that you can use when it comes to investing in precious metals like gold.
These include traditional IRAs (like Bankers Trust), Roth IRAs (where you pay taxes at withdrawal) and SEP-IRAs (where you pay taxes on contributions).
Best Gold IRA Companies – Introduction
You can invest in a number of assets including stocks, bonds and mutual funds. You can also invest in real estate or purchase precious metals such as gold and silver.
A gold IRA offers many benefits over other types of retirement accounts, including:
- No tax on capital gains or dividends
- You don’t have to pay income taxes on the actual investment itself. In addition, most companies don’t charge annual maintenance fees.
However, some companies do charge a fee for storage and insurance on the gold account.
This fee is generally reasonable and comparable to other financial institutions that offer similar services. Some companies even offer free storage!
Inflation can erode the value of your savings over time if you invest in traditional savings accounts or certificates of deposit (CDs).
But gold has historically been an effective hedge against inflation because its value increases when inflation rises.
What are the Best Gold IRA Companies?
1. Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals is a gold and silver bullion dealer in the United States that has been in business for over a decade. The company offers both online and offline services, including secure online ordering, live phone support, and direct mail catalogs.
Features
Augusta Precious Metals is an online precious metals retailer based in Washington State. The company sells gold and silver bullion, coins and bars, as well as other forms of investment-grade precious metals.
The company also offers free shipping on all orders over $500.
Augusta Precious Metals features a wide selection of products, including:
- Gold bullion bars and coins (1 oz., 10 oz., 100 oz., 1 kilo)
- Silver bullion bars and coins (1 oz., 10 oz., 100 oz.)
- Platinum bullion (1 oz.)
- Palladium bullion (1 oz.)
Pros
This company has been around for over twenty years, so they have plenty of experience in the business. They also have a great reputation for providing excellent customer service and offering competitive prices on their products. Here are some of the top reasons why you should use Augusta:
- Large Selection
- Quality Products
- Highly Regarded Company
- Excellent Customer Service
Augusta Precious Metals is a private mint that produces gold and silver bullion products.
2. Birch Gold Group
Birch Gold Group is a premier provider of precious metals to the retail and wholesale markets. 
Birch Gold is a precious metal IRA specialist. With a team of ex-wealth managers, commodity brokers, and financial advisors, the company educates people about purchasing precious metals and offers gold IRA solutions (amongst many others).
3. Goldco Precious Metals
Goldco Precious Metals is a gold and silver bullion dealer located in Virginia, United States. They sell gold and silver coins, bars, rounds and jewelry.
Goldco Precious Metals was founded in 2011 by two brothers who had a passion for precious metals. They both worked hard to grow their business and now have over 100 employees.
They have grown their business by offering great prices on gold and silver bullion and other numismatic products.
Goldco Precious Metals offers competitive pricing on all of their products because they have low overhead costs. The owners are able to pass the savings onto their customers by selling directly from the source without any intermediaries involved in the process.
This allows them to offer lower prices than other dealers who mark up the price of their inventory before selling it to you
Goldco Precious Metals has earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) due to its high standards of customer service, ethical business practices, and commitment to fair pricing
Pros
Goldco Precious Metals is also one of the only companies that sells all of their products online. That means that you can place your order from home or on the go with your mobile phone or tablet using their mobile app.
One other thing that makes Goldco Precious Metals stand out from other precious metals dealers is the fact that they are members of both the National Association of Gold Dealers (NAGD) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Goldco Precious Metals is a gold and silver company offering both precious metal IRAs as well as cash purchases of precious metals for customers across the United States.
4. Advantage Gold
Features
Advantage Gold is a high-quality, durable and long-lasting product. It is manufactured using a special blend of alloys to give it the necessary strength, durability and flexibility that you need in a material of this type.
Advantage Gold Features:
- 100% guaranteed to be free of defects and workmanship for life
- No annual maintenance fees required
- Easy to install – no professional installation required
- Lifetime warranty against sagging or failure due to corrosion and rusting.
Advantage Gold is professional lottery software for Windows OS. More than 50 lotto charts and strategy reports help you zero in on the winning lottery numbers.
5. Regal Assets
Regal Assets was founded in 2012 with the goal of providing a better way to buy, sell and store precious metals. 
Features
- Physical gold and silver bullion
- Precious metals e-commerce platform
- Investment consulting services
- Peer-to-peer lending platform
- Digital currency exchange
- Global portfolio management service
- An online store that sells gold and silver bars and coins
Pros
- Long-term track record
- Highly rated by customers on Trustpilot and Yelp
- Offers competitive prices on gold, silver and platinum bullion coins and bars
- Prompt shipping times
Regal Assets is a gold investment company which specifically assists people in securing their savings and investments by introducing gold packed IRA programs.
6. Noble Gold
Feature
1. The transactions on Noble Gold are fast and secure
2. There are no limits on the number of coins you can buy, sell or trade
3. You can access your account from any device that has an internet connection
Pros
1. Noble Gold sells high-quality products at affordable prices. The company uses only genuine gemstones and precious metals such as gold and silver in its products so that you get the best value for your money.
2. You can trust Noble Gold because it uses PayPal as its payment gateway so that all transactions are secure and protected against frauds like chargebacks and unauthorized payments. You also have the option of paying with credit cards or debit cards if you want to pay over time instead of paying with cash on delivery (COD).
3. The company offers free shipping worldwide on all orders above $50 so that you don’t have to worry about paying any extra charges if you’re ordering from outside the United States or Canada.
Noble Gold Investments is a leading gold & silver IRA that allows you to buy precious metals for retirement or buy gold and silver bullion to store at home.
What are the Best Gold IRA Investment Companies?
Gold IRA companies are a great way to invest in gold. The best gold IRA companies offer access to the most popular gold coins and bullion products at competitive prices, and they can help you determine the right investments for your circumstances.
There are many gold IRA companies on the market today, but not all of them offer the same level of service or value. Some charge high fees and mark up their prices, while others don’t offer enough guidance or support. So how do you know which ones are worth your time?
Here’s what you should look for when choosing a gold IRA investment company:
Low fees.
Low fees are especially important if you’re buying physical gold bullion, such as coins or bars. If you buy these products from an online dealer, you’ll typically pay a small commission fee on top of any shipping charges that apply to your order.
High liquidity.
Liquidity refers to how quickly you can sell your assets for cash when needed like if there’s an emergency that requires cash right away. A good company will allow you to sell your assets quickly without having to worry about losing money due to market fluctuations or other factors outside of your control.
Why is choosing a gold investment company a better idea than going alone?
Many people who have been in the market for gold coins have asked themselves: “What kind of gold investment company should I use?” This is a very important question because if you don’t choose the right company,
There is a chance that you will not receive all of your money back. The best way to get started with this process is by looking at several different companies and comparing their offers.
When you are comparing offers, make sure that they are all from reputable companies so that you can be sure that they will deliver on their promises.
One thing that most people want to know when looking at these companies is how much money they will make on their investment. There are two ways that people can make money off of investing in gold coins; either by keeping them as an investment or by selling them back to the company when they want their money back.
You will make more money from selling them back if the price of gold goes up over time but if it doesn’t then you won’t make any profit at all until after you sell them off for less than what you paid for them originally.
Factors To Consider For When Choosing A Precious Metals IRA Company
When it comes to investing, there are many options out there. One of the most popular is a precious metals IRA.
However, if you want to make sure that you are making the right choice for yourself and your future, then you will want to be sure that you are choosing the right precious metals IRA company.
Here are some factors to consider when it comes to choosing a precious metals IRA company
Reputation – If a company has been around for awhile, then they have probably built up a decent reputation within the industry. You can find out how long they have been in business by doing some research online or asking around with other investors.
If they have been around for awhile, then they have likely built up a good reputation among their customers and peers in the industry. This can help give you peace of mind in knowing that they have proven themselves over time as being trustworthy and reliable when it comes to handling your money.
Customer Service – When looking at different precious metals IRA companies, it is important to look at customer reviews and see what people say about them online. A good company should be able to provide excellent customer service whether by phone or email so that you can get any questions answered about their products.
Precious Metals IRA Company Benefits offered
Precious metals IRA companies offer a lot of benefits to investors looking to diversify their portfolios. The following are some of the most important:
Your investments are protected by the US government
Precious metals IRA companies are insured by the US Government. This means that if your retirement account gets stolen or lost, the US Government will step in and make up for your losses.
No other investment vehicle can provide this level of protection, which is one reason why many people choose to invest in precious metals IRAs.
You can reduce your tax burden
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows you to deduct any expenses related to managing your precious metals IRA from your taxable income each year. So if you buy gold or silver with your IRA, you won’t have to pay taxes on those purchases until you sell them or convert them back into cash at some point in the future.
This can help reduce your overall tax burden over time because you’re not paying taxes on profits when they’re made just when they’re cashed out.
Precious Metals IRA Company Security levels of gold IRAs
The security levels of gold IRAs are among the highest in the industry. The level of security is determined by how the gold is stored and how it is insured.
Physical Gold Storage
Your IRA holdings are stored in a secure, bank-like vault located at a third party facility. The vault is secured by multiple layers of physical and electronic security systems which include biometric identification, access control systems, surveillance cameras, alarm systems, and 24-hour monitoring by U.S. armed guards.
This type of storage meets the highest industry standards for protecting your gold IRA assets from theft or loss due to natural disasters or other acts of God. Your account information is also kept under lock and key at all times in an impenetrable database with daily backups for extra security against computer viruses or hackers attempting to gain access to your account information.
Precious Metals IRA Company Pricing structures
IRA-approved precious metals companies generally have three pricing structure options. There is a one-time set-up fee, which can range from $250 to $500.
There are also annual storage fees, which can range from $50-$100 per year. Most of the time, this fee is waived if you maintain a certain balance in your account. The third fee that some companies charge is an annual percentage based fee on the value of your account.
The percentage varies depending on the company and can be as high as 2%.
Some precious metals IRA companies offer special rates for IRA customers. This can include lower premiums or lower storage fees than their standard rates.
Precious Metals IRA Company Other types of precious metals IRAs offered
When you buy a gold or silver bullion coin, you are purchasing an asset that is backed by the U.S. government. These coins carry no credit risk and have an unlimited upside potential.
The following are some of the other types of precious metals IRAs offered:
Silver Bars – These bars are made up of 99.9% pure silver, which means they contain the highest amount of silver content per ounce in comparison to any other product on the market today.
They come in a variety of sizes, from 1 ounce all the way up to 100 ounces. Silver bars can be purchased from most reputable dealers in varying denominations that range from $1,000 all the way up to $100,000+!
Gold Coins – Gold coins can be found in many different denominations as well and typically come in sizes ranging from 1 gram all the way up to 100 grams (1 kilogram). This provides investors with multiple options for diversifying their portfolios into this highly sought after asset class!
Precious Metals IRA Company Ease of withdrawal
The ease of withdrawal is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting a precious metals IRA company. The gold and silver stored in your account should be readily available whenever you need it.
Most companies allow withdrawals with little notice, but some will require you to give them several weeks’ notice before cashing in your holdings. If you need immediate access to your holdings, you may want to choose an IRA provider that allows for same-day or next-day withdrawals.
Precious Metals IRA Company Quality and fineness of gold
The quality and fineness of gold is a very important factor when deciding which gold investment to make. The quality of the metal determines how pure it is, while the fineness refers to how many karats or parts out of 24 that are pure gold.
Both are important factors when choosing an IRA custodian for your precious metals investments.
When investing in gold, you should know that most bullion coins contain at least 99.9% pure gold. Many coins contain 99.99% pure gold, which is known as “four nines” or “400 parts per thousand”.
This means that there are 400 parts per thousand of silver mixed into the coin’s alloy. A 400-ounce bar contains about $80,000 worth of silver mixed with its alloy.
There are two ways to determine the quality of your precious metals investments: using an acid test or using an electronic testing machine. Acid tests can be performed by yourself if you have a strong stomach and some basic chemistry knowledge;
However, they are usually done by a professional at an assayer’s office or jeweler’s shop due to their sensitivity to temperature changes and humidity levels.
Precious Metals IRA Company Diversification
You can diversify your Precious Metals IRA by choosing a Precious Metals IRA company that offers a wide variety of products. One of the most important aspects of diversification is geographic diversification.
The United States Mint, for example, offers a wide range of coins made from gold and silver bullion. This includes coins like the American Eagle or the Morgan Dollar that are popular among collectors as well as investors.
Other companies offer coins from other countries such as Canada and Australia. These countries have their own mints that produce high quality bullion products with excellent designs that represent their respective cultures and traditions in an artistic manner.
The Royal Canadian Mint produces some of the most beautiful coins in the world and its Maple Leaf coin has been popular for decades because it is so aesthetically pleasing yet still useful as an investment vehicle for those who want to protect themselves against inflation or financial downturns in our economy.
Precious Metals IRA Company Paper Assets and Cryptocurrencies
The two main investment options for a self-directed precious metals IRA are physical gold, silver and platinum coins, bars and rounds and paper assets like gold mutual funds and ETFs.
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin are also an option for a self-directed IRA. In fact, it’s one of the most popular ways to invest in cryptocurrencies. However, there are many different types of cryptocurrencies available today and only a few are accepted by the IRS as legitimate retirement account investments.
The two main types of cryptocurrencies that can be used in your self-directed precious metals IRA are:
- Bitcoin (BTC) – The original cryptocurrency created by Satoshi Nakamoto. It’s still the most valuable cryptocurrency with a market cap of over $100 billion as of March 2018.
- Ethereum (ETH) – Created by Vitalik Buterin as an alternative to Bitcoin but has become one of the most popular cryptocurrencies due to its smart contract capabilities.
Is Gold Useful In Times Of Crises?
When the economy is in recession, many people see gold as a safe investment. In fact, many people buy gold to protect their assets during times of financial crises.
However, there is not much evidence that shows that gold can help you save your wealth during these times. In fact, most experts believe that it is better to invest in other assets such as stocks and bonds rather than in precious metals like gold and silver.
Gold has been used as an investment asset for thousands of years and this makes it seem like a great choice when things are going bad with the economy. However, there is no evidence that shows that investing in gold can make you richer or provide you with security during financial crises; instead, it may leave you at risk of losing money.
There are many reasons why people buy gold but none of them have anything to do with making money during a recession or crisis situation. Some people buy it because they believe that it will increase its value over time while others buy it because they want to own something tangible instead of just having paper money sitting in their bank accounts or investments portfolios.
Best Gold IRA Companies – Frequently Asked Questions
The following questions and answers are based on some of the most common questions we receive from our clients. If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact us.
What is a Gold IRA?
A Gold IRA is an Individual Retirement Account that owns physical gold and/or silver. The purpose of a Gold IRA is to enable you to invest in precious metals without incurring the tax liability that would otherwise apply to such investments.
What types of gold can be purchased through a Gold IRA?
The most popular type of gold investment is bullion coins or bars. Bullion coins typically have a face value attached to them (i.e., $1, $5, $10), while bars are typically valued based on their weight (i.e., one troy ounce).
Can I buy other types of investments through my Gold IRA?
Yes! In addition to bullion coin and bar investments, you can also own shares of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that invest in precious metals. You can also purchase mining stocks through your Gold IRA account if they are listed on a U.S.-based exchange; however, this type of investment should be done with extreme caution due to the high risk involved with mining companies
What annual fees are involved with a gold IRA?
The annual fee that is associated with a gold IRA is usually very small. The average annual fee is around $35, which is quite reasonable compared to some other types of IRAs.
The main reason why there are not many annual fees involved with gold IRAs is because it has not yet been widely adopted by investors. This means that the demand for gold IRAs is not very high yet and so there are not many providers offering them.
As more investors start using gold IRAs, then there will be an increased need for providers and this will lead to more competition between them. This will lead to lower prices for their services as they try to attract more customers.
What is a self-directed IRA?
A self-directed IRA is an individual retirement account that uses your retirement funds to invest in almost any type of investment, including real estate, private equity, tax liens and more. With a self-directed IRA, you have the freedom to choose from an array of investments that are not limited by the investment choices offered by traditional IRAs.
What is an IRA?
An individual retirement account (IRA) is a special type of savings plan that allows you to put away money for retirement. You fund your account with after-tax contributions and then make withdrawals after age 59 1/2 without incurring taxes or penalties.
The most common type of IRA is called a traditional IRA this kind of account allows you to deduct contributions on your taxes if you’re eligible (see IRS publication 590).
However, there are other types of IRAs that may be better suited for certain situations: Roth IRAs allow you to contribute after-tax dollars but then withdraw earnings tax-free in retirement (with some restrictions),
While SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs can be set up by business owners who want to save for their own retirement plans and don’t want to pay employer contributions on their own.
What is a silver IRA?
A silver IRA is a self-directed Individual Retirement Account that holds physical bullion. With a silver IRA, you can buy coins or bullion bars and hold them in an account at a bank or brokerage firm.
The advantages of holding physical silver in your IRA include:
Tax-free growth.
You don’t pay taxes on gains from your retirement account until you withdraw them (typically when you retire).
Diversification.
Physical silver is typically considered a hedge against inflation and economic downturns, which means it can protect your portfolio from losses during those periods. It’s also a good way to diversify your portfolio between stocks and bonds, which are more common holdings for IRAs.
Convenience.
Because you’re dealing with an IRA custodian to buy and sell silver, it’s easy to make large purchases at once or make smaller purchases regularly without having to find buyers for individual coins or bars on your own.
What are the typical IRA fees and rules?
It’s important to understand the fees and rules that come with IRAs. You can open an IRA with any bank or brokerage firm. But each one might have different fees for managing your money, as well as account minimums and restrictions on how much you can contribute each year.
Here are some of the most common types of IRAs you might see:
Traditional IRA contributions are tax-deductible (subject to income limits), but withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income at ordinary rates, unlike Roth IRAs. The maximum annual contribution is $6,000 ($7,000 if you’re over 50).
Roth IRA contributions aren’t deductible from taxes, but qualified withdrawals are tax-free; there is no income limit on Roth contributions. Earnings grow tax-free inside the account, and qualified distributions taken after age 59 1/2 are completely free from tax. The maximum annual contribution is $5,500 ($6,500 if you’re over 50).
SEP IRA SEP stands for Simplified Employee Pension IRA. This type of IRA has lower contribution limits than other types of IRAs (up to 25% of compensation or $53,000 per year in 2018), but they can be set up by self-employed individuals
What is a metals dealer?
A metals dealer is an individual or company that buys and sells scrap metal. They are one step removed from the scrap yard because they buy it from the consumer rather than selling it to them.
The metals broker buys from anyone who has scrap metal to sell and then resells it to the scrap yard for a profit.
There are two main types of metals dealers: international and domestic. International dealers purchase large quantities of scrap metal in foreign countries and then ship this material back to their location in the United States for resale.
Domestic dealers buy up smaller lots of scrap metal from consumers at local recycling centers or curbside pickup events.
Does gold have to be declared to the IRS?
If you are a U.S. citizen or resident, you may be required to report your holdings of gold and other precious metals to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The IRS requires that you disclose any sales or exchanges of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum and palladium) valued at over $600 at the time of the sale or exchange. You must also report the sale or exchange if the total amount received for all transactions exceeds $1,200 in a single day.
However, there are some exceptions that allow you not to report certain transactions:
If you inherited them from someone who died before August 1st 2011, then you don’t have to declare them as income and there is no limit on how much gold they can own without having to declare it.
If they were bought before 1976 and are still in your possession without being sold or exchanged since then, then this is considered tax exempt by law because it was legal tender at that time.
What does a gold IRA rollover of a 401k involve?
If you are considering a gold IRA rollover, you may be wondering what the process involves. There are two different methods of rolling over 401k plans into a gold IRA.
The first is called a direct rollover and is the most common way to move your 401k balance from an existing plan into a new one. If you choose this method, the funds will be sent directly from your current plan administrator to the new one and there will be no tax liability associated with it.
The amount that you have available for withdrawal will be based on your current age and any other factors that affect how much money is eligible for withdrawal at that time.
The second method involves taking out a loan against your 401k balance in order to pay off any remaining debt or bills before transferring the remaining balance into your new account. This method is used if there is not enough money in your account to fully cover all outstanding debts or if there are certain assets that can only be liquidated through taking out an early withdrawal loan against them.
Once these loans have been paid off, any remaining balance will be transferred into the new account in order to complete the rollover process.
Does the Better Business Bureau rate gold IRA companies?
The Better Business Bureau does not rate gold IRA companies. However, you can use the BBB’s website to find information about a company’s reputation and track record.
You can also read customer reviews and complaints about various gold IRA companies on social media sites like Yelp or Facebook.
You can also check out the company’s website for information about them and their services.
How to choose a gold IRA company
The first step in choosing a gold IRA company is to decide what kind of account you want. There are two main types of accounts: self-directed and custodial.
A self-directed account gives you more flexibility over your investments but requires more work on your part because you must make all investment decisions yourself.
A custodial account allows someone else (either the trustee or a third party) to make these decisions for you, but it limits your options because the trustee will only offer certain kinds of investments (usually mutual funds).
What is a Roth IRA?
A Roth IRA is a retirement savings account that’s funded with after-tax dollars. The best part is that qualified distributions from a Roth IRA are tax-free!
A Roth IRA is a type of Individual Retirement Account (IRA). It has some unique features that make it desirable for those who are eligible to contribute.
Contributions: The maximum annual contribution for 2019 is $6,000 ($7,000 for those age 50 or older). You can make contributions at any time during the year by direct deposit or check, but you cannot contribute to a Roth IRA if your income exceeds certain levels, which are adjusted annually.
Earnings: Earnings grow tax-free and are not taxed when distributed as long as certain requirements are met.
Distributions: Distribution rules vary depending on how much money was contributed to the account, among other factors. Distributions may be tax-free if they occur after age 59½ and meet other requirements.
Best Gold IRA Companies – Wrap Up
The gold IRA industry has grown tremendously in recent years. There are now hundreds of companies offering self-directed IRAs, and many of them offer gold IRAs.
There are many other types of retirement accounts that allow you to invest in precious metals like gold.
But the gold IRA is very popular because it offers the highest tax benefits and is one of the easiest ways for investors to buy and sell physical gold bullion.
