For investors looking to diversify their retirement savings, gold individual retirement accounts (IRAs) offer exposure to the precious metals market while providing the same tax benefits as a traditional IRA.
Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are considered safe-haven assets and act as hedges against inflation, economic uncertainty, and stock market volatility. Investing with the best gold IRA companies allows you to diversify your retirement plan and protect your portfolio with those metals.
What to know about the best Gold IRA companies
The best companies operating in this space facilitate insurance and secure storage, as required by the IRS, and ensure that the precious metals held in these accounts meet minimum purity standards. They also offer educational resources, responsive customer service, competitive pricing and easy account setup. But like any company offering investment opportunities, some are better than others.
How we chose our top picks
We analyzed over a dozen gold IRA companies and compared them with their competitors to highlight the best options for various precious metals investment needs. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned investor, our guide to the best gold IRA companies can help you make the right decision.
For our complete methodology, click here.
Our top picks for best gold IRA companies for March 2026
Best gold IRA company reviews
- Site has informative videos and educational content
- Supports investing diversity
- Potential for fee waivers of up to 10 years
- High minimum purchase order of $50,000
- Hard to find fee information online
HIGHLIGHTS
- Metals Available
- Gold, silver
- BBB Grade
- A+
- BCA Grade
- AAA
- TrustPilot Review Grade
- 4.9
- Minimum Purchase Order
- $50,000
Why we chose it: Founded in 2012, Augusta Precious Metals offers precious metals investment options and free educational resources on gold and silver investing.
Augusta Precious Metals uses the Delaware Depository — a popular choice among gold IRA providers — to hold customer assets, including gold coins and bars.
The company also features an online library of investor resources, including a video blog series focused on why not to own gold. Such content from Augusta Precious Metals highlights the company’s transparency in an industry where many companies use scare tactics or play on investors’ fear of a (highly unlikely) meltdown of the entire financial system and a wholesale collapse of U.S. currency.
- 1,780 reviews on TrustPilot
- Focus on education
- Multiple options for custodian and depository
- Limited account fee information online
HIGHLIGHTS
- Metals Available
- Gold, silver, platinum, palladium
- BBB Grade
- A+
- BCA Grade
- AAA
- TrustPilot Review Grade
- 4.8
- Minimum Purchase Order
- Not provided
Why we chose it: Founded in 2014, Advantage Gold boasts top-notch reviews, including 1,780 reviews on TrustPilot alone. Nearly all — 98% of them — are five-star ratings.
Advantage sells gold, silver, platinum and palladium. It uses STRATA Trust Company and Equity Trust Company as gold IRA account custodians, and Brink’s Depository and Delaware Depository vaults.
- Company charges no setup fee or transfer fee
- Relatively low minimum order threshold
- Frequent promotions to waive storage fees for two to three years
- Multiple choices for custodian, storage providers
- Free buyback program
- Need to provide email address to access full customer education resources
HIGHLIGHTS
- Metals Available
- Gold, silver, platinum, palladium
- BBB Grade
- A+
- BCA Grade
- AAA
- TrustPilot Review Grade
- 4.7
- Minimum Purchase Order
- $10,000 for IRAs, $5,000 for non-IRA precious metals
Why we chose it: American Hartford Gold doesn’t charge its gold IRA customers outlandish fees.
American Hartford, founded in 2015, charges no setup or transfer fees and runs frequent promotions that waive storage fees for 2 or 3 years. You do have to pay a $50 fee for the account custodian to establish your precious metal IRA, and the company charges an annual IRA fee of $75 for accounts valued at $100,000 or less and $125 for accounts at $100,001 or more. In addition to its annual fee, the company charges a $100 annual storage fee in most cases.
American Hartford works primarily with custodian Equity Trust Company, and when you set up your account, you have the choice to keep your precious metals in either segregated or unsegregated storage.
- Fee information is clear and easy to find online
- Customer can choose their custodian and depository facility
- Flat-rate fee structure benefits investors with large balances
- Asset transfers for account set-up can take up to a month
- Flat fee structure less cost-effective for small investors
- Lower TrustPilot score than some of our other picks
HIGHLIGHTS
- Metals Available
- Gold, silver, platinum, palladium
- BBB Grade
- A+
- BCA Grade
- AAA
- TrustPilot Review Grade
- 4.6
- Minimum Purchase Order
- $10,000
Why we chose it: Birch Gold Group, in business since 2003, is one of the few gold IRA companies we came across that includes transparent fees on its site.
Many precious metals IRA companies don’t have transparent pricing information on their websites. We found that Birch Gold Group provided the most detail on both one-time and recurring annual fees. It also has an A+ rating from the BBB and a AAA rating from the BCA.
Birch Gold Group charges a flat-rate annual fee rather than a percentage of the account value, which could benefit high-balance gold IRA investors. You can choose between Equity Trust Company and STRATA Trust Company as the account custodian, and Delaware Depository or Brink’s Global Services for your precious metals storage.
- Excellent customer service
- Supports diversity in investing
- Limited fee information on site
HIGHLIGHTS
- Metals Available
- Gold, silver, platinum, palladium
- BBB Grade
- A+
- BCA Grade
- AAA
- TrustPilot Review Grade
- 4.8
- Minimum Purchase Order
- $10,000
Why we chose it: Founded in 2006, Goldco has an A+ grade from the BBB, an AAA rating from the BCA and glowing reviews noting exceptional customer service on the BBB and TrustPilot websites.
Goldco coordinates with Brink’s Global Services and Delaware Depository for its preferred precious metals storage providers. For non-IRA precious metals, you also have the option of using Goldco’s own storage facility if you don’t want to keep your products at home. (Gold IRA home storage runs afoul of IRS rules.)
A Goldco representative said the company doesn’t charge any fees of its own. However, the gold IRA custodian the company recommends charges a $50 setup fee and $80 for annual maintenance. Storage fees are $100 per year for unsegregated storage, or $150 per year for segregated storage.
- Fee information easy to find online
- Unique Texas-based depository option
- Accessible blog with a comprehensive catalogue of coins and bars
- No online pricing or online ordering
HIGHLIGHTS
- Metals Available
- Gold, silver, platinum, palladium
- BBB Grade
- A+
- BCA Grade
- AAA
- TrustPilot Review Grade
- 4.9
- Minimum Purchase Order
- $20,000
Why we chose it: Noble Gold Investments, founded in 2016, offers customers a diverse range of precious metals storage options.
In addition to Delaware Depository and Brink’s Global Services, two well-known precious metals depositories, Noble Gold also operates its own depository in Texas, giving customers an additional option for storing the precious metals they purchase.
Real-time account information is available through the gold IRA custodian. Customers pay two annual fees: an $80 account fee and a $150 fee for insurance and segregated storage, in which customers’ holdings are stored individually rather than pooled together.
- Investors pay no fees for setup, transfer or annual maintenance
- Lower minimum order threshold compared to competitors
- Storage fees could be waived for up to three years
- Options for choosing custodian and depository
- Fee-free buyback policy
- Site lacks info about custodial fees
- Suggests investing up to 20% of assets in precious metals — far riskier than conventional investing advice
HIGHLIGHTS
- Metals Available
- Gold, silver, platinum, palladium
- BBB Grade
- A+
- BCA Grade
- CCC
- TrustPilot Review Grade
- 4.9
- Minimum Purchase Order
- $10,000
Why we chose it: Investing in precious metals doesn’t always require significant capital. Whereas some other gold IRA companies have minimums of $50,000, Orion Metal Exchange offers a much lower barrier to entry.
For its gold IRAs, Orion has an order minimum of just $5,000 (or $10,000 to qualify for promotions, according to a company customer support representative, which can offset its custodial fees).
The company, founded in 2017, runs limited-time promotions offering free storage and touts no fees, though there is a $50 setup fee paid to the IRA custodian. If your precious metals IRA is worth $500,000 or less, your combined annual cost for custodial administration, storage and insurance is a flat $190, according to the company.
Other gold IRA companies we considered
Lexi Capital
Why it didn’t make the list: Founded in 2010, Lexi Capital is not on our main list because its website says the company does not keep “regular” phone hours, even though customers’ exchanges or returns must be approved by phone within three days of purchase.
Additionally, Lexi Capital has very few customer reviews on the BBB. However, the precious metals firm receives an AAA grade from the BCA and price quotes include 3% discount for cash payments.
Patriot Gold Group
Why it didn’t make the cut: Patriot Gold Group is not on our main list because it employs scare tactics to sell precious metals.
Founded in 2016, the company has limited customer reviews on TrustPilot and the BBB, and it receives an AA grade from the BCA, which is lower than most companies on our list.
American Coin Co. (formerly Red Rock Secured)
Why it didn’t make the cut: Red Rock Secured recently lost its BBB accreditation. In May 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced charges against Red Rock Secured, its CEO Sean Kelly and two former employees, Anthony Spencer and Jeffrey Ward, in connection with a fraudulent scheme that included markups of 130% and $30 million of clients’ money misappropriated.
Since then, the company rebranded as American Coin Co., but it does not have an official website. The newly formed company is not accredited by the BBB.
Silver Gold Bull
Why it didn’t make the list: Founded in 2006, Silver Gold Bull is not on our main list because its website has very little information investors need to know about IRS-approved precious metals investing.
The company receives an A+ grade from the BBB, but it is not accredited by the BBB. According to its website, the Silver Gold Bull does not allow order cancellations.
Monetary Gold
Why it didn’t make the list: Although Monetary Gold maintains an A+ BBB accreditation and generally positive reviews, limited independent reviews on major platforms like BBB and Trustpilot make it harder to assess a consistent customer experience compared.
How we evaluated the best gold IRA companies
We evaluated gold IRA companies’ websites as well as the company’s profile with consumer advocacy organizations like the Better Business Bureau, the Business Consumer Alliance and TrustPilot. We considered each of the gold IRA companies’ reputation, transparency and whether or not they provide high-quality online education and resources.
Additionally, we compared the companies’ fee structures and, when available, minimum balances and how easy it was to find this information on their websites. We also analyzed the user-friendliness and responsiveness of their customer service.
We regularly update our list of best gold IRA companies to ensure that our highlighted picks continue to meet these requirements.
Latest News in Gold IRA
Historically regarded as a safe-haven asset, gold tends to perform well in periods of economic instability. However, investors typically caution against doubling down on this precious metal because, compared to the stock market, it is an unpredictable investment that yields low returns in the long term. Warren Buffett has famously singled out gold as an unproductive asset several times, most notably in a 2011 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.
But gold’s record-breaking growth this year has even the most skeptical investors reconsidering their stance. The precious metal has risen by roughly 60% since the beginning of 2025. Read These Wall Street Titans Say Buy Gold, Should You? for the latest.
Gold IRA FAQs
Is copper a precious metal?
Although copper is an important industrial commodity that is used to manufacture goods ranging from car exhaust systems to plumbing pipes, it is not a precious metal as defined by the IRS for gold IRA investing.
What is the best gold IRA?
What qualifies a company as the “best” gold IRA is highly subjective and is ultimately decided by your personal financial situation and retirement saving goals. Gold IRAs are best for sophisticated investors with experience buying and selling precious metals. It’s smart to avoid any gold investment company that uses high-pressure sales pitches or scare tactics as engaging with those companies could mean you could wind up with an investment that doesn’t fit your goals or encountering scams. Make sure to diversify your portfolio and mitigate risk.
How do I open a gold IRA?
Start by researching guides such as this one to find the best gold IRA company for your needs. Once you choose a company, they will help you establish and fund your new IRA, most likely via a rollover from another IRA. A direct transfer of funds will ensure that you don’t have negative tax consequences.
What is a precious metals IRA?
The term “gold IRA” tends to be the most popular, but a gold IRA — or a silver IRA, for that matter — is the same as a precious metals IRA. These are classified by the IRS as self-directed IRAs, which are a specific category of tax-deferred retirement accounts that let you invest in alternative assets such as physical precious metals, real estate or cryptocurrency.
How do I invest in precious metals?
There are multiple ways to invest in precious metals. One option is to do so via gold IRA. You can also buy physical precious metals outside of an IRA, or you can invest in gold-backed assets — stocks, mutual funds or ETFs that hold physical gold or stocks of gold companies. There are also gold futures contracts and other derivatives that professional traders use to hedge their positions, but those aren’t recommended for retail investors because of their complexity and the potential for outsized losses.
Summary of Money’s Best Gold IRA Companies of March 2026
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