Augusta Precious Metals vs Lear Capital: Fees, Minimums, Buyback and Complaints Compared (2026)

Augusta Precious Metals and Lear Capital list the same $235 a year in account fees after year one, through the same custodian, but their records could hardly differ more. So which one costs you less, and what does each put in writing? Lear Capital, the precious metals seller, is not the car-parts maker Lear Corporation.

The biggest cost at both is the markup, the share of your price that is not metal: Lear prints a range of 2% to 35%, and Augusta prints none. Account fees are the yearly bills of the vault and the custodian, the trust company that holds the IRA. This page belongs to our guide to gold IRA companies and draws on each company's pages, contracts, court and regulator records and BBB data.

We compare fees, minimums, buyback and contract terms, and records, then match each company to a reader situation, with no overall winner.

The five numbers that separate the two companies most are listed below.

• IRA minimum: $50,000 at Augusta (FAQ, October 20, 2026) vs not published at Lear (IRA FAQ, read November 6, 2026).
• Account fees: $285, then $235 a year at Augusta (FAQ, October 20, 2026) vs $315, then $235 at Lear (IRA FAQ, November 6, 2026).
• Fee offer: up to 10 years of fees for qualifying Augusta accounts vs up to 3 years on Lear's Limited Mintage coins (same pages and dates).
• Cancellation: up to 7 days for some Augusta orders (October 20, 2026) vs 24 hours after Lear's invoice (terms, December 2025).
• BBB complaints closed in 3 years: 1 at Augusta (October 2, 2026) vs 33 at Lear (September 29, 2026).

Augusta Precious Metals vs Lear Capital at a Glance: 20 Facts Side by Side#

The table below compares the same 20 facts for Augusta Precious Metals and Lear Capital, each with the date we checked it. Each fact comes from the company's own pages, a court or regulator record, or the BBB, the Better Business Bureau.

Non-segregated storage means your coins sit with others of the same type but stay allocated to you. BBB accreditation is a paid membership, separate from the BBB's letter grade.

Company website links in this table: SafeOunce earns nothing from these links.

"Not published" means the company's website did not show the figure on that date. Lear publishes more numbers; Augusta has far fewer complaints.

Our Augusta Precious Metals review covers the company alone, with its fee tables and contract terms.

Augusta rewrote its FAQ on October 20, 2026. Lear's FAQ named Equity Trust when we read it on November 6, 2026; on October 2 it still used STRATA's former name.

The Lear Capital review does the same for Lear, including its 2022 bankruptcy.

How Do Augusta and Lear Capital Fees Compare?#

Augusta and Lear Capital list almost the same account fees, $2,400 and $2,430 over ten years, so the fee offers and the markup decide which costs less. Account fees are flat: the same dollars at any account size. The markup is a share of every dollar you invest. One point of spread on $100,000 costs about $953 of day-one sale value, more than four years of either company's $235 fee.

Our guide to gold IRA fees lists every cost layer, from setup to exit.

Account fees: the same $235 a year at the same custodian, Equity Trust#

Augusta lists $285 for the first year and Lear $315, and both list $235 for every later year, as of October and November 2026. Augusta's FAQ (October 20, 2026) quotes "$285 in third-party account fees in the first year and $235 annually thereafter". Lear's IRA FAQ (November 6, 2026) gives "$315 and $235 each subsequent year", "contingent on choosing electronic statements and non-segregated storage".

The table sets both companies' fees beside the metals-only fee schedule of Equity Trust, the custodian both now name.

Both companies now name Equity Trust as custodian, and both later-year fees equal its $125 + $110. Augusta's $110 matches Equity Trust's non-segregated rate, though Augusta does not name the storage type. Lear's first year is $30 higher, the size of Equity Trust's $30 wire fee; that is our reading, not Lear's. A wire fee is the charge for sending money by bank wire. Segregated storage, where your own coins are kept apart, costs $160 a year.

Neither company lists exit costs; the last three rows are Equity Trust's. An in-kind transfer moves the metal itself, not cash, to another custodian. The full Equity Trust precious metals IRA fees include the segregated rate and the delivery charges.

Augusta's fee coverage vs Lear's fee waiver, costed at 4 account sizes#

Augusta's fee coverage can be worth up to $2,350 and Lear's fee waiver up to $785, but each has a condition to check. Augusta's FAQ (October 20, 2026) says it "may pay eligible custodian and storage fees for qualifying accounts under the applicable fee-coverage program, potentially for up to ten years." The September 23 version said "Every account also receives up to 10 years".

Lear's IRA FAQ (November 6, 2026) waives one, two or three years of fees from $25,000, $50,000 and $75,000, with the footnote "*Limited Mintage coins only" and a refund "after first month in storage". A Limited Mintage coin comes from a small production run and sells at a higher price.

The table shows each offer in dollars and in markup points, if it applies in full. A markup point is 1% of what you pay, $1,000 on $100,000.

On a same-day sale back, one point costs about $953 because of the buyback gap; the cost sections below use that figure.

Lear's tiers overlap at their edges. An invoice of exactly $50,000, Augusta's minimum, sits in both the "$25K - $50K" and the "$50K - $75K" tier, one year of fees ($235) apart. Lear does not say whether the tiers count the Limited Mintage invoice or the whole account, so ask in writing.

A Limited Mintage coin whose spread is more than about 1 point above plain bullion erases Lear's whole waiver on $75,000 or more. Lear's affiliate contract (August 1, 2025) counts "reimbursed IRA custodial fees, bonus precious metals" among the "giveaways provided to induce the sale". Neither offer makes either account a no-fee gold IRA: setup, exit fees and the markup remain.

Lear also advertises "Up to $15,000 in Free Coins" with a qualifying purchase, terms not published, and a $500 credit that "can be used for shipping, insurance charges or IRA custodial fees" (homepage and terms page, September 29, 2026). The table shows what a 10% bonus on $100,000 is worth.

Three questions settle what either offer is worth.

1. Ask Augusta for the written fee-coverage terms and what ends them early.
2. Ask Lear which tier your invoice falls in.
3. Ask both whether exit fees are covered.

Other sellers' offers are compared under no-fee gold IRA offers.

The markup: Lear publishes a 2%-35% spread range, Augusta publishes none#

Lear's contract says its spreads "generally range between 2% and 35% of the quoted purchase price", while Augusta publishes no price list and no markup range. The spread is the difference between your price and the dealer's cost, as a share of your price. The bid is what a dealer pays you when you sell.

Lear's terms (December 2025) give that range, but its reputation FAQ says spreads "start at 1%" (October 2, 2026), so ask which floor applies to your coins. Its court-filed Chapter 11 plan adds that "the Debtor's spread can be as much as 33% (in 2022, the average spread was 23.4%)", and that Lear "contends its spreads are consistent with its competitors". Lear shows live coin prices online (October 2, 2026), but the spread per coin appears only on the voice confirmation and the invoice.

Little of that spread is profit. The same plan reports net profit of 2.51% of revenue in 2020 ($4,482,313 of $178,403,458) and 2.77% in 2021 ($6,132,781 of $221,724,775).

Augusta's FAQ (October 20, 2026) says Augusta "does not add a separate sales commission" and that "quoted price includes Augusta's dealer margin", its share of the price. The September 23 FAQ said "No additional commission is added to prices listed by Augusta". Its October 19, 2026 blog post adds: "We don't publish a complete purchase-price list."

Money.com's April 2026 review reports margins "as high as 14.5%" on common bullion and "generally 29%" on premium products. These figures are not in Augusta's documents, and we have not confirmed them.

The table shows what $100,000 is worth on a same-day sale back at seven spreads.

Of 15 operating gold IRA sellers SafeOunce checked, only 4 publish a spread range (October 2, 2026). Every published range is on gold IRA markups and spreads.

For scale, the CFTC, the federal commodities regulator, says bullion typically sells 5% to 10% over spot and collector coins 40% to 200% (release 8215-20, 2020). Its 2024 "10 Things" guide says legitimate spreads are often under 20%. A current retail floor: buying and selling a 1-ounce Gold Eagle the same day at SD Bullion, a large online dealer, cost 5.39% on September 29, 2026.

Your first custodian statement shows metal value, not your price. Equity Trust's disclosure says values "do not include any markups, commissions or premiums from the precious metals dealer". At a 23.4% spread, $100,000 shows as about $76,600 of metal. Our gold IRA statement guide explains why.

Augusta's 5% buyback-spread target: what it covers and what it does not#

Augusta's FAQ describes an "approximately 5% purchase-to-buyback spread target" for qualifying structured transactions only, and the target is not a promised price. The FAQ (October 20, 2026) names "eligible partial IRA distributions and RMDs" and adds: "immediate full liquidation is different. The target is not a guaranteed future bid."

An RMD is a required minimum distribution, the yearly amount you must take from age 73 or 75. Augusta's October 28, 2026 blog post ties the target to its Transaction Agreement, which is not public.

Lear charges no buyback spread but pays the wholesaler's bid: about $30.50 on a $40 coin in its own example.

How much must gold rise to cover the markup?#

At Lear's 2022 average spread of 23.4%, gold must rise about 37% before a sale back gets your money back; at a 5% spread, about 10%. A sale back must cover the markup and the gap between the dealer's cost and its buyback bid. The table shows both measures at seven spreads.

Augusta's October 19, 2026 post counts the spread only: about 5.26% for a 5% spread. A real sale back also loses the bid gap, so use the last column. The math: divide 1 by (1 minus the spread) times 0.953, then subtract 1. This is arithmetic, not a gold forecast. Test your own spread in the gold IRA break-even calculator.

What a $100,000 account costs over 10 years at each company#

On $100,000, the gap in ten years of account fees is at most $2,380, so a spread difference of about 2.5 points outweighs every fee offer either company makes. One point of spread costs about $953 of sale value on $100,000, so 2.5 points cost about $2,380.

The table adds the spread and buyback gap to each company's fees over ten years.

At the same spread, Augusta with full coverage costs about $2,380 less than Lear over ten years. But Lear's 2022 average was 23.4%, and Augusta publishes no figure: at 20% for Augusta and 23.4% for Lear, the totals are $23,800 and $29,421.

Ask both for the spread per coin in writing, on the same day. Run your own amount and years in the gold IRA fee calculator.

Minimum Investment: $50,000 at Augusta vs No Published Minimum at Lear Capital#

Augusta requires at least $50,000 for its first purchase, while Lear Capital publishes no minimum investment, as of November 2026. Augusta's FAQ (October 20, 2026) sets "a standard minimum initial purchase of $50,000, whether the purchase is made through an IRA or with personal funds". Lear states no minimum; its offers start at "> $10K $50 set-up fee covered", with fee waivers from $25,000 (IRA FAQ, November 6, 2026).

The IRS sets no minimum for a gold IRA. Augusta pays referral sites only for leads "with at least $50,000 that can be rolled over", and Lear counts a lead above $10,000 of interest.

We list the gold IRA minimum investment for every company we track.

What the minimum means for fee drag#

At $25,000, Lear's $235 a year takes 0.94% of the account, while at Augusta's $50,000 minimum the same $235 takes 0.47%. Fee drag is the share of your account the yearly fees take. Both fees are flat, so the drag falls as the balance grows. The table shows the yearly fee drag at four account sizes.

From $50,000 up, the drag is the same at both after year one. Below $50,000, only Lear of the two publishes no minimum.

Less than $25,000? A gold ETF in an IRA you already have costs less#

With less than $25,000, Augusta will not open your account, and Lear's yearly fees, if it takes the order, take about 1% or more. A gold ETF, a fund that holds gold and trades like a stock, charges 0.10% to 0.40% a year inside an IRA you already have. The yearly costs are set out in gold IRA vs gold ETF.

The expense ratios were GLDM 0.10%, IAU 0.25% and GLD 0.40% on September 29, 2026. This is a cost comparison, not advice.

Options under $25,000 are on best gold IRA companies for small investors.

Buyback and Cancellation: What Each Company Puts in Writing#

Lear Capital publishes its whole contract, with a 24-hour cancellation window and a buyback clause, while Augusta publishes FAQ answers but not the Transaction Agreement you sign. Disputes are decided on the signed documents, not the sales call. New York's petition against Lear (2021) alleged a 33% fee buried in yes-or-no questions on a recorded call.

Buyback wording: "not guaranteed" at Augusta, "the law prohibits" at Lear#

Neither company promises to buy your metal back: Augusta's FAQ says future repurchases "are not guaranteed", and Lear's contract says "The law prohibits LC from guaranteeing to buyback". A buyback is the dealer buying your metal back, and liquidation means selling it for cash. A wholesaler is the large dealer a seller buys from.

The table quotes each company's buyback wording.

When you sell gold in your IRA, the cash stays in the account. Custodian steps to sell gold in your IRA are on our selling guide.

Both "never" claims sit beside a 2026 allegation. A Trustpilot reviewer alleges Lear told him on February 27, 2026, that it was "not doing buy backs at this time". Lear replied that demand surged that month and "liquidity and processing timelines were affected across the industry, not just at Lear".

Augusta's one BBB complainant (January 23, 2026) alleges a Buyback Transaction Agreement with "confidentiality and non-disparagement language" (BBB complaints page, read October 2, 2026). Non-disparagement means a promise not to criticize the company in public. Augusta replied on July 10, 2026: "there is no confidentiality agreement required before receiving buyback pricing". Both are allegations, and SafeOunce has not read either buyback document.

Augusta's FAQ (October 20, 2026) also says "customers have 24 hours from the recorded buyback-confirmation call to seek a higher third-party bid and request cancellation".

Other firms' clauses are in gold IRA buyback programs compared.

Cancellation: up to 7 days for some Augusta orders vs 24 hours at Lear#

Lear gives every buyer 24 hours after the invoice to cancel, while Augusta offers up to seven days only on purchases that qualify (FAQ, October 20, 2026). The table sets out the four texts that govern it.

Lear's 24 hours came from the 2021 Los Angeles agreement, which promised "(to most buyers) a 24-hour, no risk cancellation policy" (Lear plan, 2023). Its price match uses the same 24 hours: "we will beat or match that price", or you can cancel "at NO cost" (IRA FAQ, November 6, 2026).

Revocation is a separate right. Treas. Reg. 1.408-6 gives you at least 7 days to revoke a new IRA, and that right runs against the custodian, not the dealer. Our page on whether you can cancel a gold IRA separates the IRS right from the dealer's terms.

Contracts and disputes: Lear's public contract vs Augusta's unpublished Transaction Agreement#

Lear's full contract is on its website, while Augusta's Transaction Agreement is not, so only Lear's dispute terms can be read before you call. Arbitration is a private hearing instead of a court case. A class action waiver means you give up joining a group lawsuit. An opt-out is a written notice that takes you out of the clause, and to rescind means to cancel the sale and refund it.

The table compares seven contract terms.

Our table of gold IRA company contracts compared shows the clauses at 17 sellers.

Lear's opt-out has a catch. If you keep your right to go to court, Lear can cancel your purchase and refund it.

Both custodial accounts now sit at Equity Trust. Its Custodial Account Agreement (Art. XVIII) requires individual arbitration unless you opt out within 65 days of opening the account (Clark v. Equity Trust, D.N.M., October 29, 2024). So a dispute with the custodian follows that clause at either company.

Neither salesperson is your adviser. Lear's contract says Lear "is not an investment or financial advisor, or retirement account fiduciary", and its salespeople "are commissioned salespersons" who "are not licensed". Augusta calls its staff "salaried, non-commissioned" educators, a company claim SafeOunce has not tested. A fiduciary must act in your best interest.

Ask each company to email the agreement before you move any money.

Custodian and depository: Equity Trust and the Delaware Depository at both#

Both companies send IRA metal to the Delaware Depository and name Equity Trust as custodian, as of November 2026. Augusta's gold IRA page says "Augusta works with Equity Trust Company" and "Augusta stores metals at Delaware Depository" (November 6, 2026). The October 20 FAQ names neither firm.

A depository is the vault, and allocated storage means specific metal is recorded as yours. Lear's rollover page names Equity Trust Company as its preferred custodian (October 2, 2026), and its IRA FAQ named it on November 6, 2026. The FAQ adds: "Lear Capital ships (insured) all metals directly to the Delaware Depository."

The Delaware Depository carries $1 billion of all-risk insurance plus $100 million of contingent cover (Delaware Depository FAQ, September 29, 2026). It pays metal value, not premiums, and excludes war, terrorism, cyber events and confiscation. FDIC and SIPC never cover IRA metal. Fees and insurance terms are on our Delaware Depository profile.

Ask whether the vault account is titled to your IRA, and what segregated storage costs.

Complaints, Lawsuits and Regulatory Records Compared#

Augusta has 1 BBB complaint in three years and no court ruling against it, while Lear has 33 complaints and $14.25 million in markup settlements. Lear paid that money in 2021-2023 to settle three government cases, without admitting wrongdoing (Lear plan).

The full Augusta record is on Augusta Precious Metals complaints and lawsuits.

BBB and Trustpilot: 1 vs 33 complaints in three years#

Lear's BBB profile shows 22.1 complaints per 100 reviews and Augusta's 0.7, about 30 times apart, as of September and October 2026. Complaint density is the number of complaints per 100 reviews, a way to compare firms of different sizes. The table sets out both records.

Size does not explain the gap. Brandwave, a brand-tracking service, estimates about 2,900 branded searches a month for Lear and 1,300 for Augusta (September 2026), about 2.2 times. Lear's complaints are 33 times Augusta's. Lear also sells mostly outside IRAs: 63.6% of its 2022 revenue came from direct sales. Brandwave's October 27, 2026 survey found Augusta named in 4 of 5 AI answers about gold IRA companies and Lear in none.

The BBB counts only complaints filed with it, and Lear's contract sends disputes to private arbitration; Augusta's website terms list an arbitration section. The BBB grade rests on complaint handling: 90 of 100 points relate to complaints, and reviews are not used (BBB rating overview). Both companies invite Trustpilot reviews, and five-star shares ran from 89% to 99% across the ten gold IRA sellers SafeOunce compares on September 29, 2026.

Neither the BBB grade, a BCA rating nor Trustpilot stars measures the price you pay. Why stars barely separate these firms is on BBB, BCA and Trustpilot ratings.

What the complaint texts allege, and how each company replied#

Both companies' complaint texts allege high prices: Lear's newer BBB complaints allege spreads of 30% to 38%, and Augusta's single complaint alleges premiums of about 84% on gold.

Lear's BBB complaints filed from October 2023 to March 2026 allege unexplained spreads of 30% to 38%. One says "a 7% markup was discussed on multiple occasions" and 30% was charged (January 24, 2026). Lear replies that customers were told on the recorded call, once adding that the fee "falls within the range that appears on his signed contract" (December 24, 2024). Another complaint (January 10, 2024) alleges 139 quarter-ounce coins came instead of 1-ounce Eagles; Lear replied that it "worked out a solution". The BBB marked all 33 answered or resolved (October 2, 2026).

Augusta's one BBB complaint (January 23, 2026) alleges premiums "approximately 84% above typical market pricing for gold and over 200% above typical market pricing for silver". The customer put the excess at "over $57,000"; these are the customer's figures, not checked by SafeOunce. Augusta replied on May 18, 2026: "The third-party analysis is completely incorrect."

A one-star Trustpilot review (experience March 19, 2026) alleges steering to fractional silver coins "exclusive to APM"; no reply was shown on October 2, 2026.

Both point to one protection: get the spread per coin in writing before the confirmation call.

Lawsuits and settlements: $14.25 million paid by Lear, four cases naming Augusta and none ruled against it#

Lear paid $14.25 million in 2021-2023 to settle three government cases over fees of up to 33%, without admitting wrongdoing, while none of the four cases naming Augusta has ended in a ruling against it (November 6, 2026). A consent decree is a court-approved settlement. Subchapter V is a faster Chapter 11 track for small businesses that keep operating. The TCPA is the federal law on sales calls and texts, and a putative class action is a group case a judge has not yet approved.

The table lists ten cases, with court, number, date and outcome.

Lear's plan refunded each customer who filed the spread paid minus a hypothetical 12%: $11,400 on $100,000 at the 23.4% average. The fund covered purchases from January 1, 2016, to March 3, 2022, and SafeOunce found no open claims process on September 29, 2026. Other routes are on how to get your money back from a gold IRA company.

Regulator actions: Lear's state settlements, none found for Augusta#

All of Lear's regulator actions came from states and cities, and SafeOunce found no regulator action against Augusta in federal searches, as of September 29, 2026. The table lists each action with its date, subject and money.

Lear's actions are about prices and fee disclosure, and SafeOunce's method keeps a company with a settled pricing or disclosure case in the last five years off its best-of lists. That rule is called gate 3, and it applies to Lear. Every case we track is in our list of precious metals IRA enforcement actions.

SafeOunce searched the CFTC, SEC and FTC case lists and state attorney general and securities regulator sites. The state sweep is not complete, so "none found" is limited to those searches and that date.

Marketing claims vs the record: "clean regulatory record", "IRS-approved" and paid best-of lists#

Both companies' websites, and the press releases that rank for this comparison, contain claims that the record does not support. The table sets six claims against the record.

The phrase "IRS-approved" appears on both sites. The IRS keeps one list, of approved nonbank trustees (73 entities as of April 1, 2026), and approves no coin, dealer or depository. What that list covers is on IRS-approved gold IRA custodians.

Augusta's August 18, 2025 post also claims a "clean regulatory record". SafeOunce found no CFTC, SEC or FTC action against Augusta, but its state sweep is not complete, so it cannot confirm that claim in full.

The exact list of IRA-approved precious metals comes from the tax code, not from the IRS.

Augusta or Lear Capital: Which Company Fits Your Situation?#

Neither company is better for everyone: the right one depends on your balance, a written spread and how much weight you give a company's record. The table matches ten reader situations to the better fit and the fact that decides it.

Both SafeOunce results are provisional. SafeOunce rates every gold IRA company on 7 criteria worth 100 points. Augusta has earned 40 of the 52 points checked so far (October 2, 2026) and Lear 19 of 56 (November 6, 2026). The remaining 48 points at Augusta and 44 at Lear are not yet checked, including the 15-point written quote test. The scoring rules are in how SafeOunce rates gold IRA companies.

The checked points are not the same items, so the two results cannot be ranked yet. One criterion is fully checked for both: the legal record, 20 of 20 for Augusta and 0 of 20 for Lear. Lear's settlements also keep it off SafeOunce's best-of lists under gate 3.

No company can pay to change its rating or its place.

Our ranked list is on best gold IRA companies.

What Should You Ask Augusta or Lear Capital Before You Sign?#

Ask both companies the same six questions in writing, on the same day, before any voice confirmation or invoice. The six questions are listed below.

1. Ask for the price of each coin, its percent over spot and the spread.
2. Ask what the company would pay for the same coins tomorrow.
3. Ask whether each item is plain bullion or a Limited Mintage or low-mintage coin.
4. Ask for the written terms of any fee offer and which tier or condition applies to you.
5. Ask when your cancellation window starts and how long it runs for this order.
6. Ask for the purchase agreement and the invoice by email before you pay.

All 12 questions of the longer checklist are in how to choose a gold IRA company.

Federal law backs you. Under the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, a telemarketer must disclose the total cost before you pay (16 CFR 310.3(a)(1)(i)). Section 310.6(b)(5) keeps precious metals investment sales under the rule even when you called first.

Put both written quotes side by side in our gold IRA company comparison tool.

How are review sites paid to recommend Augusta or Lear Capital?#

Augusta pays referral sites $200 per qualified lead plus 8% on premium coins, and Lear pays $175 to $225 per lead plus a share of its gross profit. Augusta's basic tier pays nothing on bullion. The table shows each company's pay terms.

Lear's contract requires affiliates to say their reviews "are not neutral or independent", and it names "Lear Capital Reviews" as a restricted keyword. For "augusta precious metals vs lear capital", Augusta's own blog holds three of the top five places, and a paid newswire list tops the reversed search (November 6, 2026). We explain the whole system in are gold IRA reviews paid.

SafeOunce takes no money from any company named on this page. Many review pages are paid when you contact a company; see who pays SafeOunce.

Who endorses Augusta and Lear Capital?#

Lear's homepage features Judge Andrew P. Napolitano, whom Lear describes as a paid spokesman (September 29, 2026), and Augusta named Joe Montana a brand ambassador in 2020. Lear's site also announces an endorsement by radio host Glenn Beck. SafeOunce has not confirmed Montana's role after 2023. Augusta's homepage criticizes "Celebrity endorsements built into pricing" (read September 29, 2026). Who is paid by whom is on celebrity gold IRA endorsements.

How do Augusta and Lear Capital compare with other gold IRA companies?#

Each company has its own head-to-head pages against the other large gold IRA sellers. The eleven related comparisons are listed below.

• Augusta Precious Metals vs Goldco
• Augusta Precious Metals vs Priority Gold
• Augusta Precious Metals vs Birch Gold Group
• Augusta Precious Metals vs American Hartford Gold
• Noble Gold Investments vs Lear Capital
• Lear Capital vs Priority Gold
• Goldco vs Lear Capital
• Birch Gold Group vs Lear Capital
• American Hartford Gold vs Lear Capital
• Lear Capital vs Goldline
• Augusta Precious Metals vs Noble Gold Investments

Is Lear Capital legitimate?#

Yes: Lear Capital is a real company in business since 1997, but it has the heaviest public record of the large gold IRA sellers. That record includes $14.25 million in markup settlements (2021-2023) and a 2022 Chapter 11 filing, which it came through still operating (plan). The full record is in our Lear Capital reviews page.

How does Lear Capital work, and does it sell gold bars?#

Lear Capital sells gold, silver and platinum coins and bars by phone and online, and arranges self-directed IRAs at Equity Trust that hold them at the Delaware Depository. You open the custodian account, move the money and choose coins; a recorded voice confirmation and the invoice follow, and the invoice starts your 24-hour window. Gold bars in an IRA must be at least .995 fine under 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B).

What does Augusta Precious Metals do?#

Augusta Precious Metals sells gold and silver coins and bars by phone, for IRAs and cash purchases, and sets up IRAs with Equity Trust and the Delaware Depository. Its FAQ (October 20, 2026) says Augusta "primarily focuses on gold and silver"; the September 23 version listed "gold, silver, platinum, and palladium products". Fees and terms are in our Augusta Precious Metals reviews page.

Can you move from Lear Capital to Augusta later?#

Yes: metals can move between IRAs in kind through a trustee-to-trustee transfer, and because both use Equity Trust, ask whether a move needs a new account at all. A transfer has no 60-day clock and no once-per-year limit (IRS Publication 590-A). Equity Trust's schedule (read September 29, 2026) charges $125 for an in-kind transfer out and $250 to close an account. Augusta's $50,000 minimum applies to its own sales. Steps and costs are in switching gold IRA custodians or companies.

Can you keep Augusta or Lear Capital metals at home?#

No: metals in a gold IRA must stay with the trustee, and taking them home is a taxable distribution under McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021). Augusta's FAQ says the same, and Lear ships IRA metal straight to the Delaware Depository. The ruling is explained under home storage gold IRA.