Bishop Gold Group Review 2026: Gold IRA Fees, Minimums, Pros and Cons

Bishop Gold Group, LLC is an operating gold IRA dealer in Los Angeles, and its own contract puts its spread on IRA orders at 33% to 66%. The BBB grades it A+ and lists 17 complaints in three years, as of November 6, 2026. So the question is not whether Bishop exists, but what that spread does to your retirement money. A gold IRA is an IRA that holds physical gold through a custodian. The spread is the gap between what the dealer paid for the metal and what you pay.

This Bishop Gold Group review starts with the legal name and real age. Then comes the record: 17 BBB complaints, a Trustpilot warning, a $2,000,000 texting settlement and three newer federal cases. Next is the contract and what its spread does to a $100,000 order, then fees, the buyback, the free silver and who Bishop suits.

Bishop is one of the gold IRA companies SafeOunce checks with the same records, contract and cost questions. This review covers Bishop Gold Group, LLC (bishopgoldgroup.com). That is a different company from Birch Gold Group, the seller that sued it over its logo in 2025.

The 13 facts below come from Bishop's website and contract, the BBB, Trustpilot and federal court files, each dated.

Our Bishop Gold Group Verdict: A Real Dealer Whose Own Contract Prices IRA Orders at 33% to 66% Over Cost#

Bishop Gold Group is a real, BBB-accredited dealer, but its own contract says its spread on IRA orders was generally 33% to 66%. If the percentage is of your price, a $100,000 order holds $34,000 to $67,000 of metal at Bishop's cost on day one. Its complaint rate is the third highest SafeOunce has measured. Two of its four federal cases are about sales texts or calls. The full case files and complaint categories are on the page about Bishop Gold Group complaints.

What should a careful buyer get from Bishop before sending money? Get three things in writing. First, ask for the price of each coin and its percent over spot. The spot price is today's market price for one ounce of raw metal.

Second, get the actual spread on your order on paper. Bishop's 2026 Transaction Agreement promises it only "during the purchase confirmation call". Third, get the name of the custodian and its fee schedule, because Bishop names none on its website.

Look elsewhere if Bishop will not write the spread down, or if you are offered coins you did not ask for. Look elsewhere too if you may need the money within 5 years. At a 33% spread, gold must rise about 56.6% before a sale gets you back to what you paid. One point is in Bishop's favor: it publishes a spread range at all, which most sellers do not.

Who Is Bishop Gold Group? Legal Name, Address and Age#

Bishop Gold Group is a Los Angeles precious metals dealer that sells gold and silver coins and arranges gold IRAs, operating as Bishop Gold Group, LLC from Century City. Its contract says it "is not an investment advisor, financial advisor, or retirement account fiduciary". It also says its "sales representatives are commissioned salespersons". Ted Nugent and Sean Spicer appear on its homepage as endorsers. Why does the legal name matter? Your contract, the BBB file and every court case use the legal name, not the brand.

Bishop Gold Group, LLC: the name and address to check#

Bishop Gold Group's legal name is Bishop Gold Group, LLC, at 1801 Century Park East, 24th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067, as of November 6, 2026. The four federal dockets and the company's terms of service use that name. The BBB lists a California Secretary of State registration number for it. SafeOunce has not yet checked the state filing, so this page does not say where the company was formed.

Bishop uses three phone numbers on its own pages, listed below (November 6, 2026).

• (833) 589-8100: the main number on the website
• (833) 488-8500: the number in the Transaction Agreement
• (844) 627-8300: the help line and the free silver line

Search "Bishop Gold Group, LLC" and the address, not just the brand, when you check records. Similar names such as Birch Gold Group show up in the same searches. The step-by-step way to check a gold IRA company by its legal name is on our verification guide.

When did Bishop Gold Group start? Six different answers#

The BBB lists Bishop Gold Group's business start as November 30, 2017. Bishop's own pages say it has served savers "since 2019", and one heading says "17 years in business". The table lists six statements about Bishop's age, from five sources, read November 6, 2026.

Two outside sources point to Wyoming. Birch's complaint alleges, "upon information and belief", that Bishop is organized there. LendEDU's review (September 10, 2026) says it was "formed in Wyoming in 2017" and registered in California in 2020. That would explain both BBB dates, but neither claim is confirmed.

SafeOunce has not yet checked the state filing that would settle the difference. The 2007 and "17 years" claims fit none of the other dates. A short record is not a fault in itself. It does mean the company's own track record starts between 2017 and 2020.

Who runs Bishop Gold Group?#

Bishop Gold Group does not name its owners or officers on its website; its contract sends legal notices to an unnamed "Chief Operating Officer", as of November 6, 2026. Bishop's media page links two features about a Beau Cassidy at the company. One is a Forbes Georgia piece, "Striking Gold with Beau Cassidy and Bishop Gold Group". The page does not state his role.

How a Bishop Gold Group gold IRA works, step by step#

A Bishop Gold Group gold IRA works in 5 steps, from a sales call to metal arriving in a vault in your IRA's name. A self-directed IRA is an IRA that can hold assets other than funds, such as metal. The custodian is the trust company that legally holds the IRA and sends your statements. The depository is the vault. The 5 steps are listed below.

1. Talk to a Bishop "specialist". Its contract calls them "commissioned salespersons".
2. Open a self-directed IRA at a custodian from Bishop's list, which its website does not name.
3. Move money by a direct transfer or a rollover from your current IRA or plan.
4. Choose the metal, sign the Transaction Agreement and pay within 5 days of the invoice.
5. Wait for Bishop to ship the metal to Brink's or Delaware Depository "within 28 days". It should then appear on your custodian statement.

The tax code requires IRA bullion to be in the physical possession of a trustee (26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B), Cornell LII). A gold IRA transfer between custodians has no 60-day clock and no once-a-year limit; Bishop's own rollover page recommends one.

On this point Bishop's guide is right. Its rollover page explains the 20% withholding on a plan payout and the limit of one IRA-to-IRA rollover per 12 months correctly (November 6, 2026).

Bishop Gold Group's Complaint and Court Record#

Bishop Gold Group's record shows 17 BBB complaints in three years and a Trustpilot rating withheld for a guideline breach, as of November 6, 2026. It also shows one settled texting class action and three newer federal cases, with no regulator action found. A class action is one lawsuit brought for a whole group of customers. The table sums up the complaint record and the court record.

Each complaint and court filing is summarized on is Bishop Gold Group legit.

BBB and Trustpilot numbers, and their limits#

Bishop Gold Group has 17 BBB complaints in three years against 102 BBB reviews, or 16.7 complaints per 100 reviews, as of November 6, 2026. Six of the 17 came in the last 12 months. The complaint rate is a SafeOunce measure: complaints per 100 reviews. It lets you compare a large seller with a small one.

BBB accreditation is a paid membership. The BBB says 90 of the 100 points behind a grade relate to complaints: how many there are, and whether they are answered and resolved (BBB rating overview). The table ranks 11 gold IRA sellers by BBB complaints per 100 BBB reviews.

Trustpilot shows a warning on Bishop's profile: "This company's rating is unavailable due to a breach of our guidelines." It also says: "We've removed a number of fake reviews for this company." The profile holds 62 reviews, 95% of them five-star and 3% one-star, with 8 in the last 12 months (November 6, 2026). Trustpilot does not say what the breach was or who wrote the removed reviews.

Bishop's homepage quotes three reviews under the line "Reviews quoted from Trustpilot". What BBB and Trustpilot ratings can and cannot tell you is explained on our ratings guide.

What Bishop Gold Group's BBB complaints describe#

The eight BBB complaint texts on Bishop's profile describe four problems: unwanted coins instead of bullion, statements worth about half the price, slow selling, and unwritten promises. The BBB shows 8 of the 17 complaints in full; the rest are counted but not displayed. Each row below is the customer's account, with Bishop's reply beside it. Counts overlap, because one complaint can show several patterns.

Each pattern has a matching protection. Name the exact coin in writing, such as "1 oz American Gold Eagle". Ask the percent over spot for each line of the order. Get any promise of extra metal added to the signed invoice, and ask for Bishop's written buyback bid for the same coins before you buy.

Court cases: four federal dockets, two about calls and texts#

Four federal cases name Bishop Gold Group, LLC, and two are about sales texts or calls: a settled 2024 class action and a 2026 class action. The other two are a 2026 case whose claim the free docket does not show and a competitor's trademark suit. The TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. 227) is the federal law on sales calls and texts. The table gives each case with its status on November 6, 2026.

The Pitts class covers people who got texts from Bishop after replying "stop" or "unsubscribe", in the four years before the case was filed (settlement motion, Doc. 39). That is about 20,038 people. The fund is $2,000,000 and non-reversionary, which means no unclaimed money goes back to Bishop. Unlike Goldco's 2026 texting settlement, the company gets nothing back.

The final approval order (Doc. 48) awards $666,000 to class counsel (33.3%), $6,952.90 in costs and a $7,500 service award. If every member had claimed, each would get at most about $65.85 before administration costs (SafeOunce computation). There were no objections and no opt-outs. The order says the settlement is not an admission of fault by Bishop.

How to stop gold IRA cold calls and texts under the Do-Not-Call rules is on our calls guide.

In the Birch case, Birch alleges that Bishop "adopted a logo that is strikingly similar" to its own (complaint, Doc. 1). These are allegations. Bishop filed an answer on December 29, 2025, and no court has ruled on them.

Bishop Gold Group calls and texts: what you agree to on its forms#

Bishop's request forms ask you to agree to autodialed calls, "prerecorded or artificial voice messages, and AI-assisted voice calls". Its Do Not Call policy also lets a later text opt-in override an earlier stop request. The policy (Rev. 02/10/2026) says a text opt-in "shall override any prior DNC request or text message opt-out with respect to marketing text messages". Removal from its list can take "up to ten (10) business days".

The TCPA sets $500 in damages per violation, up to three times that if willful (47 U.S.C. 227, Cornell LII). The consent rules sit in 47 CFR 64.1200 (eCFR).

Regulator actions: none found#

SafeOunce found no CFTC, SEC or state regulator action against Bishop Gold Group, LLC in searches on November 6, 2026. Regulator actions can take years to become public, so check again before you buy. No court or regulator has found Bishop to be a pyramid scheme in any record SafeOunce found. Every case SafeOunce tracks is in our list of precious metals IRA enforcement actions.

Bishop Gold Group's Transaction Agreement: What You Sign#

Bishop publishes the Transaction Agreement you sign, and its September 25, 2026 version states the spread range and rules out a guaranteed buyback. It also sends disputes to private arbitration and limits Bishop's liability. Publishing the agreement at all puts Bishop ahead of sellers whose contract you see only after you call. The table compares the contract terms of four sellers, from documents SafeOunce read.

All the sellers SafeOunce has read are compared on gold IRA company contracts.

Cancelling a Bishop Gold Group order: state windows and the 7-day IRA right#

Bishop's cancellation window depends on your state: Californians get 3 business days after signing, or 5 if they are 65 or older. Texans get a refund window only for credit card purchases. The table lists the windows in the agreement's State-Specific Addendum (November 6, 2026).

Most windows run from "receipt" of the metal. In an IRA, the metal goes to a vault, not to you. Ask Bishop in writing when the clock starts for an IRA order.

A separate federal right is stronger. Federal rules give you at least 7 days to revoke a new IRA and get "the entire amount" back. Commissions and market changes may not be deducted. That right runs against the custodian (26 CFR 1.408-6(d)(4)(ii), Cornell LII). Revocation means cancelling the IRA itself.

Arbitration, the class waiver and the "diminution in value" clause#

Bishop's agreement sends every dispute to binding arbitration in Los Angeles County under the AAA's Commercial Arbitration Rules, bars class actions, and excludes Bishop's liability for "diminution in value". Arbitration is a private hearing before a hired decision-maker instead of a court.

Section 11 calls for "binding arbitration in Los Angeles County, California, administered by the American Arbitration Association ('AAA') under its Commercial Arbitration Rules", "on an individual basis only". In plain English: no jury and no group case. You would argue alone before a private arbitrator in Los Angeles. A class waiver is this promise not to join a group case. The AAA also has Consumer Rules with a capped consumer fee, but whether they would apply is a question for the AAA or a lawyer.

Section 10 excludes liability for "consequential, indirect, incidental ... damages, lost profits or revenues, or diminution in value arising out of or relating to any breach". In plain English: the contract excludes the kind of loss most complaints describe, a drop in value. Whether an arbitrator or court would enforce that against a fraud claim is a legal question SafeOunce does not answer.

Section 1 says you pay "within five (5) days" of the invoice, and late payment "shall be subject to a liquidation fee". The amount is not stated. Section 12 picks California law, and no claim deadline appears, unlike American Hartford Gold's one year. Section 5 discloses that "Company's sales representatives are commissioned salespersons", which many sellers leave out.

What cancellation, arbitration and restitution can do is explained on how to get your money back from a gold IRA company.

Delivery: 28 days, and how to check your metal arrived#

Bishop says it ships IRA metal to the depository "within 28 days" of your order, which matches the CFTC's 28-day actual-delivery test. That test is for financed metal deals; SafeOunce uses it only as a benchmark. Its setup page says: "we ship the metals to your depository account within 28 days". Section 2 of the agreement sets 28 days for non-IRA delivery after "good funds". The CFTC's test is described in release 8215-20 (CFTC, August 4, 2020).

None of the BBB complaint texts shown describes metal that never arrived, and SafeOunce found no regulator complaint about non-delivery (November 6, 2026). Ask the depository for your account's holdings list 30 days after you pay.

The steps to check delivery of IRA metal are on our delivery checklist.

Bishop Gold Group's Spread: 33% to 66% on IRA Orders, by Its Own Contract#

Bishop Gold Group's Transaction Agreement says its spread on IRA transactions "was generally between 33 percent and 66 percent" (page updated September 25, 2026). On bullion bought outside an IRA, the range is 1% to 10%. Section 3 of the agreement reads, in short: "Individual Retirement Account ('IRA') transactions are more expensive to process and may require Company to assume a higher investment risk ... Company's Spread on IRA transactions was generally between 33 percent and 66 percent."

Bullion means coins and bars priced on their metal content. Numismatic coins are priced as collectibles. Semi-numismatic is a dealer label; the CFTC calls it "a made-up industry term". Every published spread range is on gold IRA markups and spreads. The table shows the three ranges in Bishop's 2026 agreement.

The agreement says: "Company shall disclose the actual Spread on Customer's purchases during the purchase confirmation call." In plain English: the exact figure comes by phone, so ask for it on the invoice. Bishop also decides what counts as bullion "based on Company's own classification standards", and "other sellers may classify the same item differently".

For scale, the CFTC put bullion at typically 5% to 10% over spot and numismatic coins at 40% to 200% (release 8215-20, August 4, 2020). In 2024 the CFTC and FINRA said some fraudulent dealers charged spreads of "more than 300 percent", while other dealers "may charge less than 20 percent" (CFTC, 10 Things). These are regulator benchmarks, not typical gold IRA costs. Few sellers print a spread range at all; Bishop does, and its IRA range is the highest of any seller contract SafeOunce has read.

Three versions of the contract: 2023, 2024 and 2026#

Archived copies show Bishop's IRA pricing clause has changed twice: a 33%-66% spread in February 2023, a 125%-150% markup in May 2024, and a 33%-66% spread again in September 2026. A markup is measured over the dealer's cost, while a spread is measured against your price. The table compares the three versions, each from a Wayback Machine capture.

The 2024 version gave an example: "if the retail price that the Customer pays is $100 and the wholesale cost is $50, then the Mark Up is 100%". In plain English: in 2024, an IRA buyer paying $100,000 was told Bishop's cost was generally $40,000 to $44,444. The 2024 text also promised the actual markup "in writing on the purchase order". The 2026 text mentions only the phone call.

Which version applied to you depends on the agreement you signed. A capture from May 27, 2024 shows the markup wording on that date; it does not show when the wording started or ended. Keep your own signed copy.

Spread or markup? Why the base of the percentage matters#

A spread is measured against the price you pay and a markup against the dealer's cost, and Bishop's 2026 agreement does not say which base its 33%-66% uses. The table shows both readings and what a $100,000 order holds in metal at Bishop's cost.

SafeOunce uses Reading A for every company so the numbers compare. Reading B is shown because the 2024 text measured over cost. Either way, the IRA range sits far above Bishop's own 1%-10% bullion range. Ask Bishop: "Is the spread a percent of my price or of your cost?"

How much gold must rise before you break even#

At a 33% spread, gold must rise about 57% before selling your Bishop coins gets you back to what you paid; at 66%, it must roughly triple. The table shows the rise needed at five spreads, including Bishop's own bullion range.

Formula: rise = 1 / ((1 - spread) x 0.953125) - 1.

Test your own spread in the gold IRA break-even calculator.

Why some Bishop customers see about half their money on the first statement#

Three BBB complainants report statements or offers worth 43.8% to 46.1% of what they paid, close to the 40.0% to 44.4% a 125%-150% markup would leave. The figures are customer-stated: $35,000 of $80,000 (43.8%), about $537,000 of $1.2 million (44.8%), and $195,820.60 of $425,171.52 (46.1%). A 125%-150% markup leaves metal worth 40.0% to 44.4% of the price (SafeOunce computation). Bishop replies that custodian statements show a "spot-price valuation", not the "bid/ask prices that a dealer pays", and offers its own valuation as "dealer of record".

Custodians value IRA metal near its melt value. Equity Trust's risk and fee disclosure says its valuations "do not include any markups, commissions or premiums from the precious metals dealer". In plain English: the statement shows roughly what the metal is worth, not what you paid. A large gap on the first statement is the spread made visible.

The pattern is not unique to Bishop. In Mathys v. The Hartford Gold Group, LLC (N.D. Ill. No. 20 C 3927), an 83-year-old who paid $604,331.83 alleged his coins were worth "less than half". The court sent the case to arbitration on December 7, 2020, and did not decide the price.

SafeOunce does not know which contract version each complainant signed, so no complaint is tied to a version here. Why a gold IRA statement shows less than you paid is explained on our statement guide.

What a $100,000 Bishop Gold Group IRA Order Costs#

A $100,000 IRA order at Bishop's stated 33% to 66% spread costs about $39,300 to $70,800 over 10 years if gold does not move. At its own 1% to 10% bullion spread, the same order costs about $8,800 to $17,400. The example below states every assumption.

The gap between a 1% and a 33% spread on $100,000 is $32,000 of metal on day one (SafeOunce computation). That is the number to ask about before you sign.

Does the custodian change the answer? Barely. At STRATA Trust Company, which one 2026 review names for Bishop, segregated storage costs $3,650 over 10 years: $75 purchase, 10 years at $325, $75 sale and $250 closure (fee page, August 31, 2026). Switching from Equity Trust moves the 10-year total by $470, while the spread moves it by $30,000 or more. Run your own amount in the gold IRA fee calculator.

Bishop Gold Group Fees and Minimum: Not Published on Its Live Pages#

Bishop Gold Group publishes no account fee and no minimum on its live pages, as of November 6, 2026. Its setup page says only that "set-up and annual custodian and storage fees apply". The table shows where SafeOunce looked and what each page says.

Every custodian's and seller's published charges are compared on gold IRA fees.

Account fees come from the custodian's schedule. At Equity Trust's metals-only schedule they are $335 in year 1 and $285 a year after (schedule Rev. 081726). That is 1.14% a year on $25,000 and 0.57% on $50,000 (SafeOunce computation).

What is a fee waiver worth? LendEDU's review (September 10, 2026) reports that a Bishop phone representative said Bishop "covers the first three years" of custodian fees. Bishop's live pages do not say this, so treat it as unconfirmed. Three years of fees come to $905 at Equity Trust ($335 + $285 + $285) or $975 at STRATA (3 x $325). That is under 1% of a $100,000 order, against a stated IRA spread of 33% to 66%.

The draft page's "$0 fees to open" and $10,000-$25,000 minimum are not on Bishop's live homepage, so treat both as unconfirmed.

RetirementLiving lists "Fees and pricing are not disclosed publicly" as a con, and that still holds. Every published figure is compared on gold IRA minimums by company.

Bishop Gold Group custodians: named "A"-rated, not named by name#

Bishop says it works "only with custodians holding an 'A' rating from the Better Business Bureau", but names none of them on its website (November 6, 2026). Two reviewers name Equity as their custodian; Bishop does not confirm it. One BBB complainant says he "called Equity (the trustee)". A BBB reviewer says Bishop rolls accounts over "through an equity company".

LendEDU's review (September 10, 2026) reports that a Bishop phone representative named Kingdom Trust and STRATA Trust Company. Bishop's site confirms neither. One of those names is out of date: Kingdom Trust stopped being a custodian on January 24, 2024, and its accounts went to Digital Trust (Kingdom Trust FAQ (SafeOunce earns nothing from this link.)). If anyone offers you a new Kingdom Trust account, ask who the custodian is.

If your custodian is Equity Trust, its four schedules are explained on our page about Equity Trust fees.

A custodian does not check the price you paid. The SEC and NASAA warn: "Self-directed IRA custodians generally do not evaluate the quality or legitimacy of any investment" (SEC investor alert). A BBB grade for the custodian says nothing about the dealer's spread.

Ask Bishop for the custodian's name and its fee schedule, with the revision date, before you transfer money.

Every custodian's charter and fees are compared on gold IRA custodians.

Bishop Gold Group depositories: Brink's and Delaware#

Bishop says it works with two depositories, Brink's Global Services and Delaware Depository, "with coverage of up to $1 billion against property and casualty losses". A depository is the private vault that stores IRA metal for the custodian.

Delaware Depository carries $1 billion of all-risk cover plus $100 million of contingent cover, as of its FAQ read September 29, 2026. It pays the metal's value, not the premiums you paid. It excludes war, terrorism, cyber events, nuclear, chemical and biological events, and government confiscation. What Delaware Depository insurance covers is on its depository page.

FDIC and SIPC insurance never cover IRA metal. Those programs protect bank deposits and brokerage accounts, not coins in a vault.

Ask which of the two vaults will hold your metal, and whether storage is segregated, meaning your own coins kept apart. Fees and locations for Brink's Global Services are on its depository page.

Bishop Gold Group Buyback: No Guarantee, by Its Own Contract#

Bishop's agreement says "The law prohibits Company from guaranteeing that it will repurchase precious metals" and that any repurchase offer "may be raised or lowered at Company's discretion". A buyback is the dealer buying your metal back when you want to sell. The bid is the price it offers you. Bishop's plain wording is more honest than ads that promise a buyback at the best price.

Five of the eight BBB complaint texts describe slow selling or unanswered calls. One complainant reports being told Bishop is "not obligated to buy back any coins", which matches the contract (customer-stated). Bishop replied that it "does not charge any fee to buy back coins".

You do not have to sell back to Bishop. The steps to sell gold in your IRA through another dealer are on our selling guide.

The 3 questions below fix a buyback price before you buy.

1. Ask what Bishop would pay for each coin tomorrow, in writing.
2. Ask how the bid is set: spot minus what?
3. Ask how many days a sale takes to settle into your IRA as cash.

What each contract says is on gold IRA buyback programs compared.

Bishop Gold Group's Free Silver Offer: Up to $5,000, Terms by Phone#

Bishop advertises "Free Silver Up To $5,000" with a "qualified purchase", but publishes no qualifying amount, product list or terms (November 6, 2026). Instead, a specialist "will confirm the amount, eligibility and terms before you commit". The free silver page was last updated October 15, 2026.

Do the math before you accept. On a $100,000 IRA order, $5,000 of silver is 5% of the price. The stated IRA spread is 33% to 66%, or $33,000 to $66,000 if the percentage is of your price. The FTC's guide on "free" offers says the cost of a free item should not be recovered by raising the price of the required purchase (16 CFR 251.1(b)(1), Cornell LII). SafeOunce does not allege a violation. Ask: "What is the spread on my order with and without the free silver?"

How other sellers fund free silver gold IRA promotions is explained on our promotions guide.

Bishop Gold Group Products: Bullion Online, Other Coins on the Phone#

Bishop's online catalog lists 12 bullion coins with no prices. Its BBB complaints describe other coins: "exclusive coins", "collector Australian coins" and 2 oz silver coins sold far above their metal value. Every product page says "No published price on this page: call (833) 589-8100". The 12 coins in Bishop's online catalog (product sitemap, November 6, 2026) are listed below.

• American Gold Eagle 1 oz and 1/4 oz
• American Silver Eagle 1 oz
• Canadian Gold Maple Leaf 1 oz and Silver Maple Leaf 1 oz
• Austrian Gold Philharmonic 1 oz and Silver Philharmonic 1 oz
• British Gold Britannia 1 oz and Silver Britannia 1 oz
• South African Gold Krugerrand 1 oz and Silver Krugerrand 1 oz
• "American Silver Buffalo 1 oz"

These are mainstream coins. The American Gold Eagle in an IRA is eligible by name at .9167 purity.

The coins in the complaints are different. In an October 17, 2025 complaint, a buyer says 2 oz silver coins cost $150.97 each when silver spot was $28.18 an ounce. That is $56.36 of silver per coin, or 37.3% of the price (SafeOunce computation). Bishop replied that it bought back about $62,000 "and made absolutely no profit on the buyback".

How numismatic coin upsells work is explained on our coin guide.

Ask for the exact coin name, year and mint in writing before you agree to anything. If a coin is not in the online catalog, ask why it suits an IRA better than a 1 oz Gold Eagle.

Proof and graded coins are priced as collectibles.

What custodians accept for proof coins in an IRA is on our proof coin page.

Bishop Gold Group's IRA rule claims: three errors, three correct#

Bishop's website gets three IRA rules wrong and three right, as read on November 6, 2026. The table checks each claim against the rule.

The full list of IRA-approved precious metals under the tax code is on our eligibility page.

The Krugerrand error is one Bishop avoids. Its page warns buyers correctly, which many sellers' pages do not.

Required minimum distributions are the yearly withdrawals the tax code forces from a traditional IRA. Ask your custodian which age applies to you.

Why gold Krugerrands in an IRA fail the purity test is explained on our Krugerrand page.

What Bishop Gold Group Says About Itself, and What Checks Out#

Five of Bishop's claims about itself conflict with other Bishop pages or outside records, as of November 6, 2026. The table sets each claim beside what SafeOunce found.

Bishop's public sitemap lists a draft page, /new-homepage/, that Google ranks for "bishop gold group bbb". It shows three customer quotes, each labelled "Sample placeholder" and "replace with a verified review before launch". Its press logos are labelled "confirm actual press mentions before launch" (read November 6, 2026).

None of this appears on Bishop's live homepage. SafeOunce reports only what the page shows, not why it is public.

Bishop Gold Group Pros and Cons#

Bishop's main strength is that it prints its spread range and its contract; its main weakness is what that range says. The table lists six pros and six cons.

Who Bishop Gold Group Suits, and Who Should Walk Away#

Bishop Gold Group can suit a buyer who wants plain bullion, gets the spread written on the invoice, and walks away if it is above Bishop's own 1%-10% bullion range. It does not suit anyone opening an IRA who cannot get the spread in writing first. The table gives a verdict for six reader situations.

You should get every answer by email, so it is dated and in writing. The 6 questions to ask Bishop Gold Group in writing are listed below.

1. Ask for the spread on your order as a percent of your price, printed on the invoice.
2. Ask for each coin's name, year, mint and price per coin.
3. Ask what Bishop would pay for the same coins tomorrow.
4. Ask which custodian and which fee schedule apply, with its revision date.
5. Ask when your cancellation window starts for an IRA order.
6. Ask for any promise (extra metal, fee waivers, buyback) to be written into the signed invoice.

The full list of 12 questions is on how to choose a gold IRA company.

How SafeOunce Rates Bishop Gold Group#

Bishop Gold Group's SafeOunce rating is pending: it has not yet been scored on the 7 criteria and 100 points of our method (version 1.1), as of November 6, 2026. The score will use the written quote test for price, price disclosure and buyback. It will also use the published agreement, the court and regulator record, and the complaint record. Product mix and sales pressure, and custody and delivery, complete the 7 criteria.

Items SafeOunce has not tested are marked "not yet checked". Items Bishop will not show a buyer score zero as "not disclosed". A result stays provisional until all 100 points are checked. No company can pay to change its rating or its place.

Bishop triggers none of the five gates as of November 6, 2026. The Pitts settlement is a private texting case, not a regulator settlement over pricing or disclosures (gate 3). No non-delivery complaint filed with the BBB or a regulator was found (gate 4). Years in business, the BBB grade and star scores are shown but not scored. Weights and evidence rules are on how SafeOunce rates gold IRA companies.

How Does Bishop Gold Group Compare With Other Gold IRA Companies?#

Bishop publishes a higher IRA spread range than any other seller whose contract SafeOunce has read, and its complaint rate is the third highest of 11. The table compares Bishop with four sellers on spread, fees and complaints.

Rankings by real cost are on best gold IRA companies. Vault insurance and locations are compared on gold IRA depositories.

Bishop Gold Group and Birch Gold Group: different companies, one lawsuit#

Bishop Gold Group and Birch Gold Group are separate companies; Birch sued Bishop in 2025, alleging that Bishop's logo and name confuse buyers. These are allegations, and a jury trial is set for April 12, 2027. Birch's side of the record is in our Birch Gold Group review.

Bishop Gold Group's celebrity endorsers#

Bishop names Ted Nugent and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer as "official endorsers" and states that "Endorsers may be compensated". The CFTC's 2024 "Lies Versus Facts" flier warns in general that fraudulent dealers "target their ads to political or religious programming just to gain your trust" (CFTC flier). This is not an allegation against Bishop. An endorser's name tells you nothing about the spread. Who endorses which seller is tracked on celebrity gold IRA endorsements.

Who writes the Bishop Gold Group reviews you find online?#

Most Bishop Gold Group "reviews" online are company pages, paid press releases and a "review hub" that copies Bishop's own testimonials. A WireDaily release on newswire.com (December 20, 2024) praises Bishop's "commitment to transparency in pricing", yet Bishop publishes no prices. Bishopgoldreviews.com calls itself an "Independent Review Hub" but shows no owner. Every quote on it is "sourced from bishopgoldgroup.com/bbb-faq".

RetirementLiving's review carries the line "We may earn money when you click a partner link". The one bylined review, LendEDU's (September 10, 2026), rates Bishop 4.3 of 5 and says "Many or all companies we feature compensate us". It says the actual markup comes "in writing on the purchase order", wording from the 2024 contract that the 2026 text dropped. Its review counts date from March 11, 2025, when the BBB showed 15 reviews; it shows 102 now. How to tell when gold IRA reviews are paid is explained on our reviews guide.

SafeOunce checks smaller sellers with the same list: Freedom Gold USA review, Monetary Gold review and Sanctuary Metals review.

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

Can you keep Bishop Gold Group IRA gold at home?#

No: IRA bullion must be in the physical possession of a trustee, and Bishop's own guide warns that taking personal possession "is treated as a distribution". The Tax Court confirmed this in McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021). The court case is covered on home storage gold IRA.

Is Bishop Gold Group a pyramid scheme?#

No: no court or regulator has found Bishop Gold Group to be a pyramid scheme in any record SafeOunce found on November 6, 2026. It is a dealer that sells metal for a spread. The searches behind that question are answered on Bishop Gold Group complaints and lawsuits.

What is the downside of a gold IRA with Bishop Gold Group?#

The main downside is cost: Bishop's contract puts its IRA spread at 33% to 66%, custodian and storage fees come on top, and gold pays no interest or dividends. Gold must rise a long way before the account is even. The general case is on gold IRA pros and cons.