How to Choose a Gold IRA Company: 12 Questions to Ask and the Answers That Should Stop You

To choose a gold IRA company, ask 12 questions and get the answers in writing before any money moves. The questions cover the price per coin, the sell-back price, your cancellation and dispute rights, who holds the metal and the company's record. A gold IRA company is the dealer that sells you the metal; the custodian is the bank or trust company that holds your IRA. The spot price is today's market price for one ounce of pure metal.

Each question comes with a good answer and a stop-sign answer, taken from dated contracts and regulator cases. Every one of the gold IRA companies we track is judged on these same points, and no company can pay to change its rating.

How Do You Choose a Gold IRA Company?#

Choose the gold IRA company that answers 12 questions in writing before you pay, charges a small markup on plain bullion and keeps the metal in your IRA's name. A markup is what you pay above the metal's market value. Bullion means plain coins and bars priced on their metal content, such as the 1 oz American Gold Eagle.

The 3 rules for choosing a gold IRA company are listed below.

1. Compare prices, not promises. The CFTC's 2024 advisory "10 Things to Ask" says to get the "agreed retail price in writing BEFORE signing."
2. Read the contract before you pay. Its cancellation, arbitration and claim-deadline clauses decide what you can do if something goes wrong.
3. Check the record under every name. Companies in trouble change names.

Get 2 written quotes on the same day for the same coins. Of 15 operating sellers SafeOunce checked on September 29, 2026, only 1 publishes live prices and 4 publish a spread range.

Who does what: the gold IRA company, the custodian and the depository#

A gold IRA involves 3 separate businesses: the gold IRA company sells you the metal, the custodian holds the IRA and the depository stores the coins. A gold IRA is an ordinary traditional or Roth IRA whose custodian allows vaulted metal.

A depository is a private vault. Most metals custodians are banks or state-supervised trust companies; a few are nonbank trustees, firms the IRS approves to act as IRA trustees (73 as of April 1, 2026). The IRS says "there is no list of approved investments," so it approves no coin, dealer or vault.

The table compares the 3 parties. The spread is the gap between the dealer's selling price and its buyback price, as a share of the selling price.

Custodians do not check the dealer's prices. An SEC and NASAA investor alert (read September 29, 2026) says custodians "generally do not evaluate the quality or legitimacy" of an investment or its promoters. In plain English: the custodian pays whatever price you sign for.

How gold IRA custodians charge and what they check is compared on one page.

Do you have to talk to a salesperson to open a gold IRA?#

No: you can open a self-directed IRA (one that can hold vaulted metal) with a metals custodian and buy from a dealer that posts prices online. You can also hold bullion in a brokerage IRA at a firm such as Fidelity.

The 3 routes that need no sales call are listed below.

1. Custodian first, then an online dealer. APMEX's IRA page describes an online application and a $2,000 IRA purchase minimum, with Equity Trust as custodian (archived August 17, 2026).
2. A brokerage IRA with a bullion program. Fidelity IRAs buy Gold Eagles, Buffalos and bars for a 2.90% to 0.99% commission with a $44 minimum: 4.4% on the $1,000 minimum IRA purchase (fee schedule FA-FEES-0926, as of September 29, 2026).
3. A sales-led gold IRA company, for help with paperwork. Then ask the 12 questions below.

Phone calls are how most gold IRA companies sell and how review sites get paid. Lear Capital's affiliate terms (August 1, 2025) pay a website for a lead, a contact passed to the seller, only after it "has spoken to a Lear Capital sales representative." Requesting one of the free gold IRA kits usually starts those calls.

Online dealers are not cheaper by default, but you can compare their prices before anyone calls.

Fidelity charges 2.00% to 0.75% when you sell, plus 0.125% a quarter for storage (as of September 29, 2026). Its program is compared with a rollover on the Fidelity gold IRA page.

12 Questions to Ask a Gold IRA Company Before You Sign#

The 12 questions to ask a gold IRA company cover price, product, buyback, paperwork, exit and dispute rights, custody, delivery, fees, bonuses, the salesperson and the record. Ask them in this order; each one is explained below with the answer that should stop you.

1. What is the price per coin, and the markup over spot, for each item?
2. Is every item plain bullion, or is any of it a premium coin?
3. What is your buyback price if I sell the same coins back tomorrow?
4. Will you email the invoice and the full contract before I pay?
5. How many days do I have to cancel, from when, and does it cover bullion?
6. Does the contract force arbitration or set a one-year claim deadline?
7. Which custodian and depository, and is the metal in my IRA's own account?
8. How many days until the metal shows on my IRA statement?
9. What are all the yearly and exit fees after any free period?
10. Is the bonus or fee waiver tied to buying specific coins?
11. What is your legal name, and are you licensed to advise me on my stocks?
12. Has the company or its owners faced lawsuits or regulator actions, under any name?

The table sums up the answers, sources and rating criteria.

A good company answers all 12 in writing without pressure. If it will not put the price per coin in writing, stop there.

1. What is the price per coin, and the markup over spot, for each item?#

The price per coin is the biggest cost in a gold IRA, because the dealer's markup is paid on day one and outweighs years of account fees.

Say this: "Please email me the price of each coin or bar on my order, in dollars, and how far above today's spot price that is."

The premium is the price above the metal's value, and the bid is what a dealer pays you. The markup is the price over the dealer's own cost: a 19.99% spread is a 25.0% markup.

The CFTC's "10 Things to Ask" (2024) notes fraudulent dealers have charged spreads of "more than 300 percent," while others may charge "less than 20 percent." How dealers set gold IRA markups and spreads is explained with the math.

On September 29, 2026 (10:16 to 10:41 UTC), SafeOunce priced one 1 oz American Gold Eagle at 7 dealers against the Kitco gold bid of $4,148.10.

Cheapest: Blanchard; dearest: Texas Precious Metals. Two dealers showed no price ("Call For Prices"; login required). One snapshot, not a ranking; prices move with gold. SafeOunce computation.

The gap is $248.45 a coin (5.8%): on $100,000, the dearer dealer leaves you $5,367 less gold at the bid on day one.

A percent range is not a price. In 3 regulator cases, customers were told a low range and paid far more; a 4th case alleges spreads of 91% to 128%. "Alleged" means claimed but not proven; a consent order is one both sides accept.

At a 64% markup, $300,000 buys metal worth about $182,927, a $117,073 loss on day one (SafeOunce computation from the SEC figure).

SafeOunce rating, points available: A1 15 points, A2 10 points.

2. Is every item plain bullion, or is any of it a premium coin?#

Ask whether every item is plain bullion, because proof, "exclusive" and "semi-numismatic" coins carry contract markups up to 3 times higher than bullion. American Hartford Gold's September 2026 agreement caps bullion spreads at 19.99% and limited numismatic coins at 59.99%.

A numismatic coin is a collector coin priced above its metal value; a proof coin has a special collector finish; "limited mintage" means a small run sold as scarce.

Say this: "Is every item on my order a plain 1 oz bullion coin or bar? Is anything proof, 'exclusive', 'premium' or limited mintage?"

The CFTC's 2024 advisory says: "'Semi-numismatic' is a made-up industry term that really has no special meaning." Its 2020 advisory (release 8215-20) puts premiums at about 5% to 10% over spot for bullion and 40% to 200% for numismatic coins. One customer who rolled over $300,000 lost nearly $150,000 to commissions and fees.

Sellers earn more on premium coins. Augusta Precious Metals' affiliate agreement pays Prime affiliates 8% of "Premium Trade Value" and 0% on bullion (read September 29, 2026), and AHG pays reps on "volume and profit margin" (¶4D). The regulator cases behind numismatic coin upsells show how the switch happens.

The table shows 2 companies' spread caps and the break-even, the rise needed to sell back at what you paid.

Caps are maximums. Break-even includes the industry contract bid gap (SafeOunce computation): rise = 1 / ((1 - spread) x 0.953125) - 1. The 59.99% row leaves the bid gap out; with it, the rise is 162.2%.

Bullion must still be IRA-eligible under 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3): named US coins such as the Gold Eagle, or bars and coins at a minimum fineness (share of pure metal) of .995 gold, .999 silver, or .9995 platinum and palladium.

SafeOunce rating, points available: F1 5 points, F2 3 points.

3. What is your buyback price if I sell the same coins back tomorrow?#

The buyback price tells you your real cost: the gap between today's price and tomorrow's buyback is money you lose the moment you buy.

Say this: "If I sold these exact coins back to you tomorrow, what would you pay me? Please put the number or the formula in writing."

AHG's September 2026 agreement says "applicable laws currently prohibit AHG from guaranteeing to repurchase precious metals it sells" (¶6). The Lear, Preserve, Oxford Gold and American Bullion agreements say the same. In plain English: a "buyback guarantee" in an ad is not a promise in the contract. Test any quote by working out how much metal must rise to cover the markup, fees and buyback.

Lear Capital's December 2025 terms and Preserve Gold's June 2025 agreement share one example. A $40 coin with a 20% spread cost the dealer $32, and its buyback "might be approximately $30.50." That $1.50 below cost is the bid gap. You lose 23.75% the moment you buy and need a 31.1% rise to break even (SafeOunce computation).

U.S. Money Reserve's "IRA Buyback Advantage" covers only proof and exclusive coins, only at each year's required minimum distribution, and no bullion. Its Gold IRA page adds, "This policy is subject to change without notice" (read September 29, 2026).

SafeOunce rating, points available: A3 5 points.

4. Will you email the invoice and the full contract before I pay?#

Ask for the invoice and the full contract by email before you pay: the price, your cancellation window and your dispute rights live in those papers. An invoice lists what you buy, how many and at what price; the customer (or transaction) agreement is the contract you sign with the dealer.

Say this: "Before I send any money, please email me the invoice with quantities and prices, and the complete customer agreement with its version date."

In plain English: in a sale made by telephone, you are entitled to the full price and the exact ounces before you pay.

Lear Capital's December 2025 terms say your exact spread is "confirmed during the transaction voice confirmation process and included in Customer's invoice." U.S. Money Reserve's User Agreement (March 27, 2026) says, "All sales are then verified with you by telephone," and it excludes IRA purchases. Clause by clause, the gold IRA company contracts compared side by side show what each one takes away.

Augusta's FAQ says it provides "a written Transaction Agreement" before any purchase (company claim, updated September 23, 2026).

SafeOunce rating, points available: C4 3 points; A2 itemized quote 3 points.

5. How many days do I have to cancel, from when, and does it cover bullion?#

Cancellation windows in gold IRA contracts run from 24 hours to 8 days, and some cover only premium coins, so ask when the clock starts and whether bullion is included.

Say this: "How many days do I have to cancel, from what moment, and does that include bullion? How do I cancel: phone, email or letter?"

A cancellation window is the time you have to back out for a refund. The table shows 7 companies' terms, as read on September 29, 2026.

AHG's 7 days "shall begin from the execution date of this Agreement regardless of whether the account is fully funded for IRA transactions" (¶3). In plain English: the clock runs while your old account is still sending the money. Its "non-bullion" wording is hard to follow, so ask in writing what it covers.

A Lear Capital order signed Monday at 3 p.m. has a window that closes Tuesday at 3 p.m., often before a 401(k) transfer arrives. How to cancel a gold IRA step by step, with both clocks, is covered separately.

In plain English: revocation undoes the IRA itself and is a right against the custodian, not the dealer, so ask the custodian whether it waits out the 7 days before paying. Advantage Gold's terms bill you for any market loss on a cancelled order and let Advantage keep any gain.

SafeOunce rating, points available: C1 4 points.

6. Does the contract force arbitration or set a one-year claim deadline?#

Yes, usually: all 6 gold IRA company documents we read send disputes to private arbitration, and 3 cut the time to bring a claim to about 1 year. Arbitration is a private hearing instead of a court case. An opt-out is a right to refuse it within a set time.

Say this: "Does the contract require arbitration? Which service, in which city, and who pays the fees? Can I opt out, and by when? Is there a deadline to bring a claim?"

A claim deadline (statute of limitations) is how long you have to sue; a liability cap is the most the company will pay if at fault. The table shows 6 documents, read September 29, 2026.

Consumer fee caps as of September 2026: AAA $225; JAMS $250.

Courts usually enforce these clauses: arbitration was compelled in Mathys v. The Hartford Gold Group (N.D. Ill., December 7, 2020), Patterson v. Lear Capital (D. Utah, October 15, 2020) and Ireland v. Lear Capital (D. Minn., 2012). The exception is Dennison v. Rosland Capital (Cal. Ct. App. B295350, April 1, 2020), where the clause was unconscionable, too one-sided to enforce. Restitution is a court-ordered repayment; what arbitration and restitution have returned is shown case by case.

U.S. Money Reserve's §13 caps liability at the amount paid "MINUS THE ITEM'S FAIR MARKET VALUE." Pay $250,000 for coins worth $62,500 when arbitration starts, and the most you can win is $187,500. Equity Trust's custodial agreement also requires individual arbitration unless you opt out within 65 days of opening (Clark v. Equity Trust, D.N.M., October 29, 2024).

SafeOunce rating, points available: C2 5 points, C3 3 points.

7. Which custodian and depository, and is the metal in my IRA's own account?#

Ask which custodian and depository will hold your metal, because your protection depends on the coins sitting in an account under your IRA's name.

Say this: "Which custodian and depository will you use, and can I choose another? Will the metal sit in an account titled to my IRA, with statements from the custodian? What is the vault's insurance limit, and does it pay spot or a declared value?"

A master account is one account in the dealer's name that mixes customers' holdings. In CFTC v. Regal Assets (C.D. Cal. 2:23-cv-08078), the complaint says customer sub-accounts under Regal's "'master' account" were "simply ledger entries" (¶34). The CFTC alleged that Regal misappropriated over $21 million from over 120 customers; default judgments of about $49.2 million followed on October 15, 2024.

In plain English: if only the dealer sees the vault statement, you cannot know your coins exist. Commingled storage pools your metal with identical metal, still allocated to you; segregated storage keeps your exact coins apart. Which gold IRA depositories custodians use, and how they insure metal, is compared.

Advertised insurance can exceed the real cover. First State Depository in Wilmington, Delaware advertised "$400 million" of insurance but carried $75 million from May 2021. Of its 2,102 accounts (90% IRAs), 1,006 had discrepancies, and $56.8 million to $110.4 million is estimated missing. Its owner was sentenced on June 17, 2025 to 65 years.

Vault insurance pays spot value unless a declared value is on file, so a proof coin's premium is not covered. Twenty 1/10 oz proof Gold Eagles bought for $11,212.60 would be insured for about $8,312.60, a 26% gap (prices of September 29, 2026). "Audited" can mean little: Delaware Depository's SOC 1 Type I report tests control design on one date, and a COMEX audit covers exchange bars only.

SafeOunce rating, points available: G 2 points for named custodian and vault with your choice, 1 for an IRA-titled account with a segregated option.

8. How many days until the metal shows on my IRA statement?#

Ask for delivery to the depository within 28 days, in writing: 28 days is the actual-delivery benchmark regulators use, and a longer wait is a warning sign.

Say this: "How many days after you receive my IRA funds will the metal be in the depository and on my custodian's statement? Please put that in writing."

The 28-day line comes from the actual-delivery rule in the Commodity Exchange Act, section 2(c)(2)(D). A 2020 CFTC advisory (release 8215-20) says a financed sale is legal only if the dealer "actually delivers the metal within 28 days." It is a benchmark, not a legal IRA deadline.

Washington's Securities Division found that Rosland Capital shipped coins to at least 14 IRA customers "anywhere from 33 days to 168 days after the coins were purchased." Those sales topped $1.6 million (consent order S-20-3045-22-CO01, August 4, 2022; $20,000 penalty; neither admit nor deny). Rosland filed a liquidating Chapter 11, a bankruptcy that winds a company down, on July 2, 2026. Why the first gold IRA statement shows less than you paid is explained separately.

AHG's 2026 agreement allows IRA delivery "within four to eight weeks" after the custodian's funds arrive (¶2A). That is 28 to 56 days, up to double the benchmark; Preserve Gold's June 2025 agreement says 28 days. The statement shows market value without the markup, so after a 20% spread it shows about 80% of what you paid.

SafeOunce rating, points available: G 2 points for a written 28-day delivery promise.

9. What are all the yearly and exit fees after any free period?#

Ask for every yearly and exit fee in a dated schedule: "free" years end, and closing an account cost $150 to $250 at 3 metals custodians in September 2026. A fee schedule is the custodian's dated price list; termination fees close the account and transfer-out fees move it.

Say this: "Please send the custodian's dated fee schedule, including exit fees. What will I pay each year after any free period ends?"

The table shows 3 published metals custodian schedules, as of September 2026.

Augusta Precious Metals' FAQ says, "Every account also receives up to 10 years of custodian and depository fees paid by Augusta" (updated September 23, 2026), without stating conditions. Ask in writing what you pay in year 11, and run any schedule through the gold IRA fee calculator for 10-year totals.

Account fees are small next to the markup: one point of markup on $100,000 equals 3.5 years of a $285 yearly fee. Equity Trust lists termination and transfer-out fees separately, so ask which apply to your exit.

SafeOunce rating, points available: B1 4 points, B2 4 points.

10. Is the bonus or fee waiver tied to buying specific coins?#

Ask whether a bonus or fee waiver depends on buying particular coins. The 2 offers below apply only to orders of premium coins, or of at least 60% proof coins, whose markups can cost more than the bonus is worth. A fee waiver is a promise to pay your custodian and storage fees for a time.

Say this: "Does the free silver or fee waiver require me to buy particular coins? If I buy only bullion, do I still get it?"

Goldco's free silver (5% on $50,000 to $99,999; 10% from $100,000) applies only to "Goldco premium coins" (homepage footnote, September 29, 2026). U.S. Money Reserve's "No Fees for Life" covers up to $300 a year. It requires a $200,000 rollover (effective April 1, 2026) and "no less than 60%" proof coins (footnote 3, read September 29, 2026). In plain English: $300 a year for 20 years is $6,000, 3% of the $200,000 minimum. How free silver and bonus metal offers are paid for is traced through the contracts.

The bonus math in dollars is in Is a free silver bonus worth a higher markup?

SafeOunce rating, points available: B3 2 points.

11. What is your legal name, and are you licensed to advise me on my stocks?#

Ask for the salesperson's full legal name and whether they are registered to give investment advice, because gold IRA salespeople usually are not. A registered investment adviser is registered with the SEC or a state to give such advice.

Say this: "What is your full legal name and the company's legal name? Are you registered to give investment advice? Will you tell me to sell any stocks, funds or annuities?"

The CFTC's 2024 flier says anyone who tells you "what to buy, how much, or when to buy or sell" is "providing investment advice and must be registered." The contracts admit their reps are not: "AHG's sales representatives are not licensed" (¶4D), and Preserve Gold says the same (¶4E).

The SEC's complaint against Safeguard Metals (C.D. Cal. 2:22-cv-00693, February 1, 2022) alleged that the owner used the pseudonym "Jeff Hill" (¶12) and an agent claimed a Series 7, a FINRA securities license, he did not hold (¶22). Agents allegedly helped investors sell "mutual funds, annuities and other securities" (¶43). In plain English: a stranger telling you to sell funds for coins is the pattern regulators warn about.

The advice is not neutral, because pay depends on the sale. The same complaint alleges Safeguard agents were paid 8% to 10% of each purchase (¶33) and targeted investors aged 59 and older (¶16). Rosland Capital paid its reps 15% to 35% of gross profit.

A trade name, or dba, is a brand; the legal entity is the company that signs. Noble Gold Investments is a trade name of Golden Bull, LLC. Lear Capital, LLC signs today's contracts; the Chapter 11 debtor was Lear Capital, Inc. (filed March 2, 2022).

SafeOunce rating, points available: F3 2 points; D minus 4 for unregistered advice.

12. Has the company or its owners faced lawsuits or regulator actions, under any name?#

Ask about lawsuits and regulator actions under every name the company and its owners have used, because troubled companies change names.

Say this: "Has your company, under any name, or any owner been sued by customers or ordered to pay by a regulator?"

Red Rock Secured "now operates under the name American Coin Co." (SEC litigation release LR-25996, May 7, 2024). That followed charges filed May 15, 2023 and a CFTC consent order of April 23, 2024 totaling $56,334,313.90. Lear Capital's settlements and bankruptcy customer fund total $14.25 million, with no admission. The CFTC, SEC, FTC and state cases SafeOunce tracks since 2008 are in the list of gold IRA enforcement actions.

Four free record sources cover the check: BBB complaint texts, NFA BASIC and the SEC Action Lookup, your state securities regulator (via NASAA) and CourtListener dockets. "Not registered" is normal for metals dealers.

Grades lag. Oxford Gold Group lost its BBB accreditation in 2024, around when customers filed an involuntary Chapter 7 (August 28, 2024). A national publisher recommended Rosland Capital on August 7, 2026, 36 days after its bankruptcy filing. Receivership, a court-appointed manager taking over, is a stop sign too.

SafeOunce rating, points available: D 20 points, E 10 points.

Which Gold IRA Company Answers Should Stop You? 5 Hard Stops#

Five answers should end the call: no written price, a premium-coin push, metal outside your IRA's account, unregistered stock advice and a false answer about the record. Each matches a regulator case behind the warning signs of gold IRA scams.

The table matches each hard stop to its question and the case behind it.

If a company holds your money and the metal is not on your custodian's statement, act the same day. The delivery check, is your gold really in your IRA, shows what to ask the custodian and the depository.

Each hard stop describes an answer, not a company, and one is enough to end the call.

Short cancellation windows, arbitration with a 1-year deadline and bonuses tied to coins are yellow flags: common in these contracts, not proof of fraud, but a reason to get a second written quote.

Rosland Capital and Oxford Gold Group left customers waiting in court. What happens to customers of failed gold IRA companies depends on where the metal is.

How to Compare Two Gold IRA Company Quotes: A $100,000 Worked Example#

Compare two gold IRA company quotes by what your $100,000 buys at the dealer's bid on day one, then add 10 years of fees; the markup usually decides the winner. The round trip is the cost of buying and selling back the same day; a flat fee is a fixed yearly dollar amount.

The table compares two hypothetical $100,000 quotes for the same 1 oz bullion coins over 10 years.

Gold price held flat; fees paid from outside the IRA; 19.99% is a contract maximum, not what AHG charges; SafeOunce computation, September 2026.

Quote B has the lower account fees and still costs about $16,920 more over 10 years. Put both written quotes into the gold IRA company comparison tool to see price, bid and fees side by side.

What does one point of markup cost you?#

On a $100,000 gold IRA, one percentage point of markup costs $1,000, as much as 3.5 years of a $285 yearly custodian and storage fee. That fee is Equity Trust's precious-metals-only schedule with segregated storage, as of September 2026.

The table converts one point of markup into years of that $285 fee at 4 account sizes.

That is why SafeOunce gives price 30 of 100 rating points and account fees 10. The full list of gold IRA fees, every cost compared, runs from setup to exit.

Is a free silver bonus worth a higher markup?#

A 10% free silver bonus is usually worth less than the markup it comes with. On $100,000 of premium coins at a 30% spread, you can sell back about $74,344 of metal, against about $90,547 for plain bullion at 5%.

The worked example below uses the dealer bid gap from the industry contract example ($30.50 / $32 = 0.953125).

• Premium coins: $100,000 x 0.70 x 0.953125 = $66,719.
• Bonus silver: $10,000 x 0.80 x 0.953125 = $7,625, for a total of $74,344.
• Plain bullion at a 5% spread: $100,000 x 0.95 x 0.953125 = $90,547.

The gap is $16,203 in favor of plain bullion; the bonus breaks even only if the premium coin's spread is 13% or less. The 30% and 20% spreads are assumptions (SafeOunce computation, September 2026).

How Do the 12 Answers Feed a Gold IRA Company's SafeOunce Rating?#

Each of the 12 questions matches a SafeOunce rating criterion, so the answers and the records behind them add up to 100 points, and a withheld answer scores zero. A criterion is one scored test in the rating. A gate is a record so serious, such as a bankruptcy or a sanction, that it replaces the score with a label.

The table maps each question to its criterion under SafeOunce method v1.0.

SafeOunce rates from documents, not phone calls. It asks every rated company in writing for its agreement and a written quote. After 10 business days without a reply, the company is shown as "Not rated: would not disclose." The weights and gates behind how SafeOunce rates gold IRA companies are published in full.

Which Questions Matter Most for Your Rollover, Roth or Small Account?#

All 12 questions apply to everyone, but a large rollover makes the price and cancellation questions worth the most money. In a small account, the fee questions decide whether a gold IRA makes sense at all. The table matches 5 situations to the questions to ask first.

Situations overlap; check every row that fits you. This table describes situations, not advice for your household.

An RMD is the yearly withdrawal the tax code requires from a traditional IRA, from age 73 for people born 1951 to 1958. An in-kind distribution takes the coins out instead of cash. A gold ETF is a fund that holds gold and trades like a stock.

On any rollover, also ask: "Will the money move as a direct transfer or direct rollover, never as a check made out to me?" A trustee-to-trustee transfer is not a rollover: it has no 60-day clock, no once-per-year limit and no withholding (IRS Publication 590-A). That limit covers IRA-to-IRA 60-day rollovers across all your IRAs (Bobrow; Announcement 2014-15).

A 401(k) check paid to you has 20% withheld (IRC 3405(c)). Take a $250,000 401(k) at age 52 in the 22% bracket: the check is $200,000. Depositing only that costs $11,000 of tax plus a $5,000 penalty, $16,000 in all; a direct rollover costs $0.

What to Do After a Gold IRA Company Answers#

After a gold IRA company answers, compare its quote with a second one the same day, check its record and sign nothing until the contract matches the call. The full walk-through of the 4 free record sources is in how to check a gold IRA company.

The 5 steps after the call are listed below.

1. Compare 2 written quotes for the same coins on the same day.
2. Read the contract's cancellation, arbitration and claim-deadline clauses (questions 5 and 6).
3. Check the record under every name (question 12).
4. Sign only when the invoice matches the quote.
5. Confirm that the metal is on the custodian's statement within about 28 days (question 8).

Pressure is information. The CFTC's 2024 flier warns: "Most likely you're talking to a telemarketer whose only experience is separating people from their money." For a second opinion, the FINRA Senior Helpline (844-574-3577) answers Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern.

If an answer was false, who to call when you report a gold IRA company depends on what went wrong: price, delivery or advice.

Next: the full record of every company we track, including those that failed.

What Else Should You Check Before Choosing a Gold IRA Company?#

Beyond the 12 answers, readers often lean on BBB grades and "best" lists, and both can mislead. Our list of every gold IRA company rated, including those that failed, uses the same questions.

Is a BBB A+ rating enough to trust a gold IRA company?#

No: a BBB grade mostly measures how a company handles complaints, not what it charges, so a company with high markups can hold an A+. Under the Better Business Bureau's method, 90 of 100 positive points relate to complaints, reviews are not used, and A+ means 97 to 100 points.

Lear Capital, accredited since 1997, kept its A+ and its accreditation, a separate BBB status, after $14.25 million in settlements and a customer fund (as of September 29, 2026). What BBB, BCA and Trustpilot ratings measure, and what they miss, is tested.

Are "best gold IRA company" lists a safe shortcut?#

"Best gold IRA company" lists disagree with each other and are often paid per lead, so use them to find names, then ask the 12 questions. Nine lists SafeOunce read on September 29, 2026 named 20 different companies and 5 different number-one picks.

Money.com named Allegiance Gold "Best Overall" on May 29, 2026, yet Augusta's homepage still claimed Money's "Best Overall 2022-2026" on September 29, 2026. Money's disclosure says: "Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed." Nine gold IRA 'best of' lists compared side by side show who pays.

Questions readers ask about choosing a gold IRA company#

Seven questions readers ask about choosing a gold IRA company are answered below.

Which gold IRA company is the safest?#

No gold IRA company is "safest" by default. The safer choice answers all 12 questions in writing, quotes plain bullion at a low markup and keeps your metal in your IRA's account. The best gold IRA companies ranking scores those answers, with dates.

Can you cancel a gold IRA purchase after you sign?#

Sometimes: dealer contracts allow 24 hours to 8 days and some exclude bullion, while the IRA itself can be revoked within at least 7 days of opening under Treas. Reg. 1.408-6. Dealer terms are in question 5. Both clocks for cancelling a gold IRA are set out together.

How much money do you need to start a gold IRA?#

The IRS sets no minimum; company minimums run from $5,000 (Birch Gold) to $50,000 (Augusta, per its FAQ updated September 23, 2026), as of September 2026. GoldenCrest asks $10,000, Noble Gold $20,000 and Goldco $25,000. A Fidelity IRA can buy bullion from $1,000. Company by company, how much money you need to start a gold IRA is listed with dates.

What is the downside of a gold IRA?#

A gold IRA has 3 real downsides. Metal pays no interest or dividends, the markup and flat fees weigh heavily on small balances, and traditional withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. The pros, cons and real downsides are weighed with 55 years of data.

Is it better to have physical gold or a gold IRA?#

A gold IRA gives tax deferral but adds custodian fees and keeps the metal in a vault. Gains on gold you hold yourself are taxed at up to 28% because it is a collectible, a class taxed at a higher rate (26 U.S.C. 1(h)(4)-(5)). Keeping IRA metal at home is a taxable distribution (McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10, 2021). Costs and taxes of a gold IRA vs physical gold are compared.

Which gold company did Warren Buffett buy?#

Warren Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported 20,918,701 shares of Barrick Gold, a mining company, worth about $563.6 million on June 30, 2020. The source is its Form 13F (filed August 14, 2020), a quarterly SEC report of stock holdings. It reported none by December 31, 2020, and bought no gold coins or bars. Why Dave Ramsey and Warren Buffett say no to gold is answered point by point.

Is a gold IRA company your fiduciary?#

No: the contracts say so. Lear Capital's terms say it is not a "retirement account fiduciary," and American Hartford Gold's agreement says "no fiduciary relationship exists." A fiduciary must by law act in your best interest. In plain English: gold IRA salespeople work for the seller. Why most gold IRA salespeople are not your fiduciary is defined in the glossary.