No gold IRA company publishes enough to prove it is the cheapest, but the lowest total cost we can document is about $8,580 on $100,000 over 10 years. The dealer's markup, not the yearly fee, decides who gets close to that figure. The markup, also called the spread, is what the dealer adds on top of the metal's value.
Total cost here means everything you lose over 10 years: the markup, the gap to the dealer's buyback price, account fees and exit fees. So which companies show their markup before you call, and what do their own contracts allow? We read the contracts, fee pages and price lists of 15 gold IRA companies on September 29, 2026.
Below, you see why "low fees" labels mislead, the 15 companies in cost order with what each contract allows, and a quote test that shows whether a price is fair. Then come what account fees, fee waivers and free silver are worth, 6 steps to the lowest cost, and who should skip gold IRA companies.
The table sums up what we found on September 29, 2026.
| Lowest total cost at a glance | Value and source (as of September 29, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Companies checked | 15 operating gold IRA sellers |
| Publish the exact markup before you order | 0 of 15 |
| Publish a markup range in a contract | 4 of 15: American Hartford Gold, Lear Capital, Preserve Gold, American Bullion |
| Publish live prices online | 1 of 15: Orion Metal Exchange |
| Lowest 10-year cost we can document on $100,000 | About $8,580: plain 1 oz bullion at a 5.4% round trip plus a flat-fee custodian |
| 10-year cost at the "Best for Low Fees" company's bullion cap | About $25,500: American Hartford Gold's 19.99% cap, with the account fees Money reports |
| Lear Capital's own 2022 average spread (23.4%), over 10 years | About $30,171 (its Chapter 11 plan, 2023; not an industry average) |
| 1 point of markup on $100,000 | $1,000, or 3.5 years of a $285 yearly fee |
| Cheapest published custodian over 10 years on $100,000 | $2,410 in custodian, storage and exit fees (GoldStar Trust, commingled storage) |
| SafeOunce Scores published | 0 so far; this order is not a score |
| Can a company pay for its place? | No; the order comes only from published documents |
Which Gold IRA Company Has the Lowest Fees? The Markup Decides#
The gold IRA company with the lowest fees is not always the cheapest in total, because the markup can cost over 10 times more than 10 years of fees. No company publishes its exact markup before you order, so only a written quote shows it, as the 6 steps below explain.
Spread is the markup measured as a share of the price you pay. A 20% spread on a $100,000 order means the dealer's own cost for your metal is $80,000. The contracts we read allow spreads from 1.00%, American Hartford Gold's bullion floor, up to 59.99%, its cap for limited numismatic coins (agreement dated September 2026).
Three costs make up what you pay for a gold IRA, and the first is usually the largest.
- Markup and buyback gap: a one-time cost. The round trip is what you lose if you buy and sell back the same day. It runs from 5.4% to 42.8% in our scenarios (September 2026). The buyback price is what the dealer pays you when you sell.
- Account fees: the yearly custodian and storage fees, $215 to $656 a year at $50,000 on published 2026 schedules.
- Exit fees: $150 to $250 to close the account, plus a fee for each sale.
If the labels on other lists measure only fees, what do they miss? Cost is one test of the best gold IRA companies, but not the only one. Our main list of best gold IRA companies adds contract terms and legal records to cost.
Why "best for low fees" labels point to the wrong gold IRA companies#
"Best for low fees" labels point to the wrong companies because they measure yearly account fees and leave out the markup. Seven ranking pages give "low fees", "best value" or "best prices" labels to six different companies. The three that name American Hartford Gold never mention the markup caps in its own contract.
Five of the 7 are lists on sites that carry partner offers or affiliate disclosures. An affiliate is a site paid when you call or buy through its link. The other 2 are paid-distribution press releases.
| Page (date) | Label | Company | Markup shown? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money, "Best Gold IRA Companies" (September 25, 2026) | "Best for Low Fees" | American Hartford Gold | No |
| CNBC Select (body dated November 9, 2023; September 2026 title) | "Best for low fees" | American Hartford Gold | No |
| Clute Journals (August 7, 2026) | "Best for Low Fees" | American Hartford Gold | No |
| Investopedia (April 2025 version) | "Best for Low Fees" | Allegiance Gold | No (account fees only) |
| Yahoo Finance (May 1, 2026) | "Best for minimal ongoing fees"; "Best value" | Thor Metals Group; Lear Capital | No; Lear's range not mentioned |
| IRAEmpire release on ACCESS Newswire (July 12, 2026) | Low-fee ranking #1; #2 "Best for Published Fees"; #3 | Augusta; Lear Capital; GoldenCrest | No |
| IRAEmpire release (August 19, 2026) | "#2 Best Prices" | Lear Capital | No |
A fair question follows: are gold IRA reviews paid? How the lists earn money is explained in are gold IRA reviews paid.
The mini table runs the numbers for the company three of these pages call best for low fees.
| $100,000 over 10 years | Plain 1 oz bullion, flat-fee custodian | American Hartford Gold at its 19.99% bullion cap |
|---|---|---|
| Day-one loss if sold back | 5.4% = $5,400 | 23.7% = $23,700 |
| Account fees, 10 years | $3,180 (incl. exit) | $1,800 (fees as reported by Money, before the first-year waiver its 2024 review reports; exit not included) |
| Total | About $8,580 | About $25,500 |
Money's own pages disagree. Its review of American Hartford Gold, published January 5, 2024 and still live on September 29, 2026, lists "Higher-than-average annual fees" and says "these fees exceed the industry norm". In plain English: the same site calls the same company both low-fee and higher-than-average, and neither page counts the markup. American Hartford Gold does not publish account fees, and 3 list sites report 3 different amounts.
Two more errors repeat on pages that rank for this search. Five of the 7 top results we read, including dealer pages and press releases, use "IRS-approved" or "approved depository" wording. The IRS says "there is no list of approved investments" (Retirement Plan Investments FAQs). And the agreements of American Hartford Gold, American Bullion, Lear Capital and Preserve Gold all say the law bars them from guaranteeing a buyback.
Who ranks whom among the gold IRA "best of" lists, list by list, is in gold IRA 'best of' lists compared.
What does 1 point of markup cost in years of gold IRA fees?#
On a $100,000 gold IRA, 1 extra point of markup costs $1,000, as much as 3.5 years of a $285 yearly custodian and storage fee. The $285 is Equity Trust's metals-only schedule with segregated storage. The $215 is GoldStar Trust's $90 annual fee plus $125 commingled storage (GTC Rev. 01/2026). Both are 2026 schedules.
The table shows 1 point of markup at 4 account sizes.
| Account balance | 1 point of markup | Years of a $285 fee | Years of a $215 fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $250 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| $50,000 | $500 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| $100,000 | $1,000 | 3.5 | 4.7 |
| $250,000 | $2,500 | 8.8 | 11.6 |
Here is the same idea in dollars. A company that charges 3 points more on a $100,000 rollover takes $3,000 more on day one, about 14 years of GoldStar's $215 fee.
Gold IRA markups and spreads are set by each dealer, not by the custodian. How dealers set the markup, and the cases where it ran past 100%, are in gold IRA markups and spreads.
15 Gold IRA Companies Ranked by 10-Year Total Cost on $100,000#
As of September 29, 2026, only 3 of 15 gold IRA companies publish enough to rank on 10-year total cost: American Hartford Gold, American Bullion and Preserve Gold. On $100,000, their own contracts allow about $8,820 to $26,920, $14,540 to $29,790, and up to $41,220. The other 12 are either not ranked or cannot be ordered from what they publish. This is a cost order from published documents, not a SafeOunce Score.
Of the 15, 4 publish a markup range in a contract, 1 publishes live prices, and none publishes the exact markup before you order. Only 2, American Bullion and Lear Capital, publish both account fees and a markup range. A cap is the most a contract lets the dealer charge. The floor is where the contract's range starts.
| # | Company | What the company publishes (document, date) | Round trip the documents allow (markup + buyback gap) | 10-year total cost on $100,000 (same flat-fee custodian for all) | Rise gold needs to break even | Account fees the company publishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ref. | Low-cost bullion route (not a company: 1 oz Gold Eagle at a large online dealer) | Live ask and bid (SD Bullion, Sept 29, 2026) | 5.4% measured | About $8,580 | 5.7% | n/a (flat-fee custodian: $3,180) |
| 1 | American Hartford Gold | Bullion spread 1.00%-19.99%, cash and IRA (agreement, Sept 2026) | 5.6%-23.7% | About $8,820-$26,920 | 6.0%-31.1% | Not published (Money reports $50 + $175 a year at $100,000) |
| 2 | American Bullion | Spread "typically" 7%-23% (agreement, Oct 2024; not a cap) | 11.4%-26.6% | About $14,540-$29,790 | 12.8%-36.3% | STRATA plan $25 setup + $160 a year (its offer page, Sept 2026); first year free on $50,000+ |
| 3 | Preserve Gold | IRA spread "generally up to" 34.99%; cash bullion up to 20% (agreement, June 2025) | Up to 38.0% (no published floor) | Up to about $41,220 | Up to 61.4% | Not published; fees waived "for up to 5 years" (company statement) |
| n/r | Orion Metal Exchange | Live prices: 1 oz Gold Eagle +5.90% over spot (Sept 29, 2026); buyback price not published | Buy side 5.6% of price; sell side not published | About $8,750 before the sell-back gap | Not computable | Not published |
| n/r | Augusta, Birch Gold, GoldenCrest, Goldco, Allegiance Gold, Noble Gold (6) | Account fees; no markup | Not published | Cannot be computed | Not computable | See the 6-company table below |
| n/r | Advantage Gold, Patriot Gold, Priority Gold, U.S. Money Reserve (4) | Neither (Advantage uses STRATA's published schedule) | Not published | Cannot be computed | Not computable | See the 4-company list below |
| NR | Lear Capital (not ranked) | Spread 2%-35% (terms, Dec 2025); 2022 average 23.4% (Lear's Chapter 11 plan, 2023) | 6.6%-38.0% (27.0% at the 2022 average) | About $9,770-$41,230 ($30,171 at the average) | 7.1%-61.4% | $50 + $30 wire + $125 + $110 or $160 a year (Lear's own page, Aug 2026) |
Cost order from published documents, not a SafeOunce Score. A cap is the most a contract allows, not what every buyer pays. "n/r" means no rank number; "NR" means not ranked.
Read each ranked row as a range. The low end uses the contract's floor and the high end its cap. Your price may sit anywhere in between, which is why a written quote matters. The break-even column shows how far gold must rise before a sale would get your money back.
Once quotes arrive, a gold IRA company comparison puts them side by side in the gold IRA company comparison tool.
How the 10-year total cost is calculated, markups included#
Each 10-year total adds four things: the contract's markup, the gap to the buyback price, the same custodian fees for every company, and exit fees. Gold is held flat, and fees are paid from outside the IRA. The four inputs are listed below.
- Markup (spread): from the company's contract range or its live price.
- Buyback gap: the bid in the contracts' own example, about 4.7% below the dealer's cost. The bid is the price a dealer pays to buy back.
- Account fees: one gold IRA fee schedule for every company, so only the dealer differs: $50 setup plus $285 a year (Equity Trust metals-only, FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726). The $285 includes segregated storage, meaning your coins sit apart from others'.
- Exit fees: $30 to sell plus $250 to close, on the same schedule.
Lear Capital's December 2025 terms and Preserve Gold's June 2025 agreement use the same example: "$40 with a 20% Spread ... $32 ... buyback (at the same moment in time) might be approximately $30.50".
The same order holds at $25,000, $50,000 and $250,000, as the table shows.
| Account | Low-cost route | American Hartford Gold | American Bullion | Preserve Gold (cap) | Custodian share of the low-cost total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | About $4,530 | About $4,590-$9,115 | About $6,020-$9,832 | Up to about $12,689 | 70% |
| $50,000 | About $5,880 | About $6,000-$15,050 | About $8,860-$16,485 | Up to about $22,199 | 54% |
| $100,000 | About $8,580 | About $8,820-$26,920 | About $14,540-$29,790 | Up to about $41,220 | 37% |
| $250,000 | About $16,680 | About $17,282-$62,531 | About $31,578-$69,703 | Up to about $98,273 | 19% |
As the account grows, the custodian's share of the low-cost total falls from 70% to 19%, so the markup matters more.
The model makes no gold price forecast. A cap is a maximum, and your quote may be lower. Bids vary by dealer and day, and the SD Bullion prices are one dealer on one morning. The custodian may sell metal at the bid to cover fees paid from inside the IRA. Whether storage can be paid from outside the IRA is not settled, since IRS guidance covers only the trustee's administrative fees, so ask your custodian for its written rule. Change the balance, years and markup in the gold IRA fee calculator.
1. American Hartford Gold: lowest published bullion markup cap, no published fees#
American Hartford Gold's September 2026 agreement allows a bullion markup of 1.00% to 19.99%, the lowest published cap of the 3 ranked companies. On $100,000, that puts its 10-year cost at about $8,820 to $26,920. The agreement (Shipping and Transaction Agreement, September 2026 (SafeOunce earns nothing from this link.)) says: "AHG's Spread, for cash and IRA transactions, on (i) bullion was one percent (1.00%) up to nineteen-point ninety-nine percent (19.99%)".
Three other terms in the same agreement raise the cost of other products.
- Exclusive and semi-numismatic coins: markup up to 39.99%. Exclusive coins are coins sold mainly by that dealer. The CFTC calls "semi-numismatic" "a made-up industry term that really has no special meaning" (Precious Metals IRA Lies vs Facts, 2024). At the 39.99% cap, the round trip is 42.8%, about $45,983 over 10 years on $100,000.
- Limited numismatic coins: markup up to 59.99%.
- Bullion orders: not covered by the 7-day cancellation. That window covers non-bullion only and runs "regardless of whether the account is fully funded".
The company publishes no account fees, and list sites report 3 different sets (read September 29, 2026). Money reports $50 plus $175 a year at $100,000, Yahoo Finance a "$230 application fee" and "$225 per year", and Clute Journals "$175-$225". Money's 2024 review adds a first-year fee waiver. Ask for your spread in dollars, on bullion only, since the agreement says "The Spread may be negotiable".
Complaints are a separate question from cost. Its complaint and court record is covered in American Hartford Gold complaints.
2. American Bullion: the only ranked company with published fees and a markup range#
American Bullion publishes both its account fees and a markup range, typically 7% to 23% in its October 2024 agreement. That puts its 10-year cost on $100,000 at about $14,540 to $29,790. It is the only ranked company that publishes both; Lear Capital, which is not ranked, added a fee page in August 2026. The agreement (SafeOunce earns nothing from this link.) says: "American's Spread quoted to Customer is typically between seven percent (7%) and twenty-three percent (23%)". It adds: "The Spread is not based on the spot price or American's actual acquisition cost."
American Bullion works only with STRATA Trust Company. Its own page lists a $25 setup fee and a "$160 annual account fee", with the first year free on a $50,000 rollover (September 29, 2026). STRATA's own schedule lists higher fees: $150 a year, $115 or $175 storage and $75 per trade (August 31, 2026). Ask which plan applies. Its arbitration clause also says the JAMS consumer standards, which cap a consumer's arbitration fees, "WILL NOT APPLY".
3. Preserve Gold: a higher markup cap inside an IRA than for cash#
Preserve Gold's June 2025 agreement caps bullion markups at 20% for cash buyers but allows up to 34.99% on IRA purchases. So the same coins can cost an IRA buyer up to $14,287 more on $100,000. Its agreement says: "PGG's Spread on bullion was up to twenty percent (20%)". It then says: "IRA transactions cost more to process ... PGG's Spread for bullion, semi-numismatic/semi-bullion and numismatic bars and/or coins was generally up to thirty four point ninety nine percent (34.99%)".
At the IRA cap the round trip is 38.0%, against 23.75% at the cash cap. Over 10 years, that puts Preserve Gold at up to about $41,220, with no published floor.
Preserve says it waives IRA fees "for up to 5 years depending on your starting investment size" (homepage, September 29, 2026). Orders can be cancelled within 24 hours, and claims must be filed within "ONE YEAR AND ONE DAY". Every cap, window and deadline from the gold IRA company contracts we read sits side by side in gold IRA company contracts compared.
Orion Metal Exchange: live gold prices, but no published buyback price#
Orion Metal Exchange is the only one of the 15 companies that shows live prices online: a 1 oz Gold Eagle at 5.90% over spot on September 29, 2026. On a $100,000 order, that is $5,571 above spot. Spot is the market price of gold for immediate delivery. The table shows Orion's "As low as" prices at about 09:54 UTC that day, against spot of $4,143.60 (gold-api.com, 09:53 UTC). BU means a new, uncirculated bullion coin.
| Product | Orion price (Sept 29, 2026) | Premium over spot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz American Gold Eagle BU | $4,388.21 | 5.90% |
| 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf BU | $4,363.21 | 5.30% |
| 1 oz American Gold Eagle Proof | $4,698.21 | 13.38% |
| 1/10 oz American Gold Eagle BU | $505.32 | 21.95% per ounce |
Coin choice matters as much as the dealer when you compare IRA-eligible gold coins. Which coin sizes and types carry the lowest premiums is in IRA-eligible gold coins.
A buy price alone cannot give a total cost. The sell-back price decides the other half, and Orion does not publish it. Its site claims a "Commission-Free Buyback", which is a company claim, not a published price. So its row reads about $8,750 before the sell-back gap, with no rank number.
Lear Capital: a published markup range, but not ranked#
Lear Capital's December 2025 terms allow markups of 2% to 35%, and its own court-filed plan put its 2022 average at 23.4%. At that average, $100,000 costs about $30,171 over 10 years. The terms (SafeOunce earns nothing from this link.) say: "LC's Spreads generally range between 2% and 35% of the quoted purchase price". They add: "Customer's exact Spread will be specified and confirmed during the transaction voice confirmation process".
The 23.4% is Lear Capital's own 2022 average, stated in its court-filed Chapter 11 plan (Doc 694, June 5, 2023). It is not sworn and not an industry average.
Lear's August 2026 page titled "Lowest Fee Gold IRA" lists its account fees but not its markup range: "$50 application fee, a $30 wire fee, $125 annual maintenance, and storage of $110 non-segregated or $160 segregated". In plain English: those fees come to about $2,430 to $2,930 over 10 years. At its 2022 average, the markup and buyback gap cost $26,991, about 9 to 11 times more. The same page lists Augusta at $120 custodian and $100 storage; Augusta's own FAQ (updated September 23, 2026) says $125 and $110.
Lear is not ranked under SafeOunce's pricing-settlement rule. It paid $14.25 million in public settlements, with no admission of wrongdoing: $6 million to the New York Attorney General and $2.75 million to the Los Angeles City Attorney (December 2021), plus a $5.5 million customer fund in its bankruptcy plan (confirmed June 12, 2023). Its settlements, bankruptcy and buyback terms are in the Lear Capital review.
6 gold IRA companies that publish fees but not their markup#
Six companies publish their yearly account fees but not their markup, so their 10-year total cost cannot be computed from what they publish. Only a written quote can show it. The table lists each company's published fees and what they add up to over 10 years on $100,000.
| Company | Account fees the company publishes (page, date) | 10-year account fees on $100,000 | Markup published? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegiance Gold | About $225-$275 a year, "Typical current admin cost" (fee page, Sept 29, 2026) | About $2,250-$2,750 | No |
| Augusta Precious Metals | $285 year 1, $235 after (FAQ, updated Sept 23, 2026); "up to 10 years" of fees paid by Augusta, conditions not stated | $2,400, or $0 if all 10 years are covered | No (agreement not public) |
| Birch Gold Group | About $235 a year; first year paid on accounts over $50,000 (FAQ, Sept 29, 2026) | About $2,115-$2,350 | No |
| GoldenCrest Metals | $125 storage + $125 custody a year; storage free 5 years at $50,000-$100,000 (company statement, Sept 29, 2026) | $1,875 on its statement ($3,665 on Entrust's published schedule) | No |
| Goldco | $50 setup + $125 a year + $150 segregated storage (cost page, updated Feb 2025) | $2,800 | No |
| Noble Gold | $50 + $285 a year (gold IRA page) or $80 + $275 a year (support page), both live Sept 29, 2026 | $2,900 or $2,830 | No |
"Cannot be computed" means the largest part of the bill is missing. These fee pages cover about $1,900 to $2,900 of a 10-year bill. The rest is on the invoice you see after you order. Even at the 5.4% low-cost round trip, that markup side is $5,400, about twice these fees.
Three of the six need care. Augusta's figures are company statements from its FAQ, and the terms of its fee coverage are not stated. Noble Gold's two live pages give two different fee sets, so both appear. GoldenCrest's "$125 custody" conflicts with its custodian Entrust's published $219 minimum yearly fee.
Ask each of the six for the price per coin, the same-day buyback price and the custodian's fee schedule, all in writing.
4 gold IRA companies that publish neither fees nor markups#
Four gold IRA companies publish neither their account fees nor their markup, so you learn both only from the quote and invoice they send. What each one does and does not publish, as of September 29, 2026, is listed below.
- Advantage Gold: no markup published. Its default custodian is STRATA, so STRATA's published schedule applies: about $3,050 to $3,650 over 10 years on $100,000. Cancel after confirmation and you bear any market loss plus a fee, while "Any market gain on order cancellations shall vest in and remain the property of Advantage Gold". Details are in the Advantage Gold review.
- Patriot Gold Group: advertises no fees for life on qualifying IRAs, above a minimum it does not publish. No markup is published. See the Patriot Gold Group review.
- Priority Gold: no fees or markup published. It charges an 18% consignment fee to sell non-bullion coins held 60 months or more. Cancellation runs 3 business days to 8 days, by state. See the Priority Gold review.
- U.S. Money Reserve: IRA fees and markup not published. Its fee offer of up to $300 a year needs a $200,000 rollover with at least 60% proof coins (effective April 1, 2026). See the U.S. Money Reserve review.
What Markup Can a Gold IRA Company Charge and Still Match the Lowest Total Cost?#
To cost no more than the $8,580 low-cost route on $100,000, a gold IRA company with typical published fees must keep your round trip near 5.5% to 6.5%, or about 0.3 points less once exit fees are counted. The round trip is the gap between the company's price and its same-day buyback price, as a share of what you pay. The same-day buyback price is what the company would pay you for the same coins that day.
Round trip = (price you pay - same-day buyback price) ÷ price you pay. If you pay $100,000 and the same-day buyback is $94,000, the round trip is 6.0%. Each company's budget is $8,580 minus its 10-year account fees, divided by $100,000. Lower fees leave room for a slightly larger markup, and higher fees leave less. The $8,580 includes $280 of exit fees, but the company fee pages do not, so the last column subtracts Equity Trust's $30 sale and $250 closure fees as a stand-in. The table applies that rule to published fees as of September 2026.
| Company or custodian | 10-year account fees on $100,000 (published) | Largest round trip that still matches about $8,580 | Same, with $280 of exit fees counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Hartford Gold (fees as reported by Money) | $1,800 | 6.78% | 6.50% |
| Allegiance Gold | $2,250-$2,750 | 5.83%-6.33% | 5.55%-6.05% |
| Augusta Precious Metals | $2,400 | 6.18% (8.58% if all 10 years of fees are covered; conditions not stated) | 5.90% (8.30% if covered) |
| Birch Gold Group | $2,115-$2,350 | 6.23%-6.46% | 5.95%-6.18% |
| GoldenCrest Metals | $1,875 on its statement; $3,665 on Entrust's schedule | 6.71% or 4.92% | 6.43% or 4.64% |
| Goldco | $2,800 | 5.78% | 5.50% |
| Noble Gold | $2,900 (gold IRA page) or $2,830 (support page) | 5.68% or 5.75% | 5.40% or 5.47% |
| A flat-fee custodian you choose: GoldStar Trust, commingled | $2,410 (exit included) | 6.17% | 6.17% |
| A flat-fee custodian you choose: Equity Trust, segregated | $3,180 (exit included) | 5.40% | 5.40% |
Fees a company pays for you shift the budget. If Augusta covers all 10 years, as its FAQ says it may, the budget rises to 8.30% after exit fees, but its conditions are not stated. Enter any quote in the gold IRA break-even calculator to see the rise gold needs.
And if your quote is higher, how much higher is normal?
Where does your gold IRA quote fall? 5 reference lines#
A fair bullion quote sits near the 5.4% round trip of a large online dealer, which costs about $8,580 over 10 years on $100,000. At a 12% spread, the line used in Lear Capital's court-confirmed refund formula, the same account costs about $19,305. The table lists 5 reference lines, from lowest to highest.
| Line | Source (date) | Round trip | 10-year total on $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.4% measured round trip, 1 oz Gold Eagle | SD Bullion ask and bid (September 29, 2026) | 5.4% | About $8,580 |
| Top of the CFTC bullion range, 10% over spot (a 9.09% spread) | CFTC advisory 8215-20 (August 4, 2020): bullion "5%-10% over spot" | 13.4% | About $16,530 |
| 12% reference spread | Lear Capital's refund formula (plan confirmed June 12, 2023) | 16.1% | About $19,305 |
| "Less than 20 percent" at other dealers (shown at 19.99%, the same point as the next line) | CFTC and FINRA "10 Things" (2024) | 23.7% at 19.99% | About $26,920 |
| American Hartford Gold bullion cap, 19.99% | Its agreement (September 2026) | 23.7% | About $26,920 |
| Note: fraud cases | CFTC and FINRA "10 Things" (2024): spreads "of more than 300 percent" | n/a | n/a |
The CFTC's advisory (release 8215-20) says bullion typically sells for 5% to 10% over spot and numismatic coins for 40% to 200%. A 10% premium over spot is a 9.09% spread, because the spread is measured on the price you pay. The "10 Things" guide says "Some fraudulent dealers have charged spreads of more than 300 percent while others dealers may charge less than 20 percent". Lear's refund formula set each refund at the spread a customer paid minus a hypothetical 12% spread. That 12% is a line from one court-confirmed plan, not a legal cap.
Use the table like a ruler. Work out your round trip from the written quote and buyback price, then find where it falls. An example quote with a 16% round trip on $100,000 sits just below the 12% spread line and costs about $19,180 over 10 years.
How Much Do Gold IRA Account Fees Add Over 10 Years at Each Company?#
Account fees add about $1,800 to $3,650 over 10 years on $100,000 at published or reported levels (as of September 2026), the same as about 2 to 4 points of markup. The custodian is the trust company that holds your IRA. A termination fee is the charge to close the account. The table lists what companies and custodians published, as of September 29, 2026.
| Fees from | Setup | Yearly | 10 years on $100,000 | Includes exit fees? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoldenCrest Metals (company statement) | $0 | $125 + $125 (storage free 5 years) | $1,875 | No |
| American Hartford Gold (as reported by Money) | $50 | $175 | $1,800 before any first-year waiver | No |
| Birch Gold Group (FAQ) | Not stated | About $235 | About $2,115-$2,350 | No |
| Allegiance Gold (fee page) | Not stated | About $225-$275 | $2,250-$2,750 | No |
| Augusta Precious Metals (FAQ) | $50 | $125 + $110 | $2,400 before any waiver | No |
| Lear Capital (own page) | $50 + $30 wire | $235-$285 | $2,430-$2,930 | No |
| Goldco (cost page) | $50 | $275 | $2,800 | No |
| Noble Gold (two pages) | $50 or $80 | $285 or $275 | $2,900 or $2,830 | No |
| GoldStar Trust, commingled | $50 | $215 | $2,410 | Yes |
| Equity Trust metals-only, segregated | $50 | $285 | $3,180 | Yes |
| STRATA, segregated | None counted | $325 + $75 per trade | $3,650 | Yes |
These gold IRA custodian fees differ by account type, not only by company. Ask which Equity Trust account your dealer opens. The precious-metals-only schedule costs $285 a year with segregated storage. Its general self-directed schedule costs $500 plus $160 storage at $100,000 to $199,999, or $375 a year more: $3,750 over 10 years. Per-trade, wire and paper fees are listed in gold IRA custodian fees.
Neither schedule says which customers get it, so ask in writing. Equity Trust also bills fees each January, not prorated, and unpaid fees may trigger a sale of your metal and a forced, taxable distribution.
Company fee rows above leave out exit fees, while the three custodian rows include them. That gap is why a company row can look cheaper than a custodian row. Two more things make a row look low: GoldenCrest's row counts 5 free years of storage, and American Hartford Gold's row uses fees Money reports, not fees the company publishes.
Exit fees are the last layer of gold IRA fees. Closing the account costs $150 at GoldStar and $250 at Equity Trust or STRATA (2026 schedules). Selling costs $30 per sale at Equity Trust and $75 per trade at STRATA. Every fee layer, including exit fees, is compared in gold IRA fees.
Which custodian fees are lowest for a $100,000 gold IRA?#
Among published 2026 metals schedules, GoldStar Trust's commingled schedule costs the least on $100,000: about $2,410 over 10 years in custodian, storage and exit fees. That is its $90 annual fee plus $125 commingled storage, $215 a year (GTC Rev. 01/2026). Commingled means your coins are stored with other customers' coins but still counted as yours.
GoldStar's segregated price above $125,000 is not clear from its schedule, so ask for it in writing.
The full ranking of the best gold IRA custodians is on best gold IRA custodians.
Do Fee Waivers and Free Silver Make a Gold IRA Company Cheaper?#
A fee waiver is worth at most about $2,400 over 10 years on Augusta's published fees, and 2.4 extra points of markup on $100,000 erase it. Free silver is worth something only if the coins you must buy carry a low markup. No-fee gold IRA offers come in 3 forms: fee waivers, account credits and bonus metal. The table values 5 offers as of September 29, 2026.
| Offer (source, date) | Condition | Value in dollars | Value in points of markup on $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta: "up to 10 years" of custodian and depository fees paid (FAQ, Sept 23, 2026) | Conditions not stated | Up to $2,400 | Up to 2.4 |
| American Bullion: first year free ("Your total savings will be $350"; company figure, the offer covers the custodian fee and storage) | $50,000+ rollover | $350 | 0.35 |
| GoldenCrest: free storage (company statement) | 5 years at $50,000-$100,000; 10 years above $100,000 | $625 or $1,250 | 0.63 at $100,000 |
| U.S. Money Reserve: fees for life, up to $300 a year (effective April 1, 2026) | $200,000 rollover, at least 60% proof coins, first-time customers | Up to $300 a year | n/a on $100,000; the proof coins cost more than 26 years of the waiver |
| Goldco-type 10% free silver (promotion footnote) | $100,000+, qualifying purchase in the company's premium coins | About $8,613 of metal | +$8,613 at a 5% coin spread; -$6,387 at 20%; -$16,387 at 30% |
What each offer requires, and what it leaves out, is in no-fee gold IRA offers. Preserve Gold also says it waives fees "for up to 5 years", by starting size. GoldenCrest offers free silver of up to 10%, capped at $25,000 (company statement, September 2026).
U.S. Money Reserve's offer shows the trade-off. At Orion's September 29, 2026 prices, a proof 1 oz Eagle cost 13.38% over spot against 5.90% for the bullion coin. That buys about 6.6% less gold per dollar. On $120,000 of proofs, the gold you give up is worth about $7,917 at bullion coin prices, or 26.4 years of the $300 waiver.
Free silver works the same way. Bonus metal is extra metal a company adds when you buy qualifying coins. The effective premium, meaning the real markup after the bonus, is (1 + markup) ÷ (1 + bonus) - 1. A 10% bonus on coins with a 30% markup gives an effective premium of 18.2%, still far above bullion. The FTC's guide on "free" offers says the seller must not recover the cost "by marking up the price of the article which must be purchased" (16 CFR 251.1).
How the bonus in free silver gold IRA promotions is paid for is explained in free silver gold IRA promotions.
How to Get the Lowest Total Cost From Any Gold IRA Company in 6 Steps#
You get the lowest total cost from any gold IRA company by comparing 3 same-day written quotes, with buyback prices, and buying only plain 1 oz bullion. The 6 steps below work with any company, in this order.
- Ask 3 companies for a written quote on the same day. Get the price per coin, the percent over spot and the total. The CFTC says to get the "agreed retail price in writing BEFORE signing" (2024).
- Ask for the same-day buyback price for the same coins, in writing. The CFTC suggests asking "how much you would receive if you had to sell back the metal tomorrow". Then compute the round trip with the formula above.
- Choose plain 1 oz bullion coins or bars. On September 29, 2026, the 1/10 oz Eagle cost 21.95% over spot per ounce at Orion, against 5.90% for the 1 oz coin. Refuse "exclusive" or "semi-numismatic" coins, where AHG's agreement allows up to 39.99% or 59.99%.
- Name your custodian and its fee schedule, with the revision code. An example is Equity Trust's FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726. Ask which account type the dealer opens. At Equity Trust, on $100,000 to $199,999, the difference is $375 a year.
- Read the cancellation and exit terms before you fund. Lear allows 24 hours after the invoice and Preserve 24 hours; AHG allows 7 days, for non-bullion only. Closing fees run $150 to $250, and American Bullion charges a no-purchase fee.
- Compare each quote with the $8,580 line. If the round trip on 1 oz bullion is above about 10%, walk away or negotiate. AHG's agreement states "The Spread may be negotiable".
You should keep every quote, agreement and invoice, each with its date. Knowing how to choose a gold IRA company starts with price, but price is not the only test. The other questions, with the answers that should stop you, are in how to choose a gold IRA company.
Who Pays the Most for a Gold IRA, and Who Should Skip Gold IRA Companies?#
Buyers of proof, fractional and "exclusive" coins pay the most, and people with under about $25,000 can pay less by holding gold outside a gold IRA company. At Orion's September 29, 2026 prices, a proof 1 oz Eagle cost 13.38% over spot and a 1/10 oz Eagle 21.95% per ounce. The 1 oz bullion coin cost 5.90%. The table matches 7 reader situations to what the numbers say.
| Situation | What the numbers say | Where to look next |
|---|---|---|
| Under about $25,000 | Flat fees take about 1% to 6% of the account a year. A $10,000 physical gold IRA can lose about $3,720 (37.2%) to costs in 10 years, against about $100 in a 0.10% gold ETF | Small-account costs and the ETF route below |
| $50,000+ rollover, wants coins | Account fees are about 0.2% to 1.3% a year, by schedule and balance; the markup decides (see the cost-order table) | Get 3 written quotes |
| Needs the money within about 5 years | At a 20% spread, gold must rise about 31% to break even after the buyback gap | Consider not buying metal |
| Offered free silver or fees for life | Worth it only if the coins are priced like bullion | Ask for the price per ounce |
| Seller will not quote a price or buyback in writing | No way to know the cost; the CFTC says to get it in writing | Stop there |
| Wants the lowest yearly fee only | The "low fees" label can sit on a company whose contract allows a 19.99% bullion markup | Compare total cost, not fees |
| Age 73 or older (75 if born 1960 or later) | Each yearly RMD needs a sale ($30 at Equity Trust, $75 per trade at STRATA, no trade fee at GoldStar) or an in-kind distribution ($125 plus shipping at Equity Trust, $75 + $10 plus shipping at GoldStar): up to about $1,350 plus shipping over 10 years, outside this page's model | Ask for the RMD fees in writing |
The first row carries the largest gap. On $10,000, a physical gold IRA's fixed costs (setup, 10 years of $285 fees and $280 of exit fees) come to $3,180, plus $540 at the 5.4% round trip: $3,720. A 0.10% gold ETF costs about $100 over the same 10 years.
The third row is about time. A 20% spread plus the buyback gap means a 23.75% loss if you sell at once, so gold must rise about 31% just to get back to even. Gold can fall as well as rise: the LBMA PM price fell 26.1% from its January 29, 2026 record to its July 16, 2026 low.
Readers who look for the best gold IRA companies for small investors face simple math. A flat $285 yearly fee is 2.85% a year on $10,000, before any markup. You should ask whether metal fits at all at that size. What small accounts pay, company by company, is on best gold IRA companies for small investors.
Cheaper Ways to Hold Gold in a Retirement Account Than a Gold IRA Company#
A gold IRA company is one of 3 ways to hold gold in a retirement account, and the other 2 can cost less. They are a gold ETF in the IRA you already have, and bullion you buy without a gold IRA company. What a gold IRA is and how it works is covered in our main guide.
A gold ETF inside the IRA you already have#
A gold ETF held in the IRA you already have costs about $1,000 in fund fees over 10 years on $100,000 at a 0.10% expense ratio. An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock; a gold ETF holds gold for its owners. The expense ratio is the yearly fund fee as a share of your balance.
US gold ETFs charge 0.09% (IAUM, 0.07% after a fee waiver that runs to June 30, 2027), 0.10% (GLDM), 0.25% (IAU) and 0.40% (GLD), per their fund filings (2025-2026). Add a small trading spread, with gold held flat. Gold ETFs are allowed in brokerage IRAs, a principle drawn from IRS private letter ruling 200732026 (2007).
What you give up is the coins: you own fund shares instead. The full cost math of a gold IRA vs gold ETF is in gold IRA vs gold ETF.
Buying gold bullion inside a Fidelity IRA#
Fidelity sells gold bullion inside its own IRAs, and on $100,000 its published commissions and storage come to about $6,990 over 10 years. That excludes the spread of its dealer, FideliTrade, which Fidelity does not publish.
Its fee schedule (September 2026) charges 2.90% to 0.99% to buy, by order size, and 2.00% to 0.75% to sell, with a $44 minimum. Storage is 0.125% a quarter, or 0.50% a year. On $100,000, that is $990 to buy, $5,000 of storage and $1,000 to sell.
The minimum IRA purchase is $1,000. Only Gold, Silver and Platinum Eagles, the 1 oz Gold Buffalo and bullion bars are offered. Every fee of a Fidelity gold IRA is on Fidelity gold IRA.
A bullion dealer plus your own gold IRA custodian#
You can open a self-directed IRA at a metals custodian yourself and buy through a large bullion dealer, which is how this page's $8,580 route is built. That route uses SD Bullion's 5.39% round trip on a 1 oz Gold Eagle (September 29, 2026) and Equity Trust's $3,180. With GoldStar's commingled schedule at $2,410 instead, the same route costs about $7,810.
Your custodian pays the invoice it receives; it does not check whether the price is fair. Custodians do not vet dealers or prices, and the SEC's case against Equity Trust was dismissed (Initial Decision No. 1030, June 27, 2016).
The full bullion dealer vs gold IRA company side-by-side is in bullion dealer vs gold IRA company.
Lowest-cost gold IRA questions#
Who has the lowest fees for an IRA?#
A low-cost gold ETF in a normal brokerage IRA has the lowest yearly cost for holding gold: about 0.10% a year or less (IAUM states 0.09%, GLDM 0.10%; fund filings 2025-2026). Among metals custodians, GoldStar's annual fee plus commingled storage is lowest at $215 a year ($90 + $125; GTC Rev. 01/2026). A gold IRA company adds its markup on top.
What are typical fees for a gold IRA?#
Metals custodians' 2026 fees run about $215 to $656 a year at $50,000, plus a one-time dealer markup that is usually larger. On plain 1 oz bullion, a large online dealer's round trip was about 5.4% on September 29, 2026. Every layer is compared on our gold IRA fees page, linked above.
Which company is the best for a gold IRA?#
No company has a SafeOunce Score yet (September 29, 2026); our main list orders them by what they disclose, what their contracts say and their legal record. Scores come only from a published method.
That method sets out how SafeOunce rates gold IRA companies, with each test and its weight: see how SafeOunce rates gold IRA companies.
Is the gold IRA company with the lowest minimum the cheapest?#
No: at Birch Gold Group's $5,000 minimum, its own fee estimate of about $235 a year is 4.7% of the account every year (FAQ, September 2026).
How much money you need to start a gold IRA varies. It runs from $5,000 at Birch to $50,000 at Augusta, per its FAQ (September 2026).
Every company's minimum is in how much money you need to start a gold IRA.
Can you negotiate a gold IRA markup?#
Yes, at least one contract says so: American Hartford Gold's September 2026 agreement states "The Spread may be negotiable". Ask for the spread in dollars on each coin. Then compare it with a same-day written quote from another company.
Does any gold IRA company charge no fees?#
No: "no fees" offers waive custodian or storage fees for a period, but the markup and exit fees still apply. Patriot Gold Group advertises no fees for life on qualifying IRAs, above a minimum it does not publish. The markup on the coins you buy is still charged.
Why does my gold IRA statement show less than I paid?#
Your gold IRA statement values the metal near its spot or bid price, which leaves out the dealer's markup. At a 20% spread, the first statement shows about 80% of what you paid.
That is not a custodian error. Why your gold IRA statement shows less, line by line, is in gold IRA statement.
Which gold ETF has the lowest fee?#
IAUM states the lowest fee of the US gold ETFs we checked, 0.09% a year (0.07% after a fee waiver that runs to June 30, 2027), ahead of GLDM at 0.10%, IAU at 0.25% and GLD at 0.40% (fund filings, 2025-2026). On $100,000, that is $90, $100, $250 or $400 a year before any waiver. You hold fund shares, not coins.