How to Report a Gold IRA Company: Which Agency Handles What for 9 Common Problems (2026)

Report a gold IRA company first to your IRA custodian, in writing, and to your state securities regulator. Then call the CFTC at 866-366-2382 if you were misled about price, or go to the police and the FBI if your metal is missing. Your custodian is the company that holds your IRA and pays the dealer for you. Your state securities regulator is your state's investment police.

Gold IRA scams leave a paper trail that the right agency can use. The warning signs are in our guide to gold IRA scams; this page covers what to do once one has happened. It matches 9 common problems to the agency with power over each, then gives 6 filing steps, the limits of a CFTC complaint and real case times.

SafeOunce sells no metal and refers no one to lawyers or recovery firms. Every phone number and web address below was checked on September 29, 2026.

Where Do You Report a Gold IRA Company?#

You report a gold IRA company to the agency with power over your exact problem, and when IRA money is involved, your custodian and state securities regulator come first. Each report is a tip: a written report to an agency, not a lawsuit, that can start an investigation.

The table below matches each of the 9 problems to its agencies and contacts, as of September 2026.

Contacts checked September 29, 2026. Report to more than one agency when more than one row fits.

Start with your custodian and your state, because both can act directly. Your custodian can hold new dealer instructions if you ask in writing (check your custodian agreement), and your state can sue the seller (7 U.S.C. 13a-2).

Why there is no single gold IRA regulator#

No federal agency licenses gold IRA dealers, and the CFTC and FINRA say "retail metal dealers are not regulated at the federal level" (CFTC/FINRA "10 Things," March 20, 2024). So who acts depends on the problem: the CFTC polices fraud, the SEC and states act on investment advice, and custodians are not regulators. The full map of who regulates gold IRA companies, and the gaps between them, is on its own page.

Is your problem fraud, deception or just expensive?#

Sort your problem into one of 3 tiers before you report, because each tier needs a different agency and a different speed. A markup is what a dealer adds above its own cost. A spread is the gap between its selling price and its buy-back price. The spot price is the current market price of raw metal.

The 3 tiers are listed below, from the most urgent to the least.

1. Theft or non-delivery: money gone or metal missing. Act within days: custodian in writing, then police, the FBI (ic3.gov) and your state attorney general (the state's top lawyer). Examples: Regal Assets, Oxford Gold, First State Depository, Crown Bullion (alleged).
2. Deceptive overpricing: the metal exists, but its price or markup was misrepresented. Cancel if a window is still open, then file with your state securities regulator and the CFTC. Examples: Safeguard Metals, Red Rock Secured, Lear Capital in New York (no admission), Metals.com (alleged).
3. Legal but expensive: high spreads disclosed in writing. No agency can help. Stop buying, refuse coin swaps and get competing sell-back bids.

A markup you agreed to in writing is usually not fraud, even when it is large. The CFTC's benchmarks are bullion at 5% to 10% over spot and numismatic (collector) coins at 40% to 200% (CFTC release 8215-20, August 4, 2020). Only a regulator or a court decides whether your case is fraud.

SafeOunce drew the 7 questions below from signals in past enforcement cases.

1. Did the seller warn that your savings could be frozen or seized?
2. Did talk of bullion switch to premium coins?
3. Were you given a markup range instead of dollars per coin?
4. Did the dealer choose your custodian?
5. Is your first custodian statement more than 10% below the price you paid?
6. Is your metal still missing from the depository account after 28 days?
7. Did a recorded confirmation call ask you only yes-or-no questions?

Two or more yes answers are a signal, not proof: stop buying, get a custodian statement and call your state securities regulator.

Which Agency Handles Which Gold IRA Problem? 9 Problems Matched#

Nine problems cover the most common gold IRA complaints, and each one has an agency with the legal power to act on it. The 9 problems are listed below, from how the metal was sold to the scams that follow a loss.

1. You were misled about the price or the markup#

Report lies about price or markup to your state securities regulator and to the CFTC at 866-366-2382 or cftc.gov/complaint. Add your state attorney general's consumer office.

Gold IRA markups are legal when disclosed; lies about them are not. What counts as a normal markup is set out in our guide to gold IRA markups and spreads.

Safeguard Metals customers were told the markup was 4% to 23%; the CFTC found an average of 71% (release 8812-23, 2023). Customers paid $66,948,960 for metal worth $41,379,657. Restitution, money a court orders the seller to pay back, was set at $25,569,303 on September 30, 2025.

In Texas, a State Securities Board consent order (ENF-23-CDO-1875, September 15, 2023, no admission) made GSI Exchange offer refunds to more than 450 investors in 44 states. This rescission offer, a refund in exchange for the metal, was backed by a 110% escrow.

Send your invoice with the per-coin price, the markup you were told, and your first custodian statement.

2. A salesperson told you to sell stocks or funds, or claimed a license#

Report a gold seller who told you to sell stocks, bonds or funds to your state securities regulator and to the SEC at sec.gov/tcr. Add FINRA's helpline if a brokerage account or a broker was involved.

Most gold IRA salespeople are not your fiduciary, which is why advice to sell securities matters. A fiduciary is someone the law requires to put your interests first.

Telling someone "what to buy, how much, or when" for pay is investment advice, and it may require registration, a license on file with the CFTC, SEC, FINRA or your state (CFTC/FINRA "10 Things," 2024). In SEC v. Safeguard Metals (C.D. Cal., Doc 69), the court held that advice to sell securities, paid through markups, "fits squarely within the definition of an investment adviser" (15 U.S.C. 80b-2(a)(11)).

Against Red Rock Secured, the SEC won a final judgment of "more than $76.4 million" on April 23, 2024 (release LR-25996), and the CFTC's consent order that day totals $56,334,313.90.

3. You paid, but the metal was never delivered or is late#

Write to your custodian the same day if your IRA paid for metal that has not reached your depository account within about 28 days. Then report it to your state securities regulator, the CFTC, the FBI at ic3.gov, your local police and your state attorney general.

The 6-point way to check delivery of your IRA gold is on a separate page.

The 28 days is the CFTC's "actual delivery" window for financed metal sales (CEA 2(c)(2)(D); CFTC v. Monex, 931 F.3d 966 (9th Cir. 2019)). Actual delivery means the metal reaches you or an independent depository, not a vault the seller controls. For cash IRA purchases it is a benchmark, not a legal deadline. States act on late delivery. Washington's Department of Financial Institutions fined Rosland Capital $20,000 for IRA metal delivered 33 to 168 days after payment (consent order S-20-3045-22-CO01, August 4, 2022; Rosland neither admitted nor denied).

Regal Assets took more than $21 million from more than 120 customers. Default judgments of about $49.2 million followed on October 15, 2024 (CFTC release 9001-24).

Send your custodian statement, invoice, payment confirmation and the depository holdings list. A holdings list is the depository's record of your metal, and it must show your IRA's name, not a dealer's "master account."

4. Your custodian or depository made the mistake#

Report a custodian problem, such as a missed trade or a wrong statement, first to the custodian's complaint department in writing. Then report it to the state banking regulator that chartered the custodian.

Most metals custodians are state-chartered trust companies; the IRS lists only nonbank trustees, 73 of them as of April 1, 2026. A trust company is a firm licensed to hold other people's assets, and its charter is that license. Charters differ among gold IRA custodians, so look yours up below.

The table below shows who supervises each metals custodian (state rosters read September 29, 2026).

Custodians "generally do not evaluate the quality or legitimacy of any investment ... or its promoters," says the SEC and NASAA alert on self-directed IRAs. In plain English: a custodian's regulator acts on the custodian's own errors, not on the dealer's price.

Depository failures go through your custodian and, where fraud is involved, the CFTC. First State Depository held 2,102 accounts, 90% of them IRAs, and its owner was sentenced to 65 years on June 17, 2025 (DOJ). Your rights if a depository fails are explained with the First State case.

Send your custodian statement (the account report your custodian sends), the error in writing, and the dates you asked for a fix.

5. Sales calls, robocalls or texts will not stop#

Report unwanted gold IRA sales calls, robocalls and texts to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and donotcall.gov, and to the FCC. A robocall is a call made by a machine with a recorded voice. The Do-Not-Call list is the national list of numbers telemarketers may not call.

Reporting alone does not end the calls. How to stop gold IRA cold calls and robocalls is covered separately.

Telemarketing rules cover investment calls even when you called first after an ad: 16 CFR 310.6(b)(5) excludes "investment opportunities," including "precious or strategic metals," from the inbound-call exemption. Illegal robocalls carry $500 per violation, up to 3 times that if willful, in a private suit (47 U.S.C. 227(b)(3)).

Send the caller ID log with dates, any recordings or voicemails, and any kit form you filled in.

6. Fake reviews or a paid "best" list misled you#

Report fake reviews, company-owned "independent" review sites and hidden paid rankings to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

A paid ranking can look like independent reviews. How to tell when gold IRA reviews are paid is explained step by step.

The FTC's rule on consumer reviews, 16 CFR Part 465 (effective October 21, 2024), bans fake reviews, bought reviews and company-controlled "independent" review sites. The penalty is up to $53,088 per violation, the 2025 inflation-adjusted figure.

Send screenshots of the review or ranking, with the date and web address of each.

7. A "government agent" or courier told you to buy gold#

Report anyone claiming to be from the government, your bank or tech support who tells you to buy gold to the FBI at ic3.gov and your local police. Also call the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

These gold bar courier scams hit people 60 and over hardest (FBI, 2024). How gold bar courier scams work is covered on its own page.

The FBI's public service announcement I-012924-PSA (January 29, 2024) says: "The US Government and legitimate businesses will never request you purchase gold or other precious metals." The same notice counts more than $55 million lost by victims 60 or over from May to December 2023.

8. The gold IRA company went bankrupt or closed#

Report your loss in a gold IRA company's bankruptcy by filing a proof of claim, Official Form B 410, by the deadline the court sets. Tell your custodian in writing at the same time, and contact the trustee if the docket names one. A proof of claim is the form that asks for a share of a bankrupt seller's assets, and the bar date is its deadline.

Rosland Capital filed a liquidating Chapter 11 on July 2, 2026 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2:26-bk-16650-BB), meaning it is closing and selling what it has. It owed about $60.8 million to about 617 customers and held $212,661.60 in cash on August 6, 2026, or 0.35%. Paid-but-unfilled IRA orders become unsecured claims, debts with no collateral behind them. What customers are owed in the Rosland Capital bankruptcy is tracked on its page.

9. Someone offers to recover your losses for a fee#

Do not pay anyone who offers to recover your gold IRA losses for an upfront fee, and report the offer to the FTC and the CFTC. It is a known second scam aimed at people who already lost money.

The CFTC warned on July 30, 2024 that "Fraud-recovery scams are a form of advance-fee fraud" (release 8936-24). Advance-fee fraud asks you to pay first for money that never comes. On May 14, 2025 it added: "The CFTC Office of Inspector General will never contact individuals with offers to recover money lost to investment scams." It also said: "All legitimate CFTC emails will come from @cftc.gov" (release 9075-25).

Three checks separate a real recovery from a fake one.

• Receivers are named on the docket: a receiver is the person a court appoints to collect and return money.
• Agencies never charge you: no agency asks for a fee to return money.
• Callers are checked on the agency's own site: look up the number yourself, never use the one the caller gives.

How to Report a Gold IRA Company in 6 Steps#

Reporting a gold IRA company takes 6 steps, and step 1, a written notice to your custodian on the day you find the problem, protects your money fastest. The 6 steps are listed below in the order you do them.

1. Write to your custodian the same day.
2. Gather the 10 documents regulators ask for.
3. Put the price, the statement value and the gap in dollars.
4. File with your state securities regulator.
5. File a CFTC tip, and an SEC tip if securities advice was involved.
6. Track the cancellation and claim deadlines.

Step 1: Write to your custodian the same day#

Email and mail your IRA custodian a short letter the day you spot the problem, and keep proof of both. Phone calls alone leave no record, and a regulator asks what you asked for and when.

The letter needs 4 lines, each one an instruction.

1. State your account number and the trade date and amount.
2. Ask whether the trade settled and where the metal is held.
3. Ask for a holdings list from the depository in your IRA's name.
4. Ask the custodian to accept no new instruction from the dealer without your written OK.

Send any cancellation to the dealer in writing the same day if its window is still open. Windows run from 24 hours to 7 days (see Step 6).

Step 2: Gather the 10 documents regulators ask for#

Regulators build cases from paper, so collect 10 documents before you file. The 10 documents are listed below.

1. The signed transaction or shipping agreement, with its version date
2. Every invoice or trade confirmation showing the per-coin price
3. The purchase direction you signed, the form telling your custodian to pay the dealer
4. Your first and your latest custodian statements
5. The depository holdings list
6. Written quotes, emails and texts from the seller
7. Notes of every call, with the date, the name and what was said
8. A copy of any recorded "confirmation call," the taped yes-or-no questions many dealers use (ask for it in writing)
9. Ads, kits or mailers that brought you in
10. Rollover papers, plus Form 1099-R (the payout report from your old plan) and Form 5498 (the report of money put into your IRA)

SafeOunce built this checklist from the Safeguard, Lear and Metals.com records; in New York's Lear case, recorded confirmation calls served as proof.

Step 3: Put the price, the statement value and the gap in dollars#

A complaint that shows your price, your custodian's value and the gap in dollars is easier for a regulator to act on than "I was overcharged."

The table below uses the Texas State Securities Board's figures for one GSI Exchange investor, R.H., from its emergency cease-and-desist order, an order to stop at once (ENF-21-CDO-1844, July 22, 2021). The later consent order (ENF-23-CDO-1875, 2023) was entered with no admission.

Your invoice also shows the premium, the amount you paid above spot. The CFTC's formula (release 8215-20) is: premium % = (sales price - spot price) / sales price x 100. The LBMA PM price is the daily London afternoon benchmark for gold.

Write both numbers, because orders count markups over cost and CFTC advisories count them as a share of price. Then use this sentence: "I paid $[X] on [date]. My custodian valued the same coins at $[Y] on [date], a gap of $[Z] ([%]). I was told the markup would be [what you were told]."

Some gap is normal. Custodian statements value metal at spot or bid, its melt value without the dealer's premium. That is why your gold IRA statement shows less than you paid even at a fair price.

How big a gap is a warning sign? At a 33% spread your first statement shows about 67% of what you paid, and at 20% about 80% (SafeOunce computation). A first statement more than 10% below your price was a signal in past cases: a reason to call your state securities regulator, not proof of fraud.

Step 4: File with your state securities regulator#

File your complaint with your state securities regulator, because states can sue sellers for their residents under both state law and federal commodity law. Find yours on NASAA's "Contact Your Regulator" page; NASAA is the association of state securities regulators. For example, a DC resident files with the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) at 202-727-8000 (as of September 2026).

States may sue "on behalf of its residents" under the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 13a-2(1)). Thirty states joined the CFTC against Metals.com (filed September 22, 2020; as of September 29, 2026 still pending, with a civil trial set for March 1, 2027). In Safeguard, 27 states joined at filing and 30 at judgment.

Also file with your state attorney general's consumer office. NAAG's "Find my AG" page lists all 56 attorneys general (50 states, DC and 5 territories). New York's case against Lear Capital ended with $6 million, with no admission.

Step 5: File a CFTC tip, and an SEC tip if securities advice was involved#

File a CFTC tip online at cftc.gov/complaint or by phone at 866-366-2382, and add an SEC tip at sec.gov/tcr if the seller told you to sell stocks, bonds or funds. Both contacts were checked in September 2026.

Use the CFTC's tips form, not its reparations form (the next section explains why), and attach your 10 documents and your Step 3 gap.

Step 6: Track the cancellation and claim deadlines#

Report fast, because the deadlines that protect you run in hours, days and one or two years, and a regulator's tip does not stop any of them. The table below lists each deadline with its rule and source date.

A cancellation window starts when you order, not when your money arrives. A Lear order signed Monday at 3 p.m. can be canceled only until Tuesday at 3 p.m., often before a 401(k) transfer arrives. American Hartford Gold's 7 days run "regardless of whether the account is fully funded" and do not cover bullion.

The revocation right, your right to undo a new IRA, runs against the custodian, so it does not cancel a dealer's metal order. Whether you can still cancel a gold IRA purchase depends on these windows.

How Do You File a CFTC Complaint About a Gold IRA Dealer?#

You file a CFTC complaint about a gold IRA dealer as a tip on the CFTC's online form or at 866-366-2382, and it helps the CFTC decide whether to sue. It does not settle your own dispute. The CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) is the federal agency that polices fraud in commodities such as gold and silver. Your tip is evidence for a possible fraud case under 17 CFR 180.1.

Tip, whistleblower or reparations: the 3 CFTC forms#

The CFTC has 3 online forms, and most gold IRA buyers need the first one: the tips and complaints form. The table below compares them, as read on the CFTC complaint page on September 29, 2026.

A whistleblower is someone who reports wrongdoing with information the agency does not already have. Reparations is the CFTC's own claims process for money you lost.

Why CFTC reparations rarely work against gold IRA dealers#

CFTC reparations, the CFTC's low-cost claims court, can only be used against firms registered with the CFTC, and gold IRA dealers are usually not registered.

The CFTC's own complaint against Regal Assets says the firm has "never been registered in any capacity." NFA BASIC is the National Futures Association's free lookup of CFTC registrations. For a metals dealer it usually shows nothing, and "not registered" is normal there, so it proves nothing either way.

Can the CFTC still act against gold dealers?#

Yes, as of September 29, 2026 the CFTC can still sue gold dealers for fraud, though a Texas federal judge questioned that power in 2025 and reversed in 2026.

The case is Metals.com, CFTC et al. v. TMTE (N.D. Tex. 3:20-cv-02910-X). On July 21, 2025 (Doc 911), the judge called precious metals "neither agricultural products nor movie tickets" and held that the CFTC lacked power over them. On August 3, 2026 (Doc 1038), he reversed: "Fifth Circuit precedent binds it to hold that the CFTC has that authority ... But that could change." A motion for reconsideration or appeal (Doc 1048, September 24, 2026) is pending.

A plain summary of what the CFTC does and does not do for gold IRA buyers is in our glossary.

Can you get a CFTC whistleblower award?#

Yes, if your original information leads to a CFTC action with sanctions over $1 million, you can receive 10% to 30% of the money collected (7 U.S.C. 26(b)(1)). You must file Form TCR to qualify.

What Happens After You Report a Gold IRA Company?#

After you report a gold IRA company, the agency decides whether to open a case, and cases that end in a money order take about a year or longer. SafeOunce found no official response times for any agency, so this page prints none. Keep your file together, because a case can reach you years later.

What agencies can and cannot do for you#

Agencies can investigate, freeze assets and sue a seller, but none of them acts as your lawyer or promises you any money back. The table below lists what each one can and cannot do.

CFTC enforcement releases carry a standard warning: orders "may not always result in the recovery of any or all funds" (for example, release 9139-25). In plain English: a court order to pay is not money in your account. Even after Red Rock Secured's 2024 judgments, collection took contempt and garnishment proceedings in 2025.

How long gold IRA enforcement cases take#

Resolved gold IRA enforcement cases reached a money order in a median of about 12 months (6 cases), while fought cases took 3 to 6 years or more. A money order here means a court or regulator order to pay, not a payment. A consent order is one the seller agrees to; a default judgment is entered when the seller does not answer.

SafeOunce computation from court dockets and regulator releases, September 29, 2026. A money order is not money paid.

The full tracker of precious metals IRA enforcement actions lists every case with its docket.

Why report even if you get no money back#

Report even if you expect no refund, because the largest gold IRA cases were joint state and CFTC suits built from many customers' complaints. Your report adds one more customer to the file.

Police and FBI reports matter too, because criminal restitution can far exceed civil. In Atlantic Bullion & Coin, the CFTC case (2013) ordered $11,530,000 in restitution, while the criminal case ordered $57,401,009, about 4.98 times as much.

According to SafeOunce's review of the CFTC's press-release list, the last new CFTC complaint against a retail precious metals dealer was Regal Assets. It was filed September 27, 2023 and announced September 28, 2023, with none through September 25, 2026. That makes your state regulator's file more important.

7 Mistakes That Weaken a Gold IRA Complaint#

The 7 mistakes that most often weaken a gold IRA complaint are about timing, paper and the wrong agency, and each one has a simple fix. The 7 mistakes and their fixes are listed below.

1. Complaining by phone only. Fix: send it by email and by mail the same day.
2. Letting the cancellation window close while you wait for a callback. Fix: cancel in writing first (windows run 24 hours to 7 days and can close before your rollover money arrives).
3. Missing a 1-year contract claim deadline. Fix: read your agreement's claims clause today. A claim deadline is the last day the contract lets you bring a claim.
4. Filing CFTC reparations against an unregistered dealer. Fix: file a CFTC tip and a state complaint instead.
5. Filing only with the BBB. Fix: file with a regulator too; the BBB is a private nonprofit, and BBB accreditation is a paid membership.
6. Paying a "recovery" firm upfront. Fix: pay no one; the CFTC calls these offers advance-fee fraud.
7. Assuming a rise in the gold price means you were not overcharged. Fix: compare your price with your first custodian statement; that gap still shows the markup.

Most of these mistakes come from not reading your gold IRA company contract. Claim deadlines, arbitration clauses and cancellation windows are compared across gold IRA company contracts.

What Else Do People Ask After Reporting a Gold IRA Company?#

Reporting is the first step; getting money back, suing, dealing with a failed company and checking the next seller are the questions that follow.

Can you get your money back from a gold IRA company?#

Sometimes, but restitution in regulator cases repays only the overcharge. The court in CFTC v. Safeguard measured it as money "solicited from victims ... less the value of precious metal provided to victims ... at the time of sale": $66,948,960 minus $41,379,657, or $25,569,303. For the average Safeguard customer, that is about $148,775 paid for metal worth about $91,955, or about $56,821 of restitution, if collected. Whether and how you can get your money back from a gold IRA company is explained case by case.

Can you sue a gold IRA company or your custodian?#

You can bring a claim, but most gold IRA contracts send disputes to private arbitration, where consumer filing fees are capped at $225 (AAA) or $250 (JAMS). AAA and JAMS are the two main arbitration services, and the caps hold when their consumer rules apply. Courts usually enforce these clauses; one exception is Dennison v. Rosland (Cal. Ct. App. 2020). Equity Trust requires individual arbitration unless you opt out within 65 days of opening (Clark v. Equity Trust, D.N.M., October 29, 2024). Short v. Equity Trust (C.D. Cal. 2:24-cv-06788), over Oxford Gold trades, is an alleged class action, a suit for a whole group.

What happens to your gold IRA if the company goes bankrupt?#

Metal already recorded in your IRA's depository account stays there when a dealer goes bankrupt, while money for orders never filled becomes an unsecured claim. Every closure and bankruptcy is listed with our guide to failed gold IRA companies.

How do you check a gold IRA company before you buy?#

Check a gold IRA company's legal name, regulator actions and court records before you sign, and get its prices and buyback terms in writing. The 12 questions to ask when you choose a gold IRA company come with the answers that should stop you. The background check on how to check a gold IRA company uses free public records.

Does a BBB complaint count as reporting?#

A BBB complaint is not a report to any government agency, but it does count in the company's BBB grade. Of the grade's 100 points, 90 come from complaint handling, and unanswered complaints alone carry 40. Why BBB ratings reward answering complaints more than fair prices is explained separately.

Can you report for a parent?#

Yes, anyone can tip the CFTC, the SEC, the FBI or a state regulator about a sale to a parent. The DOJ Elder Justice Hotline (1-833-372-8311) takes calls about people 60 and older. What adult children can do when a parent is pressured into a gold IRA has its own guide.

What if the IRA owner has died?#

Heirs can still report and claim: in the Metals.com case, the court-appointed receiver pays checks to "the executor or executrix or beneficiary of the estate of the deceased claimant." The executor runs the estate; a beneficiary inherits from it. The receiver reported in May 2026 that 59 checks worth $259,827.86 had not been cashed, so heirs should update the claim with the receiver.