This gold IRA company comparison tool lines up 9 gold IRA companies on 10 facts that cost or protect you. When a company does not state a fact in any document we found, the chart says "Not published" instead of guessing. Which facts matter most?
A gold IRA company sells the metal and sets up your IRA with a custodian, the trust company that holds it. This chart is one of the free gold IRA calculators and tools on SafeOunce.
The markup, also called the spread, is the share of your price that the seller keeps above its own cost for the metal. No company can pay for its place, and the chart has no scores or rankings.
Comparison tool
Gold IRA company comparison: the facts side by side
Only facts we could date and source. Where a company does not publish something, the table says "Not published". There are no scores and no rankings here, and SafeOunce is paid by none of these companies.
How Do You Compare Gold IRA Companies Side by Side?#
You compare gold IRA companies side by side in 4 steps: filter, line up 2 or 3, read the "Not published" cells, then get the missing facts in writing. The 4 steps, in order, are listed below.
- Filter out the companies you cannot use.
- Tick two or three companies to line them up.
- Read the "Not published" cells first.
- Ask each company for the missing facts in writing.
Step 1: Filter by what you can accept#
Start by filtering out companies you could not use, such as one whose minimum is above your balance. A filter hides every company that fails a test you pick. The tool's 5 controls are listed below.
- Published IRA minimum: $5,000 or less, $25,000 or less, $50,000 or less, or Any (including not published)
- Order: A to Z, or lowest published minimum first
- Puts its markup (spread) in writing
- Publishes its account fees
- No regulator action found
A published minimum is one the company states in writing. Choose "Any" to keep companies that publish none in view.
Step 2: Tick two or three companies to line them up#
Tick "Compare" on two or three companies, and the tool shows their 10 facts side by side in the same order. The list runs A to Z, with no "featured" row.
Step 3: Read the "Not published" cells first#
Read the "Not published" cells first, because the facts a company leaves out, most often its markup, usually cost you more than the facts it shows. Each blank is a question for your first call.
Step 4: Ask each company for the missing facts in writing#
Ask each company to email you the missing facts before any money moves. The spot price is today's market price for one ounce of metal; the buyback bid is what the company offers to pay you for it. The 6 answers to get are listed below.
- Get the price per coin, its percent over the spot price and its spread as a share of your price.
- Get the company's buyback bid for the same coin today.
- Get every yearly custodian and storage fee.
- Get the cancellation window and what starts the clock.
- Get the customer agreement with its arbitration clause.
- Get a plain answer on how the person quoting you is paid.
A March 20, 2024 advisory from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) warns: "If fees are not available in writing before your purchase, that is a red flag."
The full 12 questions, with the answers that mean you walk away, are in how to choose a gold IRA company.
What Do the 10 Fields in the Gold IRA Comparison Chart Mean?#
The gold IRA comparison chart has 10 fields: IRA minimum, markup in writing, account fees, buyback wording, cancellation window, disputes, regulator actions, BBB record, Trustpilot and what we noticed. Each cell comes from a document we read, with its source under the company and a check date of September 29, 2026 unless the cell says otherwise.
1. IRA minimum#
The IRA minimum is the smallest amount a company says it will accept for a gold IRA, and only 4 of the 9 publish one. As of September 29, 2026, Birch Gold Group asks for $5,000, Noble Gold for $20,000 and Goldco for $25,000 to roll over. Augusta asks for $50,000, according to its FAQ (last updated September 23, 2026).
American Hartford Gold, Lear Capital, Preserve Gold and Priority Gold publish none. American Bullion recommends $10,000 without requiring it.
Some lists show a smaller "initial purchase" figure, such as $10,000 for Goldco, while Augusta's FAQ applies its $50,000 to the first purchase. Ask whether a minimum covers the first order or the whole account.
A flat fee stays the same whatever your balance, so the table shows each company's fees as a share of its minimum.
| Company | Yearly account fees | Published minimum | Fees as a share of the minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta (FAQ, updated Sep 23, 2026) | $285 in year 1, $235 later | $50,000 | 0.57% in year 1, 0.47% later |
| Birch Gold Group | About $235 | $5,000 | 4.7% a year |
| Goldco (segregated storage) | $275 | $25,000 | 1.10% a year |
| Noble Gold (two pages) | $275 (support page) or $285 (gold IRA page) | $20,000 | 1.375% to 1.425% a year |
Source: SafeOunce computation from each company's published fees, September 29, 2026. Flat fees weigh more on small accounts.
The full list of gold IRA minimums by company is kept current.
2. Markup (spread) in writing#
The markup field shows the spread a company puts in writing: the share of your price it keeps above its own cost for the metal. It is usually the largest cost. Bullion is plain coins and bars; numismatic coins are collector coins priced above their metal value. The 4 written ranges are listed below.
- American Bullion: "typically 7%-23%" (agreement, October 2024)
- American Hartford Gold: bullion 1.00%-19.99%, "exclusive and semi-numismatic" coins up to 39.99%, limited numismatic coins up to 59.99% (agreement, September 2026)
- Lear Capital: "generally 2% to 35%" (terms, December 2025)
- Preserve Gold: bullion up to 20%, IRA transactions "generally up to 34.99%" (agreement, June 2025)
Three measures get mixed up. The spread is a share of your price, a markup over cost measures the same gap against the dealer's cost, and a premium is the price over melt value. So a 19.99% spread is 25.0% over cost, 39.99% is 66.6%, and 59.99% is 149.9%.
The CFTC and FINRA "10 Things" advisory (March 20, 2024) says: "'Semi-numismatic' is a made-up industry term that really has no special meaning." A written cap is the most a company may charge, not what you will pay. How dealers set gold IRA markups and spreads is explained in full.
3. Account fees#
Account fees are the setup, yearly custodian and storage charges for the IRA, and the 5 companies that publish them charge $160 to $285 a year. Shared storage pools your coins with other customers' coins; segregated storage keeps them apart. The 5 fee sets are listed below.
- American Bullion: STRATA Trust plans of $25 setup + $160 a year, $0 + $200, or $0 + $275.
- Augusta: $50 setup, $125 custodian and $110 storage ($285 in year 1, $235 after), according to its FAQ (last updated September 23, 2026).
- Birch Gold Group: about $235 a year (FAQ) and a $50 setup (fees blog).
- Goldco: $50 setup, $125 a year, storage $100 shared or $150 segregated (cost page, February 2025).
- Noble Gold: $80 + $275 a year (support page) or $50 + $285 (gold IRA page), both live.
What each custodian charges is on the gold IRA custodian fees page.
4. Buyback wording#
The buyback field quotes what each company says about buying your metal back, and where it says it: on its website or in the contract you sign.
Goldco and Noble Gold use "guaranteed" on their websites without published terms. The contracts of American Bullion, American Hartford Gold, Lear Capital and Preserve Gold say the law prohibits guaranteeing a repurchase. Priority Gold offers the wholesale bid, the open market, or consignment: it sells non-bullion coins held 60 months or more for you at an 18% fee.
Each company's full terms are in gold IRA buyback programs compared.
5. Cancellation window#
The cancellation window is how long you have to cancel an order, and among the companies that publish one it runs from 24 hours to 8 days. American Bullion also takes numismatic coins back within 15 days, with a possible 3% restocking fee.
As of September 29, 2026, Lear Capital and Preserve Gold allow 24 hours after the invoice, the bill for your order (Lear longer where state law requires it). American Hartford Gold allows 7 days on non-bullion products only, and Augusta up to 7 calendar days (Augusta FAQ, Sep 23, 2026). Priority Gold allows 3 business days to 8 days by state. Birch Gold Group, Goldco and Noble Gold publish none.
Check what starts the clock: an invoice, a confirmation or, at Priority Gold, a transfer notice. Whether you can get your money back from a gold IRA company after the window closes is covered in full.
6. Disputes (arbitration)#
The disputes field shows where a disagreement goes, and every agreement we could read sends it to private arbitration instead of a court. Arbitration is a private hearing set by the contract; JAMS is a private arbitration service. The terms are listed below.
- American Bullion: JAMS Los Angeles; consumer standards stated not to apply; 15-day opt-out from the class waiver only.
- American Hartford Gold: JAMS; claims within 1 year; liability capped at the amount paid.
- Birch Gold Group: JAMS Des Moines; costs split 50/50 subject to JAMS minimum standards; confidential.
- Lear Capital: JAMS Los Angeles; 30-day opt-out, but Lear may then cancel the purchase; 1 year and 1 day to claim.
- Preserve Gold: JAMS; each side pays its own lawyers; 1 year and 1 day to claim.
- Augusta, Goldco, Noble Gold and Priority Gold: not published online.
A class waiver gives up group lawsuits, and a liability cap limits what the company can owe you. Where consumer rules apply, JAMS caps a consumer's filing fee at $250 and the AAA at $225.
Courts sent suits against American Hartford Gold (Mathys, N.D. Ill. 2020) and Lear Capital (Ireland, D. Minn. 2012; Patterson, D. Utah 2020) to arbitration. A California appeals court found one Rosland Capital clause too unfair to enforce (Dennison, April 1, 2020). Clause-by-clause detail is in gold IRA company contracts compared.
7. Regulator actions#
The regulator field lists government actions, and 1 of the 9 companies has any on record: Lear Capital, which paid $14.25 million without admitting wrongdoing.
The total includes $2.75 million to the Los Angeles City Attorney (December 30, 2021) and a $6 million New York Attorney General consent decree, a settlement a court signs (announced January 3, 2022). The rest is a $5.5 million customer fund from Lear's Chapter 11 bankruptcy (plan confirmed June 12, 2023).
Goldco's cell reads "None found," because private suits are not regulator actions. A note covers its text-message class settlement (Summerton v. Goldco Direct, W.D. Wis. 3:23-cv-00238: $2,000,000, final approval March 26, 2026). "None found" covers CFTC, SEC, FTC and state records searched as of September 29, 2026 (a limited search for Priority Gold). It is not a clean bill of health.
The tracker of gold IRA enforcement actions lists every case since 2008.
8. BBB record#
The BBB field shows the Better Business Bureau letter grade, the complaints closed in the last 3 years and the number of reviews. All 9 companies show A+ as of September 29, 2026. Complaints range from 0 (American Bullion, 12 reviews) to 111 (American Hartford Gold, 798 reviews).
BBB accreditation is a paid membership, separate from the grade.
9. Trustpilot#
The Trustpilot field shows the star score and the number of reviews on September 29, 2026, from 4.4 (Goldco, 1,790 reviews) to 4.9 (Noble Gold, Preserve Gold and Priority Gold). American Bullion's cell reads "Not recorded." Scores change daily.
10. What we noticed#
"What we noticed" records one fact per company that you need to check, such as a website claim that conflicts with IRS rules. Three accuracy flags are listed below.
- American Bullion: its FAQ says a 60-day rollover has "no tax liability." It skips the 20% withholding, or tax held back, on plan checks (26 U.S.C. 3405(c)) and the once-a-year IRA rollover limit (IRS Announcement 2014-15).
- Birch Gold Group: its IRA page says required minimum distributions (RMDs), the yearly withdrawals the law requires, start at 72. The age is 73, or 75 if you were born in 1960 or later (26 U.S.C. 401(a)(9)(C)(v)).
- Noble Gold: its gold IRA page offers "store your gold at home." IRA bullion must be held by a trustee (26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B)); see McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021).
Delivery time matters too. American Hartford Gold's agreement allows 4-8 weeks after good funds; Goldco's terms say 5-14 business days, up to 45. The CFTC's actual-delivery benchmark is 28 days (advisory 8215-20, August 4, 2020). Other notes flag Goldco's premium-coin-only free silver and American Hartford Gold's 3% card fee.
What Does the Comparison Show About the 9 Gold IRA Companies?#
As of September 29, 2026, only 1 of the 9 gold IRA companies publishes both its account fees and a markup range, and 1 publishes neither. The table below shows which of 4 key facts each company puts in writing.
| Company | Markup range | Account fees | IRA minimum | Regulator action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Bullion | Yes (7%-23%) | Yes | Recommended only ($10,000) | None found |
| American Hartford Gold | Yes | No | No | None found |
| Augusta | No | Yes (FAQ, Sep 23, 2026) | Yes, $50,000 (FAQ, Sep 23, 2026) | None found |
| Birch Gold Group | No | Yes | Yes, $5,000 | None found |
| Goldco | No | Yes | Yes, $25,000 | None found |
| Lear Capital | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Noble Gold | No | Yes (2 pages) | Yes, $20,000 | None found |
| Preserve Gold | Yes | No | No | None found |
| Priority Gold | No | No | No | None found (limited search) |
| Total | 4 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 4 of 9 | 1 of 9 |
Source: each company's documents, checked September 29, 2026. "No" means not published in any document we found.
Across 15 operating sellers SafeOunce checked on September 29, 2026, 4 publish a spread range, 1 publishes live prices and 1 publishes both fees and a spread range.
Which companies put their markup in writing?#
American Bullion, American Hartford Gold, Lear Capital and Preserve Gold put a markup range in writing; Augusta, Birch Gold Group, Goldco, Noble Gold and Priority Gold do not.
Bullion caps sit at up to 19.99% (American Hartford Gold) and 20% (Preserve Gold); collector-coin caps reach 34.99%, 39.99% and 59.99%. American Hartford Gold's agreement also says "The Spread may be negotiable." In plain English: ask in writing for a lower markup.
The same company can charge more inside an IRA. Preserve Gold caps bullion at 20% but IRA transactions at 34.99%. On $100,000 sold back on day one, that is about $76,250 against about $61,960: about $14,300 less (SafeOunce computation, bid gap included).
Contracts also change. American Hartford Gold's 2023 agreement capped numismatic and IRA spreads at 34.99%. The September 2026 version allows up to 59.99% on limited numismatic coins, and its 7-day cancellation now covers non-bullion products only.
Which companies publish their account fees?#
American Bullion, Augusta, Birch Gold Group, Goldco and Noble Gold publish their account fees; American Hartford Gold, Lear Capital, Preserve Gold and Priority Gold do not. Their published yearly fees differ by at most about $125 a year, not thousands.
A fee waiver is a promise to pay some of your fees for you. American Bullion pays first-year fees with a $50,000 rollover, and Birch on accounts over $50,000. Augusta offers "up to 10 years," conditions not stated (Augusta FAQ, Sep 23, 2026): at most $2,400 ($285 + 9 x $235), or 4.8% of its $50,000 minimum.
A metal bonus can cost more than it gives. In a SafeOunce hypothetical, $100,000 of premium coins at a 30% spread plus a 10% silver bonus is worth about $74,344 sold back on day one. Plain bullion at a 5% spread is worth $90,547, or $16,203 more. The bonus breaks even only at a premium-coin spread of 13% or less. What a waiver is really worth is worked out on no-fee gold IRA offers.
Which companies promise a buyback, and what do their contracts say?#
No published contract in the chart promises to buy your metal back. The table below shows where each company's buyback words appear, the exact words and their date.
| Company | Where the words appear | Exact words | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Bullion | Shipping and Transaction Agreement | The law prohibits guaranteeing a repurchase | October 2024 |
| American Hartford Gold | Shipping and Transaction Agreement | "applicable laws currently prohibit AHG from guaranteeing to repurchase" | September 2026 |
| Augusta | FAQ | "Augusta cannot legally guarantee it will purchase or trade metals you own, or repurchase metals it sells"; also a "24-hour Highest Buyback Price Guarantee window" | September 23, 2026 |
| Goldco | Homepage | "Buy Back program guaranteed at the highest price"; terms not published | September 29, 2026 |
| Lear Capital | Terms and conditions | "The law prohibits LC from guaranteeing"; pays the highest wholesaler list bid | December 2025 |
| Noble Gold | Who-we-are page | "Our guaranteed buyback program"; terms not published | September 29, 2026 |
| Preserve Gold | Shipping and Transaction Agreement | No guarantee; pays the highest wholesaler list bid | June 2025 |
The usual buyback price is the wholesaler's highest list bid, the top price a wholesale dealer posts for that coin. In the agreements' own example, a $40 coin sold at a 20% spread cost the dealer $32 and is bought back at about $30.50, or 95.31% of that cost.
Why Can't Account Fees Alone Tell You Which Gold IRA Company Costs Least?#
Account fees cannot tell you which gold IRA company costs least, because the markup usually costs far more than the fees. Total cost means everything you pay: the markup, the gap when you sell back, and every fee.
On $100,000 held 10 years with a flat gold price, bullion at American Hartford Gold's 19.99% cap costs about $25,500 in total; a low-cost bullion route costs about $8,580. A round trip is the cost of buying and then selling back. The two totals break down as follows.
- $25,500 = about $23,700 lost on day one at the 19.99% cap, bid gap included, + about $1,800 of account fees.
- $8,580 = a 5.4% round trip ($5,400) + $3,180 of Equity Trust precious-metals segregated fees over 10 years, exit included.
Which company costs least overall is on the gold IRA companies with the lowest total cost page.
Worked example: the same $40,000 at three companies that publish fees#
On a $40,000 gold IRA, the published account fees at Birch Gold Group, Goldco and Noble Gold differ by at most about $500 over 10 years. A 3-point difference in their unpublished markups would cost $1,200 on the first day. All 3 accept $40,000.
| Company | Published fees (source, date) | Setup + 10 years of yearly fees | Markup in writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Gold Group | $50 setup (fees blog) + about $235 a year (FAQ), Sep 29, 2026 | About $2,400 | Not published |
| Goldco | $50 setup + $125 a year + $150 segregated storage (cost page, Feb 2025) | $2,800 | Not published |
| Noble Gold | $80 + $275 a year (support page) or $50 + $285 (gold IRA page), Sep 29, 2026 | $2,830 or $2,900 | Not published |
Source: SafeOunce computation; setup plus 10 years of yearly fees; exit and wire fees excluded; Birch's first-year waiver applies only over $50,000.
A percentage point is one hundredth of the amount, so each point of markup on $40,000 is $400. A 3-point gap, $1,200, is more than twice the largest fee gap; it is hypothetical, since none of the 3 publishes its markup.
So ask all three, in writing, what spread your quote contains. The gold IRA fee calculator adds markup, yearly fees and exit costs into one 10-year number.
How much gold must rise to cover each published markup cap#
At a 19.99% markup, gold must rise about 31% before you can sell back without a loss, and at a 59.99% markup, about 162%. Break-even is the price rise that gets you back to what you paid.
The bid gap is the difference between what the dealer paid for a coin and what it offers you when you sell. The table shows the 4 companies' published caps and range ends, Lear's own 2022 average and 2 baseline rows.
| Markup (whose cap) | Rise to recover the spread only (= markup over cost) | Rise including the buyback bid gap | What $100,000 is worth if sold back on day one |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (reference: ordinary bullion) | 5.3% | 10.4% | $90,547 |
| 7% (American Bullion, low end) | 7.5% | 12.8% | About $88,640 |
| 12% (reference: Lear bankruptcy refund formula) | 13.6% | 19.2% | About $83,875 |
| 19.99% (American Hartford Gold, bullion cap) | 25.0% | 31.1% | $76,260 |
| 23% (American Bullion, high end) | 29.9% | 36.3% | About $73,390 |
| 23.4% (Lear Capital's own 2022 average, from its Chapter 11 plan) | 30.5% | 37.0% | $73,009 |
| 34.99%-35% (Preserve Gold IRA cap; Lear Capital cap) | 53.8% | 61.4% | $61,953 |
| 39.99% (American Hartford Gold, exclusive coins) | 66.6% | 74.8% | $57,197 |
| 59.99% (American Hartford Gold, limited numismatic) | 149.9% | 162.2% | $38,135 |
Formula: rise = 1 / ((1 - markup) x 0.9531) - 1, using the agreements' own buyback example (bid = 95.31% of dealer cost). Fees excluded. SafeOunce computation, September 29, 2026.
The table prints no years to break even, which would need a forecast. Test a real quote in the gold IRA break-even calculator.
How to judge a markup a company quotes you#
A markup is easiest to judge against 3 public benchmarks. They are about a 5% to 7% bullion round trip, the CFTC's 5% to 10% over spot, and the 12% in Lear's bankruptcy refund formula.
Gross margin is the share of sales a seller keeps after paying for the metal. The table lists 5 benchmarks with sources and dates.
| Benchmark | Value | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Retail round trip, 1 oz Gold Eagle | 5.39% at one online dealer | SD Bullion snapshot, September 29, 2026 |
| Direct-to-consumer gross margin (Gold.com, all DTC sales) | 5.138% | Gold.com 10-K, fiscal year ended June 30, 2026 |
| CFTC advisory 8215-20 | Bullion 5%-10% over spot; numismatic 40%-200% | CFTC, August 4, 2020 |
| Lear Capital bankruptcy refund reference | Refund = spread paid minus 12%: $8,000 at 20%, $11,400 at 23.4%, $21,000 at 33%, on $100,000 | Lear Chapter 11 plan, confirmed June 12, 2023 |
| CFTC and FINRA "10 Things to Ask Before Buying Physical Gold, Silver, or Other Metals" | Other dealers: under 20%; fraudulent spreads: over 300% | CFTC, March 20, 2024 |
The bases differ: the CFTC's 5%-10% and 40%-200% are measured over the spot price, while the contract caps are shares of your price. Ask for every quote both ways.
The 12% is the figure one bankruptcy used to size refunds, not a legal cap on markups.
Where does a large spread go? Lear Capital's net margin was 2.51% of revenue in 2020 and 2.77% in 2021, against its own 23.4% average spread in 2022. So roughly 20 of those 23 points paid for commissions, advertising and staff (SafeOunce computation). The New York Attorney General's petition (June 17, 2021) alleged hidden commissions of up to 33%.
How Should You Read BBB and Trustpilot Numbers in the Comparison Chart?#
Read BBB and Trustpilot numbers as complaint rates, not grades: all 9 companies hold an A+, yet their BBB complaints per 100 reviews run from 0 to 22.1. The complaint rate here is the number of BBB complaints closed in 3 years for every 100 BBB reviews.
| Company | BBB grade | Complaints closed in 3 years | BBB reviews | Complaints per 100 reviews | Trustpilot (reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lear Capital | A+ | 33 | 149 | 22.1 | 4.7 (3,282) |
| American Hartford Gold | A+ | 111 | 798 | 13.9 | 4.8 (1,901) |
| Priority Gold | A+ (not accredited) | 38 | 641 | 5.9 | 4.9 (380) |
| Goldco | A+ | 72 | 1,710 | 4.2 | 4.4 (1,790) |
| Birch Gold Group | A+ | 9 | 227 | 4.0 | 4.7 (326) |
| Preserve Gold | A+ | 2 | 123 | 1.6 | 4.9 (175) |
| Noble Gold | A+ | 3 | 242 | 1.2 | 4.9 (796) |
| Augusta | A+ | 1 | 135 | 0.7 | 4.8 (371) |
| American Bullion | A+ | 0 | 12 | 0 | Not recorded |
BBB grades run on points, according to the BBB's "Overview of BBB Ratings" (checked September 29, 2026). An A+ needs 97 to 100. Up to 40 points depend on unanswered complaints, 30 on unresolved ones, 15 on complaint volume and 10 on time in business; reviews are not used.
Trustpilot's TrustScore is its weighted star average. Its guidelines describe "a weighting system that includes seven reviews at 3.5 stars," which barely moves a profile with hundreds of reviews. So large sellers cluster between 4.4 and 5.0, with five-star shares of 89% to 99% across ten leading sellers.
Lear Capital shows 4.7 stars with the highest complaint rate in the chart. Across 10 dealers, SafeOunce found a rank correlation of -0.46 between stars and complaint rates, a loose link at best. Are BBB, BCA and Trustpilot ratings reliable? The BCA (Business Consumer Alliance) is a third rating group, and all three are tested in full.
Which Filter Fits Your Situation?#
The right filter depends on your balance and on what you most need in writing; the table below matches 7 common situations to a filter and the fact behind it.
| If you... | Use this in the tool | Why (as of September 29, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Have under $20,000 to move | Published minimum "$5,000 or less," or "Any" | Birch Gold Group publishes $5,000; flat fees of about $235 a year are 4.7% of $5,000 |
| Want to know the markup before you call | "Puts its markup (spread) in writing" | 4 of 9 publish a range; caps run from about 20% to 59.99% by product |
| Want yearly costs known up front | "Publishes its account fees" | 5 of 9 publish them; Noble Gold's two pages disagree |
| Want both price and fees in writing | Both filters together | 1 company remains: American Bullion |
| Want no regulator history | "No regulator action found" | Removes Lear Capital ($14.25 million, no admission); "None found" is not a clean bill of health |
| May want to cancel after thinking it over | Compare the "Cancellation window" row | 24 hours (Lear Capital, Preserve Gold) vs 7 days (American Hartford Gold, non-bullion only; Augusta, per its FAQ of Sep 23, 2026) |
| Want to keep your right to sue | Compare the "Disputes" row and ask about opt-outs | Lear Capital allows a 30-day opt-out but may cancel your purchase; American Bullion's 15-day opt-out covers the class waiver only |
Full reviews of every one of the gold IRA companies in the chart are in the companies section.
An opt-out is a letter that removes you from part of the arbitration clause. The table describes situations, not advice; confirm every number in writing before you sign.
What Does the Comparison Tool Leave Out, and Why?#
The comparison tool leaves out scores, rankings, failed companies and the prices of individual coins, because each needs evidence the chart cannot show on one line. Coin prices change daily; the written quote from Step 4 is the price that counts.
The chart covers 9 of the 48 companies SafeOunce reviews, and compares sellers, not custodians. Custodian fees and charters are compared on gold IRA custodians.
Why there is no score or "best" column#
The chart has no score column because a SafeOunce Score needs documents most companies have not yet sent, such as a customer agreement and a written price quote. As of September 29, 2026, no company in the chart has a score.
A SafeOunce Score runs from 0 to 100 on 7 criteria and follows how SafeOunce rates gold IRA companies. After 10 business days without the requested documents, a review page says "requested, no reply," then "Not rated: would not disclose."
The FTC's Endorsement Guides treat rankings set by payments, a material connection between reviewer and company, as deceptive even with a general disclosure (16 CFR 255.4(b), Example 3).
One "best of" publisher discloses that "Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed." Who ranks whom is in gold IRA 'best of' lists compared.
Why failed and closed companies are not in the chart#
Failed and closed companies are left out because you cannot open an account with them, but their records matter to former customers.
Rosland Capital filed a liquidating Chapter 11 case, which winds a company down and sells what is left, on July 2, 2026 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2:26-bk-16650-BB). It owes about $60.8 million to about 617 customers.
An involuntary Chapter 7 case, a liquidation creditors start, was filed against Oxford Gold Group on August 28, 2024 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2:24-bk-16947-NB). Case numbers and what customers can do are on failed gold IRA companies.
How the facts are checked and how often#
Every fact in the chart comes from 3 kinds of sources read on September 29, 2026, and the chart is rechecked each quarter and after any change in terms. The 3 source types are listed below.
- Company agreements, fee pages and FAQs
- BBB and Trustpilot profiles
- Court and regulator records
An SEC and NASAA alert says custodians "generally do not evaluate the quality or legitimacy of any investment in the self-directed IRA or its promoters." NASAA is the group of state securities regulators.
Where Can You Compare Gold IRA Companies Two at a Time, or Against Other Options?#
Beyond this chart, you can compare gold IRA companies two at a time, or weigh a gold IRA against a gold ETF or a bullion dealer. An ETF (exchange-traded fund) trades like a stock and tracks the gold price. The 4 routes are listed below.
- All head-to-head and concept pages: gold IRA comparisons
- Two companies on the same fields, for example Augusta Precious Metals vs Goldco
- The fund route: gold IRA vs gold ETF
- The dealer route: bullion dealer vs gold IRA company
Questions readers ask when comparing gold IRA companies#
Readers comparing gold IRA companies ask these 7 questions most often.
Which gold IRA company is best?#
No gold IRA company is best for everyone, and SafeOunce has not yet scored any of the 9 in this chart. The right fit puts its price, fees and terms in writing. The ranked page, best gold IRA companies, sets ranks by real cost, contract terms and legal record.
Which gold IRA company has the lowest fees?#
Published yearly account fees in the chart run from $160 to $285, as of September 29, 2026, but fees are the smaller cost; the markup decides the total. The $160 is American Bullion's lowest STRATA Trust custodian plan, plus a $25 setup. The companies with the lowest total cost, markups included, are ranked separately.
Which gold IRA company has the best reviews?#
Star ratings do not separate these companies, since large gold IRA sellers score 4.4 to 5.0 on Trustpilot; complaints per 100 BBB reviews say more. In this chart they run from 0 to 22.1, as of September 29, 2026.
Which gold company did Warren Buffett buy?#
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought a gold miner, not gold. Its 13F filings show 20,918,701 Barrick Gold shares worth $563.55 million on June 30, 2020, all sold by December 31, 2020. Why Dave Ramsey and Warren Buffett say no to gold is answered point by point.
What is the downside of a gold IRA?#
A gold IRA's main downsides are that metal pays no interest or dividends, costs weigh heavily on small balances, and withdrawals are taxed. Traditional IRA withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. Is a gold IRA a good investment for you? That page weighs 55 years of data.
Is it better to have physical gold or a gold IRA?#
Neither is better for everyone: gold in a traditional IRA is tax-deferred, while gold you hold yourself is taxed as a collectible at up to 28% on long-term gains. That cap is in 26 U.S.C. 1(h); tax-deferred means no tax until you withdraw. Costs, taxes and access are compared in gold IRA vs physical gold.
What if you invested $10,000 in gold 20 years ago?#
$10,000 of gold bought on September 28, 2006 at the LBMA PM price of $603.00 was worth about $68,732 on September 28, 2026, before costs. The LBMA PM price is London's afternoon benchmark. Inside a gold IRA with a 5% premium, $50 setup, $250 a year in fees and a sale 1% below spot, it was about $49,929: a past result, not a forecast. Year-by-year returns and what $10,000 became after IRA costs are in the returns table.