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The top-rated gold IRA companies and best silver IRA companies provide easy-to-use platforms with simple gold investing options, educational tools, investor resources, and asset diversification with the ability to purchase additional assets like other precious metals and digital assets like cryptocurrencies.
Here are the best gold IRA investment reviews in 2025, as picked by Business Insider editors.
Best Gold IRA Companies in 2025
Featured Gold IRAs
Best investment selection
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Gold and silver IRAs
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Supports rollovers for 403(b)s, thrift savings plans, savings accounts, and IRAs
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.You can request to have gold directly delivered to you
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.You can either receive distributions as physical gold, or have Goldco convert the gold into cash for you
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.$25,000 minimum to purchase gold
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.No mobile app
Best for large balances
American Hartford Gold
Account Minimum
$5,000
Fees
$230 application fee and $200 annual fee for storage, insurance, and custodian services
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Invest in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Competitive gold selection
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Supports rollovers from traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, thrift savings plans, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and 457 plans
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Buyback commitment with no liquidation fee
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Free consultations are available
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Some fees can be waived with larger opening deposits
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.Fees are not easily found on the website
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.High minimums to make purchases: $5,000 in a cash account and $10,000 in a gold IRA
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.You might be able to waive fees with a large opening deposit, but you must talk to a rep about your situation to find out
Insider’s Take
American Hartford Gold is perhaps best for investors who want to convert significant portions of their retirement assets to gold or other metals, as larger sums can qualify for certain fee waivers with AHG. For those who may be on the fence about investing in gold, want to find more educational resources, or prefer a more digital and automated experience, there are better options available.
Product Details
- Open a cash account or gold IRA with American Hartford Gold
- Hold precious metals in your IRA and hold them in a storage facility; precious metals are shipped to your home with a cash account
- With the buyback commitment, AHG doesn’t guarantee it will buy back your metals — but if it does, it will arrange payment/shipping and not charge any transaction fees
- Call AHG to open an account, or use an online form to open a gold IRA
Best for customer support
Lear Capital
Account Minimum
$5,000
Fees
One-time $280 setup fee and $200 annual fee; free set-up and storage for certain users investing in limited mintage coins
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Gold IRAs and silver IRAs available
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Free IRA set-up and storage (for qualifying purchase amounts of limited mintage coins)
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Offers precious metal analyzer, portfolio comparison calculator, inflation calculator, and more
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Mobile apps for iOS and Android devices
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.High set-up fees
Insider’s Take
Lear Capital offers both an IRA gold investment and silver IRA option, and you can take advantage of free IRA setup and storage
Best Overall Gold IRA: Rosland Capital
Rosland Capital comes out on top for the overall best gold investment company. Rosland is a competitively-priced gold and silver IRA firm with transparent fee structures and a strong reputation of trustworthiness. It’s a great option for investing in specialty and premium coins for greater portfolio diversification.
Compared to similar gold companies, Rosland Capital charges lower, flat-rate fees. The fee structure is fairly transparent. Rosland Capital charges a $50 one-time set-up fee, $100 annual maintenance fee, a storage fee of $100 or $150, and a $40 paper statement fee (if you choose to receive paper statements).
When people new to gold IRA investing sign up, they can benefit from a free information gold kit. Orders above $20,000 also get $1,000 in free gold. IRA rollovers require a $10,000 minimum.
What to look out for: The website lacks extensive information, and the only way to open an account is by calling a representative.
Best Gold IRA for Customer Support: Lear Capital
Lear Capital is a top gold IRA for customer service and quality assurance. It has a reputation for exceptional service, focusing on customer education and transparency, offering a 24-hour risk-free purchase guarantee on all orders and no-fee buybacks. Customers get a free investment kit and bonus coins when joining.
The Lear Advantage IRA offers free gold and silver guides, a price match guarantee, free metal evaluations, and a huge selection of precious metal tools and analyzers. Lear supports rollovers from IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and thrift savings plans.
Lear Capital has a minimum and an annual $200 fee.
What to look out for: Set-up fees are higher, with a one-time $280 fee (waived for eligible IRAs and mintage coins).
Best Investment Selection: Goldco
Goldco sticks out from other gold IRA companies with its huge selection of precious metal assets available through a self-directed gold IRA or silver IRA account. It’s generally best for those looking to invest more cash into gold due to its high $25,000 minimum.
As for its coin selection, you can invest in Gold American Eagle, Gold American Eagle Proof, Gold Liberty, Gold Phoenix, Gold Independence Hall, and more.
Plus, you don’t necessarily need an IRA to buy gold at Goldco. You can also request to have gold delivered directly to you, but physical gold in your possession can’t be held in your IRA as it counts as a taxable distribution.
Goldco promotes an “education first” approach to help investors expand their knowledge of the economy and the ins and outs of gold IRAs. Beginners can get Goldco’s free gold IRA kit for info about IRAs, gold assets, and wealth protection.
What to look out for: You’ll need at least $25,000 to set up an IRA and purchase gold. You’ll also need to call a company representative for a full disclosure of fees.
Best for Large Account Balances: American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold is one of the top gold IRA custodians, offering a competitive selection of gold and other precious metals like silver, platinum, and palladium.
Its cash accounts allow non-retirement investors to buy gold directly through AHG and have assets shipped to their homes.
There’s a minimum to open a cash account.
Assets in American Hartford Gold precious metal IRAs are shipped and held at a secure facility. AHG supports rollovers. There’s a $10,000 minimum to open a gold IRA.
AHG also charges a $230 application fee and $200 annual fee for storage, insurance, and custodian services. However, investors with larger opening deposits may get some of their fees waived or reduced after talking with an AHG representative. To speak with a representative, call the number listed on the AHG website.
What to look out for: American Hartford Gold doesn’t provide exact fees on its website; it says depository storage fees vary based on account size and the particular precious metals you’ve got in your account. You can get more information by contacting the firm’s account representatives.
Best Investor Resources: Birch Gold Group
Birch Gold Group allows you to roll over existing retirement accounts into a gold IRA — or a silver, palladium, or platinum IRA.
Like many other precious metal companies on this list, Birch Gold Group provides users with a free information kit on gold and gold IRA investing. Investors also get a free gold bar with every $10,000 purchased.
In addition, the company pairs you with a precious metals specialist to ease the set-up process and track your investments’ performance.
Another advantage is that it stores your gold in insured depositories (it currently uses Brink’s Global Service). It also uses the Delaware Depository, which offers insurance of up to $1 billion.
What to look out for: You’ll need at least $10,000 to purchase gold.
Best for Beginners: Priority Gold IRA
Priority Gold is a reputable gold IRA company that offers an extensive selection of educational content suitable for gold traders of all levels.
It is well-known in the gold IRA industry by both consumers and businesses for its dedicated customer support and real-time pricing.
Priority Gold’s user-friendly IRA set-up and educational resources make purchasing precious metals easy. After signing up, you will be assigned to a dedicated company representative to guide you through the investment process.
A qualified specialist is available to help you facilitate an IRA rollover with the help of its partnered custodian, Preferred Trust Company.
An IRA rollover of $50,000 gets you one free year of storage and no administration fees. But, you only need to meet the required $20,000 minimum to open an IRA. Gold storage costs between $100 to $175 per year.
What to look out for: Priority Gold offers platinum and palladium products, but they are unavailable on the company’s website.
Best Fee Transparency: Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals offers gold and silver IRAs, and gold-focused investors can take advantage of common gold bullion and premium gold.
As for the platform’s gold selection, you can buy assets like American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, American Eagle Proofs, Gold Canadian Eagles, American Buffalo, and Australian Striped Marlin.
Augusta ensures that the gold coins and bars it provides are 99.5% pure, with one exception: the American Gold Eagle coin, which is 91.67% pure. You’ll pay zero management fees but must account for IRA set-up fees and depository storage fees.
What to look out for: Augusta Precious Metals has a minimum order requirement of $50,000 for IRA purchases.
What Is a Gold IRA?
If you want to diversify your portfolio and hedge against inflation, you can consider investing in gold and other precious metals. But you can’t do it through your regular account. It has to be a separate, special one called a gold IRA.
Definition of a Gold IRA
Also known as a precious metal IRA, a gold IRA works like a standard individual retirement account, with the same contribution limits and distribution rules. However, instead of holding paper assets like stocks and bonds, the gold IRA is earmarked for holding physical bullion — coins or bars of gold and other approved precious metals, including silver, platinum, and palladium.
Gold IRAs can also contain:
- Gold stocks (shares of gold mining/production companies)
- Gold mutual funds that invest in bullion or stocks (or both)
- Gold ETFs that track gold indexes
Other alternative investments are gold futures and options, which offer risk management opportunities and leverage for greater diversification and market exposure.
Benefits of a Gold IRA
Benefits of a gold IRA include:
- Hedge against inflation: Historically, the demand for gold and similar metals has increased as the purchasing power of the US dollar declined, increasing the value of gold and making it a go-to investment strategy during inflationary periods in the economy.
- Portfolio diversification: Holding gold as part of your retirement plan further diversifies your asset allocation, mitigating potentially volatile swings in your portfolio. Diversification is one of the strongest investment strategies for building long-lasting wealth. Adding gold and other precious metals minimizes potential losses from market downturns while offering investors greater market exposure.
- Long-term stability: Gold is largely regarded as a safe investment with long-term stability. However, it may experience volatility over the short term. It’s also relatively liquid compared to other tangible investable assets like real-estate.
- Tax benefits. Gold IRAs offer the same special tax treatment as standard IRAs: Contributions made to traditional self-directed IRAs are tax-deductible. Qualified withdrawals from Roth accounts are tax-free.
Drawbacks and Risks of Gold IRAs
If you’re interested in a gold IRA, consider these drawbacks.
- No tax-advantaged income. Gold bullion doesn’t pay interest, dividends, or other returns. So, it doesn’t take advantage of the tax-free growth aspect of IRA investing. You’d only get a break on any capital gain from selling your gold at a profit.
- Higher fees. You can’t keep your gold at home or in a bank’s safe deposit box. Instead, you must pay a custodian to store, insure, buy, ship, and transport your precious metals in the IRA. Gold IRA custodial fees tend to be higher than regular IRA management fees.
- Funding restrictions. You’re not allowed to move any precious metals you already own into your Gold IRA, nor are you personally allowed to buy precious metals and send them to your IRA. A custodian must take care of all the transactions on your behalf.
How to Choose the Best Gold IRA Company
If you want to hold physical gold in an IRA, the first step is to open a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) — one that you manage directly — with a custodian. The custodian is an IRS-approved financial institution (bank, trust company, brokerage), but many financial services and mutual fund companies that handle regular IRAs don’t do the self-directed version.
Remember that not every self-directed IRA custodian offers the same investment choices, so make sure physical gold is one of their offerings before you open an account. The best gold IRA depends on your goals, financial limitations, and investment style.
Gold IRA Fees
Fees commonly associated with gold IRAs include setup, storage, transaction, shipping, administrative, and insurance fees. The cost of these fees varies by platform, so comparing different gold provider offerings is crucial to ensure you get the lowest fees possible for your needs.
While more user-friendly platforms like Augusta Precious Metals are transparent about fees and pricing, gold IRA platforms can be difficult to navigate and often require customers to call on the phone. Although it’s more of a hassle for potential investors, it’s not an uncommon practice for most precious metal dealers.
Fees associated with gold IRAs tend to be higher than those associated with traditional IRAs because of the cost of physically storing, shipping, and insuring physical assets. Still, there are plenty of cost-effective ways to invest in gold. Gold-associated stocks and ETFs are budget-friendly alternatives.
Gold IRA Storage Options
Gold invested in your IRA usually comes in bars or coins. Since gold is a tangible good, unlike stocks or bonds, it must be stored and secured with a trusted depository.
As per IRS guidelines, gold invested in an IRA or other retirement vehicle cannot be stored in someone’s home. Physical gold and other precious metals must be held in an IRS-approved custodian to qualify for tax-deffered benefits.
You can’t move any precious metals you already own into your gold IRA, or buy precious metals and send them to your IRA. Whenever you want to make a transaction for your gold IRA, your custodian must execute it.
Some of the most popular gold IRA storage options in the US include the Texas Precious Metals Depository and the Delaware Depository. Depositories usually provide gold investors with insurance protection against loss, damage, and theft.
Depending on the gold IRA company you invest through, you may get access to certain storage facilities., It’s best to familiarize yourself with the platform’s preferred custodian to ensure you know how your gold will be transported, stored, and handled.
Gold IRA Buyback Programs
Gold IRA providers often offer buyback programs for those who wish to sell their precious metals.
Access to these programs increases the liquidity of your gold holdings, as you can convert your assets back to cash. The process also tends to be smoother, and investors are likelier to receive a fair market value for their gold.
However, additional fees may be associated with a gold provider’s buyback program. Before investing, ensure you know of any potentially high fees or limitations related to a company’s buyback program.
Gold IRA Customer Service
Most gold IRA companies have high customer service ratings, typically higher than traditional online brokerages and investment platforms. Gold IRA websites tend to lack information and user-friendliness, but the accessibility and responsiveness of customer service can make up for it.
Properly review and analyze a company’s reputation for customer service. For example, Lear Capital has high customer reviews regarding its friendly, helpful, and transparent customer support.
Educational resources and access to other personalized guidance may also be worth considering. All American Assets, for example, is another popular gold IRA company that connects customers with senior precious metal specialists at no additional cost.
Opening a Gold IRA
Investing in gold has risks to consider before making any decisions. Still, a gold IRA can be a good option for investors who want to diversify their retirement accounts. It also uses the yellow metal’s hedging benefits against other financial assets, like paper currency and stocks.
Some financial experts recommend keeping 5% to 10% of a portfolio in gold.
“It’s simply advantageous to weigh and think about acquiring gold — and silver and other precious metals — to serve one well within a diversified, well-rounded investment portfolio,” says Collin Plume, president and CEO of Noble Gold Investments, a precious metals dealer and depository. “The operative word being diversified.”
Fund the account with a contribution (subject to contribution limits), a transfer, or a rollover from a qualified plan, such as 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plan. Afterward, you can select investments for the account, and your custodian and metals dealer will complete the transactions on your behalf.
You can’t just buy any bar or ingot, either. Physical metals must meet IRS “fineness” standards as their purity and weight, and be stored in an insured IRS-approved depository. When it comes to coins, you are limited to bullion coins issued by certain government mints.
FAQs About Gold IRAs
The difference between an IRA and a gold IRA is that a regular IRA invests in a range of retirement-focused stock and bond ETFs, whereas a gold IRA mainly invests in precious metals.
Gold IRAs are a good idea for investors with additional retirement savings accounts who want further diversification and stability.
Our Methodology: How We Rated the Best Gold IRAs
We applied Business Insider’s rating methodology for investing platforms to over a dozen exchanges to find the best options for gold and precious metal IRAs, low fees, asset/account security, user interfaces, and mobile access. Investment platforms are given a rating between 1 and 5.
We also explored whether exchanges offered services both for individuals and institutions, and we paid close attention to other account options like liquidity, accessibility, and precious metal selection.