A gold IRA is an account type where a firm holds onto your physical gold in a secured storage location, and the value of your gold rises in conjunction with your account. However, it can also be subject to dips or floods in the market, which is why it’s important that gold is not your only financial asset for the future. Gold IRAs give you the opportunity to invest in precious metals instead of paper cash and other unsecured assets.

How does a gold IRA work?

Identically to a standard IRA, except instead of the assets being paper cash, the assets are physical gold. Gold is held in a gold IRA account by your account specialists, so as its price rises and falls, it can be sold and reinvested or cashed out. Paper cash is not future-proof, but gold is globally recognized as having value, even if the US dollar falls. This is one of the reasons it’s such an attractive investment. It will function the same as your current IRA, just with an actual tangible asset in the background.

Can I keep my gold in My IRA at home?

In order for your gold to be eligible for your gold IRA’s value, it has to be stored safely in one of the locations deemed worthy by the IRS. Gold in your home is still valuable, its value will still climb or fall with gold prices, but it won’t be secured enough to allow a firm to help you make investments with it. Even if you store it in a top-notch safety deposit box at your financial institution, it’s still not the same. You need accredited, professional custodian services to make it happen.

Should I buy gold bullion or coins?

Bullion holds more value than coins. While bullion can be .995% purity, coins can be as low as 91%, meaning there’s a 9% alloy component. Because coins can have “editions” and hold historical significance, their value can go up or down. In some cases, older coins with figures or historical information that are no longer deemed valuable will be melted down to make new coins. Bullion is your best bet, you just have to buy it in small quantities (think 1oz bullion pieces) so you have pieces that can be manageably sold little by little in the event of economic collapse.

What percentage should I buy of gold and silver?

Gold and silver should be around 10% of your overall portfolio. In some instances, you may find information that suggests this should be up to 25%. It depends on the investor. If you see yourself growing specifically with precious metals account, you can make it a dominant part of your investment portfolio, but you should not put all your eggs in one basket.

Where should I store my gold?

You can choose a custodian storage service, or you can choose to store it yourself. Keep in mind, storing gold on your own does not mean it’s in a gold IRA program, and there are risks involved. Storing your gold with a custodian service and paying the annual fees are well worth the convenience and security.

9 Best Gold IRA Companies of March 2025

Some of the links in this post are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence some of the products and services we write about and choose to review. However, this does not influence our research process and our opinions are our own. Here is how we make money.The information provided on this page does not offer any personal financial advice or advocate the purchase or sale of any security or investment for any specific individual.

Gold IRA companies are here to help you create a future investment portfolio that secures you against the uncertainty of the future. Historically, gold has had its ups and downs, but always done well.

But no two precious metals IRA plans are the same, and no two individuals have the exact same financial goals.

We’ve created this guide to the 9 best gold IRA companies based on a variety of factors, so you can save time finding the perfect one to meet your needs and help you reach your goals.

Best Overall CompanyAugusta Precious Metals5.0

Augusta Precious Metals is one of the leading precious metals IRA companies in America because they are the absolute best when it comes to customer education, experience, and fee structure. They are my #1 recommended choice after researching over a dozen gold IRA companies.

Best Gold IRA Companies

Augusta Precious Metals – Best Overall
Goldco Precious Metals – Best Customer Service
Noble Gold Investments – Best Education
Birch Gold Group – Low Investment Minimum
American Hartford Gold – Great Buyback Plan
Advantage Gold – Best for 1st Time Buyers
Regal Assets – Best for Gold & Crypto IRA's
Oxford Gold Group – Most Flexible Pricing
Patriot Gold Group – Best for Larger Investments

Summary of Best Gold IRA Companies of [thrv_dynamic_data_date id='F' inline='1′][thrv_dynamic_data_date id='Y' inline='1′]

Augusta Precious MetalsRead review

Best Overall

Fees$180annual feeInvestment Minimum$50,000PromotionFees waived (depending on the investment amount)Goldco Precious MetalsRead review

Best Customer Service

Fees$175-$225annual feeInvestment Minimum$25,000Promotion5% back on metals over $50k investmentNoble Gold InvestmentsRead review

Best Education

Fees$225annual feeInvestment Minimum$2,000PromotionIncredible precious metals buyback programBirch Gold GroupRead review

Low Investment Minimum

Fees$180annual feeInvestment Minimum$10,000Promotionreceive $1,000 in free silver (depends on investment amount)American Hartford GoldRead review

Great Buyback Plan

Fees$150annual feeInvestment Minimum$1,500PromotionReceive up to $1,500 in free silver (with a qualifying purchase)Advantage GoldRead review

Best for 1st Time Buyers

Fees$225annual feeInvestment Minimum$25,000PromotionInvest $50,000 (waives all fees for the first year)Regal AssetsRead review

Best for Gold & Crypto IRA's

Fees$225annual feeInvestment Minimum$25,000Promotion1st year year fees waived (depending on investment amount)Oxford Gold GroupRead review

Most Flexible Pricing

Fees$225annual feeInvestment Minimum$7,500PromotionReceive a free gold IRA information kit before purchase.Patriot Gold GroupRead review

Best for Larger Investments

Fees$225annual feeInvestment Minimum$15,000PromotionReceive a free silver coin (depending on investment)

1. Augusta Precious Metals – Best Overall Pick

Whether you want to open a gold IRA or a silver IRA, A+ rated Augusta Precious Metal has a solution to help you.

With a buyback program, low custodian fees, relatively low storage fees, and customer service that nearly topped our list, Augusta Precious Metals is the top pick for any investor, new or seasoned, to secure their financial future.

Pros

Easy, simple pricing plan keeps everything structured.
Top-tier customer service.
Easy account setup without having to know about precious metals.

Cons

Minimum of $50,000.
Daunting levels of experience can make you feel like an amateur.

2. Goldco Precious Metals – Best Customer Service

While you’ll have to find your own custodian services, Goldco offers spectacular customer service and ensures you have access to a specialist every step of the way.

Whether it’s assistance with investing, information about your account, or information about their educational materials, you’ll have someone from Goldco by your side the entire time.

Pros

Excellent 15+ years of experience in the business.
Competitive buyback program.
Top-tier customer service that no other firms can rival.

Cons

Required account investment minimum of $25,000.
Does not offer custodian services.

3. Noble Gold Investments – Best Education

Noble Gold Investments has a great buyback program, and excellent customer service to help you throughout the entire process of your buyback, but they definitely need to open up how many locations they can ship to.

You have access to a library of information about gold investing, how gold pricing works, and everything you need to become a more knowledgeable investor.

They’ll give you the tools you need to become your own IRA boss.

Pros

Lower annual fees than most gold IRA programs.
Best educational content you’ll find on gold investing and pricing.
Exceptionally great customer service representatives.

Cons

Only domestic storage locations are available.
Short history for such bold claims.

4. Birch Gold Group – Low Investment Minimum

Birch Gold Group also offers great educational content, but their most attractive feature is the low investment minimum. Just about anyone who’s serious about investing can buy into a gold IRA.

While they could be more transparent about their fees, Birch has competitive pricing, a great buyback program, and experts that understand how to help you grow your gold IRA properly.

They’re an excellent choice for new and seasoned investors alike.

Pros

Requires an extremely low investment minimum.
Helpful custodian and storage setup; everything is planned out for you.
Competitive pricing from a great wholesaler service.

Cons

Outdated site makes the process less intuitive.
Hidden setup fees that you can only learn about once you begin the signup process.

5. American Hartford – Great Buyback Plan

Real-time pricing is one of the main reasons that American Hartford really stands out amongst the others, with their intuitive charts and up to date information, they help you invest with real-time information.

If you need to liquidate, they make that simple as well. However, their pricing system can be a bit hidden. There’s no setup fee for getting your account started, but there are hidden fees elsewhere that you need to be aware of.

Great specialists, excellent customer service, and decent educational material make American Hartford a great choice for anyone.

Pros

Competitive pricing with a great buyback program.
Transparent process from start to finish, great for first-time investors.
Top-notch site and service makes everything easy and hands-off.

Cons

Fees have been known to fluctuate; not a secured flat rate system.
Some prices are hidden until you sign up for the program.

6. Advantage Gold – Best for 1st Time Buyers

If you’re new to gold investing, Advantage Gold is able to help you from the beginning of your journey right up to the point that your gold IRA is secured and stored properly.

They’re great for new investors, so if you’re unaware of how to proceed, they’ll help guide you through the process.

Their custodian services are great, but because they’re very friendly for new investors, their customer service lines can be clogged up pretty frequently.

Pros

IRA experts help guide you through the entire process.
U.S. Mint accredited dealer of precious metals.
Great custodian services.

Cons

Online resources aren’t the best.
Customer services lines can be clogged.

7. Regal Assets – Best for Gold & Crypto IRA's

Regal Assets lets you get started with a small investment, but there’s a reason they’re not at the top of the list. Their customer service and website could surely use some work.

With a flat fee system and some of the best storage out there, they’re great for gold, but they also have an outstanding cryptocurrency IRA system that you can really benefit from when you need to diversify your portfolio.

Pros

Only a $5,000 minimum to start up your account.
Lots of storage options available.
Flat fee model means you know exactly what you’re getting into.

Cons

Website and online tools need to be updated.
Customer service has a spotty record.

8. Oxford Gold Group – More Flexible Pricing

Oxford Gold Group gives different pricing depending on what you need, so you can get away with a lower introductory rate depending on your investment size.

Storage options are excellent, being able to make a tax-deferred investment strategy is great and unique, and while their customer service could use some work, Oxford Gold Group is the most flexible option on this list.

Pros

Pricing is flexible depending on your needs/investment size.
Tax-deferred investment assistance.
Fantastic storage options,

Cons

Customer service is agreeable, but not great.
Fees are often higher than other gold IRA programs.

9. Patriot Gold Group – Best for Larger Investments

Last but not least, Patriot Gold Group has been around since 1990 and boasts an impressive track record, but their practices can feel a bit outdated at times. It takes a while for your gold to get from the purchase point to the depository.

The site is intuitive, and setting up your account is great, but on the backend things feel slower than they do with other services. That being said, their customer service is great and dedicated, so you’ll always have help when you need it.

Pros

Intuitive website makes self-directing your IRA easy as can be.
Excellent track record, in operation since 1990.
Top-tier customer service team.

Cons

Custodian services take a while to get your gold from point A to point B.
Pricing isn’t super transparent, so you have to be careful when you sign up.

Benefits of Owning Gold & Silver in Your IRA

Historically, gold rises over time. Gold is a better investment than silver because of its steady increase in value, but silver is still a great choice.

If you held one dollar in an IRA, it can only rise with the specific investments that it’s tied to. Gold is its own investment and own capital, so if the market prices surge, you can cash out and reinvest that money into more precious metals.

How to Open a Gold IRA

Doing this on your own is a difficult, strenuous process, which is why gold IRA companies exist to help you do all of the difficult parts.

You have to designate a custodian, decide on a precious metals dealer or wholesaler, decide what you want to invest in (other precious metals on top of gold, gold bullion, coins, etc.), choose a depository, and then actually finalize and track your transaction.

You also need to sign up for tools to track gold prices and know when to liquidate (plus there’s no buyback program). Sounds like a lot, because it is a lot.

This is why you need a knowledgeable gold IRA firm to help.

A Quick Recap

These nine companies are the best at what they do, and help bring your investment portfolio into alignment faster than you could do on your own.

Gold IRAs are the future, and setting them up is no easy task. Find a reputable gold IRA firm that can help you secure your future with precious metals.

Methodology in Selecting These Top Picks

We took the following attributes into consideration before organizing this list and selecting our top picks.

Customer Service: These are the representatives that you’ll have to deal with; it’s arguably one of the most relevant points in picking a good company to recommend.
Buyback Programs: Liquidation is part of the game; these companies have to be able to honor the gold they sell to you.
Leadership: Gold IRA companies can be a dime a dozen, which is why we selected companies with well-known and established leadership to predict a bright future.
Fees: Transparency is best, however even if a company is reserved in disclosing their fees until you contact them, that doesn’t keep them out of the running.
Availability: Depositories, custodian services, and how available your gold and precious metals will be to you.
Rollover Eligibility: While most IRAs will be able to roll over, not every one of them will, which is why we kept low-bearing fruit programs out of the running on this list; we need flexibility in our finances.

Gold IRA FAQ's

Augusta Precious Metals

This company has proven its commitment to exceptional customer experiences and education to help Americans savers use physical gold and silver in an IRA to gain retirement peace of mind.

Best Gold IRA Companies Recap

Augusta Precious Metals – Best Overall
Goldco Precious Metals – Best Customer Service
Noble Gold Investments – Best Education
Birch Gold Group – Low Investment Minimum
American Hartford Gold – Great Buyback Plan
Advantage Gold – Best for 1st Time Buyers
Regal Assets – Best for Gold & Crypto IRA's
Oxford Gold Group – Most Flexible Pricing
Patriot Gold Group – Best for Larger Investments

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Best Gold IRA Companies

Summary of Best Gold IRA Companies of [thrv_dynamic_data_date id='F' inline='1′][thrv_dynamic_data_date id='Y' inline='1′]

Best Overall

Best Customer Service

Best Education

Low Investment Minimum

Great Buyback Plan

Best for 1st Time Buyers

Best for Gold & Crypto IRA's

Most Flexible Pricing

Best for Larger Investments

1. Augusta Precious Metals – Best Overall Pick

2. Goldco Precious Metals – Best Customer Service

3. Noble Gold Investments – Best Education

4. Birch Gold Group – Low Investment Minimum

5. American Hartford – Great Buyback Plan

6. Advantage Gold – Best for 1st Time Buyers

7. Regal Assets – Best for Gold & Crypto IRA's

8. Oxford Gold Group – More Flexible Pricing

9. Patriot Gold Group – Best for Larger Investments

Benefits of Owning Gold & Silver in Your IRA

How to Open a Gold IRA

A Quick Recap

Methodology in Selecting These Top Picks

Gold IRA FAQ's

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