Best Gold IRA Companies: Reliable Gold Custodians

Investing for retirement can feel intimidating, given how many options you can choose from. Even with some smart saving strategies, not all investment vehicles can turn out to be the right one for you–things like stocks, bonds, and real estate all carry risks.

That’s why most financial experts recommend putting your assets in a diverse portfolio so you can mitigate some risks. Hard assets like gold (especially when housed inside a Gold IRA) can certainly help since it carries benefits such as more stability and tax-friendly benefits.

What’s the Point in Investing in Gold?

While there are risks with putting your money in gold much like other types of investment vehicles, here are a few reasons why gold is a sound investing choice:

Hedges against inflation – You can prevent inflation and bonds and stocks can be devalued relatively easily. However, gold will always hold its value, meaning it’ll hedge against inflation.

Provides good historical returns – Gold has historically been on an upward trend, even though it looks like it hasn’t been great in the short term. As long as you buy and hold gold, you will typically see gains.

Helps you diversify – Physical gold is a hard asset meaning there’s relatively little risk in this type of investment. That being said, it won’t make great gains, but it can help you with overall risk, especially if other assets in your portfolio are considered risky.

Offers great post-tax returns –  Gold is classified as collectibles in the eyes of the IRS so when you hold onto your investment long term, you’ll only pay the marginal tax rate of individual investors when you invest it in a Gold IRA. This is much lower compared to what you’ll pay with a collectibles tax rate, which is similar to what you’ll be taxed as ordinary income.

Why Use a Gold IRA Company?

A Gold IRA is similar to your typical brokerage that handles Traditional and Roth IRA accounts.

However, if you want to invest in gold, a Gold IRA can help you deal with physical assets–gold bars, coins or even other precious metals. These companies are highly specialized and keep up to date with IRS rules and regulations to ensure your investments are compliant. Also, Gold IRA companies have physical space to store your gold as well as top-notch security measures to ensure your investments are safe and sound.

Of course, there are other ways to invest in gold like with ETFs, gold exchange-traded notes (ETNs) and gold miner stocks, but you don’t get to directly own any gold. So, if you want to make sure your physical gold is safe and follows IRS rules and regulations, it’s worth looking into a Gold IRA company.

The Best IRA Gold Companies

You may have already started your own research and found a ton of Gold IRA companies. That doesn’t mean all of them are reputable. You want to find a company that has a sound reputation and that knows IRS rules and regulations inside and out. Plus, you’ll want one that has top-notch customer service, one that is historically known to be safe (in terms of storing physical gold and being compliant) and offers reasonable fees.

Based on these factors, these are the four Gold IRA companies we recommend:

1. Noble Gold Investments

Based in Pasadena, California, Noble Gold Investments was founded by people who offer over 20 years of precious metals expertise. They’ve consulted estate planning attorneys, certified public accountants and financial agents on various aspects of precious metals investments.

The company is known for their Gold IRA rollovers and transfers of other precious metals. Noble Gold Investments is accredited with the BBB, Consumer Affairs, and part of the Business Consumer Alliance.

Benefits:

• Founders offer over 20 years of experience
• Offers one of the few registered secure depository facilities in the south

Downsides:

• Not as established as other companies
• Only has one storage facility in Texas

2. Regal Assets

Regal Assets is one of the most well-known and reputable Gold IRA companies around. Founded over 10 years ago by Tyler Gallagher, it’s gotten many 5-star ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustLink and the Business Consumer Alliance (BCA). In fact, many celebrities endorse the company, including Dennis Miller and Laura Ingraham.

Regal Assets allows a myriad of acceptable items to include in your Gold IRA including gold bars, American Eagle coins, and other types of precious metals. You can even roll over or transfer your existing IRA into a Gold IRA with Regal Assets.

Benefits:

• Easy signup process
• Offers the ability to roll over or transfer funds from existing IRA accounts
• Choose from a large variety of gold and precious metals for your account

Downsides:

• Requires a minimum of $10,00 which may be high for some people

3. Augusta Precious Metals

Offering over 50 years of stellar customer service and expertise, Augusta Precious Metals offers seven storage locations and some of the best security around. When signing up, representatives offer personalized service, walking you through each step of the process to ensure you understand what is happening.

Augusta Precious Metals abide by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation’s (NGC) coin grading standards, is a member of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets and has an A+ BBB rating.

Benefits:

• Receive personalized guidance from an advisor
• Physical gold and silver is stored in a secure non-government storage facility

Downsides:

• You’re not allowed to include other precious metals other than gold and silver in your account

4. Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group has been around since 2003 and is another leading company that offers IRA-approved precious metals to be housed or rolled over into a Gold IRA. The company also offers you education online or in-person to show you how gold can work as a part of your investment portfolio.

The company has received an A+ rating with the BBB, an AAA rating with BCA and five stars with TrustLink. Approved metals include Australian gold nuggets, American Buffalo gold uncirculated coins and more.

Benefits:

• Offers the ability to roll over or transfer funds from existing IRA accounts
• Choose from a large variety of gold and precious metals for your account
• A well-trusted company

Downsides:

• Investments subject to fees (although these are waived for the first year if you transfer over $50,000)

Final Thoughts

Investing in gold is one of many ways to diversify your retirement savings. If you decide to go this route, make sure you understand all the pros and cons so you can make an informed decision. Deciding to go with a Gold IRA can be a smart choice, but with the myriad of options out there, shop around to see what’s the best choice for you.