Best gold IRA companies 2026: Clear winners among the sea of options

A gold individual retirement account (IRA) is a way to save for retirement with gold coins or bullion. It can be a great option for risk-averse investors who think impending inflation may lower the value of their current IRA. There are many gold IRA companies, however—so it can be difficult to know which to use.

We analyzed 21 leading companies and selected the 10 best gold IRA providers based on factors including investment minimums, fees, customer reviews, and transparency.

Why gold is increasing so much in January 2026

As of 1:50 p.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 26, 2026, the price of gold was over $5,080 per ounce. That’s a massive increase of more than 84% year over year.

Thanks to a “rate check” by the Fed with currency traders on the dollar/Japanese yen exchange rate last Friday, the U.S. dollar has been consistently losing value. It’s unforeseen events like this that prove gold to be a hyper-valuable investment currency and a hedge against a declining dollar.

It’s not surprising savvy savers may be considering gold when researching the best ways to invest for retirement.

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The 10 best gold IRA companies of 2026

1. Lear Capital

Lear Capital is a precious metals dealer that has been in operation since 1997. It’s based in Los Angeles, and it’s been endorsed by celebrities like Glenn Beck.

It’s worth noting that Lear Capital has had issues in the past. In 2022, it filed for bankruptcy after facing multistate lawsuits that alleged the company didn’t follow appropriate fee disclosures. But after this event, the company’s transparency and service quality dramatically improved. It has taken steps to become more customer-friendly than ever.

Why we picked Lear Capital

Lear Capital has a lot going for it, from low fees to multiple custodians to live gold prices. But of paramount importance when choosing a gold IRA company is its reputation. With over 4,500 reviews across Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs, and TrustLink, Lear Capital maintains a borderline astonishing average 4.9/5 star rating.

Lear Capital customer support

Lear Capital’s customer service team is accessible via phone (at 1-800-576-9355) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time every day of the week. It’s also got a mobile app you can use to monitor gold prices and manage your account.

Lear Capital gold available for IRA investments

There are a variety of coins and precious metals available through Lear Capital, including: 

• American Gold Eagle coins
• Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Gold Buffalo coins

Lear Capital customer reviews

Again, Lear Capital has one of the most impressive collections of positive reviews of any company we examined. Its reviewers praise the customer service experience and knowledgeable professionals who are happy to walk first-timers through the ins and outs of investing in gold.

That said, some reviewers have reported frustrations with trying to sell gold back to Lear Capital, as they don’t have an official buy back program. Lear Capital claims it has never refused to buy back gold from its customers, however.

2. Allegiance Gold

Based in Calabasas, California, Allegiance Gold is a leading precious metals dealer named one of the fastest-growing private companies in the country by Inc. It’s endorsed by several well-known names, from country singer Buddy Brown to political activist Jack Posobiec.

The company is a full-service metal dealer, selling gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. Items are available for both direct purchase and IRA holdings.

Why we picked Allegiance Gold

Allegiance Gold scores highly in just about every important category. It lists gold prices on its website (no need to call); it prominently displays fees; it’s got multiple custodians to choose from; it notes an official buyback policy.

It’s hard to ding the company for much—aside from its comparatively low number of customer ratings.

Allegiance Gold customer support

Allegiance Gold’s customer support team is available via phone at 844-790-9191 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday (unavailable on the weekends). You can also send an email to AG@AllegianceGold.com for assistance.

Allegiance Gold gold available for IRA investments

Allegiance Gold has multiple approved products for gold IRAs, including:

• American Eagle coins
• Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Gold bars

Allegiance Gold customer reviews

Allegiance Gold has between 200 and 300 total reviews between Trustpilot and TrustLink combined at the time of writing—with high ratings on both platforms.

Reviewers often mention the patience and knowledgeable staff, including their soft-sell approach. If you aren’t comfortable pulling the trigger, Allegiance Gold is perfectly happy to take the time to simply educate you.

3. American Bullion

American Bullion is a California-based company that was launched by veteran precious metal traders in 2009. As you might expect, it sells coins and bars directly to consumers with no strings attached. But its specialty is converting existing retirement accounts— IRAs, 401(k)s etc.—into investments in gold or other precious metals. 

Why we picked American Bullion

American Bullion stands out from its competitors because of its stellar consumer ratings and its clear and transparent price structure for its IRAs. The company also offers special promotions that could make it cheaper than its competitors.

American Bullion customer support 

Customer support is reachable via phone at 800-465-3472 from Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m Pacific Time. You can also send an email to info@americanbullion.com.

American Bullion gold available for IRA investments

Multiple coins are available, including the following IRA-approved investments: 

• American Gold Buffalo coins
• American Gold Eagle coins
• Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Credit Suisse gold bars

American Bullion customer reviews

American Bullion’s customer reviews are glowing. With between 200 and 300 reviews on Trustpilot and TrustLink combined, it manages an average rating above 4.9/5 stars. 

Reviewers remark about the friendly and knowledgeable staff, responsive customer service, and the simplicity of the IRA rollover process.

While anecdotal, some reviews reported that they felt pressured to make a purchase by a representative.

4. Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group has endorsements from prominent names such as Ron Paul, Dan Bongino, and Ben Shapiro. The Des Moines, Iowa-based company was founded in 2003.

Birch Gold Group is probably best for those who transfer existing IRAs with balances of $50,000 or more to a gold IRA. On new accounts with balances of $50,000 or more, Birch Gold Group offers to cover your first year of account fees, including storage and maintenance costs. 

Why we picked Birch Gold Group

In short, Birch Gold gives you more freedoms when it comes to investing in gold.

Birch Gold has an above-average list of IRA-eligible products for sale. It also offers a section on its website that exclusively lists gold options that are IRA-eligible (some might even find it frustratingly unique) . We think this is a boon for perusing items without having to Google whether you can use your IRA to buy it.

Birch Gold works with multiple custodians, giving you more selection of hands to manage and store your gold. It’s also transparent with its fees, which is a huge win for potential investors.

Birch Gold Group customer support

You can contact Birch Gold Group by phone at 800-355-2116 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Central Time. You can also email info@birchgold.com, or send a message via the company’s contact page.

Birch Gold Group gold available for IRA investments

Birch Gold Group sells gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Its IRA-approved gold products include: 

• American Gold Eagle coins
• Britannia Gold coins
• Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Gold Gyrfalcon coins

Birch Gold Group customer reviews

With over 500 customer reviews across Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs, and TrustLink, Birch Gold receives mostly positive feedback. Customers say they appreciate Birch Gold Group’s courteous customer support team. They also like the low-pressure environment and the educated guidance of the staff.

Negative reviews touch on what’s described as a less-than pleasant buyback experience (Birch Gold doesn’t have an official program), saying they were offered considerably less than they paid, even though gold had continued to rise.

5. Advantage Gold

Founded in 2014, Advantage Gold is more of a household name than most other gold companies. The Austin, Texas company is endorsed by political pundits like Mark Levin and Benny Johnson, and it’s got thousands of reviews across multiple platforms.

The company takes educating its customers seriously, with a library of explainer videos, market comparison tools, and (less uniquely) free PDF guides.

Why we picked Advantage Gold

Advantage Gold has a deep well of positive customer reviews along with a stellar buyback program. The company explicitly states that they’ll never turn away a customer when requesting a buyback. In other words, if you decide you want to liquidate your precious metals, Advantage Gold will do it for you (granted, they don’t guarantee what their offer will be).

Advantage Gold customer support 

Advantage Gold can be reached by phone at 888-501-9001 from Monday to Friday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time. You can also send a message online.

Advantage Gold gold available for IRA investments

Advantage Gold offers a handful of IRA-approved gold options, including: 

• American Gold Eagle coins
• 1oz .9999 gold bars

Advantage Gold customer reviews

Advantage Gold has one of most impressive reputations among gold IRA companies with over 2,800 reviews across Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs and TrustLink, averaging a 4.8/5 star rating. This signals that the overwhelming majority are pleased with their experience with Advantage Gold. They comment on the top-tier customer service, the simplicity of the IRA rollover process, and the ongoing support after making a purchase.

Negative reviews tend to revolve around incessant follow-ups after calling and lack of fee transparency.

6. Silver Gold Bull

Silver Gold Bull is a Canadian company that has been in operation since 2009. Its company headquarters is in Las Vegas.

Though a relatively small company, it’s shown promising growth. In 2024, A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc., a precious metals platform that is publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange, acquired an additional 8% of the outstanding equity interest in Silver Gold Bull. It’s now a majority owner, owning 55% of the company.

Why we picked Silver Gold Bull

With positive reviews and no minimum requirement to open an account, Silver Gold Bull is perfect for those just dipping their toe into the world of gold investing. It also touts a price match guarantee, meaning if you find a lower price from an authorized dealer (including ancillary fees like shipping), Silver Gold Bull will match that price.

To boot, Silver Gold Bull is one of the few companies that allows purchases with a credit card, so you can buy coins or bullions with credit. However, your credit card must undergo 3-D Secure, a security step to verify the card.

Silver Gold Bull customer support 

Silver Gold Bull is reachable via phone at 877-646-5303 from Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain Time. You can also email support@silvergoldbull.com for help.

Gold available for IRA investments

Several products are IRA-approved, including: 

• American Gold Eagle coins
• American Buffalo coins
• Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Credit Suisse gold bars

Silver Gold Bull customer reviews

The company has an excellent reputation on Trustpilot, scoring an average 4.6/5 stars across over 4,700 reviews. Customers praise the company’s responsive customer service, easy-to-use website, and quick shipping times.

Some reviewers did mention packages left in the open without a signature required.

7. American Hartford Gold

Founded in 2015, American Hartford Gold is another well-known gold IRA option that is endorsed by celebrities and business authorities like Bill O’Reilly and Rick Harrison. It’s based in Los Angeles, with branches in Woodland Hills, California, and West Palm Beach, Florida.

The company offers educational materials and tools, including a required minimum distribution (RMD) calculator and guides on converting IRAs.

Why we picked American Hartford Gold

In addition to very positive reviews, American Hartford Gold stands out from its competitors due to its buyback program. It encourages customers to contact it first when they need to sell gold to take IRA distributions; the company doesn’t charge additional liquidation fees, simplifying the distribution process.

American Hartford Gold customer support

Customer service is reachable via phone at 800-462-0071 from Monday to Friday between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on Saturday between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific Time. You can also email info@hgoldgroup.com.

American Hartford Gold gold available for IRA investments

American Hartford Gold sells a variety of precious metals. It has 15 IRA-approved gold products, including: 

• Gold American Eagle coins
• American Buffalo Gold coins
• Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Valcambi Gold bars

American Hartford Gold customer reviews

Reviews of American Hartford Gold are generally positive, with over 2,700 total reviews across Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs, and TrustLink. Customers say they appreciate the no-pressure customer support, quick and easy transactions, and reliable service. As expected, the company’s buyback program is also lauded.

Some customers did not like the lack of transparency regarding gold prices and commissions.

8. Noble Gold Investments

Based in Pasadena, California, Noble Gold Investments is a top-rated gold investment firm that specializes in gold coin-backed IRAs. The company is endorsed by author and radio personality Charlie Kirk.

Despite being established in 2016, Noble Gold boasts experts with 20+ years of dealing with precious metal transactions.

Why we picked Noble Gold Investments

As outlined earlier, customer reviews are an enormous factor when choosing the right gold IRA company. Noble Gold has a strong number of reviews, with a near-perfect customer rating still intact.

Noble Gold comes with what some might consider the most surefire buyback program of the companies we reviewed. The company explicitly guarantees buyback, and it promises that it’ll buy any gold you purchased from them with no questions asked. 

This makes liquidating your gold exceptionally easy if you decide to move your IRA to another investment. Again, whether your rate will be competitive may be case-by-case.

Noble Gold Investments customer support 

You can call Noble Gold Investments at 877-646-5347. Their website does not immediately make it easy to find out the hours during which customer support is available. 

However, according to the Better Business Bureau, Noble Gold Investments’ operational hours are from Monday through Thursday between 6:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., Friday between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., and Saturday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.  

You can also email at info@nobleira.com.

Noble Gold Investments gold available for IRA investments

Noble Gold Investments sells several IRA-approved gold coins, such as: 

• American Gold Eagle coins
• Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Australian Gold Kangaroo coins

Noble Gold Investments customer reviews

Noble Gold gets extremely positive feedback from its 1,600+ reviews between Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs. Those customers new to gold investments comment on the guidance and patience from experts. There’s also a theme of trust and honest communication.

Dissatisfied reviews concerning customer service seem to be typically answered quickly by Noble Gold.

9. Monetary Gold

Established in 2000, Monetary Gold is a seasoned gold company headquartered in Woodland Hills, California. The company is endorsed by political pundits like David Harris Jr. and Mark Levin.

Monetary Gold boasts the fact that it’s one of the few direct gold dealers. Cutting out the middleman may give them the ability to lower prices (though that doesn’t mean it’ll always be the lowest on the market).

Why we picked Monetary Gold

Monetary Gold is one of the longest-standing gold dealers on our list. 

That history counts for something, as the government has taken action to close some gold companies after complaints or allegations of unlawful dealings. 

Having been in business for over 25 years, Monetary Gold may have a foible or two (a false advertising campaign in 2020 as determined by the FDIC) but it’s proven to be a trustworthy option for your gold needs.

Monetary Gold customer support 

You can call Monetary Gold at 888-411-4653 from Monday to Thursday between 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and on Friday between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Pacific Time. You can also send them a message via the contact page.

Monetary Gold gold available for IRA investments

Monetary Gold offers a healthy selection of IRA-approved gold, including: 

• American Gold Eagle coins
• American Gold Buffalo coins
• Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Gold Gyrfalcon coins

Monetary Gold customer reviews

Monetary Gold receives mostly positive reviews, though there are a relatively meager 240+ reviews across Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs, and Trustlink.

Reviewers remark that the staff is knowledgeable and responsive, and they emphasize transparency. Some experts will even touch base quarterly to give updates on the status of customer investments.

Though not uncommon, some reviewers don’t appreciate the constant follow-up calls. Others wish the customer service was more accessible (short days on Friday and closed on weekends).

10. Goldco

Founded in 2006, Goldco is an extremely popular gold dealer in Calabasas, California. It’s endorsed by celebrities like Tom Selleck, Dennis Quaid, and Chuck Norris.

Goldco takes educating consumers seriously, need-to-know videos in its Gold IRA 101 section, as well as offering webinars and one-on-one consultations.

Why we picked Goldco

Similar to Lear Capital and Monetary Gold, Goldco has been around the block. It’s a 19-year-old company, which indicates that it’s industry compliant and (probably) not going anywhere.

The company also offers an above-average selection of gold and silver coins and bars—and it pledges a buyback guarantee, stating that you’ll get the highest price when liquidating your precious metals with Goldco.

Goldco customer support 

For questions, you can reach Goldco by phone at 855-450-1394 from Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific Time. You can also email at info@goldco.com.

Goldco gold available for IRA investments

Goldco offers a healthy selection of IRA-approved gold, such as: 

• Gold American Eagle coins
• American Gold Buffalo coins
• Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• Gold Military Guinea
• Gold Australian Saltwater Crocodile
• Gold bars

Goldco customer reviews

Goldco customer reviews are largely positive, with praise for its customer service team and their quickness to respond to concerns. Reviewers also note the educational nature of the experts without hard sales.

Customers don’t like that they can’t glance at their investment portfolio online and instead are required to call.

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What to know about investing in gold IRAs

What is a gold IRA?

A conventional individual retirement account (IRA) gives you the power to invest your retirement savings into things like stocks and bonds, and certificates of deposit (CDs) to grow your funds.

But to invest your IRA in gold, you’ll need to open a “self-directed” IRA—an account that gives you more freedom to channel your money toward alternative investments like real estate and precious metals. This requires that a qualifying “custodian” handle your account, and we’ll explain what that means in a minute. Note that you can’t just  keep your gold at home; it must be stored by a self-directed IRA custodian.

All to say, a gold IRA is a bit more involved than a conventional IRA. It also typically costs more than a conventional IRA due to account setup fees, administrative fees, and gold storage fees.

It’s worth noting that you can open as many IRA accounts as you like—but no matter how many you’ve got, the maximum annual contribution is still enforced by the IRS:

• $7,000 for those under age 50
• $8,000 for those age 50 and above

For example, you may have a conventional IRA invested in the stock market, a high-yield Roth IRA CD, and a self-directed gold IRA. Across all accounts, you can only invest up to $8,000 in new money.

What is a gold IRA custodian?

All types of IRAs, whether conventional or self-directed, require a “custodian.” In short, a custodian is an IRS-approved trustee (like a bank or trust company) that handles your investment. It doesn’t advise you on what to do with your money, but simply carries out your wishes.

When you open a gold IRA, the custodian will coordinate the purchase of your gold, have the gold shipped to itself, and securely store it for you. A custodian will also help you to follow IRS guidelines, such as only purchasing gold that will qualify for an IRA. Gold must have a specific purity, be produced by government-approved refiners, etc.

While the gold technically belongs to you, the custodian must maintain possession for it to qualify as a gold IRA—otherwise you’re just buying gold for yourself without the tax advantages of a retirement account. You can decide to take delivery of your gold at any time, but it will count as a distribution from your IRA (resulting in a 10% early withdrawal penalty from the IRS if you’re under age 59½).

Custodians have varying policies, meaning some will suit your needs better than others. When you’re searching for the ideal custodian, keep in mind:

• Minimum investment/rollover amounts to open an account.
• Setup fees, transaction fees, storage fees, etc.
• Customer service reputation.

The best gold IRA companies generally partner with select custodians so you don’t have to do the legwork of finding your own.

Pros and cons of a gold IRA

Who should consider a gold IRA?

Gold can be a great alternative investment that can powerfully serve your retirement savings in many ways. First, it’s worth considering a gold IRA if you have concerns about inflation. Gold does a much better job at maintaining value than the U.S. dollar, as there is a finite amount. In other words, you can’t print more gold at will and dilute its value. 

Many other investments, such as stocks and bonds, tend to struggle when there’s significant inflation.

Relatedly, you may also wish to consider a gold IRA if you’d like to diversify your IRA investments into something stable. Perhaps the bulk of your existing retirement savings are invested in stocks, ETFs, or maybe even crypto if you’ve been adventurous. Gold can be a good constant to add to your portfolio.

How to choose a gold IRA company

You’ve decided that a gold IRA is the best use of your retirement savings, or at least a chunk of them. Now, how do you find the best vendor for your situation?

Above all, make sure the company has a positive track record and many years in business. You should be supremely confident before handing over thousands of dollars to any IRA company.

It is also important to understand the gold IRA company’s fees and minimums. Such terms should be transparent to the investor. Does the company charge exorbitant shipping or transaction fees? Does it sell gold at a competitive price? Does it offer a buyback program that makes it easy to liquidate your gold if you decide to invest in something else?

In some cases, companies may waive fees depending on the size of your investment, which is worth inquiring about.

Alternatives to Gold IRAs

If you enjoy the benefits of a self-directed IRA, gold isn’t the only IRS-approved investment option. You can also invest in other precious metals such as silver and palladium. The IRS even allows self-directed IRAs to be used to invest in real estate and certain cryptocurrencies.

Again, self-directed IRAs aren’t your only option to grow your balance. You can always opt for a conventional IRA to invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, etc.

Our methodology

Consumer reviews (30%)

There’s no shortage of gold IRA companies. Beyond anything else, we view consumer reviews as far and away the most important factor when choosing a gold company.

We evaluate each of the company’s track records across a combination of Trustpilot, Consumer Affairs, and TrustLink. The reputation of a company to keep your investment safe is more important than any other feature.

Number of custodians (5%)

Not all gold IRA companies offer the same number of approved custodians. Some have exclusivity with just one custodian, which limits your flexibility as an investor. We ranked each gold IRA company based on whether they deal with multiple custodians or just one.

Discloses price of metals on website (15%)

Transparency is a key factor in deciding which gold IRA company to choose. Many companies won’t list prices on their website, forcing you to call and receive a sales pitch. Companies benefited in our rankings if they publicize the price of metals, including gold, on their websites.

Discloses fees on website (15%)

Although many of the fees you’ll pay when opening a gold IRA are charged by the custodian, gold IRA companies benefit in our ranking if they are upfront about those fees.

Minimum investment/rollover to open an account (10%)

We’ve all got different investment goals—and we’ve all got different IRA balances. The opening amount you may want to invest in a gold IRA will vary, so we gave higher scores to companies with no (or low) minimums needed to open an account.

Advertised fee discounts (10%)

Some companies incentivize investors to open accounts with large investments with discounts or waivers on fees. Companies that advertised these discounts online received higher scores.

Years in business (10%)

Because the gold IRA industry has seen companies shut down by the government or receive complaints from consumers, we gave higher scores to companies who have been in business longer.

Buyback program (5%)

Liquidating gold isn’t exactly difficult, as most gold companies are willing to buy gold. That said, some companies offer official buyback programs that make the process more convenient if you decide to jettison it for another investment.

Some companies explicitly state that you’ll have an easier time selling back gold you purchased from them, as they already know the quality of the metal.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open a gold IRA account?

Opening a gold IRA isn’t the same as opening a traditional IRA. First, you need to decide on a company and custodian. Then, fund your account, and decide what types of metals to invest in. There are different forms of gold—prominantly, bullion and coins—and other metals to choose from that are eligible within the IRA rules. Lastly, choose the location where your gold will be stored. Your gold IRA company and/or custodian may have a couple of options for you to choose from. 

Where is the physical gold stored in a gold IRA?

You cannot store the gold at your home or other locations of your choice. Instead, the gold you’re investing in must be stored in an approved depository. Your custodian will likely offer you a number of approved locations to choose from.

Can I withdraw the physical gold from a gold IRA?

Once you reach the approved penalty-free age of 59 years and six months, you can withdraw physical gold from your IRA.