6 Best Gold IRA Companies of January 2026
Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a common way to save for retirement because they offer tax benefits and carry penalties that discourage investors from withdrawing their funds.
To protect against inflation and market fluctuations, experts encourage investors to diversify their portfolios. Since IRAs are not always tied to stocks and bonds, they can include gold IRAs, which cover a variety of precious metals.
CNBC Select analyzed top-rated gold IRAs with transparent fees, a range of initial purchase requirements and other useful features to find the best.
For more on how we made our picks, check out our methodology.
Compare gold IRAs
Best for cost transparency: Birch Gold Group
Standout benefits: Birch Gold Group deals in gold, silver, platinum and palladium in bullion coins, bars and rounds that meet strict purity and minting standards. In addition to popular products like American Eagles and Canadian Maple Leafs, dedicated precious metal specialists can offer specialized options, such as Goldbacks and CombiBars.
Birch Gold Group
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Initial Purchase Requirements
Minimum initial purchase requirement of $10,000
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Account Minimums
Minimum account balance of $10,000
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Fees
Pros
- On new accounts of more than $50,000, Birch Gold will pay first year’s fees.
- A+ Better Business Bureau rating
- AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating
- Easy to locate fees
- Offers account transfers from a Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, eligible 401(k) and more
Cons
- Flat fees aren’t as friendly to smaller investors
- Asset transfers can take up to three weeks to complete
Best for no-minimum-purchase requirements: GoldCo
Who’s this for? While some precious metal purveyors require investments of $10,000 or more, Goldco doesn’t have a minimum purchase requirement.
Standout benefits: Goldco’s highest buy-back guarantee means that, when you’re ready to sell, you’ll get the best rate possible. New customers who meet purchase minimums can receive up to 10% back in free silver.
Goldco
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Initial purchase requirements
No minimums or maximum purchases.
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Account Minimums
No minimums or maximum purchases.
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Fees
Account set-up fee of $50. Storage fees of $100 or $150 depending on storage type. Annual account administration fee of $125.
Pros
- Live chat
- No minimum purchase requirements
- Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau
- Rated Triple A by the Business Consumer Alliance
- Highest buy-back price guarantee
- Charges flat rates for storage fees and maintenance
Cons
- Only offers gold and silver
- Small orders may not be cost-effective due to fees
Best for experienced investors: American Hartford Gold
Standout benefits: American Hartford has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and an AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance, which is the highest ranking. American Hartford will also allow you to easily roll over an existing IRA into an IRA backed with gold, which bypasses the need to make an additional deposit.
American Hartford Gold
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Initial Purchase Requirements
Minimum purchase requirement of $10,000
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Account Minimums
Minimum account balance of $10,000
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Fees
Annual IRA fee of $75 for accounts valued at $100,000 or less, $125 for accounts valued at $100,001 or more
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Storage fee varies with the depository but typically is a flat $100 annual storage fee in most cases
Pros
- A+ Better Business Bureau and AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating
- Orders are shipped free of charge
- Offers a free Gold & Silver Information Guide
- No initial fee for account setup
Cons
- Lack of educational resources on their site
- The website feels slightly dated and straightforward
Best for educational resources: American Bullion
Standout benefits: American Bullion has a team of experts who can provide more information on its gold IRAs. You can also potentially roll over some existing non-traditional retirement accounts such as a 403(b), 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan, pension plans and more.
American Bullion
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Initial Purchase Requirements
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Account Minimums
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Fees
Pros
- Free Storage and no custodian account fees for the first year on accounts of $50,000 or more
- Offers free investment guides and other educational resources
- Stored in the Delaware Depository and monitored 24/7, 365 days a year
- A+ Better Business Bureau rating
- AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating
Cons
- Only available to contact through phone and email, no live chat option
Best for customer service: Monetary Gold
Standout benefits: The company offers a retirement calculator to help you better understand IRS rules and regulations around required minimum distributions (RMDs).
Monetary Gold
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Initial Purchase Requirements
The minimum investment to open a Gold IRA is $5,000-$10,000 depending on the custodian you choose
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Account Minimums
$5,000-$10,000 depending on the custodian you choose
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Fees
Annual Storage & Insurance fee is $100 for up to $100,000 of gold and $1 for every $1000 of gold after $100,000
Pros
- A+ Better Business Bureau rating
- AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating
- Offers free shipping and 24/7 client assistance
Cons
- Minimal educational resources and out-of-date news
- Fees will rise as you invest more money
Best for large deposits: Augusta Precious Metals
Standout benefits: Augusta Precious Metals stands out for its minimum purchase requirement of $50,000, its lifetime account support and the educational materials developed with the help of a Harvard-trained economist
Augusta Precious Metals
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Initial purchase requirements
Minimum purchase requirement of $50,000
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Account minimums
Minimum account balance of $50,000
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Fees
One-time custodian application fee of $50
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Annual custodian fee of $125
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Annuual storage fees of $100
Pros
- Flat rate fees
- Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau
- Rated AAA by the Business Consumer Alliance
- Strong educational resources
Cons
- Can’t order online, must be done over the phone
- High initial deposit requirement
What is a gold IRA?
A gold IRA (or precious metal IRA) is a retirement account that allows you to hold physical gold, silver, platinum or palladium.
Gold IRAs follow the same contribution limits as traditional IRAs, $7,000 annually for 2025, or $8,000 if you’re 50 or older, $8,000. That said, gold IRAs do come with distinct regulations, including that investors must work with a custodian institution, the precious metals must be produced by an approved refinery and they must meet certain purity standards.
How to choose a gold IRA
Not all firms deal with all kinds of precious metals, so determining which you want to invest in — and in what form — should be your first step.
Compare custodians based on minimum investments, fees, services, customer satisfaction and other criteria that are important to you. Look for companies that focus on self-directed IRAs and have a transparent fee structure.
Starting to invest? Some brokerages offer commission-free stock-trading platforms.
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
Robinhood will add 1 share of free stock to your brokerage account when you link your bank account and fulfill the conditions in your promotion (you’ll be able to keep the stock or sell it after 2 trading days)
Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Commission-free trading; regulatory transaction fees and trading activity fees may apply
Pros and cons of gold IRAs
Gold IRA pros
- Gold’s limited supply, liquidity and global recognition can make it a useful asset during inflationary periods.
- Investing in physical metals alongside traditional stocks and bonds can enhance portfolio diversification.
- Gold IRAs offer tax benefits similar to traditional IRAs.
- While prices fluctuate in the short term, gold has historically held its value.
Gold IRA cons
- Due to the cost of storing physical assets, gold IRAs tend to have higher fees
- Requires a unique custodian
- May have high initial purchase requirements
Should I invest in a gold IRA?
Because they involve unique complexities and higher minimum investment requirements, gold IRAs are a good fit for more experienced investors.
They also come with more upfront expenses and don’t offer investors a dividend-equivalent payment, so make sure you can afford the higher fees and don’t need a consistent income flow.
Other types of IRAs
The most common types of independent retirement accounts are traditional and Roth IRAs.
A traditional IRA allows you to delay paying taxes on any contributions made to the account until you withdraw the money down the line in retirement. This type of IRA is typically most effective if you anticipate being in a lower tax bracket when you retire, thus paying less when you withdraw the money than you would have before in addition to benefiting from any interest gained.
A Roth IRA works similarly, but instead of paying taxes on withdrawals in retirement, you pay taxes up front. If you’re starting out in your career and in a lower tax bracket, that can save you a lot of money down the line.
Both of these options allow you to invest in gold stocks and ETFs, as well as the stocks of gold mining or processing companies, just not in physical precious metals.
Gold IRA FAQs
What is a gold IRA?
A gold IRA is a specialized individual retirement account that allows investors to hold gold and other precious metals in an IRS-approved fund. While a gold IRA must be kept separate from a traditional IRA, contribution limits remain the same.
Can I buy physical gold for my IRA?
It is possible to buy physical gold coins and bars for your IRA provided they meet the IRS standard for precious metals. In addition, it is highly recommended by the IRS that you do not store your gold at home with many complex laws to enforce this procedure.
What are the requirements for metals in a retirement account?
Since precious metals are considered collectibles, they must meet special requirements to be allowed in IRA accounts. You can purchase IRA-approved gold bullion coins and bars with a fineness of .995 or higher, including American Eagles and other select coins. Other precious metals also have minimum purity requirements.
Is a gold IRA tax-free?
A gold IRA follows similar rules and regulations to a traditional IRA, including not being taxed when you contribute, and being taxed when you take a distribution, along with the 10% penalty if withdrawn before 591/2.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed financial decisions. Every IRA review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
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Our methodology
To determine which gold individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are the best for investors, CNBC Select analyzed and compared gold IRAs offered by numerous companies. We narrowed down our ranking by only considering those with a B or higher from the Better Business Bureau and a BB or higher from the Business Consumer Alliance.
We also compared each IRA on the following features:
- Account fees: Each gold IRA option’s fees were taken into consideration and accounts with little transparency or unnecessary fees were not considered.
- A hub of educational resources: We opted for gold IRAs with various levels of educational resources to help you educate yourself about investing in precious metals.
- Initial purchase requirement: Each gold IRA will have its deposit requirements and accessibility is considered.
- Ease of use: Whether accessing your gold IRA on your laptop at home or on your smartphone while on the go, it’s important to have an easy user experience. We tested each site for user experience, as well as the availability of information.
- Customer support: Every gold IRA on our list provides customer service available via telephone, email or secure online messaging.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools
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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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