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Most dealers require a phone call before you can see what anything costs. Silver Gold Bull does not. Its website displays live pricing on all products, updated in real time against spot prices, with an average markup of approximately 3–5% on gold and silver. You can browse, compare, add to cart, and check out without speaking to anyone.
That is not a small distinction. It changes the nature of comparison shopping, the transparency of the purchase process, and the kind of investor this company serves best.
Founded in Calgary in 2009 by Bob Belandis and his family, Silver Gold Bull has grown from a Canadian e-commerce startup into one of North America’s largest retail bullion dealers by transaction volume. A-Mark Precious Metals — the NASDAQ-listed wholesale giant that also owns Goldline — made its initial investment in 2014 and became majority owner in 2024 with a 55.4% stake. The Belandis family continues to run day-to-day operations.
This review examines what that model delivers for U.S. investors in practice: the IRA arrangement, the storage infrastructure, the pricing approach, and where the online-first model has real limits.
If you are still early in your research, you may also want to read our guides to precious metals investing, Gold IRA rollover pros and cons, and where Gold IRA metals should be stored, so you can judge Silver Gold Bull in the right context.
First, Get Noble Gold’s Free 2026 Guide
Silver Gold Bull’s online pricing makes the dealer side of a precious metals purchase transparent. The IRA structure — custodian fees, storage fees, rollover mechanics — still requires research. Noble Gold’s free guide covers all of it before you commit any retirement funds.
Quick Company Snapshot
| Company | Silver Gold Bull |
| Phone | (877) 646-5303 |
| U.S. Address | 2780 S Jones Blvd #200-3841, Las Vegas, NV 89146 |
| Canada Address | 888 3 St SW, 10th Floor, Calgary, AB T2P 5C5 |
| Website | www.silvergoldbull.com |
| Founded | 2009 |
| President / Co-founder | Bob Belandis |
| Metals Offered | Gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper |
| Price Match Guarantee | Yes — on comparable products |
| BBB Rating | A+ (some complaints) |
| Trustpilot | 4.5 stars / ~4,000+ reviews |
| IRA Custodian | Equity Trust (recommended); any custodian accepted |
| IRA Storage Fees | ~$225/year pooled; ~$275/year segregated (confirm current rates) |
| Canadian Programs | RRSP via Questrade; TFSA-eligible products available |
The E-Commerce Bullion Dealer That A-Mark Chose to Own
Silver Gold Bull was started by Bob Belandis in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 2009 based on a specific concept – buying precious metals through the Internet should be no less convenient than buying something else through the Internet. Silver Gold Bull has created a website which has current pricing information, detailed information about products, different ways to pay for items and make an order, things that most conventional precious metal companies do not provide even now.
The results of such work turned out to be excellent: in 2022, the company processed over 244,000 orders, achieved sales totaling $633 million, and has gained an audience of more than 270,000 customers. In addition, in 2022 and 2023, it was mentioned in the list of “Best Online Shops” according to Newsweek.
A-Mark Precious Metals recognized the potential of such a business idea very soon. The first investment of the company in Silver Gold Bull took place back in 2014, and then by 2022 it amounted to 47.4% of the company after spending $44 million. And finally, in 2024, the stake increased to 55.4% after additional investments amounting to $9.6 million. The employment contracts with the managers of Silver Gold Bull, including Bob Belandis himself, were signed.
My Quick Verdict
A good fit if: you want live online pricing, a large catalog across five metals, Brink’s-backed global storage, a buyback program with one-business-day payment, and the ability to shop and compare before picking up the phone.
A weaker fit if: you want a dealer that guides you through IRA setup in a structured, hand-held way, or you are looking for the lowest available IRA annual fees.
My take: Silver Gold Bull is one of the most genuinely accessible precious metals dealers in this review series. The e-commerce model and live pricing are real advantages. Understand how the IRA custodian arrangement works before committing, and verify all storage fees directly before opening a storage account.
Five Metals, Live Pricing, and a Catalog That Covers More Ground Than Most
Silver Gold Bull’s catalog is one of the widest. It includes gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and copper — covering all four IRS-approved metals plus copper for collectors and stackers who want a fifth category. Prices are displayed live on the website, adjusted continuously against spot prices.
IRA-Eligible Gold
- Gold American Eagle
- Gold American Buffalo
- Gold Canadian Maple Leaf
- Gold South African Krugerrand
- Gold Australian Kangaroo
- Gold bars from Valcambi, PAMP Suisse, and others (1/25 oz to 1 kg)
IRA-Eligible Silver
- Silver American Eagle
- Silver Canadian Maple Leaf
- Silver Austrian Philharmonic
- Silver South African Krugerrand
- Silver bars (1/20 oz to 10 kg) from PAMP Suisse, Sunshine Minting, and others
IRA-Eligible Platinum
- Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf
- Platinum bars (1 oz and 10 oz)
IRA-Eligible Palladium
- Palladium Canadian Maple Leaf
- 1 oz palladium bar
Copper (Non-IRA)
- Copper bars and rounds in various designs — not IRA-eligible but available for direct purchase and collection
Bestselling brands include Valcambi, Sunshine Minting, and SilverTowne. The company also carries hand-poured silver bars and junk silver — products that reflect a genuinely broad retail orientation beyond IRA-focused investors.
Pricing defaults to Canadian dollars but can be switched to U.S. dollars or euros at checkout. For U.S. investors, set the currency preference before comparing prices.
To learn more about how precious metals fit in a portfolio, read our articles on the role of commodities in portfolio allocation, inflation risk, and inflation hedges.
Why We Recommend Noble Gold Investments First
Silver Gold Bull’s online model is genuinely accessible for direct purchases. Noble Gold Investments is our #1 pick for 2026 and offers a free guide that covers the IRA structure, custodian selection, and how to compare storage arrangements before you commit retirement funds.
Where the Online-First Model Delivers Real Advantages
👍 Live pricing — shop before you call
Being able to view live prices, compare weight and formats, and calculate the markup of a specific product without going through a sales representative provides an actual structural advantage compared to phone-only competitors. Calculating how much a specific ounce of precious metal or currency would cost from Silver Gold Bull and comparing it against another dealer is possible.
👍 ~3-5% average markup on gold and silver
A ~3-5% average markup on standard precious metal investments is a fair margin, given industry standards. The markup tends to increase when demand rises, but the actual markup depends on the item — always check the price of the specific product against spot.
👍 Price match guarantee
Silver Gold Bull promises to match prices of comparable products from reputable competitors, allowing you to do actual comparative shopping in ways a phone-only competitor structure can’t provide.
👍 Buyback with payment made next business day
You lock in the sellback price, send off your metals using various insured shipment methods, and get paid via direct deposit within 1 business day. Not only is this a fast settlement, it is also a liquidation benefit for those who might have to convert their holdings into cash.
👍 Canadian investor programs
RRSP- and TFSA-eligible metals through a Questrade account are only offered by Silver Gold Bull — making them unique in serving the needs of cross-border portfolios.
Where the Model Has Real Gaps
👎 IRA account set-up guidance
As a dealer supporting multiple custodians, Silver Gold Bull doesn’t walk you through the custodian-selection process or help you choose the best one as full-service dealers do. IRA holders are expected to independently pick their custodian unless following the Equity Trust referral option. New IRA account investors who would like help in the process will have to do a bit more legwork.
👎 No published storage fees
The Brink’s direct storage fees are not listed on the website. The IRA storage fees (~$225 pooled / ~$275 segregated) are reported through third-party data sources and should be verified directly. While the rest of the Silver Gold Bull pricing model is very transparent, it falls short in providing precise storage fee information.
👎 Markup rises for specialty items
The ~3-5% markup discussed above refers to standard bullion products. Special-edition, limited, or collectible items often command markup much higher than average. Always verify the price premium on a particular item over spot.
👎 No income from physical metals
Gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and copper provide neither income nor dividends in the form of interest payments. In a portfolio context, they serve strictly defensive purposes such as inflation hedging and wealth protection.
How Silver Gold Bull Compares Within the Field
Silver Gold Bull has a unique online retailing and live-price approach that sets them apart from the majority of other dealers in this review. The dealer’s competitor when it comes to price visibility is Colorado Gold, which provides their pricing, while for IRA account costs, CMI Gold & Silver is closest in comparison. SchiffGold provides the largest range of storage available for international clients across many countries.
- Augusta Precious Metals — premium positioning; structured education; full IRA hand-holding
- Goldco — high brand visibility; guided rollover experience
- CMI Gold & Silver — published IRA fees; non-commission brokers; long-standing custodian relationship
- Noble Gold Investments — our #1 rated company for 2026; strong rollover support; free guide
- Colorado Gold — published pricing; no custodian compensation; similar self-directed philosophy
Five Questions to Settle Before You Open an Account
- What are the current Brink’s storage fees for the location I want, and is there a minimum storage balance?
- What are the current IRA storage and custodian fees if I use Equity Trust, and have these changed from published estimates?
- What markup applies to the specific products I want to buy today, and does the price match guarantee apply to that product?
- For IRA purchases, which depository will hold my metals — and is it different from the Brink’s facilities listed for direct storage?
- What does the buyback process look like for IRA-held metals specifically, and how does settlement work through the custodian?
What We Have Watched Change Since 2008
We have been reviewing gold and silver dealers in the US since 2008, and gold IRA companies since 2010. Silver Gold Bull first crossed our desk in 2012. Over those years we have also interviewed founders and CEOs in this industry, including Noble Gold’s Collin Plume and Charles Thorngren.
The single biggest change we have seen is product mix. Back then most dealers competed on how cheaply they could move standard bullion. Today a large share of the marketing in this industry pushes premium, proof, and so called exclusive coins, which carry noticeably wider markups than a plain one ounce Eagle or Maple Leaf. Silver Gold Bull is one of the dealers that stayed mostly on the bullion side of that split, which is the main reason it still shows up in our comparisons.
Premiums Over Spot: The Number Worth Asking For
The premium is what you pay above the spot price of the metal itself. Across the dealers we track, premiums on standard bullion generally land somewhere between 5 percent and 30 percent depending on the product, the metal, your order size, and how tight supply happens to be that week. On limited mintage, graded, or exclusive coins we have seen premiums run past 50 percent over spot.
That is not automatically a bad thing. Proof and collectible coins genuinely are better struck and better finished, and plenty of buyers enjoy owning them and are glad to pay for the craftsmanship. It is a personal call about what you want out of the purchase.
What matters is knowing the number before you commit. If your aim is to hold as much metal as possible per dollar, standard bullion such as American Gold Eagles and Canadian Maple Leafs sits closest to spot. If your aim is a coin you enjoy owning, the premium is simply what that costs. Either way, ask the dealer what the premium over spot is on the exact product, then price the identical item at one or two competitors.
What the Third Party Review Sites Say
We think you should see the outside scorecard rather than take our word for it, so here is where Silver Gold Bull sat when we last checked in August 2026.
| Platform | Score | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4 star band | About 4,900 reviews |
| BBB (Calgary entity) | A+, accredited since Dec 21, 2012 | 4 complaints closed in 3 years |
| BBB (US entity) | Not accredited | Small review count |
| Sitejabber | About 5 out of 5 | Around 230 reviews |
| Yelp | About 3.5 out of 5 | Very small sample |
| Shopper Approved | Overwhelmingly 5 star | Hundreds of thousands |
Two honest caveats on that table. Shopper Approved totals are post purchase satisfaction surveys rather than written reviews, so treat that number as scale rather than depth. And the split BBB listing catches people out: the Calgary company has been accredited since 2012, while the separate US entity is listed by the BBB as not accredited. If accreditation matters to you, check which entity you are actually buying from.
The recurring complaint themes we found were shipping delays during busy stretches and occasional disputes over the condition of secondary market bars. The recurring praise was pricing transparency, since the company publishes its markup over spot rather than making you work it out.
Final Verdict
Silver Gold Bull has built something that most precious metals dealers have not managed: a modern e-commerce experience with live pricing, a large catalog across five metals, Brink’s-backed storage in six locations, and a buyback program with next-business-day payment.
Its IRA model is more self-directed than the full-service dealers. The custodian-flexible approach is genuinely flexible, but it puts more of the research burden on the investor. Storage fees for both the direct program and the IRA program are not published upfront, which is a gap in an otherwise transparent operation.
Where it lands: Silver Gold Bull is a strong option for self-directed buyers who want online pricing and global storage flexibility. For IRA investors who want more guidance through the process, pair a Silver Gold Bull product comparison with a consultation from one of the more structured dealers before finalizing your custodian and storage arrangement.
Before You Decide, Compare With Our #1 Rated Company
Silver Gold Bull’s pricing transparency is a genuine advantage. Noble Gold Investments is our top-rated company for 2026 and offers a free guide that covers the IRA setup process, storage comparison, and the full cost framework — so you can compare Silver Gold Bull against the field before committing.
Founded in 2006, Silver Gold Bull is an American-Canadian precious metals dealer. The company offers a vast selection of precious metals products for investors, retirement savers, and collectors with an average gold markup of only 3%. In addition to having a wide array of the most popular IRA and RRSP-eligible gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins, they also have an excellent assortment of investment-grade for investors and collectors. Whether you have an IRA, 401(k), TFSA, or RRSP, Silver Gold Bull has the best rates in the business and nearly 300,000 five-star reviews from verified customers. Not bad if you ask us!
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Mohammed Saqib is a finance professional and CFA Level II Candidate with a Master of Finance from Wilfrid Laurier University. He specializes in financial content covering equities, alternative assets, precious metals, and capital markets.
