Best Gold 401k Companies

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Gold is an asset many investors consider adding to their portfolios for a number of factors that determine its intrinsic value. Even more so in times of stock market turmoil, but even when the stock market is rallying, gold and precious metals have a diversifying effect on an investor’s portfolio.

Gold is a well-known hedge against inflation since gold owners will want more dollars to compensate for its reduced value. Also, when the US dollar is weakening the price of gold tends to increase. This is due to foreign gold exporters that receive more local currency for each dollar and can sell gold at cheaper prices.

However, in the search for the best gold 401k companies, you will find that physical gold is not allowed in a 401k. Some 401k plans might allow investors to hold ETFs or mutual funds that buy physical gold, but even then it’s not the majority. 

If you own a self-directed 401k you have a bit more freedom of choice in what you can invest in. You may be able to invest in individual stocks, for example, gold miners. However, your best option for holding physical gold in a retirement account is by rolling over your 401k into a gold IRA

These IRAs are self-directed, which means you have a wider choice of assets to invest in. But in particular, these IRA companies specialize in physical gold investing. Where specific knowledge and know-how are needed for storage, and transportation, and to know which precious metals items are IRS-approved for an IRA.

These companies can also help you roll over your 401k into a gold IRA. They can guide you through the process and help you avoid getting on the wrong side of the IRS. We’ve put together a list of the best gold 401k companies.

1. Advantage Gold

• URL: https://www.advantagegold.com
• Phone: 833-451-0869
• Location: Los Angeles California

Advantage Gold is a precious metals company that started offering its services in 2014 and has achieved an excellent track record with its customers. The company’s professional work has put them among the top leaders in the industry.

Advantage Gold has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 5-star customer rating from 63 reviews. They have only received one complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau over the past 12 months. They also have a top-tier rating of AAA from the Business Consumer Alliance and no complaints filed.

Advantage Gold was founded by Kirill Zagalsky and Adam Baratta, who have both previously worked for a US Mint dealer specializing in precious metals IRAs. They are joined by Larry Levin as CEO, who along with Zagalsky has been featured on media outlets such as Bloomberg, Fox Business, and NBC.

This gold company offers a full range of IRS-approved precious metal items. They also cater to home delivery and storage, and offer the highest standards in third-party storage through Brink’s Global Services.

You can read our full review of Advantage Gold here.

Pros

👍

• Listed as a dealer of the United States Mint 
• Home delivery and storage are available
• Reliable buyback program
• Wide selection of precious metals

Cons

👎

• Lack of online chat
• No online pricing or quotes

2. Augusta Precious Metals

• URL: https://www.ausgustapreciousmetals.com
• Phone: 844-615-4484
• Location: Beverly Hills, California

Augusta Precious Metals is a gold IRA company that was founded in 2012. The company has a rating of A+ from the Better Business Bureau and a rating of AAA from the Business Consumer Alliance. They have zero complaints filed with these institutions and have 5-star customer ratings.

Augusta Precious Metals maintains that it is committed to full transparency and offers a waiver for the first year of IRA fees. However, the company only offers gold and silver investments, not platinum or palladium. 

They use trusted custodians such as Equity Trust, Goldstar Trust, and Kingdom Trust for storage, which is provided by the renowned Delaware Depository and is fully insured through Lloyd’s of London. They will also be able to help you rollover your 401k funds into a gold IRA.

The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, and was founded by its CEO, Isaac Nuriani. Nuriani graduated from the University of California with a degree in Economics. He is a member of the National Coin & Bullion Association (ICTA) and is an advocate for retirement savers.

You can read our full review of Augusta Precious Metals here.  

Pros

👍

• Selection of popular gold and silver IRS-approved coins & bullion
• Selection of esteemed custodians
• Storage provided by an industry leader – Delaware Depository
• Online chat
• Fully insured shipping – Through USPS, FedEx, or Brinks Armored 

Cons

👎

• Only gold and silver items
• No gold and silver pricing or quotes on their website, you must call for a quote
• No fee schedule available on their website

3. Noble Gold

• URL: https://www.noblegoldinvestments.com
• Phone: 877-646-5347
• Location: Encino, California

Noble Gold is a gold IRA company that was founded in 2017 by a team of industry experts with over 20 years of experience in finance. The company claims to have secured over $1 billion in precious metals for their clients. 

Noble Gold maintains a high ranking on customer review sites, with an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau and AA rating on the Business Consumer Alliance. Customer reviews on both sites are five stars, although the company has had 3 complaints with the Better Business Bureau over the past three years.

Noble Gold offers a free investment kit and prides itself on being able to get clients up and running with their IRA in just 5 minutes. The founding team is made up of Collin Plume and Charles Thorngren, both of whom have decades of experience in alternative investments such as real estate, stocks, bonds, and precious metals.

You can read our full review of Noble Gold here

Pros

👍

• Quick account setup 
• Solid buyback program
• Free investor guide
• Extensive information from their website

Cons

👎

• Lack of international storage options
• No online pricing or quotes for items

4. American Hartford Gold

• URL: https://www.americanhartforgold.com
• Phone: 800-462-0071
• Location: Los Angeles, California

American Hartford Gold was established in 2015 and has quickly become one of the leading companies in the industry. They offer a wide range of IRS-approved gold, silver, and platinum, but do not have any palladium products.

The company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 5-star rating from 344 customer reviews. They also have a AA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance and a 5-star customer rating from 8 reviews.

However, they have also received 22 complaints through the Better Business Bureau over the past 3 years. American Hartford Gold uses the renowned custodian Equity Trust Company and offers various storage options.

They have a wide range of bullion items available for gold, silver, and platinum. The company was founded and is run by Sanford Mann, who graduated with a degree in Economics from Eastern Connecticut University. He has held various management positions in the financial field in New York City.

You can read our full review ofn American Hartford Gold here.

Pros

👍

• Extremely wide selection of IRS-approved gold, silver, and platinum items
• Choice of three depository companies
• Fully insured shipping
• Renowned custodian 

Cons 

👎

• Lack of palladium products for further diversification in precious metals
• No online prices or quotes for their items

5. Gold Alliance

• URL: https://www.goldalliance.com
• Phone: 888-642-3314
• Location: Woodland Hills, California

Gold Alliance was founded in 2017 and has quickly risen to become one of the top gold companies in the country. The company is ranked as the fastest-growing and the number one gold company ranked in the Inc. 500.

They have a top-tier rating from the Business Consumer Alliance with a AAA rating. As well as from an A+ from the Better Business Bureau and a 5-star customer rating from 179 reviews.

The gold IRA company was founded by three individuals: Joseph Sherman (CEO), Kevin Troy (Senior Portfolio Manager), and Fred Abadi (Senior Portfolio Manager). Sherman and Troy have previous experience in the financial services industry, and Abadi has a decade of experience in the precious metals industry.

You can read our full review of Gold Alliance here

Pros

👍

• Wide selection of IRS-approved gold and silver items
• Insured shipping
• Choice of renowned IRA custodians
• Two international storage options 

Cons

👎

• Only offer gold and silver
• No prices or quotes for their items online

6. American Bullion

• URL: https://www.americanbullion.com
• Phone: 800-GOLD-IRA
• Location: Los Angeles, California

American Bullion was founded in 2009 and has worked its way to become one of the leaders in the precious metals industry. The company is a member of the National Coin & Bullion Association and a member of the national ethics association.

American Bullion has a single A rating on the Better Business Bureau with zero complaints over the past 12 months. The Business Consumer Alliance gives the company a AAA rating with no complaints. They are also recognized dealers of both the United States Mint and the Royal Mint of Canada. 

Advantage Gold prides itself on being a pioneer in streamlined gold IRA account processing. They have experienced professionals who work with brokers and clients to create a hassle-free experience.

Their minimum investment is higher than average at $50,000 when compared to many other companies that ask for $10,000. However, their fee schedule is on the lower end of the industry average. The annual fee is $75 for accounts under $100,000 and $150 for accounts over that amount. Storage fees are $290 for all accounts.

You can read our full review of American Bullion here.

Pros

👍

• Listed as a dealer of the United States Mint
• Wide selection of precious metals and items
• Also offers European coins
• Free account and storage fees for 1^st year

Cons

👎

• Large minimum investment to open an account 
• Slower delivery times

7. GoldCo

• URL: https://www.goldcopreciousmetals.com
• Phone: 855-465-3472
• Location: Calabasas, California

GoldCo was founded in 2006 and successfully navigated the 2008 financial crisis. The company has continued to grow and presents itself as a leader in the precious metals industry.

GoldCo states that it focuses on helping clients understand and educate themselves about precious metals investing through an IRA. They claim that their business success relies on the trust and relationship between their clients and their IRA experts.

GoldCo has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and five-star ratings from 436 customer reviews. They have received 12 complaints in the last 12 months. The Business Consumer Alliance gives GoldCo a AAA rating, with one complaint filed.

GoldCo was founded by Trevor Gerszt, who immigrated to the United States at the age of six. After he obtained his real estate license, he embarked into the San Fernando Valley property market. However, he soon realized that precious metals offered even greater potential and set up GoldCo.

Gerszt wanted to offer unmatched service and a quality product. From his experience with less ethical precious metals providers, he decided he would run his company according to the strictest ethical practices. GoldCo offers a Self-Storage IRA where clients have the highest possible degree of control over their precious metals.

You can read our full review on GoldCo here.

Pros

👍

• Offers a wide choice of IRS-approved gold and silver coins including less common Mexican Libertad, and Vienna Philharmonics
• Focuses on educating and putting their client’s goals and needs first
• 18-year history of commitment to client satisfaction as demonstrated by many five-star reviews

Cons

👎

• Does not offer platinum or palladium or gold and silver bars
• Does not have a preferred custodian partner
• Does not appear to have a partnered vault storage company

8. Birch Gold

• URL: https://www.birchgold.com
• Phone: 800-355-2116
• Location: Burbank, California

Birch Gold started operations in 2003 and has consistently expanded over time to become one of the top gold companies in the United States. The company does not publish any information about its management, which is unusual for most companies that make sure their investors know about their leadership team.

Birch Gold has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance. The company has 71 customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau with a five-star rating, and three customer complaints over the past 12 months.

Birch Gold offers a wide range of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars. Unlike some companies that focus only on coins. Birch Gold also offers a choice of top custodians to choose from, including Equity Trust, Goldstar Trust, and STRATA Trust.

They have partnered with the esteemed Brink’s Global Service for storage, and customers can also choose the Delaware Depository, with locations in Wilmington, Delaware, and Seal Beach, California.

You can read our full review of Birch Gold here.

Pros

👍

• Complete and extensive selection of IRS-approved coins and bars in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium
• Good choice of custodians – Equity Trust, STRATA Trust, and Goldstar Trust
• Top-tier vault storage from Brink’s and the Delaware Depository

Cons

👎

• The company does not provide any information about its management team.

9. Rosland Capital

• URL: https://www.roslandcapital.com
• Phone: 844-754-1349
• Location: Santa Monica, California

Rosland Capital has been in the precious metals business since 2005 with a no-gimmicks approach to investing. The company specializes in converting traditional IRAs into gold IRAs for the value offered by precious metals.

This gold company was founded by Martin Aleksov, who continues to serve as CEO and is involved in the expansion of the company and ensuring that all clients get more than they expect. Aleksov opened Rosland’s first international branch in the United Kingdom and then went on to open branches in Germany and France.

Rosland Capital has a AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. In both organizations, the company has five-star customer reviews, with 10 complaints over the past 12 months on the Better Business Bureau.

The company deals in all the main precious metals, allowing investors to diversify their holdings. Their leading economist believes that all investors should hold between 10 and 15 percent of their savings in precious metals.

However, their website doesn’t contain information about which custodians or storage services they may use. Nor do they publish any fee schedule, so you will have to contact them to get this information.

You can read our full review of Rosland Capital here. 

Pros

👍

• Offers a highly recognized and reputable brand
• Has been selling precious metals since 2008
• Quality educational material from their website

Cons

👎

• Only gold and silver coins, no other precious metals or bars
• Not transparent about the fee schedule
• No open information about custodians and storage partners

Best Offshore Gold Companies

The next part of our list of the best gold companies will now focus on offshore companies. Some investors may want to use offshore gold companies to access a higher level of security from confiscation.

Surprisingly, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia are the only developed nations in history with a track record of confiscating gold. So, if your precious metals holdings are not part of a retirement investing account you may want to take advantage of storage in highly secure locations.

When considering offshore storage for your precious metals there are a few factors that should be considered:

Stability: Economic and political stability are important when choosing a country to store your precious metals. Countries that are struggling economically and have a poor political system increase the chances of confiscation 

Security: This relates to both the security of the facility and the general security of the nation. 

Infrastructure: In this case, elements like international airports and secure and safe roads for transportation and ease of access.

Legal Issues: This is a less tangible issue but requires consideration. There should be sound legal systems in place that mean the local government or employees won’t confiscate your precious metals when subject to pressure.

Privacy: The local government should have laws in place that guarantee they are not obligated in any way to share information on what you have stashed away offshore.

Risk of Confiscation: Incredibly, the United States has a history of confiscating all of its citizens’ gold. While countries like Switzerland, Singapore, or the Cayman Islands have never done so, neither do they seem propense to it. 

10. SWP Cayman

• URL: https://www.swpcayman.com
• Phone: +1 345 640 2111
• Location: Cayman Islands

Strategic Wealth Preservation opened its doors in 2015 and has since grown to become a leading provider of precious metals and offshore storage. Their clients include individuals, companies, trusts, and wealth management professionals.

Although SWP is an offshore company, it is an IRS-approved storage facility for all US citizens and residents holding an IRA. They are also fully approved distributors for the Royal Mint of England and the Perth Mint of Australia, and are approved vendors of the LBMA and COMEX refineries.

The company can offer its clients a full range of services when it comes to buying and selling precious metals. That’s thanks to their partnerships with some of the top bullion dealers. They also have a large catalog of coins and bars across the full spectrum of precious metals.

SWP has an advisory team made up of three experts from the precious metals investing field. For example, Jeff Clark spent ten years at the renowned publication Big Gold as their senior editor. Jeff Thomas has studied under the likes of Sir John Templeton and Harry Schultz of the Austrian School of Economics, and has written a column for ten years about limiting government interference.

You can read our full review of SWP Cayman here.

Pros 

👍

• SWP is based in the fifth-largest offshore financial services center in the world
• Cayman Island offers one of the world’s most secure jurisdictions
• Storage is easily accessible and close to US investors
• Multiple choice of secure locations

Cons

👎

• Sliding scale storage fees can prove to be expensive

11. Gold Switzerland

• URL: https://www.goldswitzerland.com
• Phone: +41 44 213 62 45
• Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Gold Switzerland was established by the management team at Matterhorn Investment Management in 2012. Matterhorn Investment Management started advising its clients to invest a high percentage of their wealth in gold in 2002, when gold was trading at around $300 per ounce.

This company’s primary focus is on providing the highest level of security for its clients. Both choices of locations, Switzerland and Singapore, offer a very high degree of jurisdictional safety. The Swiss Alps vault is set in rock and has military-grade security, and can withstand seismic, atomic, biological, chemical, and cyber attacks.

The facility even has its own private airstrip and high-end lodgings for those who wish to visit their physical holdings. However, entry into this facility requires a significant minimum investment.

Not surprisingly, the minimum investment for the Swiss Alps location is $5 million, and the minimum investment for the facilities in Zurich and Singapore is $400,000. The storage fees are higher than average, but given the highest level of security offered, they may be justified.

You can read our full review of Gold Switzerland here.

Pros

👍

• Gold Switzerland has backing from parent company Matterhorn Investment Management
• Choice of a military-grade vault in the Swiss Alps in an undisclosed location
• Founding principal, Egon Von Greyerz is a legend in wealth preservation 

Cons

👎

• Higher than average sliding scale fees
• A high minimum investment required

12. GoldBroker

• URL: https://www.goldbroker.com
• Phone: +1 800-780-0350
• Location: Zurich, Switzerland

GoldBroker was established in 2011 by Egon Von Greyertz, the founding principal at Matterhorn Investment Management. Unlike Gold Switzerland, which focuses on high net worth individuals, GoldBroker caters to a wider audience with minimum investments starting at £10,000.

The company prides itself on providing a service that allows for the purchase, storage, and sale of precious metals outside of the banking system. They have storage facilities in Switzerland and Singapore, two of the most jurisdictionally sound countries. And also offer storage locations in the United States and Canada to cater to citizens and residents of these countries. 

This offering complies with the rules these countries have for investors wishing to hold precious metals in retirement savings accounts.

GoldBroker allows investors to access their precious metals at any time, but they charge a fee of $200 for this service and for taking delivery of the precious metals.

You can read our full review on GoldBroker here.

Pros

👍

• 4 Locations: Switzerland, Singapore, the United States, and Canada
• Easy delivery of your precious metals
• Low minimum investment at £10,000

Cons

👎

• Lack of information on exact features of storage vaults
• High transaction fees

13. Kitco

• URL: https://www.kitco.com.hk
• Phone: +1 852 2827 7800
• Location, Hong Kong

Kitco was founded in 1977 and has since grown to become a global organization. The company is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with branches in New York, United States, and Hong Kong, China. They offer the widest range of precious metals, including palladium and rhodium, two metals that are not often found at many dealers.

Kitco prides itself on setting up storage facilities that lie outside of the banking system. However, we find that their choice of Hong Kong as their main storage hub lacks the country-specific jurisdictional safety that is offered by other locations. Their pricing for the precious metals they offer is transparent and easily available on their website.

In addition to offering a wide range of precious metals, Kitco is also a leader in providing accurate and dependable news related to precious metals. Their services have helped them gain thousands of clients for their purchases and storage of precious metals.

You can read our full review on Kitco here

Pros

👍

• The 40-year-old company is a household name in precious metals
• Kitco offers various bullion storage locations around the globe
• More choice in precious metals than most dealers

Cons

👎

• Monthly storage fees add up quickly

14. GoldCore

• URL: https://www.goldcore.ie
• Phone: +353 1 632 5010
• Location: Dublin, Ireland

GoldCore is based in Ireland and was created in 2003. They have a variety of locations for storage worldwide and rely on two renowned storage and transportation operators: Brink’s and Via Mat international.

Storage locations include:

• Salt Lake City
• New York
• Delaware
• London
• Frankfurt
• Zurich
• Singapore
• Hong Kong

GoldCore is a company that is transparent about its pricing, with quotes for its products available directly from its website. They also offer a savings account where GoldCore makes monthly purchases for clients who commit to holding their savings for 12 months.

The bullion is purchased through LBMA-approved refineries with a competitive 5% markup. Investors can choose to save as little as $100 a month with no maximum amount. The management team has a background in finance and has helped make GoldCore a go-to shop not only for precious metals buyers, but also for media outlets.

The management team at GoldCore has contributed to financial media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg, and the Associated Press. They also participate in polls and surveys run by Reuters and Bloomberg.

You can read our full review on GoldCore here

Pros

👍

• A trusted reputation built over time
• Choice of storage options worldwide
• In-person pick up at no extra charge

Cons

👎

• Only gold and silver items
• Slightly high storage fees for smaller investments

15. Swiss Gold Safe

• URL: https://www.swissgoldsafe.com
• Phone: +41 (0)41 884 04 04
• Location: Switzerland and Lichtenstein

Swiss Gold Safe was founded in 2006 and specializes in the safe storage of precious metals and other valuables. The company can also cater to investors looking for the safe storage of gems, artwork, collectibles, and more. 

They do not directly sell precious metals and operate through an affiliate company, or you can buy your precious metals from a third party and have them delivered to one of their storage facilities.

Swiss Gold Safe has two locations, in Zurich, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Their storage facilities are fully insured and do not require investors to declare the beneficial owner or hold a Swiss bank account. This allows investors to keep their holdings private and secure.

 You can read our full review of Swiss Gold Safe here.

Pros

👍

• High jurisdiction safety at storage locations in Switzerland and Lichtenstein 
• Reasonable premium over spot prices
• Storage of precious metals, artwork, gems, collectibles, and more 

Cons 

👎

• Limited choice of precious metals items from their affiliate

Best Gold 401K Companies: FAQs

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions by investors considering a rollover of a 401k into an IRA.

Conclusion 

Investing in gold and other precious metals can greatly benefit your portfolio by reducing its overall risk level. The prices of gold and precious metals have very little to no correlation to the prices of stocks and bonds.

So, introducing precious metals into your portfolio can be an effective way to limit the downside risk when there are periods of inflation or recession. As mentioned above you cannot usually own physical gold in a 401k. But why is physical gold better than a gold mining company or paper certificates of gold?

Firstly, owning physical gold means you are off the banking system. An extreme event scenario where there is a collapse of the financial system would see you still keep your gold and precious metals intact.Secondly, owning gold through a corporation be it an ETF or a gold mining company brings extra risk, here we’re talking about corporate risk, which includes governance, financial risk, and fraud. Check out our full guide on precious metals investing here.