Best Gold IRA Companies

A gold IRA is a retirement account that holds physical gold. The idea is simple, but the account has more moving parts than an ordinary IRA, and most of them are handled by the company you choose. That company helps you open the account, moves money from your existing plan, sells you the gold, and arranges the vault where it is stored.

So the choice of company matters. We compared three of the best-known gold IRA companies on what can be checked from the outside: years in business, Better Business Bureau record, the amount needed to start, named custodians and depositories, and what each says in writing about buying your gold back.

Our 2026 ranking is Augusta Precious Metals first, Goldco second and American Hartford Gold third. In short:

• Augusta Precious Metals is our first pick for anyone rolling over $50,000 or more. It publishes the most about how the process works.
• Goldco has the longest Better Business Bureau accreditation of the three and the most specific buyback wording.
• American Hartford Gold has the lowest published starting amount, at $10,000.

The rest of this guide explains the ranking, then covers the rules that apply whichever company you pick: which gold qualifies, how to move money without a tax bill, and how storage works.

The best gold IRA companies at a glance

Each entry was read from the company's own website or its Better Business Bureau profile on October 1, 2026. Where a company does not publish a figure, the table says so.

What a gold IRA is

A gold IRA is a self-directed individual retirement account. "Self-directed" means the account can hold assets that a normal brokerage IRA cannot, including physical gold, silver, platinum and palladium. The tax treatment is the same as for any IRA. What changes is who is involved.

With an ordinary IRA you deal with one firm. With a gold IRA you deal with three.

• The gold IRA company is a dealer. It sells you the coins and bars and guides you through the setup.
• The custodian is the firm that legally holds the account. It receives the money from your existing plan, pays the dealer on your instruction, and reports to the IRS.
• The depository is the vault. IRA gold has to be stored there, not at your home.

When people say "gold IRA company" they mean the dealer. Augusta Precious Metals, Goldco and American Hartford Gold are all dealers. None of them is your custodian, and none of them stores your gold. Keeping that straight makes every later conversation easier, because each of the three parties charges separately.

For a fuller look at whether this kind of account makes sense at all, see our guide to gold IRA pros and cons.

How we ranked them

We did not open accounts with these companies or test them as customers. The ranking uses what each company publishes and what is on the public record, weighted as follows.

• Track record (30%). Years in business, and Better Business Bureau rating and accreditation.
• Clarity before the sale (25%). How much a saver can learn about the process, the parties and the company's terms before handing over a phone number or any money.
• Buyback (15%). Whether there is a stated policy, and what conditions it carries.
• Storage (15%). Whether the depositories are named and whether the saver gets a choice.
• Starting amount (15%). How much is needed to begin, and whether the company publishes it.

Costs are not part of the ranking, and no company's costs appear in this article. The figures that circulate online are often wrong or out of date. Get each company's current schedule in writing and compare them yourself.

A ranking like this is general information. It does not know your savings, your tax position or your plans, and it is not a recommendation to buy.

1. Augusta Precious Metals

Best for larger rollovers and savers who want the process explained.

Augusta Precious Metals has been in business since 2012 and holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, where it has been accredited since February 2015. The company says Money magazine named it Best Overall Gold IRA Company for 2022 through 2026.

Augusta ranks first here because of what it tells you before you commit. Three things stand out.

It names its partners. Augusta's website states that it works with Equity Trust Company as custodian and stores metals at Delaware Depository. Many companies only share those names once you are on the phone.

It publishes its minimum. The figure is high, but it is stated plainly, so nobody spends an hour on a call to find out they do not qualify.

It leads with teaching. The company has an education team led by Devlyn Steele, its director of education, and offers a one-on-one web conference covering how gold is priced, how the custodian and depository fit together, and what to ask any dealer. The session is useful background even for someone who goes on to open an account elsewhere.

What to know before you call

• The minimum purchase is $50,000 for both IRA and cash purchases.
• The one-on-one web conference is offered to retirement savers with $100,000 or more in savings.
• Augusta says it has never declined a buyback. It also says no dealer can legally guarantee a future repurchase, and that its policy can change.

Who it suits: savers with a larger balance to roll over who want to understand the account properly before opening it.

Open a gold IRA with Augusta Precious Metals

2. Goldco

Best for savers who want a written buyback policy.

Goldco holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited there since December 2011, longer than either of the other two. Its website offers precious metals IRAs and direct purchases of gold and silver.

Goldco's strength is the exit. A gold IRA is a long-term account, and at some point you or your heirs will sell or take distributions. Goldco says in writing that it will buy back metals purchased from Goldco at any time, and that its "highest price" promise applies once three years have passed since your first purchase. No specific rate is guaranteed, so this is not a promise about what you will receive. It is still more than most dealers commit to on paper.

Where Goldco falls behind Augusta is in what it publishes. On the pages we checked, it does not state a minimum purchase, name its custodian, or name the depository it uses. It says only that IRA metals go to an independent, insured depository. None of that is a mark against the company's conduct, but it does mean you learn the details by phone.

What to know before you call

• Ask for the minimum, the custodian's name and the depository's name.
• Ask whether storage is segregated or commingled.
• Ask for the buyback terms in writing, including how the price is set.

Who it suits: savers who are thinking ahead to how they will sell, and who do not mind collecting the remaining details in a conversation.

Open a gold IRA with Goldco

3. American Hartford Gold

Best for smaller rollovers and a choice of depository.

American Hartford Gold has been in business since 2015 and holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, where it has been accredited since June 2016. It is the youngest company on this list.

Its place in the ranking comes from access. American Hartford Gold publishes a $10,000 minimum for a gold IRA. For a saver who wants to move a modest part of a retirement account into gold, that is the lowest published figure of the three by a wide margin.

It is also open about storage. The company names its custodian, Equity Trust Company, and names several depositories, including Brink's Global Services and Delaware Depository, with the choice left to you. Storage is commingled by default and segregated on request. The difference is explained further down.

What to know before you call

• American Hartford Gold says plainly that it cannot legally guarantee to buy your metal back. It asks clients to contact it first when they want to sell.
• Its web pages list slightly different sets of depositories. Confirm which one would hold your gold.
• It also sells gold for home delivery, which is a separate purchase from an IRA.

Who it suits: first-time gold IRA holders starting with a smaller amount, and savers who want to choose where their gold is stored.

Open a gold IRA with American Hartford Gold

Side by side

Which gold qualifies for an IRA

Not every gold coin can go into a retirement account. The rules are in the tax code and apply at every company.

• Gold must be at least 99.5% pure.
• Coins must come from a national mint and bars from an accredited refiner.
• The American Gold Eagle is allowed by a specific exception, even though it is 91.67% gold.

The coins most often held are the American Gold Eagle, the American Gold Buffalo and the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf. Bars from accredited refiners qualify too.

Two things regularly catch people out. The South African Krugerrand, one of the best-known gold coins in the world, does not qualify, because it falls short of the purity rule and has no exception. And collectible or rare coins sold at a large markup generally do not belong in a retirement account. If a salesperson steers you toward coins described as exclusive or limited, treat it as a warning sign. Regulators have brought cases against dealers for exactly that, as our gold scammer list shows.

Moving money in without a tax bill

Most gold IRAs are funded from an existing retirement account. There are two ways to move the money, and one is much safer than the other.

A direct transfer moves money from one custodian to another. You never touch it. Nothing is withheld, nothing is reported as income, and there is no deadline for you to meet. This is the method to ask for. From an employer plan such as a 401(k), the equivalent is called a direct rollover.

An indirect rollover pays the money to you, and you then have 60 days to deposit it into the new account. Miss the deadline and the IRS treats the whole amount as a withdrawal. That means income tax, and if you are under 59½, usually a 10% additional tax as well. The IRS also limits you to one indirect IRA-to-IRA rollover in any 12-month period.

All three companies help with the paperwork for a direct transfer. If anyone suggests having a check made out to you personally, ask why.

How storage works

IRA gold must be held by a bank or an IRS-approved trustee. In practice that means a specialist depository. The custodian instructs it, and the dealer ships your gold there.

You will be offered two kinds of storage.

• Commingled storage pools your gold with other clients' metal of the same type. When you sell or take a distribution, you receive the same kind and quality of coin or bar, but not the identical pieces you bought.
• Segregated storage keeps your own coins and bars apart, under your account, and returns those exact pieces.

Both are legitimate. Segregated storage generally costs more. Ask which one a company's quote assumes, since the default differs from company to company.

What you cannot do is keep IRA gold at home, whether in a drawer or in a home safe. In 2021 the U.S. Tax Court ruled in McNulty v. Commissioner that coins held at home by an IRA owner counted as a taxable distribution. Any company that tells you otherwise is describing an arrangement the court has already rejected.

Traditional or Roth, and what happens later

A gold IRA can be either type.

• A traditional gold IRA is funded with pre-tax money. Withdrawals are taxed as income.
• A Roth gold IRA is funded with after-tax money. Qualified withdrawals are tax-free.

A transfer keeps the type it started as. Money from a traditional IRA goes into a traditional gold IRA, and Roth money into a Roth.

Later on, two things are worth planning for. With a traditional account, required minimum distributions begin at age 73. Gold does not divide as neatly as cash, so account holders usually sell enough metal to cover the amount, or take coins or bars themselves as an "in-kind" distribution, which is taxed on their value. Either way, this is when the company's buyback terms start to matter.

Questions to ask before you send money

Take this list to each company and get the answers in writing.

1. Who is the custodian, and which depository will hold my gold?
2. Is the storage segregated or commingled?
3. What does each party charge, and when? Ask for the custodian's, the depository's and the dealer's charges separately.
4. For the exact coins or bars I am buying, what is the price today, and what would you pay to buy them back today?
5. What are the buyback terms, and are they guaranteed?
6. How will the money move? Confirm it is a direct transfer.
7. How long will it take from funding to the gold arriving at the depository?
8. Which of your products are IRA-eligible, and which are not?

Who a gold IRA tends to suit

This is general information, not advice. With that said, a gold IRA is more commonly used by people who:

• already have a sizeable balance in an IRA or an old 401(k), since the account's yearly costs are mostly flat and weigh more on a small balance;
• want part of their retirement savings in something that does not move with stocks and bonds;
• are comfortable holding an asset that pays no interest or dividends;
• do not expect to need the money soon.

It is a poor fit for someone who needs income from their savings or may need to withdraw within a few years. If you mainly want to own gold and are not concerned with the tax wrapper, buying it outright is simpler, and you can keep it at home. Our ranking of the three companies compares them for both.

Mistakes to avoid

• Taking the money yourself. Use a direct transfer. The 60-day deadline on an indirect rollover is unforgiving.
• Buying collectibles. Stick to standard bullion coins and bars that meet the purity rule.
• Storing the gold at home. It ends the tax protection.
• Deciding on the first call. Request the company's guide, read it, and call back. Our article on the free gold IRA kit explains what these guides contain.
• Comparing companies on advertising. Compare the number of ounces you receive for the same money, and the buyback price for those ounces.
• Ignoring silver. Some savers hold both metals in one account. Our comparison of a gold IRA vs. a silver IRA explains how they differ, and we rank the best silver IRA companies separately.

FAQ

What is the best gold IRA company?

On the public record, Augusta Precious Metals is our first pick for savers rolling over $50,000 or more, because it publishes its minimum, custodian and depository and puts teaching ahead of selling. For smaller amounts, American Hartford Gold publishes the lowest minimum of the three.

How much do I need to open a gold IRA?

It depends on the company. Augusta Precious Metals states a $50,000 minimum and American Hartford Gold states $10,000. Goldco does not publish a minimum on the pages we checked. These were the published figures on October 1, 2026.

Can I roll my 401(k) into a gold IRA?

Usually yes, if the 401(k) is from a former employer. A plan with your current employer may not allow it until you leave or reach a certain age. Ask for a direct rollover, so the money goes straight to the new custodian.

Can I store my gold IRA at home?

No. The gold must be held by a bank or an approved trustee, which in practice means a depository. The U.S. Tax Court confirmed in 2021 that keeping IRA coins at home counts as a taxable distribution.

What does a gold IRA cost?

We do not publish cost figures, because the numbers found online are often wrong. Expect separate charges from the custodian and the depository, on top of what the dealer earns on the gold itself. Ask for every charge in writing.

Will the company buy my gold back?

All three say they buy metals back from their customers. None guarantees it, because a dealer cannot legally promise a future repurchase. Goldco's wording is the most specific, and the terms of each are in the table above.

Is a gold IRA right for me?

That depends on your circumstances, and a website cannot judge them. Speak with a licensed financial professional who is not paid on the sale.

The bottom line

Augusta Precious Metals, Goldco and American Hartford Gold are all established companies with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. They sell the same kinds of IRA-eligible gold, and they work with the same kinds of custodians and depositories. What separates them is the starting amount and how much each tells you up front.

• Choose Augusta Precious Metals if you are rolling over $50,000 or more and want the process explained before you commit.
• Choose Goldco if a written buyback policy is your priority.
• Choose American Hartford Gold if you are starting with less, or want to choose your depository.

Whichever you call, use a direct transfer, buy standard bullion, and get the buy price, the buyback price and every charge in writing first.