Goldco Gold IRA Review

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are tax-advantaged and can help you save for retirement. A precious metals self-directed IRA holds physical gold or other precious metals under guardianship for the IRA account holder, instead of paper assets.

Goldco is one of our best gold IRA companies. Read on to see our full review of the company’s offerings.

Best for customer service

Goldco has many reviews on both the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website and TrustPilot, and dozens of those reviews highlight the company’s excellent customer service.

Goldco IRA pros and cons

Goldco pros explained

A+ BBB rating

The BBB rates companies using several factors, including customer complaints, operational practices, time in business, advertising and government actions. Goldco has earned the BBB's highest rating of A+ and has been BBB-accredited since 2011. According to the BBB website, Goldco receives 4.81 stars out of 5 based on 695 customer reviews.

4.8 TrustPilot rating

Goldco also has a 4.8-star rating out of 5 on TrustPilot. With more than 1,200 reviews, 91% of users have rated the company five stars. Many of the reviews call out Goldco’s impressive customer service.

Provides educational resources on its website

Thanks to a robust educational section of Goldco's website, customers and prospects alike can find ample news and articles on the precious metals market. Visitors to the Goldco website can learn how to buy gold in an IRA and find information on topics ranging from the Federal Reserve to Social Security and how to pay off debt in retirement. Goldco even has a three-part guide on gold IRAs that covers how gold IRA works, including rules you need to know before investing in one and actionable tips for diversifying your retirement portfolio.

Cons explained

Lack of information about fees on the site

While the company has plenty of FAQs and educational information on its site, it is not transparent about fees. Prospective clients should call to ask about any charges they could face.

Preferred minimum to open a gold IRA is $25,000

Goldco’s preferred minimum investment to open a gold IRA is $25,000. However, if you’re looking to add precious metals to your portfolio and not open a gold IRA, the company’s website says you can purchase those directly from them.

Goldco Gold IRA offerings

Goldco offers its customers precious metals IRAs and the option to purchase gold and silver directly.

Gold IRA

A gold IRA can hold physical gold in various forms such as bars, ingots, rounds and coins. Goldco says it works with mints around the world to source gold coins and bars that are IRA-eligible, meaning they’re 99.5% pure. The company offers a buyback guarantee for IRA-approved gold coins as well.

To ensure owners are following contribution limits, age requirements and other rules, the IRS mandates that all IRAs must have custodians whom the IRA owner authorizes to manage and protect the assets. Goldco stores your gold assets in a secure depository, which the IRS also requires for precious metal IRAs. Once you reach the age of 59 1/2, you may begin to withdraw the assets without penalty either in their original form or as cash raised by sales of the precious metals.

Silver IRA

Similar to the gold IRA, Goldco's silver IRA allows you to deposit silver coins and bars into your Goldco precious metals IRA. The same is true for palladium and platinum. Silver coins must be 99.99% pure to be eligible for your IRA. Goldco has been known to offer a special silver bonus to customers who open a precious metals IRA.

Gold coins

You have the option to purchase gold coins outside of a precious metals IRA. If you don't open a gold IRA, you can buy these coins directly from a Goldco specialist, and your assets will either be delivered to a depository of your choice or directly to your home. You can choose from coins sourced from mints in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Netherlands and New Zealand. For example, you can call Goldco to order the U.S. Mint's 2023 Gold American Eagle coin, the Gold American Eagle Proof coin, the 2020 Australian Striped Marlin coin or the Royal Dutch Mint's Gold Valor coin.

Gold bars

Goldco offers gold bars that, like its coins, are IRA-eligible or available for private purchase. These gold bars have various producers and come in several different sizes and weights. As with its coins, you must speak to a specialist to purchase these assets, and you can have them placed in your IRA, sent to a depository or mailed to your home for safekeeping.

Silver coins

Silver coins offered by Goldco include the U.K.'s Silver Britannia series, the Australian Crocodile, the Silver Veteran and the Silver WWI and WWII coins. You even have the option to purchase a 1 oz. Chuck Norris "Five Principles" silver coin minted in New Zealand. This coin is mailed in a wooden box with a certificate of authenticity; however, it isn't IRA-eligible.

Silver bars

Just like their gold counterparts, Goldco's silver bars can be purchased for use in your precious metals IRA or to be privately held. These bars also come from various producers and are available in different weights.

Goldco Gold IRA pricing

When it comes to Goldco's pricing, its website isn't transparent. However, a company representative previously told Money that Goldco charges no fees of its own, but the gold IRA custodian charges a $50 setup fee and $80 for annual maintenance. Storage (including insurance) ranges from $150 to $200 annually.

Gold IRA financial stability

Goldco is a California-based, privately held business. The firm has earned an A+ rating from the BBB and, according to its site, has placed over $1 billion in gold and silver.

Gold and other precious metals are often considered stable investments since they can help hedge against inflation and market volatility, which is one of the biggest risks people face in retirement. But gold prices are not guaranteed to increase over time and don’t pay dividends, so financial advisors recommend investing just a small portion of your portfolio — like 5% or less — to precious metals.

Goldco Gold IRA accessibility

Availability

There is a $25,000 preferred minimum initial investment to open a gold IRA with Goldco. Goldco customers must have a company representative walk them through the process of opening an account and, as previously mentioned, excellent customer service is part of what makes Goldco one of our best gold IRA companies.

Contact information

Goldco offers basic information about gold and other precious metals IRAs on its website. You can also request a free kit of printed, audio and visual information, which the company will mail to you. For any other questions, you can get in contact with Goldco by phone or using the chatbot on its website. To open an account, you must call an account representative by phone at 1-855-450-1394. To receive the fastest response, the company says to call Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST.

User experience

While easy to navigate, the Goldco website mostly focuses on advertising and marketing itself. Users can view testimonials, endorsements and a collection of articles about general investing, retirement planning and banking regulations. If you want specific information (e.g., pricing or product selection), you'll need to call Goldco's customer support and speak to a representative.

Goldco Gold IRA customer satisfaction

Goldco receives positive reviews from several consumer rating sites. Thousands of customers across multiple third-party review platforms rate Goldco a consistent 4.8 stars out of five. Goldco customers often mention the company's strong communication, quick processes, specialist knowledgeability and accommodative nature. A small percentage of reviewers complain about high markups, misleading information and delayed payouts, with 45 complaints filed with the BBB in the last three years, all of which Goldco has responded to.

How we evaluated the Goldco Gold IRA

We evaluated Goldco based on the following factors:

• Account offerings, including what kinds of metals customers can invest in

• Information (or lack thereof) on pricing

• Customer experience and satisfaction according to trusted third-party review sites such as the BBB

• Availability across the U.S.

Summary of Money's Goldco Gold IRA review

Building a diversified investment portfolio that aligns with your goals, timeline and risk tolerance is one of the best money moves you can make. It can help protect your retirement savings from inflation and market volatility. A Goldco gold or precious metals IRA is one way to get exposure to gold and diversify your portfolio.

The California-based company consistently receives excellent customer reviews on trusted sites like the BBB. Additionally, Goldco provides educational resources on its website at no cost. That being said, investing in a precious metals IRA with Goldco may not be for everyone as there is a high preferred investment minimum. Financial advisors recommend you not invest more than 5% of your portfolio in alternative assets like precious metals, since they won't earn dividends and their values aren’t guaranteed to increase over time.