The best gold IRA companies of May 2026

Like traditional and Roth IRAs, gold IRAs are tax-advantaged retirement accounts with annual contribution limits and early withdrawal penalties. But rather than stock and bonds, they’re invested in silver, platinum and other precious metals.

In addition to diversifying your portfolio and working as a hedge against inflation, gold is viewed as a safe haven during times of geopolitical unrest or market volatility. The average gold IRA investment reported by major providers rose from $35,000 in 2023 to $100,000 in 2024. (In 2024, gold offered a 27% annual return, outperforming the S&P 500 by 2%.)

CNBC Select has picked the top companies for gold IRAs, based on fees, purchase requirements, customer service and other criteria. For more on how we made our picks, check out our methodology.

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Who’s this for? American Hartford Gold (AHG) offers some of the lowest fees in the gold IRA market. There are no liquidation or buyback charges, and investors with accounts valued at $100,000 or less pay only $75 in management fees per year. (Larger accounts are charged $125.) New customers may be eligible to have their setup, storage and management fees waived for the first year.

Standout benefits: AHG guarantees it will match or beat competitor pricing. In addition, if the market price drops within seven days, customers can request a re-price with the difference credited as additional coins. Qualified new investors can receive up to $15,000 in free silver as part of AHG’s Freedom Package. 

Who’s this for? Gold IRA companies are notoriously vague about fees, but Birch Gold Group is transparent about all its charges. Upfront costs include a $50 setup fee and $30 wire transfer fee, while annual charges include a $110 insurance and storage fee and a $125 for account management. However, the first year of fees is waived for transfers or rollovers of $50,000 or more.

Standout benefits: Birch deals in gold, silver and platinum that meet strict purity and minting standards, including IRA-eligible bullion, bars, rounds and numismatic and proof coins. Active-duty and former service members may be eligible to have their first-year fees waived, regardless of the purchase amount.

Who’s this for? American Bullion‘s education-first approach makes it ideal for newcomers. Its range of helpful materials includes an educational blog, a YouTube channel and a team of precious metal experts ready to answer questions. To help investors navigate IRS regulations, the company also releases an annual tax strategy guide for gold IRAs.

Standout benefits: You can roll over a 401(k) or other retirement account into your American Bullion gold IRA.  New customers enjoy free storage and no custodian account fees for the first year.

Who’s this for? Monetary Gold scores highly for customer satisfaction, with an A+ from the Better Business Bureau, a 4.7 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot and 4.9 out of 5 stars on Consumer Affairs. Client concierge service and online chat are available 24/7. 

Standout benefits: Monetary Gold is a direct dealer, so there’s no third-party markups. New clients receive free shipping and access to free educational workshops. 

Who’s this for? Augusta Precious Metals has a $50,000 minimum purchase requirement, but qualified investors may be eligible for up to 10 years of waived annual custodian and storage fees. Customers enjoy personalized customer service, secure storage with the renowned Delaware Depository and a library of educational videos developed by Harvard-trained economist Devlyn Steele.

Standout benefits: While Augusta Precious Metals cannot guarantee it will repurchase your precious metals, it has historically never declined a buyback. In addition, it charges no commission on repurchases. The company’s highest-buyback guarantee allows customers to cancel if they find a better offer within 24 hours.

Who’s this for? Goldco‘s highest buyback guarantee means you’ll get the best rate possible and pay no additional fees when you liquidate.

Standout benefits: Eligible new customers can receive up to 10% back in free silver or qualify for a free Silver Ronald Reagan Coin. Plus, you can request a free gold and silver kit with printed, audio and video educational materials.

A gold IRA is a self-directed retirement account that is restricted to gold, silver, platinum and other physical precious metals. Since it can’t include stocks, mutual funds, real estate, or other assets, a gold IRA is best paired with other retirement plans to maintain diversification, like a 401(k) or Roth IRA.

Gold IRAs have the same tax advantages, withdrawal rules and contribution limits as traditional IRAs. (Some gold retailers offer Roth gold IRAs, which are funded with after-tax dollars.) However, gold IRAs do have some unique requirements: Investors must work with a custodian institution and the precious metals must be produced by an IRS–approved refinery, meet certain purity standards and be stored in an authorized repository.

Because of their complexity, higher minimums and larger upfront expenses, gold IRAs are typically recommended for experienced investors.

Despite its name, a gold IRA can include gold, silver, platinum and palladium bars, rounds or minted coins, typically with a fineness of .995 or higher. The account can be funded with either pretax (traditional gold IRA) or after-tax (Roth gold IRA) dollars.

The precious metals in a gold IRA cannot be stored in your home. They must be kept in an IRS-approved facility, like the Delaware Depository. The cost of storing, insuring and shipping is a big part of why gold IRAs have significantly higher fees than traditional IRAs.

Many gold IRA retailers often offer competitive buyback programs that make it easier to convert your assets back to cash and receive a fair market value.  

To open a gold IRA, start by choosing a reputable custodian that offers the precious metals you want to invest in. Make sure its minimum investment requirements are within your means and that you are comfortable with its fee structure, customer service and educational materials. You may be able to find a company that waives setup, storage or management fees for the first 12 months.

Most retailers will allow you to open a gold IRA online, although you may need to speak with a representative over the phone to finalize your investment options and preferred depository.

A gold IRA may be funded with cash contributions, through a rollover from an existing retirement account or via a custodian-to-custodian transfer between IRAs.

A gold IRA rollover allows you to move funds from an existing IRA, 401(k) or other retirement account into physical precious metals like gold or silver without triggering taxes or penalties.

The simplest method is a direct rollover, where the funds are transferred directly from your old retirement account to the gold IRA custodian.  You can also select an indirect rollover, in which you are given the distribution from your old account and have 60 days to deposit it into a gold IRA or face early withdrawal penalties. (The IRS also requires 20% taxes withholding with an indirect rollover.)

While gold IRAs are gaining popularity, there are a variety of other types of IRAs.

Traditional IRA: The most common type of IRA. Funds are taxed when withdrawn.   

Roth IRA: Contributions to Roth IRAs are taxed before they’re deposited. Roth IRAs aren’t subject to required minimum distributions, but they do have income limits. Fidelity Investing has no minimum contribution limit for traditional, Roth and rollover IRAs, but if your balance is at least $25,000, you can get free access to Fidelity advisors.

SEP IRA: A Simplified Employee Pension IRA allows small business owners and self-employed workers to enjoy the benefits of a traditional IRA. However, only employers contribute to SEP IRAs and all eligible employees must be eligible for equal contribution amounts.

SIMPLE IRA: A Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRA is designed for businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Employers are required to either make a 2% matching contribution on an employee’s income or a dollar-for-dollar match of up to 3%.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice to help them 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.

CNBC Select analyzed more than a dozen providers of gold IRAs, comparing them on the following features:

• Pricing and fees: All retailers on our list offer transparent pricing and competitive fee structures. 
• Initial purchase requirement: Providers with lower (or no) minimum purchase requirements were given more weight.
• Ease of use: The custodians on this list all allow investors to open a gold IRA online and have robust customer service hours
• Customer support: Only retailers with an A+ from the Better Business Bureau and an A or higher from the Business Consumer Alliance were considered for this list.
• Educational resources: All the companies on this list offer robust tools to educate clients about investing in precious metals.

We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.

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