The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit. –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Welcome to the Gold IRA Handbook where we review the top rated gold IRA companies and what they have to offer. Inside you’ll find useful resources and tips that will help you make better informed decisions about your future and how to protect your retirement by investing in precious metals.
Why Invest In a Gold IRA?
Currently, the economy is in turmoil. It is extremely volatile, very prone to sudden downturns, and just plain unpredictable. The past decade alone demonstrated that an economic crisis can practically ambush a whole country without much warning, closing down businesses and sending people into financial turmoil in its wake.
And yes, if the bulk of your wealth is made up of fiat currency (i.e legal tender whose value is hugely dependent on a country’s economic situation), there’s absolutely no guarantee that it will retain its value over the years. Heck, it’s even depreciating now as you read this.
So, what about your investments and retirement money? Is your financial future secure?
To protect your wealth, you can choose to have your IRA backed by commodity-based investments, namely gold and other such precious metals (e.g. silver, platinum, palladium, etc…). The reason for this is simple: gold’s value is relatively stable and appreciates as time goes by.
Currently, the mining and production of gold has considerably slowed down in recent times, but the demand for it is on the rise. Increased demand + low supply = increased value.
There will always be a demand for gold; it does not merely serve as a monetary standard, but it can also be used in industrial contexts (i.e. manufacturing) and a lot of cultures (India and China, in particular) place a lot of cultural importance on the metal.
Gold IRA investments can help you leverage the metal’s financial strengths to grow and protect your wealth.
10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Gold Company
Like any other industry, the precious metals sector has excellent gold investment firms, as well as bad ones. In order to find the best gold IRA companies to work with it is recommended that you ask them the questions below first.
Do take note that some gold IRA custodians might not give the answers to these queries outright, so you might have to do a bit of digging around on your own.
1. How long has your company been in business?
Longevity is always a sign of a good company. The longer that a gold IRA company has been in business, the better. This means that the establishment is stable enough to have weathered economic downturns and fluctuations that have plagued the economy in recent history. Its track record over the years should be excellently spotless as much as possible and is not inferior compared to its peers.
2. What do your clients say about you?
Praises and positive reviews are always a good indication of a reputable gold company. But don’t take the testimonials on the company’s website as is; check out third-party forums and review sites to know how it really treats its clients.
3. Are you experts in gold IRA rollovers/transfers?
Never entrust your money to someone that is less than an expert. Your gold IRA company of choice should have experienced financial professionals and custodians who are well-versed in the world of gold investing; they should all know the ins-and-outs of gold IRA rollovers and transfers.
4. What are your fees and fee structures?
You would want a company that offers a flat fee structure, as much as possible. Flat fee is different from scaled fees since the amount that you will have to pay annually stays the same even while your IRA grows. You also need to factor in what the company charges for application, shipping, storage, setup, processing, and other fees.
5. What are your current prices for gold?
The newbie gold investor’s most common mistake is not double checking a company’s quoted gold prices against current market prices. Don’t let unscrupulous companies take advantage of you; protect yourself from overcharging- it’s just a Google search away.
6. Where will my gold holdings be stored?
If the company only has a co-mingled storage option, then avoid it at all costs. Lesser gold companies often opt for co-mingled storage to minimize expenses. Excellent gold IRA companies will offer you segregated storage, which means that your gold will be kept separately from other clients’.
7. How long does it take to process a IRA/401k rollover?
An IRA/401k rollover shouldn’t take more than 48 hours to process. In this electronic age, there is just no excuse for a company to stall on IRAs. Any kind of unnecessary delays in processing is just a reflection of a company’s inefficient internal structure and management.
8. How long does it take for the metals to be delivered?
You should receive your metals in no more than seven business days counting from the time when you made your first request. Like the question above, there’s also no reason for a company to hold on to your metals for too long- these things are your property after all, and you have already paid for them with your hard-earned money.
9. Do you offer a buy back program? If so, how does it work?
Choose a company with a buy back program. This gives you, their client, an option to liquidate and sell your gold back to the company. If your chosen company does offer this option, you need to know if you will get a fair return (i.e. they offer a reasonably fair price for your metals).
10. How is your availability with your customers?
Never do business with an unresponsive gold investment firm. Determine if you will be kept updated each step of the way. Is there an agent who you can contact if you have pressing questions to ask? Are the contact numbers and email addresses on the company’s website available 24/7.
Which Company Do We Recommend?
Official Website
Give them a call: 1-877-589-1223
Goldco positively meets all the expectations that the queries above are asking for. It has been a prominent name in the industry for so long, and has always maintained an excellent track record, with lots of praising customer testimonials. The company’s gold prices are very near market standards, and its shipping and processing times are excellent.
For a full report on Goldco, check out this in depth review of the company.
Goldco Testimonials
Goldco has provided outstanding customer service to their clients and it has earned them a 99.9% client satisfaction rating. The following testimonials have been verified by the TrustLink staff by validating all emails and speaking to the clients personally on the phone.
Here are just a few sample testimonials that have been posted by TrustLink.
I worked with Tony Pino and his team, each one of them voiced understanding and I felt I was in very capable hands. You and I both know that money and investments are not everyone’s strongest base of knowledge and how to keep your retirement funds safe from yourself #1. Although you are reassured I know I felt good about investing with Goldco and my portfolio team. I hope the learning experience is one that I can pass on to my next generation, and I believe I will be able to tell them a happy story. I loved the reasoning of why I was guided to consider the type of investment I agreed on and it has certainly created a more financially stable portfolio.
Carl and his Goldco team helped me through every step of the rollover. Carl and his entire team were friendly, knowledgeable and very professional. Carl was very patient with me and explained in detail the difference in metals and answered all my questions in a way that made me feel like I was part of his team. Thank You Carl.
Goldco rep Tony was very helpful and provided all the information and questions/concerns I had for my IRA precious metal transfer. Tony was very patient and knowledgable in the metals and my concerns to transfer and which and how my to invest my IRA transfer. This was the case from the very first time I contacted Goldco from Mr. Flowers to Mr. Pino the rep I was dealing with, returned calls in a very timely manner and answered all question which made the paper work process easy and painless. Thank you very much Tony look forward to hearing and getting messages from you in the future.
Why Choose Goldco Direct?
Official Website
Give them a call: 1-877-589-1223
Should you decide that investing in gold is the right mode of wealth generation for you, then be comforted to know that you can safely entrust your financial future with Goldco. Its comforting to know that Goldco takes care of their customers and that you and your money will be in safe hands.