Finance Blog

While the global economy is suffering and the markets are in turmoil, this leaves many retirees anxious about how all of this can impact their retirement fund.

However,​ history has shown us that investing in gold and precious metals can protect yo​u in times of financial uncertainties and ​economic recession.

But, how do you find the right brokerage to buy precious metals from?

​​​Keep reading this Colorado Gold review to learn more about the pros and cons of this precious metals broker, ​so you can decide if its right for you.

​Who is Colorado Gold?

​Colorado Gold is a family-owned business that’s been around since 1977. The​y are an online precious metals dealer headquartered in Montrose, Colorado.

Don Stott founded this company and co-manages it with his daughters and son who are based in New York and Wisconsin, respectively.

Although Don retired in February 2015 after 40 years in the precious metals business, he still writes a a weekly column on his website.

​What Does Colorado Offer?

​What are the Costs & Fees?

​One thing to note about Colorado Gold is that they are not a coin shop, but​ rather brokers of precious metals. They buy for you, through of one of their distributors.

​The company charges a 1% fee for every transaction which includes insured shipping.

For orders over $50,000 they charge 0.75% and on orders of $100,000 or more, the fee is 0.5%, both of which come with insured shipping.

As for the costs of setting up a Precious Metals IRA, the fees ​​are dependent on the custodian and depository you choose to work with.

​Rankings, Complaints & Customer Reviews

​What are the Pros & Cons?

The Verdict

Overall, we believe that Colorado Gold is a solid business. They are a ​precious metals broker that have been in the industry for decades.

Their founder is an avid investor with a huge appetite for learning more about the ins and outs of investing in precious metals. This is why if you need a clear perspective of buying and selling physical gold or silver, this company can help you with that.

However, there is not a lot you can find about actual customers feedback and ratings for Colorado Gold. Although they are BBB-accredited with an impressive rating, there are zero customer reviews and complaints listed.

​We have been watching with trepidation as the stocks plummet. And yes, it has left many investors wondering about the best place to put ​their retirement funds.

​​In this Provident Metals review, I am going to highlight everything you need to know about the company. We will dig deeper in to who they are, what they offer and how they fit into your investment goals.

​Who is Provident Metals?

​What Does Provident Metals Offer?

​Provident Metals offers a wide selection of ​​gold and silver bullion, bars, coins and rounds. They even offer junk silver and diamond for sale to investors looking to diversify their portfolios.

​​Their most popular silver round is the Buffalo Design, as well as the Engelhard Prospector, and the Saint Gaudens m​int to name a few. They also have the Incuse Indian design and the Peace Dollar replica.

Aside from these designs, there are different ounces you can choose from per design. You may opt for the 1 ounce to 10-ounce weights, along with fractional and half-quarter.

Moreover, Provident Metals features its Zombucks series design. In fact, this series remains as the dealer’s most popular range of silver rounds.

As there are no newly-minted Zombucks coins today, the demand is quite high and the value has skyrocketed over the years.

If you are new to Provident Metals, they offer a starter pack to get you ​going. The Provident Starter Pack includes a burlap pouch with 10 pieces of 1 troy-ounce Prospector silver rounds at spot discount, which is applied upon adding the item to your cart.

Moreover, you can purchase several starter packs. However, the spot discount is only applicable to one pack. Still, not a bad deal if you are getting started and looking to receive free insurance and free shipping for your purchased items!

​​​​Provident Metals offers a selection of IRA products for investor-savvy individuals. Most importantly, they feature a tax-free ROTH IRA, which can benefit account holders.

As of 2020, for individuals 49 years of age and below, the maximum annual contribution is $6,000. As for investors 50 years and above, you can contribute up to $7000 for an individual account.

Lastly, Provident Metals features a range of buyback products.

​What are the Costs & Fees?

​ ​The costs involved with setting up a precious metal IRA investment account depends on ​the ​custodian you work with. Provident Metals has ​partnered with Preferred Trust Company to provide ​custody and administration services for your self-directed IRA.

Rankings, Complaints & Customer Reviews

​What are the Pros & Cons?

​The Verdict

​Finding the perfect precious metals retailer can be an excruciating process. There are numerous aspects to consider including the product offerings, costs and fees, as well as their secure and timely delivery process.

Provident Metals continue to provide investors great satisfaction with the quality of products they offer, including their competitive rates and features. ​However, they lack experience when dealing with precious metals IRAs and rollovers.

Do you feel like you ​don't have enough money to safely retire? Are you afraid that sudden swings in the stock market could devastate your investment accounts?

This goal led me to start investing in gold, silver and other precious metals.

​Over time I have had the chance to check out the best companies in the industry. This Red Rock Secured review will help you learn about the advantages of investing in precious metals and my personal experience with the company.

​Who is Red Rock Secured?

Red Rock Secured LLC is an investment company that was originally created in 2009 and is located in ​El Segundo, California. Today, the company is run by Sean J. Kelly.

As markets continue to experience a lot of volatility, it is increasingly important to have a diversified portfolio.

Red Rock Secured gives clients investment vehicles like tax-deferred IRAs and cash accounts. These accounts offer investments like pre-IPOs, precious metals and growth-oriented real estate.

​What Does Red Rock Secured Offer?

Red Rock Secured's main objective is to help clients build their investment portfolios. You can get self-directed IRAs for alternative, growth investments such as precious metals.

The investment company can help you get started with bullion bars, bullion coins, numismatic coins and retirement vehicles.

You can ​purchase metals like gold, silver, palladium, platinum and pre-1964 metals.

​If you decide that you want an IRA, you can choose the home delivery IRA or a self-directed IRA. If you get the home delivery IRA, Red Rock Secured will provide insured shipping for free.

​What ​​are the Costs ​& Fees?

There is not a lot of information about the costs and fees on their site or in other Red Rock Secured reviews. ​​​However, they do mention that 90 percent of their clients qualify for no fees for life.

Unfortunately, their fees are not transparent and you have to reach out for a consultation to get more information about the costs and fees they charge.

Rankings, Complaints & Customer Reviews

​What are the Pros & Cons?

​The Verdict

Ultimately, Red Rock Secured is a good option if you are new to investing in precious metals. They offer gold bullion, numismatic coins, silver bullion and pre-1964 metals.

​While we like that Red Rock Secured has more than a decade of experience, there are a few unanswered questions that they need to address before we can recommend them completely.

If you decide to use this company, you should take some time to ask them questions about their fee structure so that you do not end up with a nasty surprise.

Who is Noble Gold?

​What Does Noble Gold Offer?

​What is a Precious Metals IRA?

Gold and Silver IRA’s at Noble have the same rules that brokerage and bank IRA’s have.

This means you can start making withdrawals penalty-free once you turn 59½. And you will have to take distributions starting at 72 with the traditional tax structure.

As with an IRA that invests in stocks and bonds, a precious metals IRA does not guarantee any particular value. Prices for gold and silver are determined by the commodities market.

So the value of your account can rise and fall from day to day.

But gold and silver have been a safe haven for thousands of years. Their prices aren’t going to collapse overnight.

If you invest in the stock market, who knows. Some stocks have gone all the way to $0. That won’t happen with gold and silver.

Either coins or bars can be put into an IRA with Noble Gold.

However, they all must be at least 99.9% pure metal (usually expressed as ‘.999’ in the industry).

​IRA Eligible Coins and Bars

​A Noble Gold review would not be complete without information on the actual coins and bars the company offers.

There are several choices. Here are a few examples:

• American Gold Eagle. This gold coin comes from the U.S. Mint and is available in several weights. The largest coin contains 1 troy ounce of gold. American Gold Eagle coins are legal tender with face values.
  
• 5 oz. Silver Bar. Minted by the Highland Mint, a private company, this bar of silver is three 9’s fine (99.9% pure).
• PAMP Suisse Gold Bar. One of the most famous precious metals manufacturers in the world makes this bar in Switzerland. It weighs 100 grams and is 24 karat (100%) gold. It is four 9’s fine (99.99% pure).
  

Noble Gold also has platinum and palladium coins and bars.

Although the company did mint the Trump coin for 2020, supplies appear to be very limited at this time.

​Numismatic Rare Coins & Collectibles

Noble Gold deals in rare coins if you want to make an investment in a collectible item. Collectors’ coins are graded and certified by professional numismatic organizations.

On Noble’s website, we found many coins from American history.

​Storage Options

​Royal Survival Packs

If you would rather store your metals at home and don’t need an IRA, Noble Gold has a solution for you.

Called Royal Survival Packs, these are assortments of metals hand-picked by Noble Gold.

A survival pack can be mailed straight to your door.

Noble promises discrete and private shipments that are fully insured. And it only takes about 5 days for the package to arrive.

In case you don’t want the metals shipped to your house, Noble Gold permits survival packs to be stored at one of its three vaults.

Customers outside the U.S. can purchase one of these survival packs and have it stored in a vault.

Additionally, Noble Gold accepts dollars and Bitcoin for payment.

​Pricing & Transaction Minimums

To start an IRA at Noble Gold, you’ll need at least $2,000 to deposit, the lowest in the industry.

The storage fee for an IRA is $150 per year. Precious metals in a retirement account cannot be stored at home, due to U.S. government regulations.

An IRA also has an $80 annual fee. So the total annual cost of an IRA is $230. There are no setup fees.

The Royal Survival Packs have minimums that range from $5,000 to $500,000. Packs that are shipped to a customer’s home have no annual storage fees.

The prices of Noble Gold’s metals vary based on a variety of market and economic factors. The company partners with multiple suppliers and offers competitive pricing.

​Selling Your Precious Metals

Buying is only one part of investing. Eventually, you’ll want to sell.

When you’re ready, Noble Gold has a buy-back program. It’s a no-questions-asked service, so it’s quite simple to go through.

​Cryptocurrency IRAs

​Rankings, Complaints & Customer Reviews

What are the Pros & Cons?

Rolling Over Your Retirement Plan

Noble Gold will work with you to move an old retirement plan, such as a previous employer’s plan, into a new precious metals IRA.

One method to do this is to do what’s called a 60-day rollover. Under this scheme, the administrator from your old plan will mail you a check, and then you have 60 days to deposit the check with Noble.

The other method is to move an account from one custodian to Noble’s custodian. With this option, a check isn’t sent to you.

​Educational Resources

​Customer Support

​Who Should Invest With Noble Gold?

Noble Gold is a good choice for retirement savers who want to start out with a small investment in precious metals. While other companies require $25,000 or more to open an account, you can start with just $2,000 at Noble Gold.

If you’re interested in platinum and palladium, Noble Gold would definitely be a good pick.

Other precious metals IRA’s only offer gold and silver.

If you’re concerned about the future of the international financial system, Noble Gold’s Royal Survival Packs could be a good option. Instead of going to a bank or vault, these metals come straight to your home.

Beyond precious metals, we’re really excited about Noble’s cryptocurrency IRA’s.

If you’re worried about the future of the U.S. dollar, digital currencies may be the ideal investment.

​Noble Gold Review - Final Thoughts

Noble Gold is a new player in the precious metals industry that brings a lot to the table. With both IRA’s and survival packs, it offers something for everyone.

And its crypto accounts are a new addition that provides a method to diversify against the world’s pandemonium even more.

On top of uncertainties concerning the dollar, the stock market crash of 2020 is yet another reminder of the inherent pitfalls of trying to plan for retirement by investing in the stock market.

With both precious metals and cryptocurrencies, Noble Gold customers can ensure their future by protecting their savings, families, and retirement assets.  

Have you seen the stock market plummet recently? Are you worried about putting your hard-earned money in such volatile investments? I had these exact concerns, which is why I turned to precious metals.

When I started investing in gold, I was able to protect my nest egg from the madness of the stock market. I was able to hold an asset that has proven itself over thousands of years.

I finally found an investment that has the ability to avoid financial crises and hedge against inflation. And thanks to a change in U.S. law in 1997, Americans are now able to open precious metals IRAs.

One company in particular that offers gold and silver IRAs is Goldco.

In this Goldco review, we will concentrate on their business, offerings and what this organization has to offer.

Who is Goldco?

Goldco Direct LLC, formerly known as Heritage Gold Group, was founded by Trevor Gerszt in 2006, giving them 14 years of experience handling precious metals accounts.

During this time, Goldco Precious Metals has expanded its account lineup. It has also racked up quite a few reviews of its services from customers and consumer watchdogs alike.

We’ll take a look at these in more detail up ahead.

What Does Goldco Offer?

Goldco is most well-known for its Gold IRAs and Silver IRAs. It also has taxable (non-retirement) accounts if you want to invest in precious metals outside of a retirement account.

A third and final option is Cryptocurrency IRAs.

Goldco precious metals accounts come with multiple storage solutions, customer support from start to finish, and a buyback program when you get ready to sell your holdings.

What is a Precious Metals IRA?

A precious metals IRA with Goldco functions in a similar way as an IRA that invests in stocks and mutual funds. You’re eligible to make withdrawals penalty free starting at age 59½ per IRS regulations. If you setup a traditional IRA, you’ll need to start making withdrawals by the age of 72.

Like a brokerage IRA, the value of the holdings in a precious metals IRA is not guaranteed. The prices of silver and gold fluctuate like other investment vehicles based on market conditions and many economic factors.

But remember that gold has functioned as a safe haven asset for millennia. So it tends to have a natural price floor.

If you prefer to invest in silver, you can open a silver-only IRA, or an IRA with a mix of gold and silver.

IRA Approved Gold & Silver Bullion

Because of government regulations on precious metals IRAs, there are some types of gold and silver you won’t be able to buy in your Goldco retirement account.

For example, any gold product you buy for your IRA must have a fineness of at least .999. The same is true for silver.

Furthermore, any gold or silver you currently own cannot be placed in an IRA. You need to first open an IRA and then purchase coins to add to it.

There are several choices Goldco currently offers for purchase. These include:

• 2017 Australian Saltwater Crocodile Gold Coin. This 1/4 oz coin comes from the Perth mint and is four 9’s fine (0.9999).
• 2019 1/4 oz Lunar Pig Gold Coin. This gold coin is from the United Kingdom’s Royal Mint and has a face value of £25.
• 2017 Lucky Dragon Silver Coin. This coin comes from the Royal Canadian Mint and has one ounce of silver in it. It is 99.99% pure.

Because of Uncle Sam’s regulations for precious metals IRAs, Goldco does not permit home storage of coins. You’ll need to store them at a professional storage facility. Goldco partners with several of them.

Storing Your Metals

Pricing & Transaction Minimums

Precious metals IRAs at Goldco must pay storage fees every year.

For non-segregated storage, the annual charge is $100. For segregated storage, it’s $150.

There is also a yearly IRA maintenance fee of $80. Once a retirement account reaches $100,000, the annual fee increases by $50.

In addition to the annual fees, there are also one-time charges. An IRA has a setup fee of $50 and depositing funds by wire is a $30 charge.

Adding up all the fees, we see that a Goldco IRA with non-segregated storage costs $260 for the first year (setup fee, wire fee, annual fee, and first year of storage) and $180 every year after that, assuming no additional wires.

While this may seem like a lot of fees, regular taxable accounts at Goldco have no fees of any kind. There are no annual fees, start-up costs, or storage expenses.

The required starting balance for an IRA is $25,000. For taxable accounts, the minimum is $3,500.

Buyback Program

After you’ve had your IRA for a while, you’ll eventually want to begin liquidating your holdings. As we already mentioned, once you reach age 72, you’ll be required to start taking withdrawals.

One method to do this is to sell assets to a coin dealer or other buyer of gold or silver. Goldco customers are perfectly free to do this.

A service that we really like at Goldco, however, is the ability to directly sell coins back to Goldco. It may be possible to receive a higher price with this second method. So it’s nice to have this option on the table.

Rankings, Complaints & Customer Reviews

What are the Pros & Cons?

Rolling Over Your Retirement Plan

If you have an old retirement plan from a former employer, such as a 403(b) or 401(k), Goldco can help roll it over into an IRA.

The first step is to open an IRA with Goldco. Once you have your new account open, you need to speak to an Goldco IRA specialist to request that funds from your old account be moved to your new account. This can be done using either a direct rollover or an indirect rollover.

With a direct rollover, funds are sent from the custodian of the first account to the custodian of the second account. With an indirect rollover, the account is closed and the funds are sent to you. Under IRS regulations, you have 60 days to deposit those funds into your new retirement account.

If you don’t meet the 60-day window, you’ll have to pay taxes and fees. For this reason, Goldco recommends a direct rollover.

Learning Materials

If the idea of investing in gold and silver for retirement has captured your attention, but you don’t feel you quite understand everything you should, Goldco has an educational section on its website just for you.

In the top menu of its site, there is a tab entitled “Knowledge Center.” Here, you’ll find a lot of great resources that explain in detail how its taxable and retirement accounts work for precious metals investing.

There are several eBooks that can be downloaded for free. Many of them highlight the pitfalls of investing in today’s financial markets. For example, we found:

• How China Will Destroy Your IRA or 401(k)
• 10 Reasons the Dollar Will Crash
• The Stock Market Vs. Precious Metals
• 10 Signs You Will Return to Work After Retirement

There are lots of videos in Goldco’s educational section, too. They cover topics such as the benefits of tangible assets, the uncertainty of the U.S. dollar, and the risks of large banks.

Also on the Goldco site is a blog. We found many articles, some of them very recent (a good sign), covering a lot of topics. Examples include the 2020 stock market crash, a recent cut in the Fed funds rate, and potential problems in America’s corporate bond market.

Goldco publishes spot prices for precious metals on its website, so you can always see what your account is currently worth.

"White-Glove" Customer Service

Who Should Invest With Goldco?

Goldco’s products are ideal for people who are concerned about the future of the U.S. dollar, the volatility of the stock market, or the possibility of future financial crises.

If you prefer to own physical investments instead of corporate securities, Goldco is certainly a viable alternative. A stock can go down 80%, 90%, or even all the way to $0. The history of the stock market has such examples.

But gold isn’t going to go to $0. It simply doesn’t have the same risks that other investments have.

If you do own some stocks in your portfolio, but want to add some diversification to reduce risk, incorporating gold into your overall investment picture will help to smooth out any market crashes.

People who are in retirement or nearing retirement could benefit from gold’s inherent safety. Because the yellow metal isn’t going to be sold off to another buyer for pennies on the dollar, it can add a level of safety to a portfolio full of individual stocks.

Goldco Review - Final Thoughts