Goldco Review 2026

Goldco is a gold IRA company built around 401(k) and IRA rollovers. It was founded in 2006, lists a $25,000 minimum and a rollover time of 7-10 business days, and offers gold, silver, platinum and palladium products.

Rollover Process

Rollovers are Goldco's main business. Its specialists coordinate between your existing plan administrator, the new custodian and the depository, so you are not carrying paperwork between three organizations. Most rollovers are listed as complete in 7-10 business days.

Goldco supports rollovers from 401(k)s, 403(b)s, TSPs, traditional IRAs and other qualified retirement plans. Which of those you can move depends on your plan: employer plans often require that you have left the job or reached 59 1/2, while IRA-to-IRA transfers can happen at any time.

A Rollover Step by Step

The 7-10 business day figure covers the whole sequence, so it helps to know where delays usually arise:

• You open the self-directed IRA with a custodian.
• The custodian sends a transfer request to your current plan administrator.
• The old plan releases funds. This step is the one outside Goldco's control, and some employer plans take longer than others.
• The custodian receives the funds and you choose IRS-eligible metals.
• The metal ships to the depository and you receive confirmation of what is held.

Direct Rollover or Indirect

Ask for a direct (trustee-to-trustee) rollover. With an indirect rollover the plan pays you, usually after withholding 20% for federal tax, and you must redeposit the full original amount within 60 days or the unreplaced part becomes taxable income and may carry a 10% penalty if you are under 59 1/2. A direct transfer removes that deadline and that risk.

Company Overview

Goldco was founded in 2006 and focuses on helping investors move existing retirement accounts into gold and silver IRAs. Our table lists an A+ BBB rating and a 4.8/5 rating, second to Augusta.

Because Goldco is a dealer and not a custodian, the account itself is held by an independent self-directed IRA custodian. Ask Goldco which custodian and depository it uses, and compare their written fee schedules.

Fees and Pricing

The figures on file for Goldco are below. The recurring portion comes to roughly $180 to $255 per year ($80 custodian plus $100 to $175 storage), before the premium on the metal.

• Minimum investment: $25,000.
• Setup: about $50, often waived.
• Annual custodian fee: about $80.
• Storage: $100 to $175 per year.

Waived Fees: What to Get in Writing

Goldco sometimes runs promotions that waive setup fees for qualifying accounts. A waiver only matters if it is documented, so ask which fees are covered, what balance qualifies, whether the waiver applies to the custodian's fee as well as the dealer's, and what the cost becomes in year two.

Phone-First Service

Goldco communicates mainly by phone, and its online tools are more limited than some rivals'. That suits people who prefer to talk through a rollover with a specialist. It is a weaker fit for investors who want to track every step in a dashboard, so ask what account access you will have after funding.

Education is another trade-off. Goldco's learning resources are less extensive than Augusta's, which matters if you are still deciding whether a metals IRA is right for you.

Who Goldco Fits and Who Should Look Elsewhere

• Good fit: a rollover of $25,000 or more where speed and hand-holding matter.
• Good fit: investors who want to hold platinum or palladium alongside gold and silver.
• Look elsewhere: balances under $25,000, where Birch Gold Group lists $5,000, American Hartford Gold $10,000 and Noble Gold $20,000.
• Look elsewhere: people who want a deep education program first. Augusta is the stronger option on that point.

Buyback Program

Goldco offers a buyback program that lets you sell metals back to the company. Before funding, ask how the buyback price is set, whether a fee applies, and how quickly proceeds reach the custodian after you sell. Remember too that a sale inside an IRA is processed through the custodian, not paid directly to you.

Metals Goldco Offers and the IRS Fineness Rules

Goldco lists gold, silver, platinum and palladium products, a wider range than the gold-and-silver catalog on file for Augusta. Every IRA purchase has to meet the IRS fineness minimums: gold 99.5% pure (.995), silver 99.9% (.999), platinum and palladium 99.95% (.9995). The American Gold Eagle is the best-known exception, permitted at .9167.

Common bullion such as American Eagles and Canadian Maple Leafs generally meets these tests. Ask for the product list with the premium over spot shown for each item, and refuse anything sold as rare or collectible, because numismatic coins are not eligible for an IRA.

How Goldco Compares With the Other Four

Goldco sits second in our table at 4.8/5 with an A+ BBB rating. Augusta ($50,000, 4.9/5) offers a stronger education program and a personal agent for the life of the account. American Hartford Gold ($10,000, 4.7/5) offers a lower entry and a price-lock guarantee. Birch Gold Group ($5,000, 4.6/5) has the longest history, founded in 2003, and Noble Gold ($20,000, 4.5/5) lists Texas storage and survival packs.

On recurring fees Goldco's listed range, about $180 to $255 per year, is close to the others. The choice mostly comes down to whether you want a rollover handled for you at $25,000 or more.

Red Flags and How to Verify Claims

• Read the BBB profile and complaint responses directly rather than relying on a summary.
• Check your state regulator for consumer alerts before wiring funds.
• Treat any request to buy coins that are not plain bullion with caution; numismatic coins are not IRA-eligible.
• Ask for the speed claim in writing: which steps are included in 7-10 business days, and which depend on your old plan.
• Note that this site earns referral fees and the free kit is fulfilled by Augusta, not Goldco.