Goldco Review: How the Precious Metals Company Works
Goldco is a precious metals company headquartered in Calabasas, California. It helps customers place physical gold and silver (and also platinum and palladium) into self-directed IRAs funded by transfer or rollover, and it sells metals for direct purchase outside retirement accounts. This review explains what Goldco offers, how the process runs, what it costs, and what to verify before you sign anything.
Who Goldco Is
Goldco describes itself as a precious metals company, and that is the accurate way to think about it. It is not a bank, and its staff are precious metals specialists, not licensed financial, legal, or tax advisers. Its listed headquarters is 24025 Park Sorrento, Calabasas, CA 91302.
The company works on two tracks. The first is the retirement-account track: Goldco coordinates with a self-directed IRA custodian and an independent insured depository so that IRS-eligible coins and bars can be held inside an IRA. The second is the direct track, where you buy metals with non-retirement money and take ownership outside any account.
Goldco earns money on the metals it sells, so its interests and yours are not identical. That is normal for any dealer, but it is worth keeping in mind when you compare products and prices.
What Goldco Sells
According to its own website, Goldco offers gold and silver for precious metals IRAs and for direct purchase, and it also offers platinum and palladium. Its product list includes widely recognized sovereign bullion coins such as the American Gold Eagle, American Gold Buffalo, Gold Maple Leaf, American Silver Eagle, Silver Maple Leaf, and Britannia, along with the British Lunar Series, gold and silver bars, and a long list of themed and commemorative coins.
Two practical points stand out. First, not everything Goldco sells can go into an IRA; at least one silver coin on its site is marked as not IRA eligible. Second, themed and commemorative coins typically carry higher premiums over metal value than plain bullion coins. Our guides to gold coins at Goldco and silver coins at Goldco walk through both issues.
How the Process Works
For a retirement account, the sequence generally looks like this:
- You contact Goldco or request its free Gold & Silver Kit.
- A precious metals specialist explains the options and the paperwork.
- You open a self-directed IRA with a custodian. Goldco says it works with all major self-directed IRA custodians, and its FAQ references Equity Trust statements.
- You fund the new account by transfer or rollover from an existing IRA, 401(k), or other qualified plan.
- You choose eligible metals, which the custodian buys and ships to an independent insured depository.
A more detailed walkthrough is on our How Goldco Works page, and the funding mechanics are covered in the Goldco rollover and transfer guide.
The IRS rules matter here. A direct trustee-to-trustee transfer avoids the 60-day deadline that applies to indirect rollovers, and a direct rollover from an employer plan avoids the 20% mandatory withholding that applies when an eligible distribution is paid to you. The IRS rollover page and rollover chart explain which account types can move where.
What It Costs
Goldco publishes a fee statement. It is reproduced exactly below, and it includes the minimum for an IRA account.
Gold IRA Fees
The required minimum purchase at Goldco to start a gold IRA is $25,000. Goldco’s preferred Custodian charges a flat annual account service fee which includes a one-time IRA account set-up fee of $50. as well as a $30 wire fee. Annual maintenance is $100, and storage is $150 for segregated storage or $100 for non-segregated storage.
Fees for gold storage and custodianship can vary depending on the company you select to handle these services (required by the IRS, as all IRA assets must be managed by a custodian). Depending on the Custodian, storage fees can range from $10 to $60 per month, or as a percentage of assets, from 0.35% to 1% annually.
Beyond those account-level costs, the price you pay for each coin or bar includes a premium over the metal's spot value. Premiums vary widely by product, so ask for the per-item price and how it compares with spot before you commit. The Goldco fees explainer breaks down what each fee category means.
For direct (non-IRA) purchases, Goldco's website lists a $10,000 minimum, according to Goldco's website at the time of writing; confirm current terms.
The Buyback Program
Goldco advertises a buyback program for IRA-approved coins "at the highest price." That is the company's advertised claim, not something an outside reviewer can confirm in advance, because the price you receive depends on the market and the terms on the day you sell. Read the written buyback terms, and remember that you are generally free to get quotes elsewhere. See our buyback explainer for how bid and ask prices work.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- Physical metals, not paper exposure, in both IRA and direct-purchase formats.
- Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are all offered.
- Custodian and depository coordination for customers who do not want to handle the paperwork alone.
- A published fee statement and an advertised buyback program.
Limitations
- Minimums apply on both tracks, which may rule Goldco out for smaller accounts.
- IRA custody and storage create recurring costs every year you hold the metals.
- Physical metals pay no interest or dividends.
- Premiums, especially on commemorative coins, can be significant.
Our full Goldco pros and cons page goes deeper.
How to Evaluate Goldco Yourself
Do not rely on any single review, including this one. Look up Goldco's profile on the Better Business Bureau site, search the CFPB complaint database, and read the CFTC's consumer guidance on precious metals fraud. Our guide on checking whether Goldco is legitimate turns that into a checklist. Comparing a few companies against the same criteria is also sensible; see how to compare precious metals companies.
Getting the Free Gold & Silver Kit
Goldco offers a free Gold & Silver Kit and an "Ultimate Guide to Gold & Silver." Requesting one is a low-commitment way to see how the company presents its offering and to prepare questions. Read more on our kit page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Goldco a financial adviser?
No. Goldco is a precious metals company. Its specialists are not licensed to give financial, legal, or tax advice.
Who holds the metals in a Goldco IRA?
An independent insured depository holds them, and a self-directed IRA custodian administers the account. Goldco coordinates between them.
Can I buy from Goldco without an IRA?
Yes. Goldco sells metals for direct purchase, with a minimum listed on its website; confirm the current amount with the company.
Does Goldco sell platinum and palladium?
Goldco states that it offers platinum and palladium in addition to gold and silver. Ask which specific products are available and eligible.