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| What’s offered | Precious metal IRAs & coins and bars |
| Annual fees | $260 for the first year $180 each year after |
| BBB rating | A+ |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.9/5 |
BBB and Trustpilot ratings checked on Marched 15, 2021.
Lear Capital is a precious metals company founded in 1997 that helps people invest in gold, silver, and other precious metals. One of the investment products that it offers is a precious metals IRA, which lets you take advantage of retirement accounts’ tax benefits while investing in precious metals.
If you want to invest in precious metals, Lear Capital might be the right company for you.
In this review:
- What does Lear Capital offer?
- How much does Lear Capital cost?
- Customer ratings
- Where does Lear Capital store my precious metals?
- Can I see how my precious metal investments are performing?
- How to open an account
- Pros and cons of Lear Capital
- How can I withdraw from my account?
What does Lear Capital offer?
Lear Capital helps customers invest in precious metals, both inside and outside retirement accounts, on top of its precious metals investing news and blog.
Precious metals IRA
Lear Capital offers precious metals Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to investors across the country.
IRAs are special retirement accounts that give investors tax benefits when they contribute money. In exchange for those tax benefits, investors restrict their IRAs’ access to the funds until they reach retirement age.
Lear Capital helps customers manage self-directed precious metals IRAs, assisting with purchasing, transportation, and storing investors’ metals. If you want to open a precious metals IRA, all you have to do is contribute cash to the account and tell Lear Capital what metals you want to purchase.
When you’re ready to withdraw from the account, Lear Capital can handle your metals’ sale and send you cash or deliver the metals directly to you.
Silver, gold, and platinum products
If you don’t want to open an IRA, you can still work with Lear Capital to purchase precious metals.
The company focuses primarily on gold and silver, two of the most popular precious metals, but has a few options for buying other metals, such as platinum. You can buy coins and bars from the United States or that were minted in other countries, including:
- Canada
- Austria
- The United Kingdom
- South Africa
You can place an order for precious metals directly through Lear Capital’s website and have the company ship the metals to you or your storage facility of choice. You will need to call the company for pricing and to place an order for select coins and bars.
How much does Lear Capital cost?
Investing in all sorts comes at a cost, and precious metals investing is no different. One of the unique aspects of investing in precious metals, and one of the things that drive its costs, is storage. Coins and bars are physical assets that need to be kept safe from damage or theft.
Companies like Lear Capital that facilitate investments in precious metals often help customers ship and store their metals. Lear Capital works with a depository in Delaware to store investors’ metals. The charge for the first year is $260. After that, the annual fee is $180.
Fees related to maintaining a precious metal IRA are tax-deductible, which may reduce the account’s effective cost.
Customer ratings
When you’re investing, you want to make sure that you’re working with a trustworthy company. That’s especially true when you’re investing in precious metals, as you need to trust the company to store your metals safely.
Many fraudsters and scammers also use the precious metals market as a place to find victims, which makes it even more essential to know who you’re working with and whether they’re trustworthy.
Lear Capital is a well-known metals company that has been in business for more than 20 years. The company has good customer ratings from many sources. Ratings checked on March 15, 2021.
| Source | Rating |
| Better Business Bureau | A+ |
| Trustpilot | 4.9/5 |
| 4.9/5 |
Where does Lear Capital store my precious metals?
One of the things that make investing in precious metals complicated is storing your metal. If you have an extensive portfolio, it can take up a lot of space. You also want to make sure that your investments are stored securely and adequately.
Lear Capital stores all of its customers’ metals at the Delaware Depository and fully insures every metal shipment to and from the depository.
The Delaware Depository uses state-of-the-art security systems to protect its clients’ investments. It is also fully insured by Lloyds of London, an internationally known and trusted insurance company. The policy includes theft and damage coverage, including damage arising from fire and flood events.
Can I see how my precious metal investments are performing?
When you invest in any asset, it’s essential to keep track of your portfolio’s performance. This tracking gives you the chance to see if your strategy is working, if you need to rebalance your portfolio, or you need to make adjustments to your investing plan.
When you sign up for an account with Lear Capital, you’ll get access to an online account portal where you can view your metals’ value in real-time. You’ll also receive quarterly statements mailed to your home, giving you a snapshot of your portfolio’s performance.
How to open an account
To open an account with Lear Capital, you must submit your contact information on the Lear Capital website. Once you submit your contact info, a representative will contact you to discuss your investment goals.
You’ll have to fill out a short application, which usually takes about ten minutes. Once you’ve submitted the paperwork, your account representative will handle the rest, and your account will be open, usually within 24 hours.
If you’re moving money from an existing IRA, Lear Capital will reach out to your current IRA custodian to organize a rollover. The rollover process can take up to five business days to complete depending on your current IRA custodian.
Once the money arrives in your account, you’re ready to start purchasing precious metals in your IRA. You can select from the variety of metals that Lear Capital offers on its website. The company will fulfill your order and send the metals to the Delaware Depository.
Pros and cons of Lear Capital
There are pros and cons you should consider before you decide to invest with Lear Capital.
Pros
- Flat fee structure
- Place orders easily online
- Quick account opening process
Cons
- Fees may be high if you have a small amount to invest
- Can’t open an account without waiting for a representative to contact you
- The company focuses on gold and silver with few options for investing in other metals
How can I withdraw from my account?
If you open an IRA, your ability to withdraw from your account is restricted. In exchange for the tax benefits the account offers, you cannot take money out of the account until you turn 59½. Any withdrawals before that age incur a 10% penalty in addition to any taxes you owe.
When it does come time to make withdrawals, Lear Capital offers two options.
The first is to let Lear Capital manage the sale of your metals. You can place a sell order and let Lear Capital sell your coins and bars. The company will then send the money to the bank account of your choice.
You can also choose to take delivery of your metals. Lear Capital will organize an insured shipment of your metals to your home if you select this option. You can then sell the metal locally or store it in your home. Whatever your plan is, make sure to have a plan before the metal arrives at your door.
Where to find Lear Capital alternatives
Lear Capital is one of the many options available to people who want to invest in precious metals. Before you open an account, you should take the time to compare multiple options to try to find the best deal for your situation. You might find an account with lower fees or a company that operates in a more convenient location.
If you’re interested in investing in precious metals, our guide to the best gold IRA companies is an excellent place to start.
How we rated Lear Capital
Our rating for Lear Capital was determined by reviewing our partners based on several factors. These factors included BBB rating, Trustpilot rating, annual fees, educational resources, customer support, and collection of precious metal coins and bars.
Once a score was assigned, we then identified where each company stood out amongst its competitors to create our picks for what each company was the best for.
If you are interested in learning more about Lear Capital, check out its website.
- Gold IRA: Yes
- Gold & silver coins: Yes
- Annual fee: $260 for the 1st year, then $180 per year