Best Roth Gold IRAs

A Roth independent retirement account (IRA) allows tax-free withdrawals once you hit retirement age. You might consider a Roth gold IRA, which allows you to invest your funds in precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

These investments can be smart ways to protect against inflation, grow your retirement account, and diversify your overall portfolio.

Reviews of the best gold Roth IRAs

If you opt to open a Roth gold IRA, several companies can help you do it. Each one offers different services, fees, and terms, so compare your options before you choose.

Best overall: American Hartford Gold

Free Investor Kit

Editorial rating: 4.9 out of 5

• Excellent customer service ratings
• Lowest price guarantee & no buyback fees
• Up to $10,000 in free silver

American Hartford Gold has been in business since 2016 and can help you open a Roth gold IRA in just three steps. First, you’ll speak with a representative to complete the necessary paperwork. Next, you’ll transfer the funds to your account. Last, you’ll purchase your desired metals and store them in IRA-approved vaults.

The company has ratings of 4.89 out of 5 with the Better Business Bureau and 4.9 out of 4 from customers on Trustpilot as of April 2024.

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Best investment support: Lear Capital

Free Investor Kit

Editorial rating: 4.7 out of 5

• Take up to 24 hours after placing an order to reconsider without any penalties
• Offers a price-match guarantee
• Free evaluation of metals from other companies

Lear Capital offers a precious metals IRA and silver, gold, and platinum products. It stands out for the multiple benefits it offers. These include a price-match guarantee where the company will consider matching better prices found elsewhere, a 24-hour risk-free period to consider your purchase, and online portfolio tracking.

Lear boasts a flat fee structure and a quick account opening process. It earns 4.8 out of 5 stars from customer ratings on Trustpilot as of February 2024.

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Best for long-term IRAs: Patriot Gold Group

Free Investor Kit

Editorial rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Opening a new IRA account can qualify you for free gold
• Requires a minimum of $50,000 in metals to open an account

Patriot Gold Group is a California-based company that offers gold IRAs and a variety of precious metals, coins, and bullion. You’ll need at least $50,000 in precious metals to open an account. If your account is valued at over $100,000, Patriot Gold Group will waive your setup, storage, and shipping fees.

The company earns positive customer reviews: 5 out of 5 on Trustpilot as of March 2024.

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Best buy-back guarantee: Goldco

Free Investor Kit

Editorial rating: 4.4 out of 5

• Open a gold IRA account and purchase gold and silver coins or bars
• First-year fee of $260, subsequent $180 annual fees
• Minimum investment of $25,000 required

Goldco is another well-rated gold IRA company, boasting customer ratings averaging 4.81 out of 5 with BBB and 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot as of February 2024.

The company offers solid resources and educational content to help you learn about gold and precious metals investing. Customer service is available via several venues, including email, online chat, and over the phone.

How does a gold Roth IRA work?

A Roth gold IRA is a self-directed IRA you can use to invest in various tangible assets, such as gold and other precious metals, art, antiques, collectibles, and even real estate.

With a Roth gold and silver IRA, your contributions are post-tax—meaning you’ll pay taxes on the money before depositing it into your IRA account. This tax model is different from a traditional IRA, which taxes the money upon withdrawal. Typically, a Roth IRA is your best option if you expect to belong to a higher tax bracket once you retire.

To open a Roth gold IRA, you’ll need a self-directed IRA custodian. They’ll help you open the account, purchase your metals, and handle all the reporting the IRS requires. Once your account is open, you can fund it in a variety of ways, including with cash or via a rollover or transfer from another retirement account, such as a 401(k).

>> Read more: How does a gold IRA work?

Gold Roth IRA guidelines

In addition to the post-tax rule, Roth gold IRAs come with other guidelines you must follow. For one, there’s a limit to how much you can contribute. With Roth and traditional IRAs, you can only contribute up to $7,000 per year if you’re 49 or under and $8,000 annually if you’re 50 or older.

You can continue contributing to your Roth account as long as you would like, even well into retirement. Before 2020, contributions phased out at age 70.5.

Just remember: These contributions aren’t tax-deductible. Because the money has already been taxed, you can’t write Roth IRA contributions off on your tax returns as you can with traditional IRAs.

You’ll also face penalties if you withdraw funds before reaching retirement age. If you take distributions before hitting age 59 and a half, you’ll owe a 10% penalty on the amount withdrawn. The withdrawal may also be taxable as income.

Roth gold IRA vs. other account types

Roth IRAs aren’t your only option for retirement savings—or investing in precious metals. Want to be sure you’re choosing the right one?

Here are two tables that can help you compare a Roth gold IRA to a traditional IRA and a simplified employee pension (SEP) plan.

Roth gold vs. traditional IRA

IRA type	Roth	Trad.
Open to anyone?	✅	✅
Pre- or post-tax?	Post	Pre
Contribution limits*	$7,000 (under 50) $8,000 (50 & up)	$7,000 (under 50) $8,000 (50 & up)
Tax-deductible?	❌	✅
Benefits	Untaxed withdrawals in retirement	Lower taxable income now
What’s required	Max income to contribute full amount: $138K (single)* $218K (married, filing jointly)*	Max income to deduct full amount: $73K (single)* $116K (married, filing jointly)*

Roth gold IRA vs. SEP plan

IRA type	Roth	SEP
Open to anyone?	✅	❌ For self-employed people & small business owners
Pre- or post-tax?	Post	Pre
Contribution limits*	$7,000 (under age 50) $8,000 (50 & up)	Lesser of $66K or 25% of annual pay
Tax-deductible?	❌	✅
Benefits	Untaxed withdrawals in retirement	Higher contribution limits
What’s required?	Max income to contribute up to limit: $138K (single)* $218K (married, filing jointly)*	Self-employed or work for a self-employed person Employees must work for the business at least 3 of the last 5 years

Is a Roth gold IRA worth it?

Opening a Roth gold IRA offers many benefits. It can allow you to avoid high taxes in retirement and wealth in the long run.

A Roth gold IRA is a smart way to diversify your portfolio and mitigate risk in an economic downturn. It can also work as a hedge against inflation should the value of the U.S. dollar decline over time.

If you’re considering a Roth gold IRA as part of your retirement plan, shop around to minimize the fees you may be charged. Check out our picks for the best gold IRA accounts for more details.