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.
American Hartford Gold
Why it’s one of the best
American Hartford Gold is the best gold investment company we’ve researched. You can get in touch with AHG by calling (866) 525-9625 It offers an easy Roth gold IRA setup or rollover, works with world-class custodians and depositories, and commits to streamlined buyback. The company’s many stellar reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot vouch for its commitment to client satisfaction.
AHG provides a Freedom Package that includes free silver and waived fees. We’re also big fans of its price match guarantee and money-back guarantee.
- Superb customer service
- Stellar reputation with excellent ratings on BBB and Trustpilot
- Attractive Freedom Package worth up to $25,000
- Solid buyback commitment
- Doesn’t disclose details about fee structure
- Must ask directly about gold product prices
Roth Gold IRA details
| Available metals | Gold, silver |
| Fees | Depend on plan; up to 3 years of no storage, maintenance, or insurance fees for IRA rollovers |
| Asset protection | Insured shipments, signature on delivery |
| Performance tracking | Regular statements from your account administrator |
| Reputation | Outstanding |
Priority Gold
Why it’s one of the best
Established in 2016, Priority Gold is a well-known and respected Roth gold IRA provider. Every client gets assigned a representative to walk them through the IRA setup or rollover process. Priority Gold offers attractive discounts to qualifying clients, primarily those who invest large sums. The website is exceptionally easy to navigate, offering all crucial information at a glance.
Priority Gold has an “A” rating on BBB and a 3.9 Trustpilot score. Although most clients offer positive feedback, some report frequent calls and high markups on gold and silver products.
- One year with no IRA admin or storage fees for clients investing over $50,000
- Price Protection Program for approved purchases over $250,000
- Free shipping
- Easy-to-navigate, intuitive site layout
- No search option for IRA-approved products
- Some clients mention getting unsolicited calls
Roth Gold IRA details
| Available metals | Gold, silver |
| Fees | $50 setup fee, $125 annual service fee, $100 annual storage, $35 wire fees |
| Asset protection | Insured shipping |
| Performance tracking | Portal with real-time insights |
| Reputation | Solid |
Advantage Gold
Why it’s one of the best
Advantage Gold is an excellent choice if you want to start investing in gold on a small scale. The company’s minimum threshold for opening a gold Roth IRA is only $5,000, which is lower than many other providers require (e.g., AHG requires clients to invest at least $10,000 to open a gold IRA).
Advantage Gold boasts a great reputation, with a 4.9 Trustpilot rating based on more than 1,600 reviews. The company is well-known for its quality customer service and educational resources, which are geared specifically to helping new investors understand how gold IRAs work.
- A minimum investment of just $5,000 for gold IRAs
- Easy online account setup
- Detailed guidance for beginner investors
- Limited information about gold IRA fees
- Possible charges on shipping and insurance
Roth Gold IRA details
| Available metals | Gold, silver, platinum, palladium |
| Fees | Depend on plan and custodian |
| Asset protection | Tracked orders, fully insured, and confidential shipping |
| Performance tracking | Custodian statements |
| Reputation | Excellent |
Goldco
Why we selected it
Goldco is a trustworthy Roth gold IRA provider founded more than a decade ago. Like similar companies, it caters to buyers who want to diversify their retirement assets with precious metals.
The company’s longstanding reputation for excellent customer service, high ethical standards, and award-winning precious metals education and resources make it a leader in the industry.
- Instant free silver: offers up to 10% added to your order on qualified accounts
- More than 7,300 five-star customer reviews on Google, Trustpilot, Consumer Affairs, Retirement Living, Better Business Bureau, and more
- Quick process allows you to open your IRA in one day
- Price matching: Bring Goldco any offer and it will beat it. If it can’t, the company will send you a free silver coin.
- Highest guaranteed buyback price plus no fees when you’re ready to liquidate
- Useful educational resources
- White-glove customer service: simple setup process with specialists who help facilitate your purchase quickly and easily
- Product catalog only lists gold coins (no bars)
Roth Gold IRA details
| Available metals | Gold, silver |
| Fees | Custodian account fees roughly $225 – $325 |
| Asset protection | Free shipping insurance |
| Performance tracking | Custodian platforms |
| Reputation | Outstanding |
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 contribute up to $7,000 per year if you’re 49 or younger and $8,000 per year 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
| Roth IRA | Trad. IRA | |
| Open to anyone? | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pre- or post-tax? | Post | Pre |
| Contribution limits* | $7K (under 50); $8K (50 & up) | $7K (under 50); $8K (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
| Roth IRA | SEP plan | |
| Open to anyone? | ✅ | ❌ For self-employed & small business owners |
| Pre- or post-tax? | Post | Pre |
| Contribution limits* | $7K (under age 50); $8K (50 & up) | Lesser of $66K or 25% of annual pay |
| Tax-deductible? | ❌ | ✅ |
| Benefits | Untaxed withdrawals in retirement | Higher limits |
| What’s required? | Max income to contribute up to limit: $138K (single)*; $218K (married, filing jointly)* | Must be self-employed or have worked for a self-employed person for 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.
How we selected the best Roth gold IRAs
LendEDU evaluates gold dealers to help readers find the best precious metal IRAs and inventories for direct purchase.
Our latest analysis reviewed 550 data points from 25 dealers, with 22 data points collected from each. This information is gathered from company websites, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives. These star ratings help us determine which companies are best for different situations.
We don’t believe two companies can be the best for the same purpose, so we only show each best-for designation once.
Recap of the best Roth gold IRAs
About our contributors
-
Written by Aly YaleAly Yale is a freelance writer with more than a decade of experience covering real estate and personal finance topics.
-
Edited by Amanda HankelAmanda Hankel is a managing editor at LendEDU. She has more than seven years of experience covering various finance-related topics and has worked for more than 15 years overall in writing, editing, and publishing.