Effective Date: January 2026
IRAwealthguide.com reviews Gold IRA companies and related retirement providers using a structured, repeatable framework. Our goal is to evaluate what matters most to retirement investors: cost, transparency, process reliability, compliance posture, and real-world customer experience.
1) What We Review (Scope)
Depending on the page type, our reviews may cover:
- Gold IRA dealers / precious metals IRA companies,
- IRA custodians (self-directed IRA administrators),
- storage/depository providers (where applicable),
- rollover and transfer support services,
- fee structures and policies impacting investors.
2) How We Gather Information
We use multiple inputs to reduce bias and verify claims, including:
A) Publicly available company information
- fee schedules (when published),
- minimum investment requirements,
- storage and custodian partnerships,
- buyback policies (when published),
- educational resources and disclosures.
B) Direct communications (when feasible)
We may contact companies to confirm:
- fee structure details,
- storage options and costs,
- availability of segregated storage,
- rollover processes and timelines,
- buyback mechanics.
C) Reputation and complaint patterns
We look for trends in:
- complaint types (fees, delays, pressure tactics),
- responsiveness and resolution behavior,
- consistency of customer outcomes.
We evaluate patterns, not isolated anecdotes.
D) Regulatory and consumer protection context
We consider known industry risks and recurring consumer harm patterns (e.g., excessive markups, pressure selling, misleading storage claims). This informs our red-flag analysis.
3) Scoring Criteria (Weighted)
We score providers across the following categories. Weighting may vary slightly based on the specific page intent (e.g., “Best for Low Fees” pages prioritize cost).
1) Pricing Transparency and Fairness (25%)
- clarity of fee disclosure,
- willingness to provide itemized quotes,
- avoidance of vague “call for pricing” answers when asked directly,
- reasonable premium/spread behavior (where verifiable).
2) Fee Structure and Ongoing Costs (20%)
- setup fees, annual custodian fees, storage fees,
- segregated vs non-segregated pricing,
- wire/transaction fees,
- predictability of costs over time.
3) Rollover / Transfer Process Quality (15%)
- clarity on rollover vs transfer rules,
- paperwork guidance and accuracy,
- realistic timelines,
- process support without pressure selling.
4) Custodian and Depository Standards (15%)
- reputable custodian partnerships,
- IRS-compliant storage posture,
- depository options, insurance, and segregation choices (where applicable).
5) Buyback Policy and Liquidity (10%)
- clarity on buyback availability,
- how repurchase pricing is determined,
- liquidity experience and transparency.
6) Customer Experience and Reliability (10%)
- responsiveness,
- professionalism,
- consistency of service delivery,
- complaint resolution patterns.
7) Educational Quality and Risk Disclosure (5%)
- investor education depth,
- balanced explanation of risks and costs,
- avoidance of fear-based marketing.
4) Minimum Eligibility Requirements (Baseline Screen)
We generally do not recommend providers that show one or more of these behaviors:
- refusal to discuss fees and pricing mechanics transparently,
- high-pressure sales tactics or urgency manipulation,
- misleading claims about IRA compliance (including storage narratives),
- repeated unresolved complaints suggesting systemic issues.
5) “Best For” Awards and Category Winners
When we assign labels like “Best for Low Fees” or “Best for Beginners,” it means:
- the company performed strongly on the criteria most relevant to that category,
- the offer and process fit a specific investor profile,
- the recommendation is conditional—not universal.
A “Best Overall” pick reflects the strongest blend of transparency, process quality, and investor protections.
6) Updates, Monitoring, and Re-Ranking
Gold IRA fees, custodians, promotions, and policies change. We periodically review high-traffic pages and update:
- fee figures (when confirmed),
- minimum investment requirements,
- storage options,
- category winners (if evidence supports a change).
Pages include “last updated” dates when significant edits occur.
7) Important Limitations (Pricing Reality)
Precious metals transactions include premiums/spreads that vary by:
- product type (bars vs specific coins),
- order size,
- market volatility,
- dealer inventory and quoting practices.
Because many dealers do not publish live premiums online, we encourage readers to request itemized pricing, compare quotes across providers, and avoid committing on a first call.