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If you're interested in buying gold, you're not alone. Buying gold online has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years. Several factors have converged to make this option increasingly attractive for investors and consumers alike.
Of course, buying gold has been a popular investment and store of value for centuries. One primary motive is as a hedge against economic uncertainty. In times of financial instability or inflation, investors seek assets with intrinsic value and a history of retaining worth. Gold, with its enduring allure and historical significance as a store of value, becomes an attractive option.
Wednesday, February 19th
Silver Gold Bull is a well-known precious metals dealer based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They have been in the precious metals business for a number of years and are known for selling a wide range of products, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion. They offer both online sales and a retail store for customers to purchase a variety of bullion products, including coins, bars, and rounds.
All the help you could possibly need
Not sure where to start? You've got several options with Silver Gold Bull. Naturally, you can reach out via their toll-free number: it's available M-F from 7A-7P (Mountain) or even on Saturdays from 10A-4P. You can also try the website chat during those hours. Or, if you're investing more than $10,000, look for the "Book Appointment” button in the banner at the top of the site. Finally, if you would rather remain anonymous a little longer, go to the Help section at the bottom of the site; click on the Product Recommendation Tool link and it'll walk you through some questions about your investing goals.
Over 1,000 options for buying gold
Let's say you just want to browse awhile and see what Silver Gold Bull has to offer. SGB's website is easy-breezy to navigate, and it's one of the reasons we moved them up into our #1 spot among places to buy gold. On the main Gold page, you'll have no trouble seeing everything on offer. Here's a list of the categories you can expect and how many items there were to choose from at the time of this review:
Online store is a pleasure to browse
It's truly a pleasure to browse the gold on offer at Silver Gold Bull. We enjoyed reading about the background of the Everlasting Maple Leaf Gold Coin (only 3,000 minted), the entertainment value of the Darth Vader Gold Coin offered by the New Zealand Mint (in conjunction with the Island of Niue), and the artistry behind the Dragon Rectangular Gold Coin offered by Perth Mint - among many more. Just be aware that some categories may not have many (or any) items in stock, and you'll have to click "Notify Me” if you're really interested and have the patience to wait. We found that to be particularly true in the Gold Bullion Jewelry category.
Guaranteed best price
Prices ranged from $80.62 for a 1-gram Argor-Heraeus gold bar to $65,958.54 for a 1-kilo Royal Canadian Mint gold bar. Silver Gold Bull is so confident that they offer the best prices in the gold industry, they guarantee it. They'll gladly match the competition on the coins, bars, and other gold items that catch your eye elsewhere. You'll also get a discount for paying via wire transfer or check, and those prices are reflected on each product's information page.
Call for a military discount
Savings are also available if you're a veteran or active member of the military. Just reach out to SGB via phone or email and they'll set that up for you. They don't tell you the discount percentage, only that they'll give you the same savings they offer their large-quantity investors. We appreciate their respect for military members' service.
Multiple payment types accepted
How much gold you can buy depends on your desired method of payment. There's no minimum order unless you're paying via wire transfer: you'll have to order at least $1,000 in gold, and there's no maximum limit. Credit card, Venmo, and PayPal orders have a $10,000 limit, and eCheck (ACH) payments are limited to $5,000 per order. Traditional payments (checks, drafts, money orders, bill pay) can be used on orders up to $25,000, and cryptocurrency payments via BitPay have a generous $250,000 limit.
Storage is available in six different locations
Shipping is free on all orders over $199. On the other hand, if you want SGB to store your gold in their depository, you'll have to reach out for a price quote. The form is on the website, and they offer the first 3 months for free - but they stop short of telling you what to expect to pay for storage. Rest assured, however, that they have over $150 million in existing customer deposits, in six locations across four countries.
Hundreds of thousands of 5-star reviews
Silver Gold Bull has an excellent reputation, starting with accreditation and an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, and continuing on to the 99% of customers who would give this gold retailer a 4- or 5-star rating (and that's across more than 350,000 reviews). Everywhere we looked, people said that their buying experience was flawless here, and many of those comments came from repeat buyers. The only slight issue was that Silver Gold Bull only ships via FedEx, and that made it so some customers had to make sure they were home to receive their delivery. But that's hardly worth worrying about for most buyers.
#1 place to buy gold
We're very pleased to give Silver Gold Bull our highest recommendation. The variety is truly exceptional, and both novice and experienced gold investors will find plenty to be happy about here. You've got options for both delivery and storage, lots of opportunities to get a discount, and a best price guarantee to set your mind at ease. Add to that the hundreds of thousands of customers who give Silver Gold Bull a perfect five-star score, and it's easy to see why the company earns our first-place ranking as well. The gold you want is waiting for you at Silver Gold Bull.
BullionVault, headquartered in London, began its journey in 2005. Their commitment to excellence was acknowledged in 2008 when they were granted membership in the prestigious London Bullion Association, a prominent institution representing the largest global physical bullion markets.
Focus is to create safe, easy market for bullion
Currently, BullionVault serves customers from more than 175 countries, collectively safeguarding approximately $4 billion worth of stored bullion: "more gold than the central bank reserves of Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland and Qatar combined”, according to the Wall Street Journal. Their primary mission is to establish the most cost-efficient, secure, and easily accessible market for professional-grade bullion worldwide.
Open a free account with a bit of silver as a gift
It's free to create an account with BullionVault, with no obligation to trade once you've registered. But, to tip the scale a bit, they offer a free sample of silver to let you try out the process of buying and selling on their platform. We also appreciate that BullionVault doesn't have a minimum investment amount. Their account-holders have deposited as little as $100 and as much as $8 million. That being said, they don't recommend investments below $2,000, because the storage fees "may make your investment inefficient” (but more on those storage fees later).
Transparent commissions and storage fees
How about purchase fees? BullionVault's standard commissions are 0.50% on the first $75,000 of gold you buy, 0.10% on the next $750,000, and then 0.05% on the rest. You have several options to choose from when it comes to the safekeeping of your gold purchased through BullionVault. Most users opt for vault storage at a rate of 0.01% per month (with a $4 minimum). You can choose to have your gold stored in Zurich, London, Toronto, Singapore, or New York.
Withdrawals via bank transfer or shipment to you
If you'd like to withdraw your gold, you can either receive cash and have it transferred to your bank account, or you can have the gold sent to you. BullionVault charges a 1% fee plus transport and insurance costs if, for some reason, you can't be paid safely via bank transfer. Other physical withdrawals (where you could opt for bank transfer but choose not to) will have a fee ranging from 2.5%-7.5% plus insured shipping costs; the minimum gold withdrawal is 50g.
Help at the ready in multiple languages
Need a little reassurance about your gold purchase? BullionVault has a toll-free number, available during London office hours (9A-8:30P UK-time), staffed by friendly and knowledgeable reps. This help is available in a variety of languages, including Spanish, German, Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese), and French.
Thousands of satisfied investors
And reputation? No concerns here. Although the Better Business Bureau gives BullionVault a less-than-impressive "B-” rating, it's for failure to respond to a single complaint - and it's not hard to imagine that such a thing might fall through the cracks for a UK-based company. Turning to investor feedback on Trustpilot, however, you'll find almost 2000 five-star reviews. Purchases can be completed almost instantly, clients are very happy with the choice between secure storage and physical ownership, and over 90% would recommend BullionVault as an ideal place to buy gold.
Highly recommended for buying gold
We're very pleased to give BullionVault a big boost in our rankings. The site is easy to use and makes it possible for even the most novice investors to dip a toe into the gold market. Help stands at the ready (just remember you're working on UK time) and you've got 100% control over how much you invest, where you store it, and how you make withdrawals. BullionVault has become one of our top-recommended choices for buying gold.
Golden Eagle Coins has a remarkable history, with roots extending back to 1974. As a family-owned and operated business, it has weathered the storms of 6 recessions, navigated through 3 wars, observed the inauguration of 12 U.S. presidents, and endured 3 stock market crashes. This longevity is a testament to the resilience of both Golden Eagle Coins and the gold industry as a whole.
Coins range from common to unique
Golden Eagle Coins provides a diverse array of bullion options, encompassing gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars, and an assortment of other precious metals like platinum, palladium, rhodium, and copper. And, as you'd expect from the name, the coin selection in particular is extensive here: not only will you find the typical US options like Eagles and Buffalos, but you'll also see plenty of world options. Many are offered by Golden Eagle's rivals, such as Canadian Maple Leafs and Chinese Gold Pandas, but you may spot more unusual mints in the inventory here too. (Gibraltar Gold Dogs, Isle of Man Gold Cats, Singaporean and Mexican coins were just a few that caught our attention.)
Interesting gold products waiting for you to discover
Coins aren't all that's on offer here, though. In the "Other Gold Products” category, you may find a hidden treasure, like a 1976 Engelhard Prospector charm, or a Kinesis Egyptian Goddess gold round. This section of the site feels like visiting an estate sale: you never know what you'll spot, so be sure to check back often if you enjoy the thrill of discovering something new or unusual.
Discounts depend on form of payment
Golden Eagle Coin will give you a discount if you purchase your gold with a wire transfer or with a check. A slightly smaller discount is available when paying with Bitcoin, and you'll see a surcharge when paying with a credit card or PayPal. All of those prices are clearly displayed on each item's page.
Order limits also depend on payment type
Your order amount will also be affected by how you choose to pay. Credit card orders have a $1,000 limit, money order and cash max out at $10,000, PayPal orders have a $25,000 cap, and personal/bank checks can go up to $50,000. If you opt to buy gold via bank wire transfer, there's a $2,500 order minimum, but no maximum limits are in place. No matter how you pay, Golden Eagle doesn't charge commission fees.
Exceptional reputation
Golden Eagle Coin has a very polished reputation (pun intended). As you would hope to see with a company that has been in business longer than many of us have been alive (!), they've earned a perfect "A+” and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. Even more impressive are the 26,000 reviews we found elsewhere, with over 96% of customers giving Golden Eagle a 4- or 5-star rating. While a few people have groused a bit over shipping delays, those tend to be related to the form of payment (it takes a while for a bank check to travel in the mail and be deposited). The vast majority of Golden Eagle Coin's customers, including many who have purchased gold there for years, are thrilled with the quality, pricing, and customer service.
No option for storage
The only thing keeping Golden Eagle from a higher ranking? There are no storage options. It isn't even mentioned anywhere we could find on the site. Maybe that's not necessary for investors buying small amounts of gold at a time, but for those 1-kilo bars, the average person isn't going to want to keep that at home. Even if Golden Eagle Coin could develop a partnership with a storage facility - or give their prospective customers a recommendation for one - that would be appreciated.
Fantastic choice for gold
Nonetheless, Golden Eagle Coins is a well-established, trustworthy company, making it an excellent choice for those looking to invest in gold in substantial quantities. We wholeheartedly endorse Golden Eagle Coins as a top-tier choice for gold customers.
BGASC, which stands for "Buy Gold and Silver Coins," offers more than its name implies, with options in platinum and copper alongside gold and silver. Their mission is to maintain ample stock, ensure swift shipping, provide fair prices, and operate with integrity and efficiency. They've earned recognition as one of the United States' fastest, largest, and most reputable online suppliers of precious metals.
Specializes in gold coins
As to be expected from a business that literally has the word "coins” in the name, BGASC's inventory of gold is very heavily weighted towards coins, with a few bars to consider as well. The variety isn't quite as extensive as some sites on our list:
As to be expected from a business that literally has the word "coins” in the name, BGASC's inventory of gold is very heavily weighted towards coins, with a few bars to consider as well. The variety isn't quite as extensive as some sites on our list:
Lots of options within specific coin types
But, within each of those categories, you'll likely see specific coins that catch your attention. For example, in the American Eagles section, there were various years and weights to choose from, ranging from a single coin to a tube of 20. Just keep an eye on whether or not it says "notify me”. In that case, it's out of stock and you'll need to set up an alert for when it's again available for purchase.
4% discount when paying in "cash”
You'll have lots of information to read about each gold product you consider at BGASC. The most important detail to you will likely be the price. Gold here is competitive with most sellers on our list, and like the vast majority, BGASC offers a 4% discount if you pay by check, e-check, or wire transfer - essentially a savings for paying in "cash”. Crypto payments also entitle you to a slightly smaller discount, and credit card or PayPal orders are full price. Those are clearly displayed on every item. No matter how you choose to pay, shipping is free on orders over $199.
No storage
One noteworthy exclusion we noticed at BGASC is storage. Unlike many sites where you can buy gold, BGASC doesn't offer anything regarding what to do with yours once you've bought it. They offer no secure storage themselves, nor do they have any recommendations or partners to suggest for where you might keep your gold offsite. We're all for the concept of "do what you're best at”, and for BGASC that's apparently limited strictly to sourcing and selling precious metals - but it would make them more competitive with rival options if they could give prospective investors even an inkling of where to go for storage.
Lots of positive reviews
What about BGASC's reputation? Despite the "accredited” status we found featured on the site, the BBB had the company listed as simply "Not Rated” and not accredited when we looked it up. There were only 2 complaints filed at the Better Business Bureau over the last three years, so it's not exactly a sign of bad business practices - but it always rubs us the wrong way when we see a company advertising an accolade they don't currently possess. On a more positive note, we found thousands of positive reviews for BGASC outside of the BBB platform, with over 96% of customers giving the store a 4- or 5-star score. We found frequent compliments for BGASC's lowest-in-the-industry pricing, friendly customer service, excellent packaging and on-time delivery.
Trustworthy for buying gold, particularly coins
BGASC is a solid option when you want to buy gold, especially if coins are your preferred format. The inventory is a little less well-rounded than some stores, but BGASC's reputation makes up for that slight shortcoming. As long as you're not concerned with how to store your gold, this is a service we are very comfortable recommending for your purchase.
Money Metals Exchange was founded in 2010 as an exchange dealing in gold, silver, copper, palladium, platinum, and rhodium. Their goal is to make precious metals more accessible to regular investors.
Born in response to exploitative advertisers
The founder, Stefan Gleason, established Money Metals Exchange as a direct response to the exploitative practices of national advertisers selling "rare," collectible, and numismatic coins. These advertisers often impose hefty markups of 50%, 100%, or even more above the coins' intrinsic melt value. Money Metals Exchange firmly holds the belief that the average investor should primarily acquire precious metals that are priced close to their actual melt value. They contend that the rare coin market is better suited for seasoned collectors with substantial disposable income.
Gold subscription to put your investing on autopilot
Money Metals Exchange is one of a very small number of gold-buying sites that gives you the opportunity to set up a subscription. It's easy to automate your investment with an ongoing delivery of 1-gram gold bars, Lady Liberty rounds, American Buffaloes, Canadian Maple Leaf coins, Australian gold kangaroos, or several other options. (There's a similar subscription for silver, if you'd like to mix it up.)
Extensive list of gold categories
But, of course, you're also welcome to buy gold a la carte. Money Metals Exchange doesn't show you everything they offer on one page, so you'll need to start with a category. These include:
Need more filters
Even when you choose a category, you'll still have to scroll through to see what's on offer. We wish that MME had filters to sort by price, availability, weight, and so forth. As we scrolled, we saw that quite a few gold options were designated as "in-stock alert”: in other words, they weren't available for purchase, but interested customers could opt to be notified when it was back in stock. Some rival sites allow shoppers to display only what's actually ready to be ordered, and we'd recommend that Money Metals Exchange take a page out of their book.
Independent storage facility available
When you've decided which gold to purchase, you've got two options: shipping to you (free on orders over $199) or storage in Money Metals Exchange's secure depository. Unlike some gold sellers who partner with third-party storage facilities, MME holds gold in their own secure facility in Eagle, Idaho - and they'll proudly tell you that the county sheriff's office is in the same building. If you like the idea of having your gold stored somewhere that is completely independent of any bank, government or even Wall Street, MME's got you covered. Your fees will depend on the value of the gold you have stored (starting at $96/year for values under $16,000 and percentage-based for amounts thereafter).
Mixed but mostly positive feedback from investors
However, feedback for Money Metals Exchange is a mixed bag. It seems like you'll either love it or hate it here. Long-term customers who rave about buying gold here would tell you about the quality of the items they've purchased, the excellent shipping and customer service, and the great value of the precious metals they've added to their investments. The Better Business Bureau would agree with those clients, adding an "A+” and accreditation to the 150+ 4- and 5-star reviews left on the BBB website. However, MME gets its fair share of complaints, with 50 people taking to Trustpilot to leave this store with the lowest possible rating. To be fair, some of the unhappy customers seemed to not have a clear understanding of how it works when buying precious metals, while others took issue with delivery problems that weren't MME's fault.
Decent choice for buying and storing gold
There's a lot to like about Money Metals Exchange. Getting gold via subscription is a solid way to automate your investments, and some investors will really appreciate the way that MME offers storage in a somewhat off-grid way (though with all of the security protocols you'd expect, of course). While we're not impressed with the site navigation compared with some of MME's rivals, or with the volume of negative complaints, neither issue is enough to keep Money Metals Exchange from earning a good rating from us.
JM Bullion was founded in 2011 by two individuals in a basement in Pennsylvania, and since then it has expanded into one of the world's largest precious metals retailers. Currently, JM Bullion dispatches more than 60,000 orders monthly and has achieved the distinction of being recognized as the #1 Fastest-Growing Precious Metals Company in the Nation on Inc. 500's list.
About 900 options in stock for buying gold
We recommend that you start your search for gold on the In Stock page: like many places where you can buy gold, JM Bullion lists an inventory of multiple types, like gold bars, coins, jewelry, and even shipwreck gold, but in-stock availability varies. At the time of our most recent visit to the site, we were excited to see that there were nearly 900 options ready for purchase.
Prices range from very affordable to super expensive
On the low end, we found quite a few Goldback Notes (if you're a collector of such things) for under $20, but the lowest price gold itself was a 1/2 gram Australian Gold Mini Roo Coin for $79.85. On the opposite end of the spectrum, JM Bullion had the usual one-kilo gold bars in the neighborhood of $60,000+, which was competitively priced among the sellers on our list. However, there was an absolute show-stopper in JM Bullion's inventory that we didn't see anywhere else: the 1935 402.122 oz US Assay Office at New York Manhattan Marvel Gold Bar, priced at "just” $925,000 for buyers paying by check or wire transfer.
The usual discounts for certain payment types
That brings us to another point: like most places to buy gold, JM Bullion gives you a discount when paying by check, wire, or even crypto. You'll see those discounted prices clearly displayed as you browse individual gold items in their inventory. And, also like many other gold stores, you'll get free shipping here if your order is over $199.
Storage offered through a partner vault
If you'd rather not keep your gold at home, JM Bullion offers storage through a partnership with TDS Vaults. You'll want to make those arrangements prior to making your purchase, so that your gold can be delivered directly to your vault account. That's not as seamless as some of JM Bullion's rivals, who offer storage as part of their own packages, but we appreciate having the option through a partner.
Some concerns arise from customer reviews
Reputation-wise, JM Bullion has us feeling a little conflicted. On the one hand, they have an "A+” and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau - but on the other, there were over 200 complaints filed with the BBB over the last three years. Granted, that flawless rating means that all of those issues have been addressed appropriately, but we don't love that so many investors had a problem in the first place. Many complaints describe rude customer service reps or items delivered that differed from what the customer purchased, and that's not what you want to hear when making an investment in gold.
Even the positive ratings are a little iffy
And yet, in other places, we found over a thousand five-star reviews, bringing JM Bullion to an overall average of 4.9 out of 5. Many customers offer praise for the ease of buying gold through this platform, and quite a few of those are return buyers. Still, as we looked even through those 4- and 5-star ratings, the comments often didn't align with the score: four stars for "fix the system, I could not buy because the system kept giving me errors”? Another 4-star review for "let me know when you get [specific type of gold bar] in stock”?
Good but not great
Don't get us wrong: we're not saying that there's anything fishy about JM Bullion. Their track record with the BBB is evidence enough that they're attentive to their business and responding to all complaints. But, when looking at other places to buy gold, there are several options out there that are doing a better job of not making mistakes in the first place. We'd suggest that you use JM Bullion as a backup if you don't find what you're looking for among its higher-ranking competitors.
GoldClub Direct, situated in the heart of Sherman Oaks, California, is a pioneering force in the precious metals industry, offering a novel approach to gold buying. Their mission is to provide American gold buyers with a more cost-effective and accessible way to acquire precious metals.
Making gold buying easier and more affordable
Recognizing the pitfalls of the traditional model, including hefty markups and intermediary fees of up to 40%, they embarked on a journey to eliminate unnecessary middlemen and offer a direct-to-consumer platform. By making bulk purchases, they have turned their vision into reality, ultimately creating GoldClub Direct. Their aim is to revolutionize how people access and experience gold, making it more attainable and empowering individuals to watch their wealth grow.
Discounts and investment min/max depends on payment type
There's no minimum investment required to get started at GoldClub Direct. For online gold orders, you'll be able to buy a maximum of $20,000 per order when paying via credit, debit, or PayPal. Bitcoin payment ups the amount to $250,000, while paying via wire transfer lets you invest up to $450,000. Had a bigger purchase in mind? You'll need to call to speak to a trader; representatives are available M-F from 9A-5P (Pacific time). And, by the way, if you opt to pay with crypto or via bank wire, you'll save 3% and 4%, respectively (you may find higher discounts as you browse: we spotted a 4.25% discount when paying via wire transfer, once we added a gold product to our cart).
Solid inventory of gold options
So, what kind of gold can you buy? The selection at GoldClub Direct isn't the most or the least extensive we've seen, with 200 options listed and about 60 in stock at the time of our review. That ranged from a 1kg Gold Bullion Bar for $64,288.92 down to a 1g Heraeus Gold Bar for $82.54. Some of the most popular items at GCD include the American Gold Eagle and Buffalo, the Australian Kangaroo, several weights of Valcambi Gold Bars, and the South African Gold Krugerrand.
Storage... maybe
Shipping or storage? You'll get free delivery of your gold if your order is over $199, which is pretty standard in the industry. GoldClub Direct isn't as forthcoming with details about storage, however. They say they work with AMGL to offer safekeeping of your gold - but even when we entered one of those 1-kilo gold bars to our cart, we got all the way to the "order now” button with no mention of storage (and we can only imagine having THAT dropped off on our doorstep). If you're placing a big investment-sized order of gold, you may want to check in with GoldClub Direct first, to get more details about what storage options exist - because GCD isn't handling that themselves.
Not enough feedback yet
GoldClub Direct is a little light on investor feedback for our liking. The company has only been in business since 2020: enough time to earn an "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, but not enough to make a name for itself in other places. In all of the usual spots where customers leave feedback (like Trustpilot or Google Reviews), it's hard to find any comments from people who use GoldClub Direct to buy gold.
A tentative yes
For all of those reasons, we give GoldClub Direct a tentative recommendation. Investing in gold can feel risky, especially to a new customer, and the platform doesn't go quite far enough to reassure prospective clients of its reliability. We're encouraged by the BBB rating and we like the overall selection of gold on offer, but we'll wait for more investor reviews before giving GoldClub Direct our full confidence.
Universal Coin & Bullion, a company specializing in rare coins, has been serving customers since 1995. As the name suggests, their primary focus is on selling coins, distinguishing them from dealers offering gold bars, jewelry, or other forms of precious metals. What sets them apart is their commitment to ensuring the authenticity of each gold coin by attaching a unique barcode. Similar to many competitors, they assist buyers by prominently displaying current market values at the top of their website.
Deep knowledge available
Universal Coin & Bullion offers valuable educational resources for customers looking to enhance their understanding of the gold industry and market trends. Three books authored by Mike Fuljenz, the president of Universal Coin & Bullion, are available for purchase. These books, titled "Type Three Double Eagles 1877-1907", "Type Two Double Eagles 1866-1876” and "Indian Gold Coins of the 20th Century," provide valuable insights into the world of rare coins. Additionally, Fuljenz delivers a weekly report on gold and silver, discussing their performance in the current economic climate and their impact on businesses. The president's extensive industry experience has earned him numerous awards, solidifying his reputation as a trusted gold expert.
Not much gold to choose from
However, the selection here makes it less than ideal for many investors hoping to buy gold. At the time of this review, there were only 28 gold coins and one gold bar to choose from, and many of those were listed as "sold” or "out of stock”. The majority of their coins fall under the category of United States Mint rare coins, with a handful of options from Canada, Austria, South Africa, and Australia.
Not a smooth online buying experience
While most of the available coins can be easily added to your cart for immediate purchase, some coins require a call-in order, which might not be as convenient for some customers. We also noticed, as we added gold coins to our cart, that most of the available options had an expected delivery time of 20+ business days. This is definitely not the site to buy gold if you want it in a hurry. At least your shipping is likely to be free: Universal Coin provides complimentary delivery on all orders over $199.
Discounts when you don't pay with a credit card
If you'd like to save a little on your gold purchase at Universal Coin, consider paying with anything but a credit card. You'll get a 3.85% discount if you opt to make your purchase with a check, money order, bank wire, and so on. Those options are made available when you get to the checkout page.
Limited appeal for many investors
In terms of reputation and trustworthiness, Universal Coin & Bullion continues to have an "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. Some feedback for this gold seller is positive, saying that the coin prices came in much lower than competitors' and they didn't feel pressured into buying anything else. However, some customers have complained that the customer service response time can be slow and the website is glitchy. And, others have had an issue with Universal's one-item limit for each type of gold coin they offer, making it a less suitable choice for anyone looking to make a significant investment in gold overall or in a particular coin.
Not recommended overall
While Universal Coin & Bullion has received positive feedback for their pricing and order processing efficiency, their inventory of gold coins, coupled with some customer service concerns, will make them much less appealing to the majority of gold buyers. Universal Coin & Bullion is too limited overall to earn our recommendation for those seeking to invest in gold.
Golden State Mint, located in Central Florida, has been involved in the precious metals business for over 45 years as a family-run operation. They pride themselves on having the shortest lead times in the industry and affiliations with various respected organizations like the International Precious Metals Institute and the Token and Medal Society. They specialize in minting copper, silver, gold, platinum, and palladium, offering unique collections such as buffalo, Chinese zodiac, and more.
Lots on the list, but little available to order
Unfortunately, you're likely to be disappointed with the selection at Golden State Mint. That might not happen right away: you'll see Valcambi Gold CombiBars, PAMP Suisse gold bars, American Gold Eagle coins, and even "wearable wealth” gold bracelets on offer. Sounds great! But, when you start to browse, you may discover that almost everything listed is designated as "filling prior orders only”. At the time of this review, there were only 9 options available for purchase, ranging from $2,000 gold coins to $64,000+ gold bars.
Military discount
On the positive side, you won't pay shipping for any of those purchases: GSM gives you free delivery on orders of $199+, which encompasses everything we saw in their inventory. Also, if you're an active or veteran member of the US military, you're eligible for a 10% discount on your purchase. Just click the "Military Discount” link at the bottom of the site and follow the instructions for verifying your info.
Current prices added
Another small win for Golden State Mint is that they've added a ticker at the top of the site, to keep investors informed as to the current rates for gold, silver and the G/S ratio. That's an upgrade since our previous review.
Good reputation but not many reviews
We have no concerns about this gold retailer's reputation, either. The Better Business Bureau gives Golden State Mint a perfect "A+” rating and accreditation, and the small handful of investor reviews we discovered were all enthusiastic as well. There's just not a lot of them to consider (at least, not independent feedback beyond the testimonials page offered by GSM).
Too limited
However, at the end of the day, Golden State Mint is going to come up short for most investors. They don't have enough options in their inventory to attract collectors, there's no option for storage for anyone that doesn't want to keep their gold in their home safe (or under a mattress), you get the idea. The military discount might be appealing if that applies to you, or if you prefer to work with a smaller family-owned business, but for everyone else we'd recommend looking at the higher-ranked options on our list for buying gold.
GMR Gold is based in Texas and bills its service as a way for investors to diversify their portfolios. They specialize in advising customers on how to hold precious metals as part of an IRA, among other vehicles, and offer free expert consultations via phone to help in the decision-making and learning process.
Not easy to shop
Browsing the selection at GMR Gold isn't the smoothest experience. When we tried to view all gold products sorted by price, we got a random arrangement of items that definitely weren't organized from low-high or vice-versa. It did let us see that they offer a 2-gram gold bar for $164.95 and a 1-kilo RCM gold bar for just under $68,000, but we were frustrated by the overall lack of organization. We were also mystified to see items listed as in stock but priced at $0, like the 4 X 10 GRAM BITGOLD CUBE .9999 PURE AU. But, as we browsed (albeit with a bit of irritation), we found interesting items like a gold game controller and guitar (imagine something like a charm for a bracelet without the links for attaching them).
Subscription box
One novel feature offered by GMR Gold is the Bullion Box. If you're a fan of subscription boxes in general and would like a "set it and forget it” way of buying gold and other precious metals, this could be the perfect choice for you. You'll have to click around a little to get the details - the link at the bottom of the GMR Gold shop wasn't working, and we had to go through the Expertise dropdown at the top of the site to find it - but FYI, monthly pricing ranges from $59 to $500. Just keep in mind that it's a separate website from GMR Gold's, but the same company behind it.
Shopping isn't easy
There were a few more glitchy things we encountered as we browsed the GMR Gold website. For example, there was a big promo at the top of the site offering $200 off monster boxes with a given code - but no link to those boxes or any way of figuring out what they were. Even searching for "monster” led to no results. We also got 404 errors when trying to click to GMR Gold's Ordering Policies, Market Loss Policy, and most of the other informational pages at the bottom of the shop.
Website construction is sloppy
Because we at Top Consumer Reviews are nothing if not thorough, we dug even further and noticed that all of these errors... mysteriously disappear when changing from a resized browser window to full-screen. And then, going to the Shop site via mobile, some problems persisted - "Your Story” where it should read "Our Story”, for example - but the 404 errors disappeared. Our resident web development expert said that it indicates that GMR Gold's content management isn't coordinated correctly with some mobile views, and that the company isn't on top of how their site is viewed across different screen sizes. Take that how you like!
Not recommended
Add all of that together, plus a "Not Rated” designation from the Better Business Bureau (which was exactly the same as our previous evaluation over a year ago), and you'll understand why we had no choice but to put GMR Gold at the bottom of our list. Gold is no small investment, and to have so many broken links for important details is a big red flag. Sure, there are hundreds of five-star reviews on Trustpilot, but most of those came from several years ago. That leaves us feeling hesitant to trust GMR Gold with our money now, and we recommend that you also exercise caution before investing here.
Regardless of global economic conditions, investors also buy gold to diversify their portfolios. This spreads financial risk across different asset classes, which can strengthen a portfolio. Additionally, gold has intrinsic value, as it's used in industries like jewelry and technology, creating demand that can support its price.
In recent years, online platforms have made it easier for people to purchase gold from the comfort of their homes. Buying gold online offers several advantages. First, it provides convenience. You can research, compare prices, and make purchases anytime, anywhere. Online platforms typically have a wider selection of gold products, from coins to bars, making it easier to find the exact type of gold you want.
Reputable online retailers typically offer lower premiums over the current market price, making it a cost-effective choice. And, of course, online transactions are secure and transparent, with most dealers offering multiple payment and delivery options.
So, if you're interested in buying gold online, where do you go? There are so many options out there, and not all of them are as reputable. As you consider which platform to use for your purchase, keep these factors in mind to make a comparison:
Buying gold online can be a practical and secure way to invest in this precious metal. To help you in your gold buying search, we here at Top Consumer Reviews have researched and ranked today's most popular sites to buy gold. We hope this information makes it easy for you to get the gold you're looking for!
During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, prospectors did all sorts of crazy things in the name of finding their piece of the golden pie.
While things aren't quite that extreme today, gold is once again a hot commodity, with everyone from amateurs to seasoned investors giving it full consideration as part of their investment portfolio.
And why not invest in gold? There are a myriad of reasons why investing in gold is a good idea. The biggest reason is that unlike paper currency, gold is not affected by inflation or global uncertainty. During times when a country's paper currency is losing value, gold will gain in its worth.
The price of gold has fluctuated wildly in recent years. At the start of 2012, for example, gold was priced at $1,700 per ounce. By October of that year, gold had risen in price to over $1,800. Despite the unpredictable change in value from one day to the next, it's never too late to invest in gold. While it is true that gold likely has hit its peak and will not climb any higher, it always will have value higher than paper currency.
However, as with any investment, it is a good idea to fully understand what you should know about buying gold before taking the plunge.
First and foremost, the best way to buy gold is in its purest form: bars, jewelry and coins. Among the most popular form of gold bullion for investors is the gold coin. The trick to buying gold bullion is to buy it as close to its "spot" price as possible - or within no higher than a 10 percent premium. Premiums higher than 10 percent will make it difficult for the investor to turn a profit. The price of gold would have to rise to that level or beyond for the buyer to make any money off of their investment, and that is unlikely to happen. Gold bullion can be stored at a number of places, including safety deposit boxes at local banks. There also are some gold-specific storage facilities across the United States.
If you choose to purchase gold in this form, your next consideration should be where to keep it. Unlike paper money, which can be deposited into the local bank, gold bars and coins can be a lot more challenging to store. While many banks will allow this kind of material to be stored in a safety deposit box, most banks do not insure the contents of the boxes. So if the bank would be robbed, and your gold is among what was taken, you will not be covered for your losses. Storing it at home also is not recommended, as most homeowners' insurance policies will not cover the cost of gold in large amounts. The best option is to use a "gold pool", which is a service that holds your gold for safekeeping. These services insure all of their customers' gold against theft and damage.
Finally, it is important to purchase your gold from a reputable dealer. Make sure the dealer has recommendations and has been in business for at least a decade. Only dealers which purchase their product from the U.S. Mint are legitimate.
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