Precious metals are a fantastic investment opportunity for anyone looking to retire in the near future. But you can’t just leap towards the first dealer you encounter.
If you’re reading this review, it indicates that you've really taken this seriously. Perhaps you’ve seen Patriot Gold Group’s name a few times, but now you’re wondering if they’re a hit or a miss when it comes to investing.
With this review, we’ll tell you exactly what you need to know about this company. We’ll leave no stone unturned as we dive into this precious metals firm.
Here's a short summary before we cover the details.
3.7/5
First Glance
In business since 1986
Very good online reviews
Only BBB accredited for 3 years
About The Firm
Patriot Gold Group primarily focuses on precious metals that are eligible for IRAs. This way, investment portfolios can be diversified.
They started back in 1986, a big plus if you value experience as much as we do. They provide an overview of every precious metals transaction you do. As a facilitation dealer with the IRA, they have both Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and Professional Coin Grading Service certification. They’ve also been highly rated by Consumer Affairs since 2015.
Investments In A Time Of Uncertainty
Investments in more-traditional assets, such as bonds, mutual funds, and stocks isn’t what it used to be. People who have and are about to retire know they can’t just rely on these uncertain investments, especially as inflation occurs and the dollar devalues. That’s why you’re seeing more people investing in precious metals recently.
Patriot Gold handles the purchase and storage of precious metals. These come in coin and bar form, and all follow IRS rules. You can use these physical assets for your retirement portfolio.
You can also get them delivered to you. That said, if they’re precious metals for an IRA, the IRS stipulates you need them kept in legitimate storage space.
Any IRS-verified IRA custodian can work with Patriot Gold, their preferences are STRATA Trust Company and Equity Institutional.
For storage, they have agreements with Delaware Depository and Brinks Global. Find out whichever vault is most convenient for you, both with location and practices.
Which Products Do They Offer?
After starting your account, you can dive into various precious metals for IRAs and other non-IRA products.
For your IRA, you can choose between gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. However, they need to reach the fineness threshold to be valid for your IRA.
The silver has to have a fineness of .999 or higher, and gold needs to be .995 or above. American Gold Eagle is the exception to this. Platinum and palladium have to be .9995 or higher.
Fees
Fees are dependent on your investment minimum and what you invest in. Starting your IRA costs $225 if you’re investing less than $30,000.
Higher than $30,000, and the charge is waived. Arguably the best part is that you don’t have any fees whatsoever if your investment is $250,000 or above.
It should also be mentioned that there is an Investor Direct Pricing option. This is an excellent feature to keep away from unwanted extra costs. You’ll be told exactly what you’re paying for and how much before making your purchase. There are also no interest fees tacked onto your order.
But you will need to handle the custodian, shipment, and storage costs, which are not set in stone. Before you place your order, take a look at all the charges and make sure you’re okay with them.
While they don’t have these fees posted on their site, you can talk to the customer support department for further information.
Patriot Gold Group Complaints and Ratings
Patriot Gold Group is owned by Halt Gold Group, which boasts an A rating from the Better Business Bureau. They do have five stars on ConsumerAffairs, also. On Facebook, they have a 4.4-star rating (out of five). They also have some really positive feedback posed on Google.
Out of 128 reviews, they only have a few complaints, which is a good sign. These complaints are largely due to fees for trading, disagreements about the values of coins, and questionable marketing practices. Here are what customers have complained about:
"I received a call from one of your employees, Jack Hanney. I told him I was not interested in investing in gold at this time.
He responded with an insulting, cyber-bullying e-mail." - Emerson R.
"Keep sending emails, spamming me. I have unsubscribed, still sending." - Bill L.
To be fair, these complaints were a few years ago and they haven't had many since.
FAQ's
1. Can you put both bars and coins in your IRA?
You can only use certain kinds of coins in your precious metals IRA. You can find out which types are allowed from the IRS. Patriot Gold works with bars and coins, following IRS directions.
2. Am I allowed to choose my custodian, or will Patriot Gold make the decision?
They let you work with any United States IRA custodian, as long as the IRS has approved them. They do list Equity Institutional and STRATA Trust Company as top options for handling your precious metals IRA.
3. Am I allowed to choose the storage company, or does Patriot Gold need to approve them?
They allow storage with either Brinks Global or DDSC of Delaware. They help customers with starting their accounts and reaching out to these businesses about storage information.
How Do They Rank Against Other Firms?
Patriot Gold Group is a solid investment option for anyone unfamiliar with precious metals IRAs and anyone who has experience with them. With a self-directed precious metals IRA, you can spice up your portfolio and enjoy some great tax incentives along the way.
However, there's an unfortunate lack of reviews on essential sites, including the BBB, where they only have a handful.
Also, they have been in business for more than 30 years and have only been accredited by the Better Business Bureau for three years total. That's a bit of a concern, despite the solid reviews they have.
At Otis Gold, we thoroughly research all of the gold companies and provide info to make the best decision for you. Out of the hundreds of companies, there are three to stand out from the rest.
Below you'll see the top listing Goldco, which has over 1,500 5 star reviews just in the last few years alone! They offer everything Patriot Gold does, plus some special promotions that no other company has.
Birch Gold and Noble Gold come in a close 2nd and 3rd because of their reviews, and investment options.
We hope after reading this you feel more confident and informed with your investment options. If you know of anyone who would benefit from this article as well, don't hesitate to share it with them.
We wish you success with your investment strategy. Please feel free to comment below or reach out with any questions.