Allegiance Gold Review
Allegiance Gold is part of our list of best gold IRA companies because of its flat annual fee structure and its commitment to customer education. The company partners with reputable storage depositories and connects you with an account representative to help you guide you through the process of opening a gold IRA. When you maintain a gold IRA with Allegiance Gold, you unlock lifetime account support.
Pros:
- Ongoing customer support
- First-time buyer discounts and frequent promotions on qualified purchases and referrals
- No buyback fees
- Flat IRA fee structure
- Reputable storage partners
- Free insured and discreet shipping
- Comprehensive online “Learning Center”
Cons:
- No buyback guarantee (although company assures it has never turned down buybacks from existing customers)
- Coin prices not available online
Gold and other precious metal IRAs are an investment and carry risk. Consumers should remain alert to claims that customers can make a lot of money in these or any investments with little risk. As with any investment, you can lose money. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance results. Consumers should also gain a clear understanding of the fees associated with any investment before agreeing to invest.
Allegiance Gold Features
Allegiance Gold is a national precious metal advisor that helps investors fund a gold IRA or buy precious metals for home storage. As a member of respected consumer protection agencies like the American Numismatic Association (ANA), Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA), and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Allegiance Gold is committed to delivering accurate information and reliable service to consumers.
Experienced senior portfolio advisors will guide you through the process of funding your account with IRA-approved metals. To meet IRA standards, the gold coins and bullion offered must have a fineness of 99.5% or higher. Allegiance Gold’s inventory complies with this standard by providing an assortment of options, such as American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, and Credit Suisse bars, among others.
- Metals: Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bars and coins
- Minimum investment: $10,000
- Fees: Flat storage, account maintenance
- Storage options: Delaware Depository, Brinks Security, International Depository Services
IRS regulations require you to store the gold used to fund precious metal IRAs at an approved depository, but Allegiance Gold also sells collectible coins you can store at home. By partnering with top-tier storage depositories, the company ensures your precious metals are safeguarded by cutting-edge security measures, round-the-clock monitoring, and comprehensive insurance coverage of up to $1 billion through Lloyd’s of London.
Allegiance Gold runs frequent promotions, including an ongoing first-time buyer discount. Certain qualifying purchases can also receive free metals of up to $10,000, deals for referrals, and a free storage safe for qualified purchases.
Starting an Allegiance Gold IRA
You can set up a gold IRA online, through a physical application, or through a free consultation with a portfolio manager who is able to answer specific questions about the process. Once your application is complete, you can fund the account via a direct gold 401(k) rollover, an IRA transfer, or a cash contribution before you begin purchasing IRS-approved precious metals.
Allegiance Gold Costs
Unlike other gold IRA companies and gold dealers, Allegiance Gold does not list individual precious metal pricing on its website. You must call a representative for more information about the items you want to invest in. You can view the current spot price of gold on their website. A representative told us that there is a minimum IRA investment requirement of $10,000 and a $5,000 direct purchase requirement. In addition to its promotional offers, Allegiance Gold strives to minimize its clients’ expenses by waiving shipping and insurance costs for all buyers.
The self-directed IRA fees are flat amounts, which means they will not fluctuate with your account balance. Annual IRA fees include the following:
- $100 storage for the depository up to $100,000 worth of metals
- $95 for account maintenance
Depending on the transaction amount, Allegiance Gold will cover these third-party fees. A representative shared that the company will waive the first year of fees for accounts greater than $50,000 and the first three years of fees for accounts greater than $100,000.
Allegiance Gold Withdrawal
Like any other IRA, you’ll be assessed a 10% penalty if you withdraw from your precious metal and gold IRA early, before age 59 1/2. You can start taking withdrawals when you turn 59 1/2, but you’re not required to take them until you are age 70 1/2, at which time you must take the required minimum distribution to avoid penalty. For gold IRA distributions, you can choose an in-kind distribution (the physical assets are shipped to you) or a liquid distribution (you sell the metals for cash). The experts at Allegiance Gold will help you with this process.
Allegiance Gold advertises a simple buyback program with no buyback fees. While the company legally cannot guarantee that it will make an offer or actually purchase your metals, although company assures it has never turned down buybacks from existing customers. Also, a company representative told us that the prices it offers are above the industry average.
Allegiance Gold Complaints
It’s difficult to find complaints about Allegiance Gold online. The company has been BBB accredited since 2018, where it has an A+ rating and five-star reviews. Allegiance Gold has achieved the highest rating of AAA with Business Consumer Alliance and it boasts all 5-star reviews on Trust Link, with many of the reviews thanking representatives by name for their helpfulness and professionalism.
Our Experience With Allegiance Gold
We emailed a representative who was happy to respond with additional insight on costs and the buyback program. While Allegiance Gold has a live chat feature online, it only exists to connect customers to a representative who will call them at a later date. This means we were unable to ask questions directly via their website.
To learn more about Allegiance Gold’s educational materials, we requested a free investors kit. A 32-page PDF, sent via email, explains the benefits of owning gold and why owning precious metals can help safeguard retirement. The kit did not offer any additional information about gold IRA fees, but it did outline Allegiance’s three-step diversification strategy. As with all other gold IRA companies that also require customers to call for pricing, we’d like to see Allegiance Gold become more transparent about its precious metal pricing and fees, so potential customers can budget better.
Allegiance Gold FAQs
What metals does Allegiance Gold offer?
Allegiance Gold sells a wide selection of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars. A snapshot of its inventory includes:
- American Gold Eagle coins
- Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins
- American Silver Eagle proof coins
- Kennedy silver dollar coins
- Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf coins
What are the typical Allegiance Gold fees?
The self-directed IRA fees are flat amounts due annually: $100 for depository storage up to $100,000 worth of metals, plus $95 for account maintenance. Allegiance Gold will cover a portion of these third-party fees for one to three years if you maintain an account greater than $50,000.
What is Allegiance Gold’s diversification approach?
Allegiance Gold uses a three-layer diversification approach to help combat market instability and increase returns. They suggest diversifying investments with various types of metals (e.g., silver, gold, platinum, palladium) and denominations (e.g., a standard 1 oz and a 1/10 oz metal). Finally, they propose buying bullion and coins from at least two independent mints, like the U.S. Mint and the Royal Mint.
Where does Allegiance Gold store precious metals?
The IRS requires storing assets funded with a gold IRA in an approved depository. Allegiance Gold representatives will explain your storage options, which include safe, insured storage at the Delaware Depository Service Company and International Depository Services.
Does Allegiance Gold buy back coins?
Yes, and they don’t charge fees for the service. Allegiance Gold will buy back coins, but for legal reasons, they do not guarantee any offers or purchases. However, a representative informed us that the company has never turned down buybacks from existing customers and that the prices offered are well-above the industry average.
Conclusion
Allegiance Gold is worth considering if you want a company committed to helping you buy and sell IRA-approved precious metals. Customers benefit from exclusive discounts, promotions, free and insured shipping, lifetime account support, and unlimited access to educational resources and market insights. For those new to buying gold, Allegiance Gold’s first-time buyer discount is an enticing offer. However, you’ll need to invest at least $10,000 to open a gold IRA, and even though its fee-free buyback program is competitive, a repurchase is not guaranteed.