Lear Capital

Lear Capital Gold IRA Review

We contacted Lear Capital to request a gold IRA investor kit and learned firsthand how hard the company works to educate its customers about Gold IRAs. The kit and the website provide comprehensive resources for customers to review and learn.

So how does Lear Capital compare to other Gold IRA companies? Among competitors, Lear Capital stands out for its commitment to customer service. They’ll assign you a dedicated account member to establish your account and guide you through the process.

Lear Capital Investments

Lear Capital encourages customers to invest in precious metals by purchasing gold, silver, and other precious metal coins compliant with IRS guidelines for IRAs. While other companies can help you invest in a gold IRA, Lear Capital doubles down on satisfaction and service by assigning every customer a specialist to help guide them through the investment process.

Pros

• 24-hour risk-free purchase guarantee
• Timely transactions and fast shipping
• Assigns a personal Lear representative to every customer
• Access to free Lear Learning Center

Cons

• Charges a modest annual fee for self-directed IRAs
• Minimum purchase requirement

Gold and other precious metal IRAs are an investment and carry risk. Beware of claims that customers can make a lot of money in these or any investment with little risk, as you can lose money with any investment, and past performance does not guarantee future performance results. Consumers should also clearly understand the fees associated with any investment before agreeing to invest.

Starting a Lear Capital IRA

To invest with Lear Capital, you need to start an IRA Precious Metals Account, which you can do through Lear Capital’s in-house Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Processing Department. After opening an account, the company will work with your current IRA to roll over IRA funds.

Next, Lear Capital will assign a personal representative to guide you through choosing the right gold IRA. The website clearly describes purchase options (including pictures); however, coin prices are displayed in real-time and will change throughout the day. Customers have 10 minutes to complete their order and check out at the advertised price before it updates to its current price.

After purchase, customers can wire the money over the phone to Lear Capital or mail in a check. Because it takes about two weeks for a check to be processed, Lear Capital suggests wiring the money over the phone, which takes about a week to process. Once the coins are purchased, the consumer signs the Shipping and Transaction Agreement to ship the coins to the consumer or place them in the secure depository.

Lear Capital Costs

Lear Capital charges a one-time payment of $280 for the first year for set up and maintenance and $200 annually for some self-directed IRAs—though these fees fluctuate based on the purchase amount. For example, those who invest at least $75,000 enjoy no fees on their first, second, or third-year storage and setup. All fees include storage, insurance, and 24/7 account access online.

Pricing for individual gold, silver and platinum products varies over time, but Lear Capital promises pricing transparency. Your specialist will quote all fees and taxes before final purchase—and provide a price match guarantee.

The minimum investment at Lear Capital is $25,000; however, the website does not state whether that amount has increased today.

Lear Capital Distributions

Consumers buy precious metals because of their inherent time-honored value. Even when the economy performs poorly, precious metals can maintain—or appreciate—in value. In contrast, a conventional IRA may lose value if the economy plummets. For this reason, gold and other precious metal IRAs are considered a hedge against market risks.

As Lear explains, when you’re ready to retire and withdraw funds, a Precious Metals IRA can give you an option not found with regular retirement accounts: the ability to physically possess your metals to continue distribution. You also have the option to liquidate your account, though it will subject you to annual Required Minimum Distributions (RMD). For the tax implications and more information on Gold IRAs, read how to buy gold.

Lear Capital Complaints

Consumer reviews are positive overall, with clients praising their commitment to education before making any purchases. Lear has over 1,000 reviews on Trustpilot and has earned a 4.9 rating. The general theme in customer feedback is the ease of service and how thorough representatives are in explaining investment options to the customer. For the lesser-rated reviews, Lear Capital responded and resolved the issue in a timely manner.

Lear Capital FAQs

• Does Lear Capital buy back coins?
  Lear Capital runs a no-fee buy-back program as part of its customer experience guarantee. If the consumer wants to sell back their coins at any point, they will offer to buy back the coins at the market price at the time of the buyback.

• Where is Lear Capital gold stored?
  Gold is stored at the Delaware Depository IRS-approved depository vault. Lloyds of London has underwritten its comprehensive insurance policy, which protects your assets against physical loss or damage and Acts of God.

• What are the typical Lear Capital fees?
  Each year the customer will be charged $200. This includes storage for the coins, insurance, quarterly financial statements, and 24/7 access to their account online. There are also commissions on the purchase of gold and storage fees.

• What is a precious metals IRA?
  A precious metals IRA is a self-directed individual retirement account that holds physical gold, silver, and platinum. The IRA is similar to traditional IRAs, but it has coins and bars instead of “traditional” stocks, bonds, or funds. The account holder must store the metals in their account with an IRS-approved custodian.

• How does Lear Capital make money?
  Lear Capital makes money as a full-service precious metals dealer and offers. They also specialize in helping customers set up or rollover gold and silver self-directed IRAs. When you work with Lear, you work with a full-service account executive and all costs are included in the product price.

Conclusion

Lear Capital is a steadfast industry leader that values educating its customers and top-notch customer support. This is proven by the risk-free purchase guarantees, no-fee buy-back guarantee, and free setup and storage limited offer.