Oxford Gold Group Review
Oxford Gold Group is a precious metals dealer in Los Angeles, California, specializing in precious metal or gold IRAs. The company was founded in 2017 by partners with over 20 years of experience after they grew frustrated with the high brokerage commissions charged by other companies. There are no commissioned salesmen; only the partners with a personal stake in the company ensure customers get the best service possible.
Pros
- Specializes in precious metals IRAs
- Makes buying and selling more accessible for clients
- Partners have over 20 years experience
Cons
- Currently working with only two IRA custodians
Gold and other precious metal IRAs are an investment and carry risk. Consumers should be alert to claims that customers can make a lot of money in these or any investment with little risk. As with any investment, you can lose money and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance results. Consumers should also obtain a clear understanding of the fees associated with any investment before agreeing to invest.
Oxford Gold Group Products and Services
Oxford Gold Group is a full-service dealer with access to various precious metals for direct purchase. The company deals in an assortment of gold and silver bars and coins approved for IRA investments, private collections, and other products traded on the precious metals market. Precious metals allowed in a self-directed IRA are gold, silver, platinum and palladium. An Oxford Gold partner can ensure that these are in an IRS-approved form.
What Oxford Gold Group is truly selling is its service. The partners are in business to handle what would otherwise be complex precious metals transactions. They help clients formulate an investment plan with the appropriate amount of risk for the individual. Oxford Gold Group’s 24/7 customer service is there to help clients protect and grow the equity in their accounts.
Precious Metals Investing with Oxford Gold Group
Precious metals IRAs are self-directed IRAs that hold gold bullion and other precious metals that the IRS approves. It is essential to work with an experienced dealer to ensure your IRA holds the correct metals and meets storage guidelines with an approved non-bank trustee or a bank where access to your investment is limited.
When you work with Oxford Gold Group to set up a precious metal IRA or a non-retirement investment account, you own the physical precious metals instead of holding stock in companies. These investments are attractive to investors concerned about the dollar’s possible devaluation or who want a hedge against a stock market crash.
If you own the actual metals, there is no concern about electronically-stored stock ownership records being incorrect or inaccessible due to computer errors on Wall Street. Compared to investing in diamonds and other precious stones where there is limited access to open markets and supply is often controlled by one company (DeBeers, in the case of diamonds), precious metals are much easier to buy and sell.
Like other IRAs and investments, the trustee must report asset gains and losses on IRS Form 1099-B. Storage facilities must segregate precious metals by each customer, so the metals purchased are the same when sold. Form 8300 must be submitted to the IRS when you buy over $10,000 worth of precious metals in a single transaction or a set of transactions 24-hours.
| Gold | Silver | Platinum | Palladium |
|---|---|---|---|
| – Any size at .995 fineness or better adding up to 32.15 troy ounces or more – 25 or more 1-ounce Maple Leaf coins – 25 or more 1-ounce Krugerrand coins – 15 or more 1-ounce Mexicana Onza coins |
– Any size at .999 fineness or better adding up to 1000 troy ounces or more – Any blend of coins with a total value of $1,000 or more for 90% silver U.S. coins |
– Any size at .9995 fineness or better adding up to 25 troy ounces or more | – Any size at .9995 fineness or better adding up to 100 troy ounces or more |
Oxford Gold Group Costs
Oxford Gold Group uses an annual flat maintenance fee structure for precious metal IRAs. Maintenance fees range from $175 to $275 per year, depending on the amount invested in the IRA. Oxford Gold can offer customers a flat fee structure because they’ve built a relationship with IRA custodians STRATA and Equity Institutional to standardize services and costs.
Owners of larger accounts get rebates to reduce maintenance fees. Rebates vary depending on the size of the account, and larger accounts can use rebates for several years. A partner at Oxford Gold Group told us their average IRA client pays no maintenance or storage fees on accounts for the first three years under the rebate program.
Storage costs vary depending on the vault depositories Oxford utilizes for an account. On average, storage fees run from $175 to $225 a year. However, Oxford Gold might offer rebates to clients for one to five years for storage fees, depending on the investment size. There are no shipping fees.
Oxford Gold Group charges commissions for buying or selling precious metals — an investment norm — but does not charge brokerage fees. There are minimum amounts-per-purchase restrictions, with $7,500 for an IRA and $1,500 to buy metals outside of an IRA. When the time comes to liquidate holdings, Oxford Gold Group has both a buy-back and a no-fee liquidation program.
| Fee | Fee Details |
|---|---|
| Annual Account Maintenance Fees | – $175 for accounts valued under $100,000 – $275 for accounts valued at or over $100,000 |
| Storage Fees | – Vary from $175 to $225/year. Oxford Gold covers fees for one to five years – Rebates of up to $2,500 for qualifying clients |
| Shipping Fees | – No fee for shipping to clients |
| Minimum Transactions | – $7,500 per IRA purchase – $1,500 direct purchase |
How to Open an Oxford Gold Group Precious Metals IRA
Oxford Gold Group works to make the rollover and new account process simple; they strive to hit an application goal of 15 minutes or less. An Oxford Gold Group partner can work with you over the phone to complete the application for a new self-directed IRA or rollover IRA. Once you complete the application, your dedicated partner sends the form to you for signatures and copies of identification. Then, they can often open an account within 24 hours.
If your new account is a precious metals rollover IRA, Oxford Gold Group will contact your current IRA custodian to arrange to transfer funds into the new account. Most custodians complete the transfer in three to ten days. After funds are received, an Oxford partner will go over investment options with you to make the initial precious metal purchases for the IRA.
Our Experience with Oxford Gold Group
While several gold IRA companies offer investor kits, we thought Oxford’s starter resources explained the differences (i.e., your options) for investing in bullion, numismatic, and semi-numismatic metals better than competitors. The kit also detailed what to expect when transferring your gains to your beneficiaries.
We found Oxford Gold Group’s investor kit most helpful and effective for engaging new customers. They sent us a 15-page PDF full of relevant information about precious metals, the storage depositories they partner with, and ways to diversify our portfolios with different metals.
In the future, we’d like to see Oxford become more transparent about its applicable gold IRA fees and precious metal prices. While the company lists real-time metal prices online, we found it harder to budget for additional expenses that come with opening and maintaining a gold IRA without speaking to a representative directly.
Oxford Gold Group Complaints
Oxford Gold Group has a four out of five-star rating with Trustpilot, with customers noting how pleased they were with the detailed answers to questions received from Oxford Gold partners. Oxford Gold Group is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating. There’s only one negative review since 2021, which states it took longer than expected to recieve their physical metals.
Oxford Gold Group FAQs
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What types of retirement accounts can Oxford Gold Group rollover into a Self-Directed IRA
Several types of retirement accounts qualify for a precious metals IRA rollover, including:
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- 401(k)
- SEP IRA
- SIMPLE IRA
- Thrift Savings Plan
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Can Oxford Gold Group help me find a custodian for my IRA?
Oxford Gold Group currently works with STRATA and Equity Institutional for precious metal IRA custodian services. You can also contact the IRS for a list of their approved IRA custodians. However, working with a custodian who has no current relationship with Oxford may complicate your IRA purchases and could fall outside the flat fee service.
Source: Getty -
What storage company does Oxford Gold Group recommend?
Oxford Gold Group currently offers free storage and insurance (subject to terms and conditions) through Delaware Depository, one of the most recognized depositories in the U.S. -
Why can’t I store my Oxford gold or other precious metals at home?
If you choose to invest in precious metals outside of an IRA, you can store gold and other precious metals in your home; however, this is not recommended for security purposes. Your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover the precious metals if they are stolen. IRS regulations do not allow holding precious metals in an IRA at home or in a personal safety security box. -
Does Oxford Gold Group guarantee the rate of return on precious metal IRAs?
There are no guaranteed investments in any market. Gold and other precious metal values rise and fall. Gold and silver rose significantly between 2000 and 2011, then experienced a downturn for several years before recovering. Investment experts usually recommend a long-term approach to invest in precious metals, as is the case for most retirement investments.
Conclusion
The partners who own Oxford Gold Group left other precious metals firms because they saw a chance to offer a high level of customer service and knowledge of the business for lower fees. By partnering with a small group of custodians and vault companies, Oxford Gold can make Precious Metals IRAs as simple as possible for the consumer. As a newer company, customer feedback online is limited, but the reviews are positive. We recommend that potential clients speak directly to a partner to determine if Oxford Gold Group is a good fit for their investment goals and preferred level of service.
If you’re interested in getting a quote or learning more about Oxford Gold Group, call 888-200-5586 or visit their website for a personalized quote.