Noble Gold is an American gold brokerage firm specializing in IRA-approved precious metals. Its mission is to make dealing with gold safe and easy. The company, founded by Charles Thorngren and Collin Plume, hasn’t been around for that long. But Thorngren and Plume make up for this with a combined experience of 20 years in the gold industry. Though headquartered in Pasadena, California, in the United States, it will serve you anywhere in the world.
When you decide to invest in precious metals and rare coins, you expect certain standards from your brokerage agent. You bank on the fact that they are knowledgeable and experienced in the business, honest and transparent, and will give you a satisfactory customer experience.
This article reviews the extent to which Noble Gold meets these standards.
Noble Gold’s Services
Noble Gold offers a gold IRA, available to you if you hold a self-directed IRA.
A self-directed IRA is a non-traditional form of an individualized retirement account that lets you keep part of your funds in precious metals. Even though you manage the account, you can only purchase these precious metals through a custodian, such as Noble Gold. Noble Gold attempts to make this process hassle-free and user-friendly. The company’s advisers guide you and buy the gold for you.
Unlike other brokers who sell you gold stocks, Noble Gold acquires the physical metal and holds it in custody for you. You can also roll over your funds, pre or post-tax, to buy silver, palladium, platinum, or rare collectable coins.
Noble Gold also offers survival packs, specially selected gold and silver bullion and coins, in case of an apocalyptic economic event. They tout this not as an investment option but as a store of value for when financial systems should collapse.
Storage and Security
Noble Gold has storage facilities in both Delaware and Dallas. These repositories are registered as secure depository facilities after thorough vetting.
Their Dallas facility has secured a partnership with International Depository Services to establish Texas’s only private gold repository. Besides, Texas guards its state rights, and Noble Gold claims this makes it easier to provide better security for your precious metals.
Noble Gold guarantees this level of security when you buy their Royal Survival Pack, too. Noble Express, the company’s delivery service, disguises the package in unmarked wrapping. Further, Noble Gold insures your purchase until you sign for it. You assume no risk until you take actual possession of your gold or silver.
Noble Fortress is a delivery alternative to Noble Express. Noble Gold stores the precious metal for you in an IDS facility in Delaware and Dallas or offshore in an IDS depository in Ontario, Canada. You can access your precious metals only by producing the authentication papers the company sends to you.
Noble Gold takes great care to keep your identity and the particulars of your purchase private in any circumstance.
User Experience
Supposing the rave reviews on Consumer Affairs is anything to go by, Noble Gold is doing an outstanding job engaging with their customers.
Their stated mission, as mentioned before, is to make investing in precious metals safe and straightforward. They’ve streamlined their purchase processes to be headache-free.
The Process
- Start by filling out an IRA setup form on the company’s website. This is pretty easy and should take you no more than five minutes.
- Noble Gold will reach out to you within the next 24 hours and designate a custodian to set up an account for you. Whatever paperwork you need to fill out will be provided by the custodian.
- You will receive a self-directed IRA number when you have finished filling in all the forms. You can transact with your account using cash or choose a transfer or rollover. If you opt for the transfer, Noble Gold will shift the funds to a new custodian on your behalf.
- Unless there are hiccups, you should be ready to make your first purchase within a week.
Throughout the process, Noble Gold entitles you to free professional fact-based advice and guidance.
Who is Noble Gold’s Ideal Customer?
Almost anyone who wishes to diversify their investment portfolio by purchasing precious metals is welcome to Noble Gold. However, the focus on gold IRA and the simplicity of their processes seem designed to invite older and novice customers worried about investing their retirement funds.
How Much Does it Cost?
Noble Gold offers the lowest investment minimum of all the major gold IRA companies. You can invest as little as USD 2,000 in gold or silver. This costs you $225 a year in fees and insurance. You pay an extra $80 per annum for storage.
You can invest from $5,000-$50,000 in the Royal Survival pack at a $0 annual fee. However, the charge for storage stands.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Noble Gold aims to provide excellent and personalized customer service. They offer guidance and transparency throughout the commercial relationship.
- The company emphasizes security and goes to great lengths to ensure your precious metals are safe in storage and transit.
- If you decide to liquidate your investment, the Noble Gold buy-back policy supplies a ready market at wholesale prices.
Cons
- Noble Gold’s costs are not the most affordable. They charge you an annual $225 service fee as well as $80 in storage every year. Also, they do not waive fees for new customers as other brokerage firms do.
- Safe as their storage is, it is highly inconvenient. Noble Gold has two repositories in Delaware and Dallas in the United States and an offshore repository in Ontario, Canada. To see your gold or silver, you have to travel to one of these sites. (Besides, it defeats the purpose of a survival pack for the apocalypse if you have to travel around the world to access it.)
Final Verdict
All in all, Noble Gold scores highly on customer service and security for your investment and is a convenient option if you live in the United States. Though they provide service globally, storage is limited to the US. Their staff is also knowledgeable, and their processes are probably some of the simplest in the industry. If you’re just starting out in gold investments, Noble Gold makes for an excellent contender.
