The threat of ever-increasing inflation and a looming recession is stronger now than ever. More and more investors are turning to precious metals to safeguard their wealth which is a very wise decision in my opinion.
Precious metals, especially gold and silver, are excellent storage mediums for wealth that come with built-in inflation resistance. There’s a reason these metals are called safe-haven assets after all.
But, in my experience, the biggest conundrum many new investors face isn’t whether they should invest in precious metals or not. Rather, they’re not sure where to safely buy the metals from. To this end, I’ve been on the lookout for trustworthy precious metal dealers, and Gold Avenue is one of the best ones I’ve come across.
My initial impressions of the company are fairly positive. What I like the most is that it’s not just limited to the US and instead tends to the needs of investors from around the world. Plus, the in-house storage service is also quite convenient for an effortless but secure self-directed precious metal IRA.
However, first impressions don’t show the full picture. So, before I can recommend Gold Avenue wholeheartedly, let’s take a closer look at what it has to offer.
Brief Overview
While I couldn’t find the exact year Gold Avenue launched its services, I did learn that it has been in business for over 60 years. This alone is ample proof of the company's trustworthiness in my eyes, as precious metal dealers have to be good to survive this long in such a competitive industry.
Another surprising aspect of Gold Avenue, besides its age, is its sheer scale. This precious metals dealer has over 700 employees in more than 15 office locations around the world. The most notable of these regions include:
This variety of locations allows the company to keep its delivery fees as minimal as possible, as it doesn’t have to ship internationally from a single country. This also provides a localized support system for its customers in these regions which many of the international investors I know would appreciate.
Reviews and Ratings
Review Site | Rating | Number of Reviews | Complaints in Past 12 Months |
---|---|---|---|
TrustPilot | 4.7/5 | 2,056 | 3 (1-star reviews) |
Bullion Directory | 4.5/5 | 8 | 0 |
The Best Gold IRA Companies in 2024
Before I get started with this review, I want to inform you that I have reviewed dozens of precious metal IRA companies over two decades, and I have curated a list of the top 5 gold IRA companies in 2024. I highly recommend reading this article before proceeding with an IRA transfer.
The #1 Best Gold IRA is Augusta Precious Metals, with its A+ rating from Better Business Bureau, hundreds of 5-star reviews, and lifetime account support. Read my review on Augusta Precious Metals, or visit the official Augusta website to learn more.
What Makes the Company Stand Out?
The sheer amount of positive reviews for Gold Avenue is a good indicator of its reputation in the precious metal investment community. But, reputation alone isn’t enough to make a dealer worth your consideration.
What I’m more interested in are the services it provides and these are the ones that attracted my attention the most when analyzing Gold Avenue:
Massive bullion collection
Despite its name having gold in it, Gold Avenue sells bullion for the most popular precious metals which are:
So, no matter which one you want to purchase, Gold Avenue’s got you covered. Plus, I also found these metals in the forms of many unique cast bars, minted bars, and coins — allowing you to choose the type that best fits your needs.
Accurate pricing
Gold Avenue sells its precious metals according to their most recent market prices. You can even see the live prices at the very top of its website.
This makes Gold Avenue’s prices some of the lowest I’ve seen — making it the ideal choice for investments of all sizes.
Additionally, the live pricing model also means that investors can wait for a dip to make their purchase and make a profit on the bounce back.
International service
Gold Avenue is a truly international precious metal dealer. Not only can you invest from almost any country, but the company’s website is also available in four different languages so investors that aren’t fluent in English can still secure their wealth in gold or silver.
Plus, Gold Avenue’s local offices in more than 15 locations globally makes customer support a lot more efficient.
Auto-Savings
Auto-Savings is Gold Avenue’s recurring purchase model with one of the best implementations of this idea. Here’s what it offers:
Let’s say you’ve signed up for this service and chosen a specific precious metal product you want, like the 100-gram gold bar. Now, Gold Avenue will send you a 100g gold bar each month (or at any time interval you choose) to help you build a solid precious metal investment over time.
You can pause or cancel the service any time you want, so there is no commitment or downsides to it, and you can amass a respectable amount of gold or silver over years of automatic, hassle-free purchases.
Generous buyback
What’s the point of purchasing precious metal assets if you cannot liquidate them with ease? This is why the resell program of Gold Avenue holds a high importance in my eyes.
Under this program, you can sell your precious metal bullion to Gold Avenue at current market prices, and receive the money in your bank. The company doesn’t charge any commission on this sale so you get the maximum profit on your investment.
The best part of this program for me is that it’s also linked to Gold Avenue’s storage service. So you can sell the metals stored in their vaults whenever you want without any issues.
Fees
The number one thing I look for when assessing the fee structure of precious metal dealers is just how open they are about charges like shipping and commission. Unsurprisingly, Gold Avenue excels in this regard as well as it provides a detailed fee structure right on its website.
All I had to do was visit the pricing page and they had detailed shipping fees for each country they ship to. This also listed the percentage of delivery insurance alongside the shipping cost which is appreciated.
From my research, the company also doesn’t charge any additional commission on top of the precious metal prices.
Plus, you also have the option to pay for your order and these fees with either a wire transfer or a credit/debit card. However, it is important to note that using a card will incur a surcharge of 3% as a convenience fee for significantly faster payment processing, which I find worth it.
Storage Services
If you’re worried about the risks of handling and storing precious metals yourself, which is understandable, you can avail Gold Avenue’s storage service.
This service allows you to store your metal investments and self-directed IRA in a secure and insured storage facility in Switzerland.
I did a little more digging regarding the cost of this storage service and here’s what I found:
I quite like this variable pricing model as it makes it easier for low-volume investors to stay secure without having to spend a ton of money for storage.
The best part of this storage service, especially for profit-driven investors like myself, is that it is directly linked to Gold Avenue’s 0% commission resale program. This allows you to liquidate your assets into cash quickly when the need arises.
How to Invest with the Company
Thanks to its online retail service, investing in precious metals with Gold Avenue is just as effortless as shopping from any other online retailer. Here are the simple steps I used to purchase metals from this company:
Next, click on the cart icon on the upper right of the web page and the rest of the process is quite similar to what you might see on retailers like Amazon. One difference here is that you can choose between secure storage or delivery on the cart page.
Note that you will need a Gold Avenue account to complete the purchase. However, from my experience, the account creation process takes only a couple of minutes to complete.
Is It Reliable?
From everything I’ve seen, it’s safe to say that Gold Avenue is quite reliable. The biggest proof of this, in my opinion, is its reviews on Trustpilot. Out of the 2,000+ reviews, over 80% are 5-star, indicating just how good Gold Avenue’s service is as a whole.
My own experience with this precious metal dealer was also in line with these positive reviews. I did not experience any hiccups when placing the order or paying for it with my credit card. It also arrived on time and was exactly what I ordered without any issues.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a summary of my thoughts on Gold Avenue.
Pros
Cons
Final Verdict
After analyzing every aspect of its service, Gold Avenue definitely earns my full recommendation. It is one of the best international precious metal dealers I’ve reviewed. There is just so much to like about it, from its reliable storage and delivery services to market-competitive prices and tons of product options.
However, I should point out that while I recommend Gold Avenue, you should still do your own research before investing with them or any other dealer. It is also a good idea to consult with a financial advisor before investing your life savings into gold or silver.
FAQs
Yes, it does. It ships to most European countries and many others. If your country is not on Gold Avenue’s shipping list, you can still purchase metals and use the company’s storage service.
From my experience, most deliveries are completed within 4-15 working days of placing the order.
There is no maximum limit on the order size. But, if you want to purchase precious metals that are worth more than 100,000 USD, you will have to contact the company’s sales department at this number: +41 (0)22 518 92 11.
Yes, you can withdraw your precious metals from Gold Avenue’s storage service whenever you want and the company will deliver them to your address just like any other order.