Are you planning to secure your hard-earned income by investing in precious metals? While precious metals have always been an ideal investment option, deciding which company you should invest with can be a difficult decision. With the endless options available today, only a few precious metals investment companies stand up to the investor’s expectations.
After working in the precious metals industry for over two decades, I am here to help you navigate through the best of the companies in the industry with my detailed reviews.
In this article, we will look at what Orion Metal Exchange offers — from its products, services, online ratings, and more. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know, to determine whether Orion is the ideal investment partner for you.
Orion Metal Exchange: A Brief Overview
Orion Metal Exchange, based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Jacob Blalock. With 40 years of precious metals investment experience, Jacob brings his vast knowledge and expertise to the company and emphasizes providing complete transparency and investment support to students.
Orion provides an extensive array of investment offerings, including real-time price alert slides, a buyback program, a wide range of investment options and a dedicated in-house full-service IRA department. With a simple phone call, you can access top-notch customer service and convenient investment support to safeguard your earnings.
Even with all of these offerings, the standout aspect is this: based on my own interaction with the company, they extend expert advice to investors even when they aren’t prospective clients.
This stellar customer service and dedication to helping investors make better decisions is evident from the company's countless positive reviews on BBB, Consumer Affairs, Google Reviews, and other sites.
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 Orion Metal Exchange Stand Out?
What is so special about Orion Metal Exchange that differentiates it from other investment companies in the market? Considering my thorough research and vast track record, Orion Metal offers multiple customer-friendly features and a wide range of investment options in the precious metals category.
It is worth noting that during my research, I found that Orion’s primary focus and competence is in its Gold IRA investment services. Nonetheless, their offerings are not limited in any way. Let’s now explore these other offerings below in detail.
Precious Metals
Orion Metal Exchange offers a large selection of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. When I researched on their website, I found multiple coins and bars listed in each section. Here is a small sample of the investments available:
- Gold American Eagle
- Gold Canadian Maple Leaf
- Proof Gold American Eagle
- IRA Approved Gold Bars
- Silver American Eagle
- Proof Silver American Eagle
- IRA Approved Silver Bars
- Platinum American Eagle
- Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf
- IRA Approved Platinum Bars
- Palladium American Eagle
- Palladium Maple Leaf
- IRA Approved Palladium Bars
While their offerings go beyond the list above, it is important to note that the supply of the precious metals on offer may fluctuate. Hence, if you plan to invest in a specific asset, you may have to wait a little while for the product to be available. Otherwise, you also have the option to choose from the latest products listed on their website.
Precious Metals IRA
Let’s discuss Orion Metal’s most popular and positively reviewed service: Precious metals IRAs. As I said earlier, the company’s IRA services are their main focus and competency, which you can access by contacting their full-service in-house IRA department.
The competent professionals at the IRA department will assist you with the entire account setup process on a phone call. Besides helping you understand how an IRA account works, the company also assists you in rolling over funds to your account.
Furthermore, Orion Metal Exchange collaborates with all IRA custodians and depositories nationwide to ensure you're connected with the optimal choice for your precious metals IRA investment requirements. This means you're never alone when you choose to partner with Orion Metal Exchange.
This was a standout feature of the company that amazed me. Unlike other companies I have invested with, Orion’s IRA department made sure to assist me in locating the finest custodian and depository program that catered to my budget and investment requirements.
Storage Options
Besides their excellence in providing precious metals IRA investment services, Orion’s storage services won another point from me when crafting this review. Why exactly? The company offers assistance to customers for comprehending IRA account setup, identifying suitable custodians, and making optimal investments. To my pleasant surprise, they also provide support for establishing third-party storage accounts.
Specifically, their customer care helps you locate and set up an insured third-party commercial depository within the United States. To top it off, Lloyd's of London insures every IRA commercial depository storage according to the asset’s value. This added to the credibility and security of the precious metals in my IRA account with Orion.
Insured Home Delivery
Besides providing top-notch IRA investment services, Orion Metal Exchange emphasizes securing the delivery of physical precious metals. They let you guarantee product and pricing with a phone call, and within 30 seconds, you can buy gold, silver, platinum and palladium over a recorded tradeline.
Once you’ve made the purchase, Orion offers insured shipping with tracking numbers so you can monitor your insured item until it reaches your specified address. As for shipping, the typical timeframe for receiving your order is 5-7 business days from the date you pay for your order. However, if you pay through check, the delivery may take 10-12 days from the payment date.
Buyback Program
Orion Metal Exchange also emphasizes providing complete assistance when it's time to liquidate your assets. This means you won’t be alone when you decide to sell your gold or silver. Here, you have two options, including:
Taking physical custody of your precious metals when you withdraw from your IRA at Orion Metal Exchange.
Completely liquidating your assets to receive your withdrawals in cash. This process takes 3-5 business days.
I find this to be an excellent choice for those who possess precious metals IRA accounts and physical assets. Investors want to get the best possible price for their assets, while cutting down on the struggle of finding a buyer.
Charts
Orion Metal Exchange’s commitment to client education goes beyond customer services. From what I explored, the company’s website features a dedicated charts section for their investors. With a chart available for each precious metal, i.e., gold, silver, platinum and palladium, you can evaluate the growth of your preferred assets.
These charts show price data of precious metals dating back 10 years, enabling you to compare different asset pricing and make better financial decisions.
News
Last but not least, Orion Metal’s website also features a news section. As a professional in the industry for decades, I believe exploring the latest news and updates on precious metals helps you make better investment decisions.
With the latest news, you can understand where the market is headed, the current trends, and the don’ts of investing in them. Gladly, Orion’s News section features content on all this and more — so you can review it before making that long-awaited investment decision.
How to Invest with Orion Metal Exchange?
If all this isn’t enough, Orion Metal Exchange offers a straightforward precious metals IRA investment solution with little to no effort required from your end. Yes, their team of professionals has your back every step of the way.
Considering my experience of investing with companies for over two decades, I came across very few companies with such a straightforward investment process. So, what does this process entail? Let’s take a look:
Step #1: Get Insights
Once you call Orion’s IRA department, one of their professional representatives will guide you through the entire process and the benefits of investing in an IRA account.
Step #2: Fund Rollover
Then, Orion’s IRA department will contact your current retirement account custodian and request that your retirement account money be transferred. Investors in retirement accounts can roll over an account they already have or open a new IRA account in tangible rare metals. Here, I suggest you consult a CPA or tax advisor to determine the best choice for you before making a final decision.
Step #3: Connect with an IRA Custodian
Lastly, the company’s specialized in-house IRA department helps you choose the best precious metal custodian and insured precious metal depository. With the right custodian and depository service, you can invest your preferred precious metals and add them to your IRA account.
But wait! Orion Metal Exchange’s services don’t end just here. Instead, Orion’s IRA department can also help you set up a rare metals account, put money into that account, and, if you want, explore more options to make the most of your retirement account.
Orion Metal Exchange Fees
When considering the fees of a precious metals company, you must consider companies that are entirely transparent with their charges. From my experience, this is paramount to ensure a smooth and hassle-free investment experience.
With that in mind, when I looked into Orion's fee details, I was disappointed to find no specific details on their website.
Their IRA department offers the lowest fee options by helping you find a suitable IRA scheme that fits your budget. Yet, they don’t specify a certain amount for investors to expect beforehand in order to evaluate whether to invest with the company.
Orion Metal Exchange Rating on Consumer Review Sites
Consumer Protection Agency | Rating | Number of Reviews | Complaints in Past 12 Months |
---|---|---|---|
Better Business Bureau (BBB) | A+ | 52 | 0 |
TrustPilot | 4.9/5 | 185 | 2 reviews that are below 4-star |
Consumer Affairs | 4.7/5 | 178 | 4 reviews that are below 4-star |
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
The Verdict
Undeniably, Orion Metal Exchange is a trustworthy precious metals IRA provider with greater transparency than most precious metals IRA providers I have worked with. They have everything from offering investors the latest precious metals rates and costs on their website, a wide selection of precious metals, a buyback program, and secure storage alternatives.
This proves that Orion Metal Exchange is a reliable company to partner with for precious metals and IRA investments.
However, their website lacks pricing details, which does leave some room for doubts. Hence, I suggest you contact their representatives and confirm the charges before proceeding. Eventually, if the company doesn’t fulfill your requirements, you can always check out more options through my article on the precious metals companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
An IRS Form 1099-B lets the IRS know how much money a person makes from selling rare metals. While some valuable metal items need a 1099-B form when sold, some don’t.
When a consumer purchases the minimum quantity of any precious metals product included on the IRS's Reportable Items List, precious metal dealers must file a 1099-B form. Considering this, reporting criteria can differ depending on the currency or bullion piece(s) sold.
Many unbiased investment specialists advise clients to diversify 10-20% of their assets in physical precious metals. However, I feel that precious metals should be included in a well-diversified portfolio. So, every person should choose the percentage that best meets their unique investment goals and needs.