Lear Capital has been around a long time. That’s one thing that should make you feel better about making a big investment with them. They are not some fly-by-night outfit that parachutes into the market when gold starts taking off. They really know the space. They have been helping people with precious metals investments and IRAs since 1997. The company has over $3 billion in TRUSTED transactions so far, and over 90,000 happy customers. Lear Capital is, without a doubt, one of the most solid choices for anyone wishing to invest in gold and precious metals.
Pros
- IRA and 401(k) rollovers for no money out of pocket. Fees can come directly from the account.
- Up to $15,000 in bonus metals if your order is big enough
- Price match guarantee
- Free IRA set-up and storage - up to 3 yrs (a $680 value) for qualifying accounts
- 24 Hour no-risk purchase guarantee
- 1 year commission free after initial transaction
- In business since 1997 – 2X longer than competitors.
- IRS-approved custodians for secure IRA storage
- Personal account executives for concierge service
- 15-day delivery with free, insured shipping
Reviews and customer service
We especially liked the way calls are routed directly to your Account Representative at Lear Capital. No phone trees or waiting on hold or talking to robots. You don’t even have to remember their name. The system recognizes your phone number and knows where to send your call. Your call goes right to your Account Executive’s desk, so that’s a lot of aggravation saved right there. Smart. We wonder why every company doesn’t do this yet.
With more than 25 years’ experience in the gold investing space, Lear Capital takes customer satisfaction very seriously.
In fact, Lear Capital has a solid 4.9 / 5 star rating from Google. Their TrustPilot rating is also excellent with 4.9 / 5 possible stars with 870 reviews. This company values their reputation and will work hard to maintain it. That’s good news for customers - with an overall highly-positive online reputation and a solid, lengthy track record, trusting Lear Capital with your precious metals purchase is a very safe bet.
Investment choices
Lear Capital offers IRA rollovers, either in whole or in part. You can also open a brand new IRA or buy physical metals to be shipped straight to your door. If you’re short on cash these days (who isn’t?) but you know you want gold in your investment accounts, they offer a great option to rollover an IRA and have the fees deducted right from the account. So in effect, you can gain a large exposure to precious metals for absolutely nothing out of pocket. Just a matter of a few phone calls with them and some fairly straight-forward paperwork.
NOTE: Online account opening is not available through Lear Capital. You must speak with a representative on the phone. However, account executives are very responsive and very easy to get in touch with for follow-up. You will get a personal account executive who handles your transactions from start to finish. AEs are very knowledgeable about gold markets and can help you decide the best strategies for your unique situation.
Keep in mind that IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) have special tax benefits and are thus hands-off to the owner until retirement age, generally speaking. But investment in precious metals bullion coins and bars is allowed for self-directed IRAs as long as the underlying investment is held in an approved depository with an IRS approved custodian. It’s not as complicated as it sounds, and Lear Capital works with a very solid and reputable custodian and depository as well. You can still manage your self-directed IRA easily and your AE helps you every step of the way, beginning with making sure the metals you select are IRA-eligible per the IRS – this is critical.
There are strict rules in place about what you can and can’t have in your precious metals IRA. From there, Lear will help you purchase, transport, and store your metals safely. When it is time to take a distribution, Lear Capital will either liquidate your gold or silver and wire you the proceeds or securely ship your physical precious metals to your door. Just let your AE know which you prefer.
In addition to opening precious metals IRAs, the company also sells physical precious metals. You can absolutely just buy precious metals for your home safe from them. They mainly sell gold and silver but they also sell platinum and palladium, also considered precious metals. Minimum order amounts apply, but if you roll over an IRA that usually satisfies the minimum and you can pick up some additional coins for your home safe as your budget allows. They offer a wide international selection of bars and coins minted in the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, South Africa, etc.
They are also professional coin graders so they can offer you a fair price for any gold coins you want to sell, whether numismatics (collector or rare coins) or bullion coins.
Metals ordered through the website or with an account executive can either be shipped directly to you or to a storage facility of your choice. They can help you find reliable storage as well. They typically recommend the Delaware Depository. Pricing for various metals changes day to day with the markets, so you will have to contact the company for exact pricing as the website does not display that information.
Minimum Orders and Fees
The minimum investment at this company is $10,000 although they sometimes might make exceptions. Just depends on the circumstances. Account fees at Lear Capital run about $180 per year after the first year, which is $260. It is a little pricey but keep in mind this fee includes the insurance, shipping, quarterly financial statements, and 24/7 online account access. And remember – the fees can come right out of the account balance OR you can write a check if you wish to preserve your capital. Your choice.
Educational Resources and Promotions
The company offers a free mobile app that clients can use to follow real-time precious metals prices. The app also comes with some special promotions which can only be accessed by those who have downloaded it for free from any app store. It is available for both iOS and Android users.
Lear Capital offers Free investor kits and special reports for download from their website. These reports answer basic questions on precious metals investing, why people invest in metals and best strategies. They have a basic precious metals guide, a guide on retirement accounts, and various other topics that are of current interest. They also have highly informative weekly newsletters with headlines and commentary that you can subscribe to with no obligation. Speak with a representative about which guides and information you’d like.
The website also has a plethora of other interesting education resources. Some of those include precious metals news and real-time price charts, all sorts of useful downloads for investors, as well as a smart tools suite. These tools include encyclopedias, calculators, estimators, analyzers, and a chart center.
Conclusion
Lear gets two enthusiastic thumbs up when it comes to gold and precious metals investments. They make it easy, quick and secure to invest in gold and silver. They are a company that has been around a long time with a name and reputation you can trust.
You can contact Lear Capital at 1-800-570-1735 or by e-mail at customercare@learcapital.com. There are no set business hours displayed on the website so our advice is to just call anytime and an account executive will get back to you promptly if they are not immediately available.
