Tool
Precious Metals Buyer Matcher
Answer up to nine questions. The tool routes you to a category and a segment award, and shows exactly why. The full decision logic is printed below, so you can check the routing yourself. No email required, and no company can pay to be the answer. See how we score.
The full decision tree
Evaluated top to bottom; the first matching rule wins. This is the whole logic, present in the page whether or not JavaScript runs. No company name appears here: the tool routes to a category, and the winning company is resolved from the published scores.
| # | If | Route to | Segment award | Deciding dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q8 is under-2-years; and Q1 is trade | No product recommended | Caution: metal may be the wrong instrument | n/a |
| 2 | Q1 is retirement or Q2 is existing-ira or 401k-or-old-employer-plan; and Q3 is 50k-plus; and Q7 is dedicated-rep | Gold-IRA or full-service dealer | Best IRA concierge and rollover hand-holding | iraTerms, concierge, salesExperience |
| 3 | Q1 is retirement or Q2 is existing-ira or 401k-or-old-employer-plan; and Q3 is under-500 or 500-5k or 5k-50k or Q7 is self-serve-app or phone-when-needed | Allocated platform | Best low-minimum precious-metals IRA | totalCost, minimums, iraTerms |
| 4 | Q5 is must-hold; and Q9 is specific-coins-or-numismatics | Bullion retailer | Best coin and bar selection | productBreadth, transparency |
| 5 | Q5 is must-hold; and Q9 is large-bars or lowest-cost-per-ounce or no-preference | Bullion retailer | Best place to buy gold bars / lowest premium physical | totalCost, transparency, productBreadth |
| 6 | Q4 is monthly-recurring | Allocated platform | Best for regular monthly buying and dollar-cost averaging | minimums, totalCost, salesExperience |
| 7 | Q6 is days | Allocated platform | Best for liquidity and selling fast | liquidity, totalCost |
| 8 | Q3 is under-500 | Allocated platform | Best for buying small | minimums, totalCost |
| 9 | Q3 is 50k-plus; and Q7 is dedicated-rep; and Q1 is not retirement | Gold-IRA or full-service dealer | Best white-glove service | concierge, salesExperience, storage |
| 10 | Default (nothing more specific matched) | Allocated platform | Best overall value | totalCost, transparency, liquidity |
What to watch out for, by category
- Allocated platform
- You do not take delivery unless you convert, so read the delivery terms and their cost; check that storage is allocated at a named, insured depository; check whether the quoted premium is a membership tier or the standard rate; check what the sell process actually pays.
- Gold-IRA or full-service dealer
- Ask for the total first-year cost in writing, including custodian and depository fees, which are usually a separate company's charge; ask what the coins cost versus spot before you fund; know that the annual fee and the coin premium are different numbers and only one is usually quoted.
- Bullion retailer
- Compare landed cost (price plus shipping plus insurance), not sticker price; check the buyback spread before you buy, not when you sell; check payment-method surcharges; understand that returns on bullion are usually restrictive.
- No product recommended
- Name the alternatives honestly, including the possibility that a low-cost ETF, or simply not buying, is the better answer for a short horizon. A site that will tell you not to buy is a site worth reading.
This tool records which routes fire, in aggregate only. It does not store your answers against any identifier.