Dealers and vaulting services for buying physical gold and silver, judged on premiums, storage costs and buyback terms.
BullionVault charges 0.5% to trade and 0.12% a year to store gold, with insurance included. We ran the five-year sums against coin premiums and found where each option wins.
Best for Long-term gold holders with $10,000 or more, who never plan to take delivery
APMEX stocks more than 30,000 products and ships free over $199, but independent comparisons put its gold premiums above JM Bullion and SD Bullion. We weighed selection and service against the price of paying by card.
Best for Buyers who want a specific coin or bar and pay by wire or check
JM Bullion ships free over $199 and sells everything from a 1 gram bar to Eagles. We priced its fractional gold against spot and read the payment page, where a 4% discount changes the maths.
Best for First-time US buyers ordering coins or bars worth $200 or more
Goldmoney charges 0.5% to buy, 0.5% to sell and 0.25% a year to store gold, but a $10 monthly minimum changes the maths for small holders. We work out the break-even and what redeeming a bar really involves.
Best for Long-term holders with $50,000 or more who want audited, allocated metal
Kitco's live prices and news are among the best free tools a gold watcher has. Its shop wants a $5,000 minimum and prices a one-ounce Eagle about 5% over spot. We checked both sides.
Best for Gold watchers who want live prices and news, and buyers of $5,000 or more paying by wire
Vaulted lets you own allocated gold from a phone, held at the Royal Canadian Mint. It is legitimate and easy, but a 1.8% spread each way plus 0.4% a year adds up. Here is the sum.
Best for Beginners saving small monthly amounts who want allocated gold without handling coins
