IRAEmpire Names Lear Capital to List of “Best Gold IRA Companies” for 2026

Lear Capital secured the #2 position on IRAEmpire’s 2026 ranking of Gold IRA providers, earning recognition as “Best for Investor Flexibility” among precious metals firms evaluated for transparency, customer service, and product selection.

The rankings, published December 11, 2025, assessed Gold IRA companies across criteria including fee disclosure, educational resources, storage security, and processing efficiency. 

IRAEmpire, an investment review site that publishes precious metals industry analysis, evaluated firms serving retirement savers seeking to add physical gold and silver to tax-advantaged accounts.

What the Ranking Measures

IRAEmpire’s methodology examined eight factors that affect the Gold IRA customer experience. Fee transparency topped the list, followed by educational support quality, customer service responsiveness, product variety, storage partnerships, buyback policies, account setup speed, and overall reliability.

Storage arrangements received particular scrutiny. Companies partnering with IRS-approved depositories like Delaware Depository, Brinks, or IDS of Texas scored higher than firms using less established facilities. Insurance coverage, segregated storage options, and security protocols factored into the evaluation as well.

Setup efficiency also played a role. Account opening and rollover processing that takes 24-72 hours has become the industry benchmark, with faster providers earning preference over those requiring a week or longer to complete transfers.

Where Lear Capital Stood Out

Lear Capital has operated in precious metals since 1997, giving it more than 25 years of market presence. That longevity contributed to IRAEmpire’s assessment of brand recognition and industry experience.

Product selection emerged as another differentiator in the ranking. Lear Capital offers gold, silver, platinum, and palladium options within IRS-approved parameters, providing customers more choices than firms focusing exclusively on gold and silver. 

IRAEmpire also noted that Lear Capital has streamlined its account setup procedures and rollover timelines, reducing the administrative friction that sometimes extends gold IRA implementation.

Recent improvements to fee disclosure and customer communication were also called out. The ranking acknowledged that Lear Capital has “made significant improvements to its customer service and fee transparency in recent years.”

Technology capabilities also played a role. Lear Capital provides market data, price alerts, and economic analysis that help customers track precious metals prices and the range of factors affecting gold and silver values. 

The Economic Context Driving Gold IRA Interest

The IRAEmpire rankings arrived during a period of heightened precious metals attention. Gold prices reached multiple record highs throughout 2025 and into 2026, driven by factors including persistent inflation concerns, geopolitical tensions, and central bank purchasing at levels not seen since the 1970s.

Central banks globally added over 1,000 tonnes of gold to reserves for the third consecutive year through 2024, signaling institutional confidence in precious metals as portfolio stabilizers. China, Poland, Turkey, India, and several Eastern European nations led the purchasing trend.

U.S. national debt surpassed $37 trillion in 2025, with annual interest payments exceeding $1 trillion for the first time. These fiscal conditions have prompted some retirement savers to explore alternatives to traditional stock and bond allocations.

What Gold IRA fees typically involve

The IRAEmpire analysis provided fee ranges for 2026 Gold IRA accounts. Setup fees typically span $50-$100 as one-time charges. Annual custodian and maintenance fees generally run $100-$150, while storage fees vary based on whether customers choose segregated or commingled storage arrangements. In total, this leaves annual costs for most gold IRAs ranging from around $200-300 after initial setup. 

Lear Capital requires a $10,000 minimum contribution to open a gold IRA. Fee structure breaks down into first-year costs and recurring annual charges: First-year costs total $315-$365:

First-year costs total $315-$365:

• Application fee: $50 (one-time)
• Annual maintenance: $125
• Storage: $110 (non-segregated) or $160 (segregated)
• Wire fee: $30 (one-time) Recurring annual costs (year 2 onward) total $235-$285:
• Annual maintenance: $125

Recurring annual costs (year 2 onward) total $235-$285:

• Annual maintenance: $125
• Storage: $110 (non-segregated) or $160 (segregated)

These fees cover storage at Delaware Depository Service Company, an IRS-approved facility operating since 1999, along with comprehensive insurance through London Underwriters. Lear’s storage structure uses flat-rate pricing with no additional charges when customers add more metals to existing accounts.

Lear also offers a 24-hour risk-free purchase guarantee, allowing customers to review and cancel orders within 24 hours without penalty.

The transaction agreement outlines the three-step Price Advantage Guarantee: written transaction agreement, phone confirmation, and written confirmation.

Independent ratings beyond the IRAEmpire ranking

Lear Capital holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, with accreditation dating to 1997. The company has also earned an “excellent” rating from more than 2,900 customer reviews on Trustpilot, and a 5-star rating from over 1,500 reviews on Consumer Affairs. Retirement Living, another review platform, granted Lear a “Great Service” designation for 2025.

These ratings span multiple platforms and use different evaluation criteria, providing a broader view of customer experience than any single ranking.

Learn More: For detailed information about fees specific to your investment goals, contact a Lear Capital representative at 800-576-9355.