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Gold has always been an important part of retirement planning. This precious metal has intrinsic value that is not affected by market fluctuations.

It is this stability in value that makes it attractive as a long-term investment for retirement. However, it is not enough to just know about gold’s benefits. You have to know how to invest in it.

When you work with a knowledgeable company that can improve your understanding, you can become a smart investor.

Before we get started with this review:

With so many gold companies out there, how do you know which is the best to invest with?

At Goldmau we’ve spent years researching nearly every gold and precious metals company in the business and report to our readers on the very few that worth investing with.

Our goal is to give you the best information you need to make an informed decision.

That is why we created a list of the best gold investment companies from our extensive research, and you can use this list to help you make the best choice.

>> CLICK HERE to read our list of the Best Gold IRA Companies <<

Find out if Certified Gold Exchange made it on our “highest recommendation” list this year!

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Certified Gold Exchange Background

Certified Gold Exchange is a major name in the gold market in the U.S. The company is the authority on gold for their customers. They also make resources available for gold investment.

The company operates around the country providing services in selling gold and establishing gold IRAs. The company claims to be a dominant force in the gold industry.

That could be true because, in the gold market, there are gold dealers that are more well-known and respected as the authorities on the precious metal. Their opinions carry a lot of weight.

Management Team

Chief Executive Officer – John Halloran
John Halloran was born in Illinois in 1963. He received a marketing degree at the Wharton School of Business. His colleagues say that customer service is his priority. Halloran believes that bad customer service is not consistent with American values.

Chief Financial Officer – Kenny Hansen
Kenny Hansen was born in California in 1967. He stepped into the role of company CFO in 2008. He is a husband and a father, two roles that he cherishes the most.
People in the company agree that Hansen is the nicest guy around. He is passionate about his family, integrity, and work. He studied Accounting at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Chief Operations Officer – Yaneth Villalon
Yaneth Villalon, known by others as Janet, was born in 1979 of American and Southern European descent. One of her favorite things to do is to travel around the world looking for new opportunities.
She has been to all 44 nations in Europe. Her colleagues say that she likes to keep order. Janet studied Systems Security at MIT and Operations Management at the Wharton School of Business.

Reviews on Certified Gold Exchange

The company earned a 5-star rating from the reviewers at Trustlink. Customers are impressed by the friendliness and talent of the management team. They also love the easy process of application and acquisition of precious metals.

The reviews on Trustlink are mostly positive. Customers have good comments about the company’s excellent customer service. For instance, one reviewer described how easy it was to make the gold transfer.

He was impressed that the transfer took less than 24 hours to deliver the gold to him at his Salt Lake City secure location.

Another reviewer on Trustlink said that the firm saved the day. He said that his retirement situation was in trouble until he contacted Certified Gold Exchange for help with his retirement. He was amazed at how quickly the company was able to put things for him.

Gold Products

Gold coins include the American Eagle, American Eagle Gold Proof, American Buffalo, and the Australian Dragon.

Silver Products

Silver coins include the American Eagle, American Eagle Silver Proof, Morgan Silver Dollar, and Peace Silver Dollar.

Should You Invest in Silver?

Commodities are traded on the public market, and physical assets like silver are among the commodities. In general, the value of equities and bonds and the price of physical assets move in opposite directions.

Due to this market behavior, investors turn to commodities such as silver when the economy or political landscape is unstable, which leads to a downturn in the stock market. Silver does not follow this trend of the stock market.

It follows its direction that is impacted by other factors. This is why owning silver is a good way to diversify your portfolio and can offset the negative impact of an unstable market.

Plus, silver can serve as a hedge against inflation. Silver is a tangible asset with a value that is built-in, unlike the value of paper money around the world.

When interest rates are low, and investments that bring a fixed income are not performing well, the value of silver stands out. So, silver can preserve wealth, just like gold.

PCGS – Certified Gold Coins

PCGS stands for the Professional Coin Grading Service. It is the authority in the certification of rare coins. Some of the rarest gold coins in the world were certified by PCGS.

The company has set the standard for other coin grading services to follow in certifying rare gold coins. After PCGS was created, investors could be reassured that they are receiving the grade that they paid for.

Before PCGS came along, there were no rules regulating the precious metals market. Certification from a third party was necessary. Every gold coin certified by PCGS comes sealed in a tamper-proof plastic holder with a serial number and barcode.

The plastic capsule keeps the coin secure and protected for long-term storage. Investors can also use the online certification verification process to confirm the authenticity of a coin.

Gold IRA Explained

A gold IRA is also known as a precious metals IRA. It is a way to roll over retirement funds. You can roll over any portion of your retirement account to a gold IRA to add diversification to your retirement portfolio and preserve wealth from inflation.

It is also called a rollover IRA into gold or a gold IRA rollover. The two types of gold IRA are the traditional IRA and the Roth IRA. These can hold gold bars and coins in the accounts. You can also hold other precious metal products like silver, palladium, and platinum.

Which Retirement Accounts can You Roll Over to a Gold IRA?

IRAs

Self-directed IRAs, conventional IRAs, and Roth IRAs can be transferred to a gold IRA.

401Ks

If you have a 401K from a previous employer, you can do a gold IRA rollover. If you are at least 60 years of age, and you have a current 401K from your employer, you might qualify for an “in-service” distribution.

403(b)s

If you have a 403(b) plan from an employer that is a public education entity or a certain type of company, you can do a complete or partial transfer to a gold IRA when you reach 59.5 years of age.

TSPs

If you are a federal employee and you leave your employment, you can roll over your gold IRA into a thrift savings plan (TSP). If you are still employed, and you reach 59.5 years of age, you can do a partial rollover through an “in-service” distribution.

Transferring Your Current IRA to Precious Metals

IRA Transfer

If you are moving funds from your existing IRA to a self-directed IRA, you need to submit a transfer request with your new application. This must have information about your current IRA.

Rollover

A rollover can result from retirement or a change in employment. If you reach 60 years of age and you are still employed, you can qualify for an in-service distribution from your current 401K.

You might be able to do a partial rollover through your in-service distribution. Check with your human resources department.

Fees

Certified Gold Exchange, Inc., has a minimum investment fee of $9,999. Other administration fees are added when you purchase precious metal products.

When you purchase precious metal products, the company will ship all the products directly to you. The products are insured, and they require your signature upon receipt.

If you prefer to store your precious metals products with the Certified Gold Exchange, they will charge you an annual storage fee of $186.

All the fees will be discussed with you by the company’s representatives when you open your account so you will know in advance what they are.

Precious Metals Approved for IRAs

The Taxpayer Relief Act allows investors to keep precious metals products in their retirement accounts. These include products of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bars and coins.

These include coins issued by the U.S. Treasury that are one-ounce, one-half ounce, one-quarter ounce, and one-tenth ounce and precious metals bars of a specific level of purity.

For gold, the purity must be 99.5 percent. For silver, it must be 99.9 percent pure. For platinum and palladium, it must be 99.95 percent pure. In other words, the precious metal product that is IRA-approved must be in exceptional condition.

Process of Purchasing and Selling Precious Metal Products in Your IRA

To initiate a purchase, select the precious metal product that you want to get, and Certified Gold Exchange, Inc., will complete an Investment Direction form for you. They will send you the form for you to sign.

After you sign it, the company will connect with your custodian to complete the contract. They will send your precious metal product to the depository of your choice.

If you want to sell your gold or silver product, this is also a quick process. First, contact Certified Gold Exchange, Inc., to get the selling price that you can lock in. The company will send you an Investment Direction form that you will sign to authorize the contract.

Then, the company will connect with the custodian to have the precious metal shipped back to their account and send the proceeds to your IRA.

How Segregated Storage Differs from Commingled Storage

During your account setup, you can select between segregated or commingled storage. Because silver is valuable as well as massive, segmented storage is unavailable.

In a segregated account, bullion coins and bars are classified and assigned with your name and IRA account number. This is stored in the section of the vault that belongs to your custodian.

If you choose to sell your metals, you will get the same coins or bars that you originally purchased. In commingled storage, your bullion bars and coins are stored with the products that belong to other customers of your custodian, but in a separate area of the safe.

So, when you choose to sell, you will receive the same type of bars and coins, not the actual ones that you purchased.

Advantages of using Certified Gold Exchange

The company has a terrific record. When you look at the company listing on the Better Business Bureau’s website, you will see an A-plus rating for the company. There are no indications of any customer complaints.

This is hard to achieve in the gold market, so it reinforces the company’s reputation. The company is also often quoted as an authority on gold. It is respected as a leader in the industry, with validation from customers and peer groups.

Disadvantages

The company does fall short in the area of customer service. You might have come across articles about how the company had helped investors reach success with their investments.

However, the truth is that the company is large, and interactions with individual clients can sometimes feel impersonal. Requests from customers might take a bit longer to fill, and questions might not get an immediate reply.

People who are novices in investing and who need more direct support with their decisions, get a slower start with their investments. They delay their decisions, which results in slower attainment of their financial goals.

The level of customer service is no better for seasoned investors. If you just require some facts or information in a hurry, you will not get it from the company as quickly as you had hoped.

The company knows how to make money for its clients, but it might not be the ideal company for everyone.

Conclusion

This company review on Certified Gold Exchange, provides an overview of what the company does and what it can offer to investors.

It goes over the advantages of investing in gold, silver, and other precious metals, the type of products offered by the company, and its ratings based on reviews from former clients.

Online reviews are positive as the company is doing fabulous things to help customers fulfill their investment dreams.

We think that Certified Gold Exchange is a reasonable enough company to invest with, but we do not recommend them.

When considering a precious metals IRA, you only want to work with the best in the industry. That is why we spent years researching every business in this industry and compiled a list of the best, most trusted companies to work with.

>> Request FREE Gold Kit <<

You can get a Free Gold Investors Guide from our top gold and precious metals company recommendation by clicking the link above or you can read our article of the top companies we reviewed this year:

Click Here for Our List of the Best Gold IRA Companies to Invest With

Or, if you like what you have read about Certified Gold Exchange, you can go to their website below: