- A+ BBB rating
- Price match guarantee
- $3 billion in transactions
- Real-time metals pricing
- Limited to U.S. investors
- One depository partner
My Lear Capital review shows how to invest in gold, silver, and platinum with one of the oldest gold IRA companies.
There are a couple of price guarantees and helpful educational tools, although it’s worth paying attention to the potential investment fees.
The Verdict for Lear Capital
I’ve given them a rating of 7.4 out of 10.
Criteria | Rating (out of 10) |
---|---|
Product & Service Offerings | 9.5 |
Pricing & Fees | 7 |
Guarantees | 8 |
Customer Experience | 8 |
Storage & Security | 7 |
Account Setup & Maintenance | 9 |
Reputation & Reviews | 7 |
Overall Rating | 7.4 |
In this review of Lear Capital, I’ve followed GIC’s detailed criteria for evaluating the precious metals IRA company.
About Lear Capital

Lear Capital was founded in 1997 and reports over $3 billion in transactions so far. The Los Angeles-based company offers gold IRAs and cash transactions to investors living in the United States.
Kevin DeMeritt, who worked in international banking before founding Lear Capital, is its founder and current chairman. John Ohanesian, who has experience transforming small startups into global businesses, is the company’s current CEO.
Investors can invest in gold and silver by requesting real-time prices by phone. You work one-on-one with an experienced representative to build a precious metals portfolio of your choice.
The company also seeks pricing transparency with these practices:
- 24-hour risk-free purchase guarantee
- Online price quotes
- Price match guarantee
- Price notifications
- Free evaluation of metals from others
I find these investor features to be more flexible than some of the best gold IRAs, especially the 24-hour purchase guarantee and online price quotes for bullion coins.
Radio host Glenn Beck is one of Lear’s best-known customers and paid spokespeople. He first began investing through Lear Capital over 20 years ago.
Lear Capital is an authorized dealer with the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and abides by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) coin-grading service’s standard of integrity.
Further, it’s an authorized dealer of the Industry Council of Tangible Assets (ICTA).
It also has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and an AAA rating from Business Consumer Alliance.
Product & Service Offerings
You have many precious metal investment options to choose from with tax-advantaged retirement accounts.
Precious Metals IRA
The core feature is a Lear Capital gold IRA, which offers the flexibility of investing in gold, silver, and platinum with a $7,500 minimum investment.
IRA-eligible precious metals are stored at the Delaware Depository, an IRS-approved depository vault.
Some of your bullion or numismatic investment options include:
- American Eagle Coin (gold and silver)
- American Gold Buffalo (the first U.S. 24-karat gold coin)
- British Sovereign Coins
- Canadian Maple Leaf (gold and silver)
- Liberty Gold Coin ($5, $10, and $20 face values with pre-1933 mint dates)
- Morgan Silver Dollar (pre-1921 mint date)
- Gold bars (1 oz., 10 oz., 1 kilo)
- Silver bars (10 oz. or 100 oz.)
Your dedicated representative assists with completing the self-directed IRA application paperwork and IRA or 401(k) rollover process.
It takes approximately one day to open an IRA from scratch and five business days for an IRA or 401(k) rollover.
Consider a $10,000 minimum initial funding waives some of the IRA setup fees and potentially your storage fees.
STRATA Trust is Lear Capital’s preferred IRA custodian and a go-to partner for many precious metals companies.
Your custodian tracks your investment cost basis and manages your tax documents.
Silver & Platinum Bullion
In addition to gold coins and bars, Lear Capital has a wide selection of silver and platinum coins.
You may decide to invest in silver for retirement or for portfolio diversification.
Silver investment options include:
- 1 oz. American Eagle
- Proof American Eagles
- 40% or 90% half dollars
- 90% dimes and quarters
- 1 oz. rounds
- 1.25 oz. Seated Britannias
- 2 oz. Silver Orca (Royal Canadian Mint)
There is ample availability for standard investments such as American Eagles, pre-1965 U.S. coins, and silver bars.
Specialty coins from the Royal Canadian Mint like the Arctic Fox, Polar Bear and Orca coins are likely sold out in its gold or silver form.
Platinum can be another appealing gold alternative, and Lear Capital provides platinum American Eagles and Canadian Silver Maple Leafs from government mints.
One-ounce bars from various private and official mints are also available.
The product listing page and your sales representative point out which coins are IRA-eligible. However, I wish IRA-qualified listings were more clearly labeled to help new investors avoid confusion when comparing investment selections.
I find the selection similar to most online precious metals dealers.
A unique advantage is that online pricing is available for non-collectibles which naturally tend to have lower premiums so you can quickly find the best deal when you’re ready to buy.
Smart Tools Suite
I appreciate the hands-on investor education tools that help make gold investing easier.
First, you can download Lear’s Spot Price App from the Apple App Store or Google Play to view the current price of gold.
It’s also possible to view historical price charts and compare the investment performance of rare coins. There are also precious metal encyclopedias and financial calculators.
You can download a free investor kit discussing recent technological and geopolitical events that can influence precious metals prices.
Pricing & Fees
For most products, real-time pricing is available on the website.
I’m mentioning this unique feature several times throughout this Lear Capital review, as most companies require a phone call, making choosing a gold IRA provider more time-consuming.
The minimum order is $7,500 for IRA and cash transactions.
Setup fee for IRA | $280 |
Wire transfer fee | $30 |
Custodian administration fee | $200 per year |
Storage fees | $100 (non-segregated) or $150 (segregated) per year |
These administrative fees are similar to most gold IRAs.
There’s also flexibility when it’s time to sell your metals.
Lear Capital provides free evaluations and no-fee buybacks to receive a competitive offer.
You can even inquire about metals that you bought elsewhere or inherited.
Free IRA Setup & Storage
With a qualifying initial deposit, you can waive the IRA setup fee and up to three years of storage fees.
Minimum Deposit | Fee Savings |
---|---|
$10,000 to $25,000 | $50 IRA setup fee |
$25,000 to $50,000 | First year’s fees |
$50,000 to $75,000 | First and second year’s fees |
$75,000 or more | First, second, and third year’s fees |
Guarantees
Lear Capital provides a handful of satisfaction guarantees to help you get the best prices and customer experience.
24-hour risk-free purchase guarantee
All customers are eligible for a 24-hour cancellation period to receive a full refund, credit, or replacement.
Select states qualify for a longer window. With most competitors, all sales are final unless the product arrives damaged or is a counterfeit.
Price match guarantee
Lear strives to match competitor prices within 24 hours, or it will cancel the sale at no extra cost.
It’s Price Advantage Guarantee consists of three steps to verify transparent costs:
- Written Account Agreement
- Phone Confirmation
- Written Confirmation
I like this policy as you can quickly track your initial investment costs to calculate your break-even point.
Customer Experience
Phone support is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time. You work with a dedicated account representative to build an ongoing relationship.
A live chatbot is available 24/7, although it recommended I call to receive answers to basic questions. Email support is also available for non-urgent inquiries.
There are many online resources, including monthly and quarterly updates. The mobile app is an appealing feature too as you can keep tabs on your portfolio and the latest precious metals news.
The various short videos also help me learn more about Lear Capital and general gold investing topics.
The educational resources are more extensive than many platforms.
Storage & Security
The IRS requires vault storage for precious metals IRA holdings at approved vaults nationwide.
Lear Capital stores your metals at the Delaware Depository locations in Wilmington, Delaware and Boulder City, Nevada.
You can choose from two vault storage methods:
- Non-segregated storage: More affordable but your metals are stored along with other depositors. As a result, you may not get the exact same coins and bars back but it’s the same quantity and quality.
- Segregated storage: Pricier but your metals are kept apart from other deposits so you receive back the same ones that you originally deposited. Choose this option for more peace of mind.
In addition to being a secure location with routine inventory audits, your vault assets are fully insured by Lloyds of London.
Account Setup & Maintenance
Your dedicated account representative makes the account setup process quick and easy:
- Free investor kit: First, you provide your name, email, and phone number to receive a complimentary consultation and informational guide. The first conversation usually occurs within 24 hours.
- Complete paperwork: Your representative assists with the majority of the paperwork. Typically, it takes up to five business days for your existing retirement account to transfer.
- Place order: You have five days to provide funding from your order’s placement date. Lear will send electronic and written purchase agreements confirming your purchase price.
- Deliver metals: Lear Capital IRA metals will go to the Delaware Depository. Cash transactions have the flexibility of home storage.
- Ongoing support: You can contact your assigned representative to place future orders, sell holdings, request free market insights, and track your investment performance. Lear Capital doesn’t provide personal advice or serve as a fiduciary advisor.
Reviews & Reputation
Lear Capital has excellent ratings on most customer review platforms:
- Business Consumer Alliance: 5 out of 5 stars and a AAA company rating
- Consumer Affairs: 4.9 out of 5 stars
- Trustpilot: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars
- Better Business Bureau: 2.89 out of 5 customer rating and an A+ BBB Rating
Most positive reviews mention attentive customer service, especially during account setup.
Unfavorable reviews suggest the buyer’s premiums can be expensive sometimes and some representatives lack professionalism.
While many Lear Capital reviews are positive, it’s critical to mention the precious metals dealer agreed to a $5.5 bankruptcy settlement in August 2023.
The settlement stems from the failure to publish proper fee disclosures when investors liquidated traditional retirement assets between January 1, 2016, and March 3, 2022.
I find the bankruptcy proceedings and government action troubling, but it’s clear that Lear Capital implements proper safeguards.
Its “fine print” clearly lists minimum fees and avoids deceptive marketing practices that make gold IRA scams easy to fall for.
Lear Capital Alternatives & Competitors
It’s also worth comparing the investment options, IRA custodian partners, and storage locations with these gold IRA companies.
Our Rating:
4.8
|
Our Rating:
4.5
|
Our Rating:
4.2
|
Minimum for IRA transfers:
$25,000
|
Minimum for IRA transfers:
$10,000
|
Minimum for IRA transfers:
$2,000
|
Goldco

Goldco offers gold and silver with a $25,000 minimum investment. Annual fees are between $175 and $225 depending on your chosen custodian and depository.
It also offers a buyback guarantee so you likely receive the highest price.
Request Goldco’s free gold & silver kit
Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group has a $10,000 minimum investment and a flat $225 annual fee on all account balances.
You can choose from four IRS-approved depositories to more likely find a secured vault near you. There isn’t a buyback guarantee but they desire first right of refusal.
Request Birch’s free gold info kit
Noble Gold Investments

Noble Gold Investments needs a $20,000 minimum investment and a competitive $225 annual fee.
Enjoy a guaranteed buyback program and the flexibility of storing your metals at the Texas Depository or with International Depository Services (IDS).
Request Noble’s free gold guide
Is Lear Capital a reputable company?
Lear Capital is a leading gold IRA company with transparent fees, best price guarantees, and hands-on investor education tools.
Many customer reviews report helpful support from their assigned representative. While it’s fully resolved, you might be hesitant due to the recent bankruptcy settlement.
FAQs
Where is U.S. Lear Capital located?
Lear Capital’s business headquarters are at 1990 S Bundy Dr # 650, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5240.
Does U.S. Lear Capital have any pending lawsuits or complaints?
There are no pending lawsuits or complaints involving Lear Capital.
Who owns Lear Capital?
Kevin DeMerrit is the owner and founder of Lear Capital.
Lear Capital

Founded in 1997, Lear Capital is a leading precious metals company to investors and institutional clients.
Product Brand: Lear Capital
3.7