Is GoldenCrest Metals Legit? My Honest Review

Most GoldenCrest Metals review articles online read like recycled press releases. I wanted something different: a real look at a precious metals company founded in late 2023, run by Rich Jacoby out of Calabasas, California, that promises a $10,000 entry point and personal CEO follow-up.

I started digging because a reader emailed me asking if the Dr. Laura radio spots were trustworthy. Here’s what I found after checking the BBB, Trustpilot, custodian paperwork, and actual customer comments.

My Quick Take Before You Read Any Further

If you only have 30 seconds, here’s the snapshot.

• Founded: 2023 (BBB-accredited January 12, 2024)
• Headquarters: 23901 Calabasas Road, Suite 2002, Calabasas, CA 91302
• Run by: Rich Jacoby, Founder and CEO
• Minimum investment: $10,000 for a Gold IRA
• What sets them apart: The CEO personally calls every client after a purchase, and the sales floor avoids the high-pressure scripts common in this space.
• Where they fall short: They’re new. No 10-year track record, no live pricing on the website, and the post-promo fee schedule isn’t published.

Now let’s get into the details.

Who Is Rich Jacoby, and Why Does It Matter?

Every gold company has a face. With GoldenCrest, that face actually answers the phone. Rich Jacoby owns the firm and runs it personally, which shapes the entire customer experience in ways I’ll get into below.

The Founder’s Backstory

Rich Jacoby is listed as the Founder, CEO, and Owner of GoldenCrest Metals LLC on the Better Business Bureau profile.

He’s spent roughly two decades in the precious metals space and built GoldenCrest as a direct reaction to the boiler-room dealers most retirees get stuck with on their first call.

He’s also the voice on the Striking Gold with Kenny Michaels radio show, which airs Sundays at 7 AM PST across more than 90 stations.

Why a CEO Calling Every Client Is Actually a Big Deal

I’ve reviewed dozens of gold IRA companies. Most of them push you to an account manager, then a “senior” account manager, then a specialist who handles paperwork. You rarely speak to anyone with real authority.

At GoldenCrest, Rich Jacoby personally calls every client after a purchase or rollover is completed. That’s unusual.

It tells me two things: the volume is still small enough for him to do it, and he’s putting his name on every transaction. If something goes wrong, he hears about it directly.

The 20-Year Team Behind Him

The leadership team has a combined 20-plus years in precious metals and retirement planning. The two specialists I saw mentioned by name in customer reviews were “Sebastian” and “John Bolton,” both repeatedly praised for patience with first-time buyers.

You can read more about how a self-directed IRA actually works through the IRS guidelines if you want to verify the rules they’re operating under.

What GoldenCrest Metals Actually Sells

The product menu is narrower than most competitors, and I think that’s a feature, not a bug. They sell IRS-approved bullion only. No proof coins at 50% markups, no “exclusive” numismatic nonsense.

Gold Coins They Carry

The gold side of the menu sticks to standardized, widely-traded coins:

• American Gold Eagle (the workhorse coin minted by the United States Mint)
• American Gold Buffalo (.9999 fine, IRA-eligible)
• Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
• Austrian Gold Philharmonic
• Australian Gold Kangaroo
• South African Gold Krugerrand (for cash purchases, not IRA)

These are coins you can resell anywhere in the country at fair market value.

Silver Coins on Their Order Desk

Silver runs similar:

• American Silver Eagle and Proof Silver Eagle
• Canadian Silver Maple Leaf
• Australian Silver Kangaroo
• Austrian Silver Philharmonic
• Morgan Silver Dollars and Franklin Half Dollars (cash purchase, not IRA)

Silver is also where their big promotion lives. I’ll cover the free silver rebate further down.

Gold and Silver Bars Available on Request

Bars are sold through the order desk rather than displayed online. Brands include Credit Suisse, Valcambi Suisse, Johnson Matthey, Perth Mint, Sunshine Mint (with MintGuard anti-counterfeit technology), and Royal Canadian Mint. All meet LBMA Good Delivery and COMEX-approved standards.

Why They Skip Platinum, Palladium, and “Exclusive” Coins

GoldenCrest doesn’t push platinum or palladium, and they openly avoid premium proof coins. Most gold IRA scams happen at exactly this intersection: a salesman convinces a retiree to buy a “rare” coin at a 35% markup over melt value, and the customer has no way to resell it without taking a bath.

By skipping that category, GoldenCrest cuts off the main way customers get fleeced in this industry. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued warnings about exactly these tactics.

How Much Money Do You Need to Get Started?

This is where GoldenCrest separates from the bigger players in a meaningful way.

The $10,000 Entry Point Explained

The minimum to open a Gold IRA with GoldenCrest is $10,000. For cash purchases, the same $10,000 floor applies for the full benefit package.

That’s accessible. A lot of retirees have IRAs in the $20K-$80K range and can’t meet a $50,000 minimum without consolidating multiple accounts.

What You Unlock at $25,000, $100,000, and $250,000+

The promotional benefits scale with account size:

• $10K+: Standard onboarding, free insured shipping, free home safe on qualifying physical gold orders
• $25K+: Free silver promotion (up to $25,000 in silver based on account size and current promotion terms)
• $100K+: Waived setup fees and extended storage benefits
• $250K+: Up to 10 years of free IRA storage

Get the exact tier requirements in writing from your specialist before transferring funds. Promotional terms change.

How GoldenCrest’s Minimum Stacks Up Against Augusta, Goldco, and Birch Gold

Company	Minimum Investment
GoldenCrest Metals	$10,000
Goldco	$25,000
Birch Gold Group	$10,000
Augusta Precious Metals	$50,000
Noble Gold Investments	$20,000

GoldenCrest is tied with Birch Gold at the low end. Augusta is five times more expensive to enter, which prices out a significant slice of pre-retirees. These are the precious metals IRA firms many retirees consider first, so the comparison matters.

Breaking Down the Fees (Including the Ones They Don’t Publish)

Here’s the part where I have to be honest with you. GoldenCrest doesn’t publish a complete fee schedule on the website. You have to call to get exact numbers, and that’s a legitimate gripe.

Setup, Custodian, and Storage Costs

Based on third-party reporting and the Entrust Group custodian schedule, you’re looking at approximately:

• Setup fee: Often waived under promotion, typically $50-$80 standard
• Annual custodian fee: Around $199, plus a small asset-based fee
• Storage fee at Delaware Depository: Typically $100-$150 per year, waived during the promo window

Get these numbers in writing during your consultation call. Don’t accept verbal estimates.

The Free Silver Rebate: Up to $25,000 Explained

The big marketing pitch is up to $25,000 in free silver on qualifying rollovers. The fine print: the amount scales with the size of your account, and the silver is added to your IRA holdings (not handed to you as a gift). It’s a rebate calculated against the spread on your purchase, essentially. Useful, but not magic money.

Free Storage for Up to 10 Years: What Qualifies

Free storage applies to qualifying account balances, generally in the higher tiers. Ask specifically: “Does my account qualify, and what happens in year 11?”

The Big Question Mark: What Happens After the Promo Period Ends

This is my biggest concern with the promotional model. If storage is free for 10 years and then jumps to standard rates, what are the standard rates?

GoldenCrest needs to be clearer about post-promo pricing. Until they publish it, ask for written confirmation of the renewal fee schedule before you sign anything.

Walking Through the Rollover: What the Process Actually Looks Like

I want to demystify the rollover because most retirees I talk to think it’s harder than it is.

Step One: Grabbing the Free Info Guide

The 2026 Precious Metals Info Guide is the entry point. You fill out a form with your name, contact info, and a question about whether you have $50K+ in retirement savings. A specialist follows up by phone within a business day.

Step Two: The Specialist Call (And Why It’s Not a Sales Pitch)

The first call is a consultation, not a close. Multiple BBB and Trustpilot reviewers specifically mentioned that GoldenCrest was the only firm out of three to five they contacted that didn’t call back repeatedly trying to pressure them. One reviewer said they took two weeks to decide and got zero follow-up harassment in between.

Step Three: Opening Your Self-Directed Account with Entrust Group

GoldenCrest partners with Entrust Group as its preferred IRA custodian. Entrust is a well-established self-directed IRA administrator. You’ll fill out an account application, and Entrust handles the IRS paperwork on the back end.

Step Four: Moving Funds From Your 401(k), IRA, or TSP Tax-Free

This is a trustee-to-trustee transfer or a direct rollover, both of which are tax-free under IRS Publication 590-A. GoldenCrest’s team coordinates with your existing custodian. Eligible accounts include:

• Traditional IRA
• Roth IRA
• SEP IRA and SIMPLE IRA
• 401(k) and Solo 401(k)
• 403(b), 457(b)
• Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

Most transfers complete in 5 to 10 business days, though slower custodians can stretch it to three weeks.

Step Five: Picking Your Metals and Sending Them to the Vault

Once funds land at Entrust, you select your bullion. GoldenCrest locks the price, ships to Delaware Depository, and sends you confirmation paperwork.

How Long the Whole Thing Really Takes

Two to three weeks from first call to fully-funded IRA is the realistic timeline. Anyone who tells you “same day” is selling you something.

Where Your Metals Actually Live: Delaware Depository Explained

Your gold doesn’t sit in a vault in Calabasas. It goes to one of the most established depositories in the United States.

Why Segregated Storage Matters More Than Most People Realize

Delaware Depository offers segregated storage, meaning your specific coins are stored in a designated area with your name on them. Commingled storage pools your metal with other customers’.

Segregated costs slightly more but gives you the exact coins you purchased back when you sell or take distribution. Ask GoldenCrest which type your account uses.

Lloyd’s of London Insurance Coverage

Delaware Depository carries insurance underwritten by Lloyd’s of London. The coverage is comprehensive and covers theft, damage, and loss. Verify the policy limit during your consultation.

Class 3 Vault Security and What It Means for You

Class 3 vault construction is the highest security rating for commercial vaults in the U.S., designed to resist forced entry for extended periods. The facility is COMEX-approved, which is the same standard used for institutional-grade gold storage.

The GoldenCrest Buyback Program: Reading Between the Lines

Most reviews skip this part. I’m not going to.

How Selling Back Works

When you’re ready to sell, you call GoldenCrest, they quote you a buyback price based on spot, and they coordinate shipment from Delaware Depository back to their order desk. No liquidation fee. The selling spread is the only cost.

The Spread Question Most Reviews Don’t Answer

The exact buyback spread isn’t published. It’s provided in writing during your initial consultation. From what I gather across customer reports, the spread is competitive (closer to spot than the average dealer), but I can’t give you a guaranteed percentage. This is the single most important number to nail down before purchasing.

What to Get in Writing Before You Buy

Ask for:

• Exact buyback spread percentage per product
• Buyback turnaround time (days from sell order to funds in your account)
• Whether the spread is fixed or floats with market conditions
• Any minimum or maximum buyback size

Get all four answers via email, so you have a paper trail.

3rd Party Reviews: What BBB, Trustpilot, and Google Reviews Actually Say

Here’s the unvarnished data across the major platforms.

Platform	Rating	Reviews	Notes
Better Business Bureau	A-	5-7 customer reviews, 5-star avg	Accredited Jan 2024, 1 resolved complaint
Trustpilot	4.3/5	~18 reviews	All individual reviews are 5-star
Google Reviews	5/5	42+ reviews	Highest volume of any platform
Bullion.Directory	4.9/5	47 ratings	A+ directory rating
ConsumerAffairs	N/A	No profile	Not yet listed

My read: the numbers are real but small. The 5-star consistency across platforms is impressive for a company under two years old, but the sample size is still limited.

This is what you’d expect from a young firm that hasn’t yet built the review volume of competitors who’ve been around since 2003.

Better Business Bureau (A- Rating, Accredited Since 2024)

An A- isn’t an A+, but for a company that’s been BBB-accredited for less than two years, it’s a strong start. The single complaint on file was resolved. You can verify this yourself on the BBB website.

Trustpilot Score and Why It Looks Lower Than It Should

A 4.3 average on Trustpilot despite every individual review being 5 stars is a quirk of how Trustpilot weights new businesses. The score will climb as review volume grows.

Google Reviews (5/5 from 42+ Customers)

This is the most useful number. Google Reviews are harder to fake, harder to manipulate, and harder to remove. A 5/5 across 42+ verified customers is a strong signal.

What Real Clients Are Saying: Themes I Noticed Across Platforms

The recurring praise points:

• No high-pressure follow-up calls
• Specialists explained things patiently for first-timers
• Rollovers completed faster than expected
• Rich Jacoby personally followed up after closing
• Pricing close to spot with no hidden surcharges

The One BBB Complaint That Was Filed and Resolved

The details are redacted on the public BBB page, but the resolution is marked as completed. One complaint in two years of operation is below industry average.

Who Backs This Company? The Endorsements Worth Mentioning

Endorsements can be paid, so take them with appropriate salt. They tell you about marketing reach, not product quality.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger

The most prominent endorsement on the GoldenCrest site is from Dr. Laura, the longtime radio host. Her endorsement appears across multiple pages.

Kevin Harrington, Michael Savage, Gregg Jarrett, and Joe Pags

Kevin Harrington (original Shark Tank shark), political commentator Michael Savage, legal commentator Gregg Jarrett, and radio host Joe Pags have all publicly endorsed the firm.

The Kenny Michaels Radio Show Connection

Striking Gold with Kenny Michaels airs on more than 90 stations and is sponsored by GoldenCrest. Rich Jacoby appears as a regular guest.

As Seen On: Bloomberg, USA Today, Fox Business, and More

Media appearances span Bloomberg, USA Today, Newsmax, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox Business, SiriusXM, Business Insider, and MarketWatch. Most of these are paid placements or press releases, which is standard for the industry.

What I Like About GoldenCrest Metals

Here’s what stands out after my research:

• Low $10,000 minimum makes Gold IRAs accessible to mid-balance retirees
• CEO personally calls every client after a purchase
• No high-pressure sales scripts (verified by multiple independent reviewers)
• Stick to IRS-approved bullion only, avoiding the proof-coin trap
• Partnered with established custodian (Entrust Group) and depository (Delaware Depository)
• Lloyd’s of London insurance on stored metals
• Free silver promotion is real, with documented customer experiences
• BBB-accredited with an A- rating and one resolved complaint in two years
• Fast rollover turnaround (often 5-10 business days)

That’s a solid foundation for a young firm.

What Could Be Better

I’d be doing you a disservice if I only listed positives:

• Founded in 2023, so no long-term track record yet
• No live pricing on the website (you must call for quotes)
• Post-promotion fee schedule isn’t publicly disclosed
• Limited metal selection (no platinum or palladium IRA products)
• Trustpilot review volume is still small at ~18 reviews
• Exact buyback spread isn’t published online
• Saturday and Sunday support unavailable

None of these are dealbreakers, but they’re real friction points.

How GoldenCrest Compares to the Big Names

Side-by-side, the differences become clearer.

Feature	GoldenCrest	Augusta	Goldco	Birch Gold
Min. Investment	$10,000	$50,000	$25,000	$10,000
BBB Rating	A-	A+	A+	A+
Custodian	Entrust Group	Equity Trust	Equity Trust / STRATA	Equity Trust
Storage	Delaware Depository	Delaware Depository	Delaware Depository	Delaware Depository
Free Silver	Up to $25K	No (free guide only)	Yes (10%)	Yes (varies)
Sales Style	No-pressure	Education-first	Mid-pressure	Mid-pressure
Founded	2023	2012	A decade ago	2003

GoldenCrest vs. Augusta Precious Metals

Augusta has 13 more years of track record and an A+ rating. They’re the gold standard for education-led sales.

But Augusta’s $50,000 minimum prices out most retirees with $20K-$40K accounts. GoldenCrest serves that segment.

GoldenCrest vs. Goldco

Goldco has more reviews and more years in business. They also have a more aggressive sales floor based on customer reports.

If you want a polished, established firm and don’t mind more follow-up calls, Goldco. If you want a quieter buying process, GoldenCrest.

GoldenCrest vs. Birch Gold Group

These two compete most directly. Same $10K minimum, both reputable, both with good BBB ratings. Birch has 20 years of history. GoldenCrest has the CEO-call advantage and a cleaner promotional offer.

Who Should Actually Pick GoldenCrest Metals?

Not every company is right for every investor. Here’s how I’d sort it.

A Good Fit If You’re Rolling Over $10K-$250K

This is the sweet spot. Big enough to qualify for the silver promotion and free storage tiers, small enough that the boutique service model still applies.

A Good Fit If You’re Tired of Being Hounded by Phone

If you’ve already called Birch Gold or Lear Capital and gotten three follow-up calls in two days, GoldenCrest is going to feel different. The no-pressure approach is the most consistent theme in their reviews.

When You Should Look Elsewhere Instead

Look elsewhere if:

• You want a 20-year operating history
• You want platinum or palladium in your IRA
• You need to see live pricing online before calling
• You’re investing $500K+ and want a firm with more institutional infrastructure

For those cases, Augusta or Goldco probably fit better.

Red Flags I Didn’t Find (And What That Tells Me)

I went looking for problems. Here’s what I didn’t find:

• No lawsuits filed against the company
• No pattern of complaints (one resolved BBB complaint in two years)
• No bait-and-switch reports
• No reports of pressure to upgrade to proof or numismatic coins
• No regulatory action from the SEC or state regulators
• IRS-compliant custodian and IRS-approved depository
• No fake review patterns (reviews are spread across years with varied detail)

For a company under two years old, the absence of red flags is meaningful. It doesn’t guarantee a clean future, but it’s a clean present.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Does GoldenCrest Metals Have a Physical Office I Can Visit?

Yes. Their corporate office is at 23901 Calabasas Road, Suite 2002, Calabasas, CA 91302. Call ahead if you plan to visit; they operate on appointment for in-person meetings.

Q2. Can I Take My Gold Home if I Open a GoldenCrest IRA?

No. IRS rules under IRC Section 408(m) require IRA-held precious metals to be stored at an approved depository.

Home storage of IRA gold is a prohibited transaction and can disqualify your entire IRA. You can take physical possession only when you take a distribution.

Q3. How Long Has Rich Jacoby Been in the Precious Metals Business?

Roughly two decades, based on company materials and his radio show biography. GoldenCrest itself was founded in late 2023.

Q4. Does GoldenCrest Metals Sell Platinum or Palladium?

Not as a primary focus. They concentrate on gold and silver bullion. If platinum or palladium is part of your plan, you’ll need a different provider.

Q5. What Happens to My Account if I Move or Pass Away?

Your account stays with Entrust Group as custodian regardless of where you live. On death, the account passes to your named beneficiaries per your IRA paperwork. Update your beneficiary designations annually.

Final Verdict: Should You Trust GoldenCrest With Your Retirement?

GoldenCrest Metals is a legitimate, well-run gold IRA firm with a low entry point, a clean compliance record, and a refreshing absence of high-pressure sales.

The biggest knock against them is age. They’ve been around less than two years, so we don’t yet know how they’ll handle a major market dislocation or a thousand simultaneous customer calls.

If you have $10,000 to $250,000 to roll over, and you want a quieter, more personal buying experience, request the free guide and book a consultation.

Before you commit, compare them against two other firms (Birch Gold and Augusta are the natural matchups).

Get the buyback spread and post-promo fees in writing. That’s how you protect yourself in any gold IRA deal, with any company.