Investment Rarities Incorporated, IRI for short, is one of the most established precious metals and IRA companies in the US. With an industry presence spanning almost half a century, IRI has a stellar reputation among investors and industry experts.
But we know better than anyone here at Gold IRA Blueprint that reputation isn’t everything. As industry experts, we’ve reviewed dozens of IRA companies, many of which were supposed to be top-tier firms. This is why we always approach our IRA company reviews with a pinch of skepticism.
The story is no different with our Investment Rarities Inc. review. So, let’s find out whether this established IRA company is as good as many paint it to be or whether its reputation is exaggerated and distorted due to its history.
About Investment Rarities Incorporated
Quick Facts
| Date of Foundation | 1974 |
| Founder | Jim Cook |
| BBB Rating | A+ |
| Assets Available | Gold and Silver |
| IRA type | Self-directed IRAs |
About Investment Rarities Inc.
Jim Cook founded Investment Rarities Incorporated in 1974. Gold and silver investments weren’t as popular back then, but it all changed in the 1980s when gold prices started to grow against increasing inflation. Since then, precious metals have been deemed an inflation hedge, with many investors turning to gold during periods of economic turmoil and high inflation.
This is one of the many reasons why Investment Rarities Inc. quickly established itself as one of the industry leaders. Over almost half a century of its operations, the company has logged over 400,000 transactions for 60,000 customers, which equals over $3 billion worth of bullion and coins sold and delivered.
The company specializes in precious metals investments, specifically gold and silver bars and coins their clients can invest in directly or through self-directed IRAs available via IRA custodian GoldStar Trust Company.
Investment Rarities Products and Services
IRI’s product portfolio may seem a bit limited compared to other IRA companies. Today’s IRA landscape is full of brokers who offer extensive ranges of investment products in addition to precious metals, such as real estate, private equity, hedge funds, or stocks and bonds.
Investment Rarities Inc. focuses only on precious metals, specifically gold and silver. Is that a downside? That depends on how you look at it. In our opinion, it’s always nice when an IRA company offers some diversification opportunities.
On the other hand, the focus on only two specific assets should translate, at least theoretically, to a stellar service for gold and silver investors. Let’s take a closer look at the products and services of Investment Rarities Inc. to see how they compare to other IRA companies.
Precious Metals
Precious metals are the core of Investment Rarities. Through their platform, you will be able to purchase gold and silver products, which can come in coins (both gold and silver) or bars (only silver). Other precious metals, such as palladium or platinum, aren’t available though.
Also, while scrolling through their website, we noticed that the company really encourages individuals to invest in silver. Because of that, the range of available silver coins is slightly more comprehensive than gold ones and includes some unique coins, such as Kennedy Half-Dollars.
Self-Directed IRAs
Investment Rarities Inc. also allows individuals to invest in gold and silver through self-directed IRAs. These allow investors to purchase precious metals with pre-tax dollars while also providing them with more control over their assets. These are available through GoldStar Trust Company, which handles rollovers and IRA account applications.
Shipping and Storage
Their offer might be limited, but Investment Rarities does know how to take care of their clients’ assets. Their storage facility at Brinks offers top-tier security at transparent terms, ensuring your purchased gold or silver remains safe. Besides storage, the company also handles shipments and pick-ups. You can even sell your gold and silver through Investment Rarities.
Costs and Fees
Regarding costs and fees charged by Investment Rarities Inc., things get slightly ambiguous. There’s no information about fees on the website, and the only way to learn how much various services cost is to call the company directly. That’s an old-school approach, but it’s not very user-friendly.
The only cost-related information to be found on the website are two links leading to current gold and silver market prices. These, however, don’t include premiums and markups that precious metal dealers usually charge.
The good news is that GoldStar Trust Company isn’t as cryptic as IRI. As an IRA custodian working with Investment Rarities, GoldStar provides their clients with a clear fee schedule. This includes a standard annual maintenance fee and an account establishment fee, $90 and $50, respectively, for precious metals.
For information about storage, shipping, premiums, or markups, you’ll need to contact Investment Rarities Inc. directly.
Customer Support & Education
There are three ways to contact Investment Rarities. You can give them a call, which is the fastest option, send them an email, or visit their office if you’re around Bloomington, Minnesota. There’s no live chat feature, but you can try reaching out through one of their social media accounts.
Regarding educational resources, there’s not much to tell. There’s an FAQ section, but it’s very ‘minimalistic.’ You can also read through a bunch of short thoughts from Jim Cook, IRI’s founder, and Ted Butler, IRI’s consultant, where both share their insights about the precious metals market and industry. Truthfully, though, it would be an overstatement to say they are very helpful for investors.
Investment Rarities Inc. Reviews
You’d expect a company with almost half a century of experience to have a stellar reputation. Well, that’s not far from the truth. Investment Rarities Incorporated holds an A+ rating from BBB (Better Business Bureau), having received only two complaints in the last three years.
Their rating on Yelp, on the other hand, is currently only one star out of five. That would be a cause for concern if it wasn’t for the fact that there’s only one customer review that complains about the company being expensive. Judging the company on that one comment would be a stretch.
In general, there aren’t many online reviews or customer comments about IRI. That might make deciding whether to trust it or not a tad difficult, so we’d recommend contacting them to get more information about their fees and processes.
Getting Started with Investment Rarities
You don’t need to create a separate account to buy and sell physical gold and silver through Investment Rarities Incorporated. You can do that directly by calling the company and speaking with one of their precious metals experts.
However, that is for direct investments. The story is different for IRA accounts, which require you first set up an account with IRI’s IRA custodian, GoldStar Trust Company. You can do that from the GoldStar’s website, with the whole process being mighty smooth.
Once your self-directed IRA account is set, you’ll be required to create an account with a depository, which you can do directly through Brinks or by working with Investment Rarities. Both ways are pretty straightforward, but if you’re new to precious metals IRAs, it might be a good idea to ask IRI for help.
Pros and Cons
| The Good | The Bad |
| + A trustworthy company with almost 50 years of experience + A+ rating from BBB + Reliable storage and shipping options available through Brinks + Nice selection of eligible silver coins, gold coins, and silver bars |
– Limited offer of assets other than gold and silver – No information about fees and additional charges – Outdated website |
Wrapping Up – Is Investment Rarities Inc. Legit?
Yes, Investment Rarities Incorporated is legit. Its almost 50 years of experience speaks for itself. So yes, if you’re searching for a legitimate and experienced precious metals company, we can, with good conscience, recommend Investment Rarities.
On the other hand, it’s fair to say that IRI may not be the best choice for everyone. For starters, their product portfolio is very limited, with the only assets available being gold and silver coins and silver bars. Precious metals IRAs are also available only through a third-party custodian, GoldStar Trust Company, with IRI only working as a seller.
There’s also the case of the company not being overly transparent about its fee structure. Essentially, if you want to find more information about IRI’s fees, you’d need to call them directly. We believe that such details should be easily accessible through a website.
Another issue is that the website can look a bit off-putting to some. There’s not much useful information for investors, plus the homepage looks more like an ad for Jim Cook’s books than the precious metals investment platform.
So, overall, while Investment Rarities Inc. is a company you can trust with your precious metals investments, there are better alternatives around, especially for less-experienced investors. Alternatives that offer more diversification opportunities, better user experience, and transparency.
Article Sources
At Gold IRA Blueprint, we dive deep into the world of gold IRAs, using trusted sources to back up our insights. Our sources range from official documents to expert interviews, ensuring our content is both accurate and reliable. We also draw on research from reputable publishers to give you the most comprehensive understanding possible. Check out our editorial policy to see how we maintain our high standards for accuracy and fairness. Also make sure to check out our Financial Review Process to have a better understanding of our process.
- https://www.bbb.org/us/mn/bloomington/profile/precious-metal-dealers/investment-rarities-inc-0704-3863
- https://www.investmentrarities.com/
- https://www.yelp.com/biz/investment-rarities-minneapolis
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