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Orion Metal Exchange Review
4.9 Overall Rating
Customer Care
Pricing
Reliability
Ease of Purchase
Bottom Line
Orion Metal Exchange is a full-service precious metals dealer. What we like about Orion is its competitive pricing, in-house IRA department, website with real-time precious metals pricing, and offer incentives to provide reimbursement for precious metal storage, insurance and custodial fees.
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About Orion Metal Exchange
Orion Metal Exchange, located in Los Angeles, is a full-service precious metals dealer. What we like about Orion is its competitive pricing, in-house IRA department, website with real-time precious metals pricing, and offering incentives to provide reimbursement for precious metal storage, insurance, and custodial fees.
To learn about Orion Metal Exchange, we spoke with a company representative and asked about rolling over an existing retirement account into a precious metals IRA. We needed to do this because there is limited online information about the company’s services on Orion’s website.
Overall, our conversation with the company representative was educational and enjoyable. They answered our questions and clearly explained the company’s fees, pricing, and options without being pushy.
Pros
- Waived setup fees or transfer fees for an IRA
- Easy account setup
- Fast and insured shipping for customers who want to take possession of the precious metals
Cons
- Although Orion Metal Exchange representatives are friendly, you cannot purchase precious metals online
Gold and other precious metal IRAs are an investment and carry risk. Consumers should be alert to claims that customers can make a lot of money in these or any investment with little risk. As with any investment, you can lose money and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance results. Consumers should also obtain a clear understanding of the fees associated with any investment before agreeing to invest.
Orion Metal Exchange Services
Orion Metal Exchange is especially knowledgeable about various gold, silver, and precious metal investing options. The company primarily sells gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Their website offers information on real-time precious metal pricing and the current prices for various coins.
Orion offers investors three precious metal secure storage options – home storage, secure vault (depository) storage, or the choice to put the metals in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). For guidance on selecting IRS-approved gold coins and storage options for an IRA, read our gold IRA buyer guide.
- Home Storage: If you want to keep your gold, silver, or other precious metals at home, Orion Metal Exchange will help you choose the right type of in-home safe to secure these assets.
- Secure Vault: A depository vault is a safer, more secure option than home storage. Orion Metal Exchange can recommend domestic vault storage services, such as Brink’s, or international options.
- IRA: Orion Metal Exchange can assist with opening a Precious Metals IRA account to store your precious metal investments, or they’ll help with completing a rollover from an existing IRA.
Finally, Orion Metal Exchange offers a Commission-Free Buyback program, allowing clients liquidation of their precious metals—whether IRA-held, in third-party storage, or in personal possession—without paying sell-side commissions. Clients can lock in their buyback price with a quick phone call, and proceeds are issued once the metals are received in good condition.
Orion Metal Exchange Gold IRA Features
Customers can put their precious metals in a tax-deferred account with an Orion Metal IRA. These metals can be bullion coins or gold, silver, platinum, or palladium bars.
One of the company’s best attributes is that we can instantly access educational resources and request a free investor kit to learn more about buying gold and silver with Orion.
How Do You Open a Gold IRA with Orion Metal Exchange
The website gave us several options to contact an experienced account representative to guide us through the process of opening an IRA.
Orion IRA accounts follow the same tax rules as any other IRA:
- Contributions are deductible from federal income taxes
- You only pay taxes upon withdrawal (unless it’s a Roth account)
- There are penalties and taxes for withdrawal before the age of 59 1/2
As with other traditional IRA accounts, there are mandatory distribution minimums and taxable withdrawals at 70 1/2 years of age. Discuss the differences between a Roth and a traditional IRA with a tax advisor.
A precious metal IRA is appealing to some investors as a hedge against inflation. Metals prices move in the opposite direction to cash, the stock market, and bonds. Many investors avoid this diversification due to the tediousness of finding an approved depository and a broker or custodian. Orion Metal Exchange simplifies this process so clients can diversify without hassles.
Orion Metal Exchange Costs
When it comes to costs, annual storage fees depend on where you store your metals. Insurance is provided by Lloyd’s of London, meaning your holdings are kept safe and insured within these professional storage arrangements.
Orion Metal Exchange does not specify a minimum investment amount on its website. However, the company representative we spoke to recommended a minimum investment of $5,000, but a $30,000 investment is needed to take advantage of the occasional promotional offers.
At the time of our phone call, for example, an investment of $30,000 will give you one year of storage, insurance, and a custodian for free. Other promotions may also be available. Orion does not charge annual fees and offers more metals for your money.
Orion Metal Exchange Rates
The price of precious metals changes constantly. But Orion Metal Exchange provides guaranteed real-time pricing on its website on its “Coins” page and historical pricing on its “Chart” page. We found these pages very intuitive, allowing us to easily navigate current and historical pricing from three, six, or twelve months ago. This interactive charting tool is available for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
For example, here is a snapshot of gold in August of 2025:
Our Experience With Orion Metal Exchange: Is It Reputable?
One reason we find Orion as one of the best gold IRA companies is that they made it easy for us to access educational resources quickly and request a free investor kit to learn more about buying gold and silver through them.
The kit was sent to our email, providing several easily implemented tips for choosing the right gold IRA company and avoiding common mistakes when buying gold. We found these tips really helpful for empowering our decision.
We also had many opportunities to contact an experienced account representative. Once connected, we found the expert knowledgeable and friendly as they explained the process of opening an IRA.
Orion stands out from other precious metals companies because of its commitment to transparent online pricing. This helped us compare prices elsewhere and gauge our investment potential because they don’t hide purchase fees or commissions.
Orion also states that it won’t ask you to send funds before confirming price and product information beforehand, which we feel would be reassuring to potential investors.
Orion Metal Exchange Complaints
Most complaints in customer reviews about Orion Metal Exchange are about the daily market updates on gold or silver commodity spot pricing. While the “Charts” page provides real-time pricing updates for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, it’s important to note that the company’s market prices for precious metals reflect the business cycle.
The company’s contact information is easy to locate, and you can contact a representative over the phone with any questions about how the precious metals market works.
Customer satisfaction is high with Orion Metal Exchange overall, which makes sense given its customer-oriented focus and emphasis on knowledgeable representatives. Reviewers from ConsumerAffairs appreciate how easy it was to transfer a traditional retirement account to gold and silver.
Five-star reviews from Trustpilot say Orion isn’t pushy and takes time to explain the purchases you’re inquiring about in detail, either through a representative or their free investor kit. The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating.
Orion Metal Exchange FAQs
Orion Metal Exchange gives customers flexibility in how their precious metals are stored. Investors can choose secure, IRS-approved third-party depositories, which are fully insured by Lloyd’s of London. For those who prefer direct control, Orion also offers discreet, insured home delivery. This range of storage options lets clients balance convenience, security, and peace of mind.
Orion Metal Exchange partners with custodians that provide online access for their clients. Contact Orion directly to determine the real-time market prices for trade.
Most brokerage firms that handle bonds, stocks, mutual funds, and other traditional investments don’t also handle physical assets. However, customers can choose to open a Self-Directed IRA with an organization that manages IRS-approved storage facilities.
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission warns against fraudulent sales pitches that may take the form of a TV, radio, online ad, phone call, or email. You should also be wary of guarantees or time-limited or limited-supply offers. The Federal Trade Commission recently ordered one scammer to pay over $428,000 for trying to con senior citizens through a precious metals scam. When considering investing in precious metals, always ask questions and get everything in writing so that you can make an informed decision.
Orion Metal Exchange does not publish a set minimum investment requirement on its website. However, when we spoke directly with a company representative, they advised that $5,000 is the minimum needed to open a precious metals IRA. The representative also noted that an investment of $30,000 is ideal to qualify for Orion’s special promotions, which may include added benefits such as fee waivers.
Conclusion
Orion Metals Exchange scores high in several categories. It is an all-purpose precious metals dealer that offers the option to buy or sell, and also provides an IRA gold account to help consumers diversify their retirement savings portfolio. The minimum fees are affordable, and the real-time market updates help investors stay informed of the performance of their investments.