Cornerstone Bullion Review

Cornerstone Bullion has been in the precious metals investment world since 2008. A division of Cornerstone Capital Investment INC, Cornerstone Bullion was founded by Chad Roach, who is the CEO of this family-owned investment business. He began Cornerstone Bullion because he wasn’t satisfied with his choices in precious metals investing, finding that many companies weren’t offering good customer service or reliable prices. 

Chad specializes in alternative investments and has a background in the investment industry as a venture capitalist, as well as working with real estate and tangible assets. Chad understands that investors want to ensure that their wealth is protected from market manipulation, banks, and the government. 

Will Cornerstone Bullion be the right precious metals investment company for you? Keep reading this Cornerstone Bullion review to find out.

Who Is Cornerstone Bullion?

Cornerstone Bullion began in 2008 out of a need that Chad Roach saw in the investment world. He built his Castle Rock, Colorado company around several principles. 

These include:

• Competitive Pricing – Most gold dealers charge high commission rates for sales, causing the investor to pay significantly more for their precious metals. Cornerstone Bullion averages about 2 percent above cost.

• Keeping It in the Family – Cornerstone Bullion is family-owned and family-managed. They keep the company in the family to ensure the safety of their investors as well as keep competition out. Nobody is trying to do better than the other, so you win. 

• Stellar Customer Service – While Cornerstone Bullion doesn’t have a huge customer service team and their hours are limited, they absolutely go above and beyond for you should you have a question. 

• No Paid Advertising – By cutting advertising costs, Cornerstone Bullion is able to lower its overhead and sell gold for lower prices. They believe that competitive pricing will bring customers in.

What Does Cornerstone Bullion Offer Investors?

Cornerstone Bullion is in compliance with all state and federal requirements and is a member of the Industry Council on Tangible Assets (ICTA). They specialize in the following:

• Gold
• Silver
• Palladium
• Platinum
• Coins

Cornerstone Bullion will also help their clients to rollover their IRA’s and 401K’s into a Precious Metals IRA. Many of their silver and gold bars and coins have been IRS-approved to be deposited into an IRA account including the American Gold Eagle, the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, and the Austrian Gold Philharmonic. 

As with any precious metals IRA, you will need a custodian. Cornerstone Bullion works with some of the top custodians and they offer you several choices in who you would like to use. Not only that, but they will also help you to choose a secure and approved depository. Cornerstone Bullion recommends Dakota Depository, Delaware Depository Service Company, and Idaho Armored Vaults. 

Just a quick note: If you want to purchase platinum or palladium products, you will need to contact them about availability as they do not allow purchases of these products through their website. 

Purchasing Precious Metals

As mentioned, Cornerstone Bullion has a variety of products for investors to choose from. If you’re unsure what to purchase, their website offers up a free guide to help you to make that decision. You should know this, though. Cornerstone Bullion prefers to deal in silver bullion. 

Once you have determined what type of precious metals you want to purchase, you will call Cornerstone Bullion to speak with a representative who will help you to complete the transaction. Your pricing will be locked in and you can then make your purchase. 

Cornerstone Bullion does not deal in any numismatics, as they wish to keep pricing low for their investors. They will also purchase precious metals from investors, even if they have never done business together in the past. They will purchase all precious metals in bars and coins, but not in scrap and jewelry. 

How Buying and Selling Works with Cornerstone Bullion

Before you decide on any precious metals for your investments, Cornerstone Bullion recommends you utilize their free “Precious Metals 101” guide. This is a great primer on using precious metals as investment options and how you can benefit. 

Once it’s time to start the buying process, you can take the tips from the guide, or you can call customer service during business hours for guidance. You will lock in your pricing and create an account to complete your order. You can only call in purchases, they do not have an online marketplace whatsoever. You will also need a minimum of $1,500 to start your investing, which is among the lowest required minimum investments we’ve found.

Once your order is confirmed, you then send them your payment through a check or bank wire. Within three business days of your payment clearing the bank, your items will be shipped. Please be available to sign for your shipment, that’s why it is insured, after all!

Selling your precious metals is a similar process, only you will be responsible for the proper insurance of the items being sent to Cornerstone Bullion. When they receive your package, they will verify that you sent what you stated you would and they will send your payment through the mail as a paper check.

If you need it quickly, you can pay for expedited shipping at $19 for overnight delivery. If your sale is over $50,000, you can opt for a bank wire transfer. 

Products Offered

Cornerstone Bullion offers many types of products for its investors, including coins, bullion, and bars. Several of these are approved by the IRS for IRA portfolios. Some of the most popular options include:

• Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
• American Silver Eagle
• Australian Silver Philharmonic
• American Gold Eagle
• American Platinum Eagle
• Canadian Silver Maple Leaf
• Canadian Palladium Eagle
• South African Gold Krugerrand
• Platinum Maple Leaf

While Cornerstone Bullion does have IRA-approved products, many of the products they offer are not. This is because Cornerstone Bullion is not an IRA custodian. Instead, they partner with several IRA custodians which include: 

• Entrust Group
• The Kingdom Trust, Co. 
• GoldStar Trust Co.
• New Direction IRA, INC.

IRA fees will fluctuate by which IRA custodian you choose to use and typically vary between 0.1 and 0.5 percent of the total value of the account. The fees you may have to pay would include:

• Custodian Fees
• Storage Fees
• Insurance
• Setup Charges

Shipping and Delivery

Once your purchase is confirmed, your precious metals will be shipped between one and three days. Cornerstone Bullion uses different carriers, such as USPS priority mail, UPS, and FedEx. Each shipment is shipped fully insured and requires a signature upon receipt. 

Cornerstone Bullion offers a three to seven-day delivery guarantee and if a delay is expected, the investor will be alerted by the company immediately. If your order contains a minimum of either 20 ounces of gold or 500 ounces of silver you will be provided with free insurance and shipping.

The Verdict On Cornerstone Bullion

With the number of precious metals firms out there, it can be difficult to decide on which firm is the right one for you.

If you are someone who is looking for a company that is family-owned, has excellent customer service, competitive pricing, a low minimum investment requirement, and the knowledge that an investor needs to make the right decision for their investments, look no further than Cornerstone Bullion.

While they do not have the technological “bells-and-whistles” that other investment companies have (chat options, purchasing online, etc), they do have the “chops” to help you make the best decisions for your retirement and collecting needs.