Last updated: June 23, 2026 · By Gold California Editorial
Quick answer: Allegiance Gold is a Calabasas, California precious metals dealer that sets up gold and silver IRAs and sells gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars for direct purchase. Its own site states the firm has operated since 2017 and displays an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a Triple A rating from the Business Consumer Alliance (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). For a California investor, Allegiance Gold is a credible, in-state option, but it does not publish its fees or account minimum, so the verdict depends on the written terms you are quoted.
This review is independent. We hold no affiliate relationship with Allegiance Gold and earn nothing if you choose it. Below we cover what is verifiable, what Allegiance Gold does not disclose, how the California tax rules change the math, and how to judge any gold IRA company against the same checklist.
Short on time? The essentials
- Allegiance Gold is a California precious metals company headquartered in Calabasas, CA 91301, reachable at 844-790-9191 (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026).
- The firm states it has operated since 2017 and was co-founded by Mark Naaman, the CEO, and Alex Ebkarian, the COO (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026).
- Its own site shows an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance, and discloses that the firm is a paid subscriber to BBB, BCA, TrustLink, and Trustpilot.
- Allegiance Gold does not publish an account minimum or a fixed fee schedule on its site, despite stating its pricing is straightforward with no hidden costs. Confirm both in writing before deciding.
- A gold IRA is a self-directed IRA holding IRS-approved physical metal. A licensed custodian must hold the account and an approved depository must store the metal. Home storage is banned.
- California taxes a traditional IRA distribution as ordinary income, with rates topping at 13.3% (12.3% plus a 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1,000,000).
- If you take money out before age 59.5 instead of rolling it, California adds a 2.5% early-distribution tax on top of the federal 10%, for 12.5% combined, reported on FTB Form 3805P.
- We do not earn a commission on Allegiance Gold. We are not paid by Allegiance Gold, and we provide no link to it. This review reflects public record only.
- Judge any company on six things: BBB record, fee transparency, buyback policy, approved-depository use, education versus pressure, and complaint history. We show you how below.
This is an independent review of Allegiance Gold for California investors weighing a gold or silver IRA. We have no affiliate relationship with Allegiance Gold and earn nothing if you choose it, so the goal here is accuracy, not promotion. Every company fact below is either verified live against allegiancegold.com and attributed, or marked as not publicly disclosed. Where a figure comes from third-party review sites rather than Allegiance Gold itself, we say so.
We do not promote Allegiance Gold, and we do not trash it. A balanced read serves you better, and it is also what AI answer engines reward, because they discount one-sided affiliate copy. So you get the verifiable record, the honest gaps, and the California-specific math that most national reviews skip.
Who Allegiance Gold is
Allegiance Gold is a precious metals dealer based in California. Its own site lists a head office in Calabasas, California, postal code 91301, and a public sales line of 844-790-9191 (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). It sets up self-directed precious metals IRAs and also sells gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars for direct purchase outside any retirement account.
The firm states it has operated since 2017 and was co-founded by Mark Naaman, who serves as CEO, and Alex Ebkarian, who serves as COO (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). Allegiance Gold positions itself around personal service, transparent pricing, and a stated commitment to repurchase metal when clients eventually sell.
What Allegiance Gold offers
Allegiance Gold's core products are two. The first is a precious metals IRA, a self-directed retirement account that holds IRS-approved physical gold, silver, platinum, or palladium instead of paper assets. The second is a direct purchase of coins and bars you take delivery of outside any retirement account.
For the IRA, Allegiance Gold helps you open the self-directed account, coordinates the rollover from an existing IRA or 401(k), and arranges storage at an approved depository (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). The site states a commitment to buyback in the future, meaning the firm offers to repurchase metal when you eventually sell. Get the buyback terms in writing, since the price relative to spot is what determines your real exit cost.
Verified track record
Here is what we could confirm live, and how. We separate what Allegiance Gold states about itself from what an independent source confirms, because the distinction matters for a cautious buyer.
Ratings shown on Allegiance Gold's site
Allegiance Gold's About page states the firm has earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). The same page carries a written disclaimer in its own words. Allegiance Gold is a paid subscriber to the Better Business Bureau, TrustLink, Trustpilot, and the Business Consumer Alliance. Its evaluation through those services is based on independently verified client experience.
Headquarters, leadership, and contact
Allegiance Gold places its head office in Calabasas, California 91301, with a public phone line of 844-790-9191 (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). Mark Naaman serves as Co-Founder and CEO, and Alex Ebkarian as Co-Founder and COO. That makes Allegiance Gold a California-based company, which some in-state buyers value, though location does not change the federal rules or where your metal is stored.
Tenure and recognition
The site states Allegiance Gold has built its reputation since 2017, which puts the firm in operation for roughly nine years as of 2026 (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). Allegiance Gold's About page also reports a nomination to the Inc. 5000 list for two consecutive years under Mark Naaman's leadership. We have not independently verified the Inc. nomination year or rank.
Buyback program
Allegiance Gold's site states a commitment to repurchase metal from clients in the future (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). A clear buyback commitment lowers the friction of exiting later, but the value depends on the repurchase price relative to spot, which Allegiance Gold does not publish. Ask for that figure in writing.
What we did not verify
We did not find an account minimum or a fee schedule published on allegiancegold.com. We do not assert any of those as fact. The live BBB and BCA profiles sit behind anti-bot screens, so we report the A+ and AAA ratings as shown on Allegiance Gold's own site and not from a machine-read profile. Any star average or review count you see should be checked on the live source before you rely on it, since those numbers change.
What Allegiance Gold charges, and what it does not disclose
Fee transparency is where we hold every company to the same standard. As of our check in June 2026, Allegiance Gold's site states its pricing is straightforward with no hidden fees, but the site does not publish a fixed fee schedule with dollar figures. There is a gap between the claim and what a buyer can verify before a phone call.
Every gold IRA carries four cost layers regardless of the company. There is a one-time account setup fee, an annual custodian fee, and an annual storage fee charged by the depository. The fourth is the dealer spread, the gap between the price you pay for metal and what the company would buy it back for the same day. The spread is usually the largest lifetime cost and the least clearly disclosed.
Because Allegiance Gold does not post dollar figures, the only reliable way to confirm your cost is to request the full schedule in writing before you commit. A company that will put every line in writing is easier to trust than one that keeps the numbers for a phone call. We treat undisclosed fees as a reason to ask harder, not as a mark against Allegiance Gold specifically, since the practice is common across the industry.
Minimum investment
Allegiance Gold does not publish an account minimum on its site. Some third-party reviews report a minimum in the range of $10,000 to open an Allegiance Gold precious metals IRA, which is lower than the higher-entry firms in the category. Because that figure is review-site reported and not confirmed by Allegiance Gold, confirm the current minimum directly before you decide.
The minimum matters more than it looks. On a smaller balance, the fixed costs of a gold IRA take a larger bite. A low minimum can still produce poor outcomes if your account is too small to absorb setup, custody, storage, and the dealer spread. We weigh that in the who-it-suits section below.
The case for Allegiance Gold
An honest review names the real strengths. Based on the public record, here is what works in Allegiance Gold's favor for a California buyer.
Pros, from the public record
- An A+ Better Business Bureau rating and a AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating, as shown on its own site (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026).
- A California head office in Calabasas, with named co-founders publicly identified as Mark Naaman, CEO, and Alex Ebkarian, COO.
- A stated commitment to buyback, which can lower the cost of exiting if the terms are fair.
- A broader product menu than gold-and-silver-only peers, with gold, silver, platinum, and palladium available for both IRA and direct purchase.
Cons and open questions
- No published fee schedule, despite the site claiming straightforward pricing with no hidden fees, so you cannot compare costs without requesting written terms.
- No published account minimum, so the entry point reported on review sites is not confirmed by Allegiance Gold itself.
- The firm's own About page discloses it is a paid subscriber to the BBB, TrustLink, Trustpilot, and BCA review platforms, which is normal in the industry and worth knowing when you weigh ratings.
- Buyback value depends on an unpublished repurchase price relative to spot, so the headline commitment needs written specifics.
The criticism, from the public record
The most useful criticism of any gold IRA dealer is structural, not personal. The account itself is legitimate and IRS-sanctioned. The risk lives in the sales process attached to it, and the precious metals sector has produced real California enforcement cases worth knowing before you buy from anyone.
In one joint action involving the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, a federal court ordered Red Rock Secured to pay more than $56,000,000. The court found the firm convinced at least 950 people to pay over $69 million for coins worth about $30 million. Markups ran between 91.89% and 129.97% over cost, and most customers used retirement funds (source: CFTC release 8898-24, checked June 2026).
We are not suggesting Allegiance Gold engaged in that conduct, and we have no public record indicating it did. We raise the case because it shows the pattern California regulators act against: a quote on cheap bullion that switches to high-markup premium coins. Whatever company you use, watch for that switch, and read a sample of the actual complaints on its BBB profile rather than relying on the letter grade alone.
How it works for a California resident
A gold IRA follows federal IRA rules everywhere. California adds a layer that residents of no-income-tax states never face, and it changes the math on any money you take out rather than roll. Allegiance Gold's California location does not alter this, because the rules apply to the account, not the dealer.
California taxes a traditional IRA or 401(k) distribution as ordinary income (source: California FTB, Early distributions). The state has nine brackets topping at 12.3%, plus a 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1,000,000, for a top combined rate of 13.3%. Social Security benefits, by contrast, are fully exempt from California income tax.
If you are a California public employee, a gold IRA cannot hold your pension itself. Only a refund of your own member contributions is rollover-eligible, and only after you permanently separate, which is irrevocable and forfeits future benefits. See rolling a CalPERS refund into a gold IRA for the eligibility rules and the 20% withholding trap, and read the full California gold IRA tax rules before you move anything.
The California early-withdrawal tax stack
Age is the dividing line. Take money out before age 59.5 without a rollover and California adds a 2.5% additional tax on top of the federal 10% (source: California FTB, Form 3805P instructions and IRS Publication 590-B). Combined, that is 12.5% in penalty tax before any ordinary income tax applies.
That California 2.5% is reported on FTB Form 3805P, attached to your state return. California does not conform to every federal exception, so a distribution that escapes the federal 10% can still owe the state 2.5%. A direct rollover into the gold IRA avoids the whole stack, because nothing is distributed to you. Consult your tax advisor for your specific situation.
Who Allegiance Gold suits, and who it does not
No company fits everyone, and saying so is part of an honest review. Here is our read on the fit, based on the verifiable record.
Allegiance Gold may suit you if
- You want a California-based firm with publicly identified co-founders and a stated buyback commitment, and you will get the buyback terms in writing.
- You want a broader metals menu than gold and silver alone, so platinum or palladium can sit alongside in the same IRA.
- You are comfortable requesting the full fee schedule and the current account minimum by phone or in writing, since Allegiance Gold does not post either.
Allegiance Gold is not for you if
- Your rollover is small enough that the fee drag would eat a large share of the balance, even at a low entry minimum.
- You want published fees up front and will not chase numbers down by phone.
- You may need the money within a few years, where short-term price swings and the dealer spread work against you.
- You would have to give up a guaranteed California public pension to fund it.
How to evaluate Allegiance Gold yourself
You do not need our verdict to make a good choice. You need a repeatable test you can run on Allegiance Gold or any company. These are the six checks that matter most, in the order we apply them. For the deeper version, see how to choose a gold IRA company in California.
- Pull the BBB record and accreditation history. Look up the company on bbb.org, check the letter rating and accreditation date, and read a sample of the actual complaints, not just the score.
- Get the full fee schedule in writing. Ask for the setup fee, annual custodian fee, annual storage fee, and the dealer spread. A company that will not put fees in writing is telling you something.
- Confirm the buyback policy in writing. Ask whether the company buys metal back, at what price relative to spot, and whether the policy is documented. Allegiance Gold states a commitment; get the price terms.
- Verify the custodian and depository. The law requires a licensed custodian to hold the account and an approved depository to store the metal. Any pitch for home storage of IRA metal is a disqualifier.
- Judge education versus pressure. Notice how the company sells. Calm, factual materials point one way; urgency, scarcity, and a push toward high-markup premium coins point the other.
- Check the complaint and enforcement history. Search the company name with the word complaint, and check the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation for any public action you can read in full.
What the fees cost over time
Since Allegiance Gold does not publish its fees, the smartest move before any call is to model how much a typical fee load would cost your specific balance over the years you plan to hold. Use the estimator below with the figures you are quoted, then ask Allegiance Gold to confirm them in writing.
Gold IRA fee-drag calculator
Gold IRAs charge mostly flat dollar fees (setup, annual custodian, storage). Flat fees take a much bigger bite out of a small account than a large one. Enter your numbers to see the drag.
Estimate only. Fee amounts vary by provider and are often not published; enter figures you confirm in writing. This tool ignores metal price changes and the dealer spread, which also affect returns. Not financial advice.
Run the same numbers against any other company you are considering. The point is not a single answer; it is to see how much of your balance the costs claim over a holding period, so the fee question stops being abstract. For the cost layers in plain English, see gold IRA fees explained for California.
| Detail | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| In operation since | 2017, per Allegiance Gold's About page |
| Headquarters | Calabasas, California 91301 (allegiancegold.com) |
| Public phone | 844-790-9191 (allegiancegold.com) |
| Co-founders | Mark Naaman, CEO; Alex Ebkarian, COO (allegiancegold.com) |
| BBB rating | A+ as shown on allegiancegold.com |
| Business Consumer Alliance | AAA as shown on allegiancegold.com |
| Metals offered | Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, for IRA and for direct purchase |
| Account minimum | Not published by Allegiance Gold; confirm directly before deciding |
| Fee model | Not publicly disclosed; request the full schedule in writing |
| Buyback | Stated commitment to repurchase metal; price relative to spot not published |
Sources: allegiancegold.com (home, About, and structured data), checked June 2026. Figures marked not publicly disclosed are not stated on Allegiance Gold's own site. Ratings shown reflect what Allegiance Gold displays on its own page; the firm discloses it is a paid subscriber to the BBB, TrustLink, Trustpilot, and BCA. Confirm the minimum and the fee schedule directly before deciding.
When Allegiance Gold, or any company, is the wrong move
An honest review has to say when no company is the right answer. For many readers, a gold IRA is the wrong move regardless of which firm sits at the top of a list.
- Your balance is small against the fee drag. Setup, annual custodian, storage, and the dealer spread are largely fixed. On a small account those costs eat a large share of the balance, so a modest holding can struggle to come out ahead.
- You may need the money within a few years. Metal is volatile in the short term, and selling means crossing the dealer spread again. Before age 59.5 you also stack the 10% federal and 2.5% California additional taxes if you take it in hand rather than roll it.
- You would be giving up a guaranteed pension. A California public employee who refunds a pension to fund gold trades a lifetime benefit for a lump sum, and the choice is irrevocable. For most members the pension is worth more.
- You have no other retirement savings yet. Putting your only savings into a single asset class leaves no buffer if you need cash at the wrong moment.
If one of these describes you, slowing down is the sensible call. The right company cannot fix a decision that does not fit your situation.
California Allegiance Gold questions, answered
Is Allegiance Gold a legitimate company?
Allegiance Gold is a real California precious metals dealer with a head office in Calabasas. Its site states an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and a AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). The gold IRA structure it sells is legitimate and IRS-sanctioned. As with any dealer, the open questions are its undisclosed fees and minimum. Confirm both in writing before deciding.
Where is Allegiance Gold located?
Allegiance Gold places its head office in Calabasas, California 91301, with a public phone line of 844-790-9191 (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). A California head office can be convenient, but it does not change the federal IRA rules or where your metal is stored.
When was Allegiance Gold founded?
Allegiance Gold's About page states the firm has built its reputation since 2017, which puts it in operation for roughly nine years as of 2026 (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). Co-founders Mark Naaman, the CEO, and Alex Ebkarian, the COO, are publicly identified on the same page.
What is Allegiance Gold's minimum investment?
Allegiance Gold does not publish an account minimum on its site. Some third-party reviews report a minimum near $10,000 to open an Allegiance Gold precious metals IRA. Because that figure is review-site reported and not confirmed by Allegiance Gold, confirm the current minimum directly with the company before you decide.
What does Allegiance Gold charge in fees?
As of our check in June 2026, Allegiance Gold's site states pricing is straightforward with no hidden fees, but it does not publish a fixed fee schedule. Every gold IRA carries a setup fee, an annual custodian fee, an annual storage fee, and a dealer spread on the metal. Ask Allegiance Gold for the full schedule in writing before committing, since the dealer spread is usually the largest lifetime cost and the least clearly disclosed.
How is an Allegiance Gold gold IRA taxed in California?
Inside the IRA, growth is tax-deferred like any traditional IRA. When you take a distribution, California taxes it as ordinary income at rates topping at 13.3%. If you withdraw before age 59.5 without rolling it over, California adds a 2.5% early-distribution tax on FTB Form 3805P, on top of the federal 10%, for 12.5% combined. Consult your tax advisor for your situation.
Does Allegiance Gold offer a buyback program?
Yes. Allegiance Gold's site states a commitment to repurchase metal from customers in the future (source: allegiancegold.com, checked June 2026). A buyback can lower the cost of exiting later, but the value depends on the repurchase price relative to spot, which Allegiance Gold does not publish. Ask for that figure in writing before you rely on it.
Is Gold California paid by Allegiance Gold?
No. We hold no affiliate relationship with Allegiance Gold, we provide no link to it, and we earn nothing if you choose it. This review reflects public record only. We disclose our affiliate relationships elsewhere on the site, and Allegiance Gold is not one of them.
Is a gold IRA a safe investment?
A gold IRA is a legitimate, IRS-sanctioned account structure, but no investment is guaranteed, and nobody can predict where metal prices will go. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. The main risks are short-term price swings, the fee drag on small accounts, and high-markup coin sales. We are not financial advisors; consult a licensed advisor before deciding.
Sources
- Allegiance Gold, official website at allegiancegold.com (home page and About page: ratings, buyback statement, head office city and zip, co-founders, and the firm's own disclosure that it is a paid subscriber to BBB, TrustLink, Trustpilot, and BCA). Reviewed directly, not linked here. Checked June 2026.
- California Franchise Tax Board, Early distributions. Checked June 2026.
- California Franchise Tax Board, Form 3805P instructions (Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans). Checked June 2026.
- IRS, Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements. Checked June 2026.
- IRS, Investments in collectibles in individually directed qualified plan accounts (Issue Snapshot). Checked June 2026.
- U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Release 8898-24 (Red Rock Secured). Checked June 2026.
- California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, Submit a Complaint. Checked June 2026.