is hard assets alliance a scam

(UPDATED January 2026)

Have you been considering acquiring precious metals from Hard Assets Alliance?

Well, if you have, you’d better not cut that check until you read this review in full!

(If you’d rather just skip to the TOP recommended gold company that has loads of positive reviews, click here.)

Is Hard Assets Alliance a scam? Well, you’re about to find out…

Let’s get started!

Hard Assets Alliance Review Quick Summary

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What is Hard Assets Alliance?

Hard Assets Alliance is an association of independent investment firms, financial researchers and news providers…

All of the members seem to hold the belief that clients should have physical precious metals in their portfolios, which might help them with capital preservation…

As of now, there are over 60 members in the Hard Assets Alliance, including Oxford Club, Eagle Publishing, Agora Financial, StreetWise Reports, Casey Research, among others.

Moreover, it’s backed up by the Gold Bullion International (GBI) LLC, based out of New York City.

How Hard Assets Alliance Works (UPDATED January 21, 2026)

Hard Assets Alliance operates a bit differently from a traditional precious metals dealer. It is not a single company selling directly to you. Instead, it is a network of independent investment firms, publishers, and financial advisors, all promoting physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium as part of a diversified portfolio.

The actual buying, selling, and storage of metals is handled through a system called SmartMetals.

When you place an order, you are essentially interacting with multiple alliance members rather than one dedicated dealer. You can purchase coins or bars of various weights and metals, and you also have the option to store them securely through international or domestic vaults.

Hard Assets Alliance offers a variety of account types,

• including individual
• Trust
• LLC
• Joint
• corporate
• and UTMA accounts.

They also provide options for monthly purchases through a system called MetalStream, which allows investors to steadily build a precious metals portfolio over time.

The idea behind the alliance is flexibility and access you can buy from multiple trusted sources under one system.

However, this setup can be confusing for first-time buyers, especially those looking for a simple gold IRA or dedicated guidance from one dealer.

Each member has its own procedures, which means you may need to follow up more than once to complete purchases or transfers.

Hard Assets Alliance Products

Hard Assets Alliance’s products are all provided through an innovative system called SmartMetals. With this, investors can buy, sell and store their own precious metals.

Investors can purchase the metals from all the market members of the Hard Assets Alliance.

This is different from a single provider that specializes in gold IRAs, such as this other recommended gold company.

For some, the alliance might be a good choice, but if you would like trustworthy, specialized assistance throughout the process, it may not be for you.

There are bars and coins in different weights available in the Alliance.

Available metals include gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

Hard Assets Alliance Services

Hard Assets Alliances have services other than providing precious metals. Various kinds of accounts are offered, including IRA accounts, trusts, LLCs, UTMA accounts, joint, corporate, sole proprietorship, partnership and individual.

Although this can be a benefit for investors who want a variety of types of assets, it may be a detriment to those who are looking specifically for gold IRA resources. If that’s the case, explore a top choice here.

Since Hard Assets Alliance is a full-service company, investors can easily add, withdraw or transfer funds. Moreover, they offer international storage with fairly affordable prices. (Note: Gold IRAs cannot be stored legally outside of North America.)

Hard Assets Alliance also has “MetalStream,” which allows you to specifically purchase precious metals on a monthly basis. And finally, investors have the option to sell their precious metals through their SmartMetals account.

Hard Assets Alliance Ratings (November 2026 Update!)

So, how does Hard Assets Alliance fare when it comes to customer reviews?

NOVEMBER 2026 UPDATE: Their BBB rating has been downgraded significantly from a “C” rating to an “F” rating! Not only that, their customer review score is only 1 out of 5 based on 2 customer reviews:

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the BBB’s rating system, “A+” is the best rating you can receive, so a “F” rating is not exactly ideal.

On top of that “F” Rating, Hard Assets Alliance is not even accredited by the BBB!

(If you are weirded out by their extremely low ratings, you might want to check out this review of an alternative firm called Goldco which has loads of positive customer reviews by clicking here.)

What about their Trustpilot rating? Is it any better in November 2025 than in January 2026?

Well, it appears to have increased from 4.1 out of 5 to 4.7 out of 5, but why would their Trustpilot rating be so high if their BBB rating is so low? Could they be adding positive reviews on their own on Trustpilot? It just does not seem to add up.

When searching for a company to work with on your gold IRA, be sure to check ratings on multiple ratings and review web sites to help you see the preponderance of opinions from customers.

This alternative company has received quite a few positive reviews from customers. They might be worth a look.

Customer Experience: Real Feedback 

I dug into customer experiences, and it seems like most people have struggled with delays and fees.

DAC D mentioned that storage fees were crazy high, double what he paid at Brinks, Monex, or other companies he trusted. He also explained that selling physical gold felt slow, as the funds did not become available quickly, even though the metal was supposedly in their vault.

Another reviewer, James B, had over nineteen thousand dollars tied up. He said the timing of transfers was frustrating, especially when the price of silver jumped. While the purchases eventually went through, the delays and tech issues caused him to lose a few hundred dollars. From what I read, the issues are not scams, but they show the service can be slow and frustrating.

Customer Service & Problem Resolution

A few customers noted that some staff were helpful, but overall, the service was inconsistent.

James B mentioned that staff did eventually help him withdraw funds after the delays, and DAC D noted that the team assisted him despite the high fees.

But both reviewers stressed that these resolutions felt more like fixes than standard support.

Based on these accounts, if you are looking for a company that will proactively handle issues, Hard Assets Alliance may not be the most reliable choice.

You may have to follow up multiple times to get problems resolved.

Hard Assets Alliance Review: Trustworthiness & Credibility

From everything I could find, Hard Assets Alliance has credibility issues.

They are not accredited by the BBB and their most recent rating dropped from a C to an F. They also have very few reviews online, and the ones that exist mention slow transfers, high fees, and technical delays.

While there is no direct evidence of fraud, the lack of transparency and limited positive experiences make it hard to recommend them confidently.

For someone looking for a firm with a solid reputation, better ratings, and straightforward processes, it may be safer to consider alternatives like Goldco.

Is Hard Assets Alliance a scam?

Let us conclude this review by answering the question that most of you have been asking regarding this firm:

Is Hard Assets Alliance a scam?

Well, its hard to say whether Hard Assets Alliance is a scam or not. They definitely don’t have the best ratings in the industry. You should probably take that with a huge grain of salt. Buyer beware.

If you want to be able to sleep well, then Hard Assets Alliance probably might not pass some qualifications.

As you can see, it has almost ZERO reviews online. Moreover, they are not BBB accredited and have only received a “C” rating from the BBB.

For something that’s been around for about 8 years, Hard Assets Alliance seems too unknown for one to trust them wholeheartedly.

It might be a better choice to choose a firm that has excellent ratings and a stellar reputation. You can check out a TOP recommended precious metals firm here: Goldco

Thank you so much for reading my “Is Hard Assets Alliance A Scam?” review! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.