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Kirk Elliott Precious Metals (KEPM) is a Denver-based precious metals dealer founded by Dr. Kirk Elliott in 2013, offering gold and silver bullion sales, IRA rollovers, and secure storage to clients in all 50 states.
The company has built its reputation on Dr. Elliott's media presence rather than traditional advertising, and it now processes close to $1 billion a year in incoming client assets under CEO Ashley's leadership.
This review looks at what KEPM actually offers, how its fee structure and storage compare to the rest of the industry, what real customers say on independent platforms, and where current gold and silver market conditions fit into the decision to buy.
Key Takeaways
- KEPM sells bullion coins and bars only, avoiding the high-commission rare and semi-rare coins that inflate costs at many competing dealers.
- The company is not BBB accredited despite operating since 2013, and its BBB customer rating sits at roughly 2.57 out of 5 based on a small pool of reviews.
- Gold traded above $4,100 per ounce in early July 2026, up more than 25% year over year, which raises the stakes on getting premiums and buyback terms in writing before purchase.
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Who Runs Kirk Elliott Precious Metals
Dr. Kirk Elliott holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Colorado and an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Denver.
He earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University in 2007 and a second Ph.D. in Theology from Primus University of Theology in 2013.
He has worked in financial services since the early 2000s and shifted his focus to precious metals in 2002.
Since 2019 he has done more than 1,000 media interviews, mostly on conservative talk radio and podcasts covering economics, politics, and faith-based financial planning.
Ashley, the company's CEO since 2022, came from a pharmaceutical background with a neuroscience degree from Dickinson College.
She joined KEPM as a consultant and worked her way up to Director of the Consultant Team before taking the top role. Under her tenure the firm scaled to roughly $1 billion annually in incoming client assets, according to the company's own disclosures.
That kind of growth is worth noting for a firm that isn't accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
Third-party reviewers have flagged this gap repeatedly, pointing out that KEPM's BBB file wasn't even opened until 2024, more than a decade after the company started operating.
Lack of accreditation doesn't automatically mean a company is untrustworthy. Plenty of legitimate dealers skip the BBB process because it involves fees and ongoing compliance reporting they'd rather avoid.
But when a company handles retirement accounts and physical bullion worth real money, the absence of that layer of third-party oversight is something a buyer should weigh before signing anything.
Related: Augusta Precious Metals vs Goldco
Products and Services
KEPM's core offering breaks into three buckets: direct bullion purchases, precious metals IRAs, and third-party storage.
The bullion side covers gold and silver coins and bars, including widely recognized products like American Gold Eagles and Canadian Maple Leafs.
The company markets itself as a low-commission alternative to dealers pushing rare or semi-rare coins, and it says explicitly it won't recommend metals that are hard to liquidate.
That's a reasonable stance. Industry-wide, some precious metals dealers charge spreads as high as 30% on collectible or "proof" coins, according to gold IRA researchers who've compared dealer pricing.
Sticking to bullion coins and bars, which typically carry premiums in the 3% to 8% range over spot depending on product and order size, keeps more of a client's money in actual metal rather than in commission.
On the IRA side, KEPM supports Traditional, Roth, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs as well as rollovers from 401(k)s and TSPs.
Clients can open a self-directed IRA, which lets them choose their own custodian and asset mix rather than being locked into a house fund. New contributions to these accounts must be made in cash, with the exception of rollovers from existing retirement accounts.
For storage, KEPM works exclusively with Texas Precious Metals Depository. That's a single point of storage, not a menu of depository choices, which some competitors do offer.
If a client wants to choose between, say, a Delaware Depository account and a Texas option, KEPM isn't the firm for that.
Here's a quick comparison of what KEPM emphasizes versus what larger, longer-established competitors like Augusta Precious Metals and Goldco typically publish upfront:
| Factor | Kirk Elliott Precious Metals | Typical Larger Competitors |
|---|---|---|
| BBB Accreditation | Not accredited | Often accredited |
| Storage options | Single depository (TPMD) | Multiple depository choices |
| Fee transparency | Not published on website | Often published or disclosed pre-sale |
| Minimum investment | Not disclosed publicly | Often disclosed (commonly $25,000+) |
| Product focus | Bullion coins and bars only | Bullion, sometimes proof coins |
| Years in operation | 13 years (since 2013) | Varies, some 15-20+ years |
This isn't a knock against KEPM specifically. It's a reflection of an industry where fee schedules and minimums are frequently handled during a phone consultation rather than posted on a website.
Anyone shopping across multiple precious metals dealers should ask for the same documents from each one: a written fee schedule, minimum investment threshold, and buyback policy, before comparing.
Related: American Hartford Gold vs Goldco
What Customers Actually Say
Reviews on the Better Business Bureau site are mixed. Several clients describe long relationships with Dr. Elliott personally, some going back more than 25 years, and praise the company for keeping them informed about market conditions through regular updates.
One reviewer specifically credited the firm's monthly financial statements and quick disbursement turnaround. On the other side, complaints center on post-sale customer service.
One client described a three-week dispute over receiving e-checks that their bank wouldn't accept, and asked repeatedly for a standard paper check instead.
Another reviewer said upfront customer service was fine but rated the company one star for follow-up support after the purchase was complete.
None of this points to fraud or major legal trouble. Search results turn up no lawsuits or regulatory actions against KEPM.
What the complaints do suggest is a pattern common to relationship-driven sales models: the experience is strong while a dealer is actively building rapport before a sale, and can decline once the transaction is closed and staff attention shifts to newer prospects.
That's worth factoring in if ongoing communication and rebalancing advice matter to you as much as the initial purchase.
Related: Accurate Precious Metals Review
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Where Gold and Silver Prices Stand Right Now
Market timing matters more than usual heading into any precious metals purchase this year.
Gold traded at roughly $4,170 per troy ounce in early July 2026, a level that's up more than 25% from the same point last year, according to Trading Economics data.
Silver sat around $62 per ounce over the same period. Gold actually touched an all-time high of $5,597.23 on January 29, 2026, before pulling back, so current prices reflect a retreat from that peak rather than a market at its ceiling.
A few forces are driving the move. Central banks added a net 41 metric tons of gold to reserves in May 2026 alone, continuing a buying trend that's been running for several years.
Weaker than expected U.S. jobs numbers in June, with nonfarm payrolls rising just 57,000 against a forecast of 110,000, pushed traders to scale back expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike, which supports gold since lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding asset.
Over the past five years, gold has appreciated roughly 133%, compared to about 72% for the S&P 500 over the same window using an ETF proxy, though stocks have historically outperformed gold over longer stretches during calmer economic periods.
None of this data is specific to KEPM. Spot price is spot price no matter which dealer you use. What it does mean is that premiums matter more in a high-price environment.
A 5% premium on a $4,170 gold coin costs roughly $210 more than spot, versus about $100 when gold was trading near $2,000 just a few years back.
Getting exact premium quotes in writing, and comparing them across two or three dealers for the identical product, is a more consequential step today than it would have been in 2022.
Should You Work With KEPM
KEPM fits a buyer who wants a bullion-only strategy, values a dealer with a strong media and educational presence, and doesn't mind working with a single storage depository.
It's a weaker fit for someone who wants full fee transparency published online before ever picking up the phone, or who prioritizes BBB accreditation as a screening criterion.
Either way, request the fee schedule and buyback terms in writing, and check them against at least two other dealers, before moving retirement funds or a large cash sum into any precious metals purchase.
The Verdict
Kirk Elliott Precious Metals is a legitimate, actively operating dealer with a bullion-focused, relationship-driven model and a founder with a substantial media footprint.
Buyers should still verify pricing, minimums, and storage terms directly with the company given the limited fee transparency on its website and the mixed post-sale service reports from existing clients.