Origin & Quality
Is the gold real?
Every investment is directly allocated to pure gold kilo bars stored in the Royal Canadian Mint. The Mint manufactures every gold bar and guarantees their weight and purity. Each bar has a unique serial number which is tracked and reported in the Vaulted app. The gold never leaves the Mint’s vault (unless you request physical delivery).
What quality is the gold?
The kilo bars are 99.99% (.9999) pure gold. Each bears the Royal Canadian Mint’s hallmark, as well as an imprint certifying weight and fineness. RCM bars are considered a premium product because of their purity and elegant design.
Where does the gold come from?
Vaulted gold comes from ethically sourced locations from the mine or recycler all the way through refining and minting. Every ounce is conflict-free and chain of custody certified. The Royal Canadian Mint participates in the Responsible Precious Metals Certificate Program, which identifies and validates the chain of custody of incoming gold-bearing refining deposits.
Buying & Selling
How do I buy and sell gold through your platform?
After funding your account via a linked bank account or bank wire, simply click on 'Buy Gold' or 'Sell Gold' on the Overview page and place a trade at any time. Orders are processed during New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) hours. If you prefer, you may also call Vaulted to speak with an advisor who can assist you with the transaction.
How do I buy a Vaulted gift card?
You can buy a digital gift card in the Vaulted app by clicking on “Gift Card” from the main menu and following the instructions. To purchase a physical gift card, contact your advisor.
How do I find the Vaulted app in the app store?
Get Vaulted on the iOS store: Vaulted for iPhone
Get Vaulted on Google Play store: Vaulted for Android
Or, simply search "Vaulted gold" in your app store! Vaulted is also available as a web browser application (https://vaulted.com), optimized for ease of use on mobile devices.
Fees
What are the fees to buy gold?
There is a one-time 1.8% fee included in all buy transactions. This fee includes all spreads, premiums, and commissions. It is added to the wholesale price of gold at the time of your trade. The Vaulted app clearly displays the current wholesale price, your buy price (ask), and your sell price (bid). With Vaulted, you will never encounter hidden costs.
What are the fees to sell gold?
There is a one-time 1.8% fee included in all sell transactions. This fee is subtracted from the wholesale price of gold at the time of your trade.
What are the fees to maintain my account?
There is an annual maintenance fee of 0.4%, or 40 basis points, based on the average value of the net cumulative gold purchases in your account. This maintenance fee covers:
- The cost of storing gold at the Royal Canadian Mint
- The cost of maintaining and improving the Vaulted app and the state-of-the-art technology that’s under the hood
- Personnel costs, including compensation for our advisors who are there to answer questions and provide support for your Vaulted account, as well as compensation for support staff who perform various daily accounting and internal control functions
The maintenance fee is charged semi-annually, which means half of the annual fee is billed to the client each July and the second half is billed each January of the following year.
Maintenance fees are generally subtracted from the cash balance in your Vaulted account. Alternatively, fees will be automatically deducted from your gold balance if a cash balance is not made available to cover the fees within 30 days of invoicing. Important note: the maintenance fee goes away as soon as you choose to take delivery of your metal.
Taxes
What tax and disclosure implications do I face as a U.S. taxpayer using Vaulted?
If you are a U.S. taxpayer, you only have to report to the IRS when filing your tax return, if you have sold gold. By February of each year, we will provide you with a tax statement of all sell transactions in the prior calendar year. Your tax statement will show any potentially taxable gains or losses, which you may be able to use to offset gains outside your Vaulted account.
You are not required to report your Vaulted account to the IRS/FinCEN as a “foreign financial account” on FinCEN Form 114 (the “FBAR”), as your account is maintained by a company in the United States of America.
What tax implications do I face if I live outside the United States?
If you live outside the United States, you are required to submit a W-8BEN before selling any assets on Vaulted. Click here to download the form: W-8BEN-International-Tax-Form
You can fill it out and submit to [email protected] or your advisor at any time. We will keep it on file for your account. By February of each year, we will provide you with a tax statement of all sell transactions showing taxable gains or losses.
Does Vaulted come with any tax advantages?
Vaulted is the most tax-advantaged way to invest in gold. Gold-backed ETFs, other online gold accounts, and physical coins/bullion are taxed as collectibles in the United States, meaning they face a 28% long-term capital gains tax rate no matter the investor’s tax bracket. Most other assets, such as stocks, are subject to a 15-20% long-term capital gains rate.
Vaulted allows investors to own physical gold with the same capital gains tax treatment as stocks. This may reduce your tax liability by 30-50% compared to other gold investment vehicles.
Taking delivery of a Vaulted kilo bar is not a taxable event, which means we are not required to produce a 1099 form on delivery. These advantages come from the IRS's unique treatment of Vaulted assets.
This answer is not tax advice; please consult your tax advisor for guidance on your specific situation.
Security & Privacy
How do I know when the gold is mine?
When you buy gold in the Vaulted app, your purchase is instantly allocated to a specific gold kilo bar. You can check your designated serial number(s) in the details section of the app or on your quarterly statement. All allocated ounces are your collateral, guaranteeing your gold can be delivered to you. Neither Vaulted nor the Mint can sell, lease, or pledge your gold to any other party. You may take delivery of any fully allocated bar, or transfer your Vaulted holdings to smaller coins and bullion for delivery if you prefer.
Will anyone ever know I bought gold through Vaulted?
Only if you tell them. Gold purchases through U.S. institutions such as Vaulted are not generally reportable to tax authorities or financial regulators. The dollar amount of how much you sell is reportable to the IRS: Vaulted is compliant with IRS regulations requiring all U.S. brokerage companies to report gold sales on a standard form 1099-B. These forms are issued in the month of January immediately following the year in which you completed sell transactions.
How do I know your app is safe?
We follow industry-leading best practices for data security, including encrypting all data in transit and at rest, maintaining redundant, multi-location data backups, and upholding rigorously strict data access policies. Our engineering team is led by former Google software engineers and our platform is regularly vetted by multiple external 3rd-party vendors, including PricewaterhouseCoopers to review the cybersecurity of our application.
What kind of multi-factor authentication is available for Vaulted?
You can use Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or the Authy app for two-factor authentication to add additional protection to your account. You can also arrange for call-back verification before any cash transfers out of Vaulted. To activate either of these options, contact your advisor or email [email protected].
What company is backing this app?
Vaulted is a trademark of McAlvany Financial Group: 166 Turner Drive, Durango, CO 81303, USA.
McAlvany Financial Group was established in 1972 and is the longest continuously operating full-service gold brokerage firm in the United States.
How do I close my account?
Open the Vaulted application and navigate to Settings. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Delete Account." A webpage will open to secure.vaulted.com that explains the process for deleting your Vaulted account. You will need to send your request to [email protected] from the email address associated with your Vaulted account. Before submitting your request for account deletion, please ensure there is no cash or gold left in your account.
Funding My Account
How do I fund my Vaulted Account?
Easily fund your account within the U.S. by linking a bank account, logging into your Vaulted account and navigating to the Transfers tab. Vaulted uses Plaid to link your checking account to Vaulted and process ACH cash deposits and withdrawals. Plaid is a third party company that securely connects your bank to the apps you want to use. Savings accounts may not be a linked bank account within Vaulted.
Alternatively, you may fund your account by sending a wire transfer from your bank. You can find wire transfer instructions in the Transfers tab when logged into your account.
Plaid isn't working - I can't link my bank account!
Some banks may have trouble integrating with Plaid. If this happens to you, we always have the option of manually linking your checking account to Vaulted. This would allow you to perform ACH transfers into Vaulted and withdraw money on demand (as if you were linked through Plaid). Before manually connecting your account, we need the following from the client:
- A bank statement dated within the last 30 days
- A photo of a Driver's License (or state I.D.)
- A voided check for the account you want to connect with Vaulted (A photo of the check is sufficient if the name on the check matches the name on the Vaulted account, or if the address matches the Vaulted account or Driver's License.)
These requirements come from the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA), which is the organization that manages the governance and administration of electronic money movement in the United States. If you want to connect your bank account manually, please contact your Vaulted advisor or contact our support team at [email protected].
How do I fund my Vaulted account from outside the US?
Are you outside of the US and want to fund your Vaulted account?
Option 1: You can send an international wire transfer. Simply contact your bank and send your desired amount using the International Wire Instructions in this document: Vaulted International Wire Instructions. Rates will vary depending on your bank and country of origin.
Option 2: Alternatively, Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a more affordable, faster way to send money abroad. Wise is an easy-to-use, borderless account which allows you to convert your currency into USD at the real exchange rate and send it to anyone in the world. If you would like to utilize a Wise account to fund your cash balance in Vaulted, follow the instructions in the document below. (Or just contact us - we are happy to help!)
Download the Vaulted & Wise International Transfer Instructions PDF.
Disclosure: Vaulted is a participant in the Wise Affiliate Partner Program which allows partners to earn commission on referrals for using the Wise service. Wise is a third-party solution, so Vaulted does not provide customer service when using their service nor do we ensure the transfer while it is in transit with Wise. To contact Wise, please visit their Help Center.
Withdrawing Funds
How do I withdraw funds from my Vaulted account?
Click the Transfer Tab and navigate to the box titled "Withdraw from Vaulted." Enter the amount you would like to withdraw. Click "Next" and "Submit." Your funds will appear in your linked bank account within a few business days.
My withdrawal says "pending." Why isn't it coming through?
If you funded your Vaulted account via ACH transfer, the funds may only be available for withdrawal after 60 days. You can still request a cash withdrawal, but the funds will remain in a "pending" state until the 60-day window has passed.
This regulation comes from the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA), which is the organization that manages the governance and administration of electronic money movement in the United States. Specifically, it deals with ACH Return Codes R07 and R10.
If you need your funds sooner, no problem! To withdraw your funds before the 60 days has passed, we need to collect the following documents:
- A bank statement dated within the last 30 days
- A photo of a Driver's License (or state I.D.)
- A voided check for the account you want to connect with Vaulted
More about this regulation:
NACHA established the 60-day ACH regulation to increase the security of their network. The 60-day transfer window makes it much more difficult for criminals to launder money or get away with hacking your bank account and irreversibly transferring your money somewhere else. All fintech companies must manage the 60-day window in their own way. Vaulted complies with the regulation by holding deposits in the Vaulted account for the full 60 days, to protect against fraud and provide maximum security for our clients’ holdings.
To avoid any confusion, Vaulted informs users about the NACHA regulation before you fund your account. The following notice appears above the “SUBMIT” button when you are confirming any ACH cash transfer: Please note: if you choose to fund an account via ACH, these funds may not be available for withdrawal until after 60 days.
This NACHA regulation has no impact on your ability to buy and sell gold. As always, you can purchase and sell gold whenever you desire. If you want to avoid the 60-day window altogether, you always have the option of funding your account through wire transfer. This allows us to instantly receive funds from your bank and deposit them in your Vaulted account. Wire transfer funds are then available for withdrawal immediately upon your request.
I'm trying to withdraw funds but the button is greyed out. What's going on?
If you originally funded your Vaulted account with a wire transfer and are now requesting an ACH withdrawal via a linked bank account, the withdrawal button may be greyed out. This is an extra level of security we set up for linked bank accounts. To withdraw your funds, you have a couple options:
Option 1: Request a Wire Transfer
Contact your advisor and request a wire transfer to your bank. Your funds will be sent back to you immediately.
Option 2: Make a Deposit
Complete a deposit into Vaulted with your linked bank account, and then make a withdrawal request. To ensure your linked bank account is genuine and functional, you must complete a deposit first. Then you can freely withdraw money from the Transfers tab.
Please contact your advisor with any further questions!
Physical Delivery
How do I take delivery of a kilo bar?
All Vaulted assets are allocated to kilo bars (32.1507 troy ounces), which is the most efficient way to own gold. If you own one or more kilo bars, simply call or email your Vaulted advisor and coordinate a physical delivery. The serial number on the bar will match the serial number displayed inside your Vaulted account.
How do I take delivery of an amount less than a kilo?
If you do not own an entire kilo bar, you can take physical delivery of smaller gold products. We will transfer your assets into smaller coins or bars, such as a 1/10 ounce Gold American Eagle, 1 ounce Gold Canadian Maple Leaf, or a 10 ounce Gold Bullion Bar. Tell us what you want at your doorstep, and we'll make it happen.
Here’s how the process works for taking delivery of smaller denominations of metal:
- Chat with your Vaulted advisor about which coins or bullion products match your preferences.
- Your advisor will send this information to our trade desk to process the trade.
- Receive a notification from Vaulted detailing the gold products you ordered, the premium you paid for those products, and the delivery cost. The gold will automatically be deducted from your gold balance in Vaulted, and we will deliver your coins/bars right away!
Keep in mind, different products carry different premiums. Your Vaulted advisor will help you find the lowest premiums and highest quality products. Vaulted clients will pay retail market prices discounted by the Vaulted transaction fee of 1.8%.
When can I take delivery?
Your gold is your gold, which means you can request physical delivery at any time.
There is only one caveat: If the gold purchase was funded via ACH transfer, your funds must be in your Vaulted account for 60 days before any cash withdrawal or physical delivery requests can be processed. This comes from the 60-day NACHA regulation (see Withdrawing Funds tab for more information).
Please note: Vaulted can only deliver gold products to addresses in the United States and Canada. Shipping to Canada is typically more expensive than domestic shipping.
How much does it cost to take physical delivery?
If you take delivery of your gold, Vaulted will pass on the Royal Canadian Mint’s and FedEx’s (or other carrier’s) shipping and handling costs to you. We also pass along the cost of insurance during transit. We do not charge any additional fees on physical delivery.
Shipping and handling costs are as follows:
- Handling: The Royal Canadian Mint charges $50 per bar.
- Shipping: Shipping costs vary depending on the carrier and delivery location (for FedEx next-day or second-day shipping to the continental U.S., the cost is generally $150 per bar). This includes the cost of shipping each bar from Ottawa to the Vaulted headquarters and then from the Vaulted headquarters to the client. The Mint will not ship metals directly to clients.
- Insurance: The cost for insurance is $75 per bar. For security purposes, we ship and insure each kilo bar individually.
To summarize: each kilo bar delivery will cost a total of $275.
What happens if the gold is lost in transit?
All gold in transit is insured by Vaulted. If anything happens to it, our insurance carrier will compensate us, and we will compensate you for the loss.
Storage
Where is my gold stored?
Vaulted gold is stored at the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa, Canada. The RCM has been a leading precious metals custodian for over a century. We chose the RCM as our storage counterparty because of their excellent reputation and stringent security protocols.
Is the gold safe?
The RCM's exceptionally secure vaults are supervised by security personnel and supported by state-of-the-art surveillance technology. All holdings are counted on a quarterly basis and audited annually by the Government of Canada’s Office of the Auditor General. The Mint is owned by Canada’s AAA-rated federal government. Canada is one of the most geopolitically stable countries in the world, with a centuries-old track record of respecting property rights. Every gold bar is fully insured by Lloyds of London. Major ETFs, governments, and institutions trust the Mint to store billions of dollars in gold.
Risks
Could my data be stolen?
Vaulted is designed from the ground up with a foundation of security combined with a simple, powerful user experience. Our security measures include:
- following industry-leading best practices to ensure your data stays private and secure
- fully encrypting all data storage
- maintaining redundant, multi-location data backups
- upholding rigorously strict data access policies
- hosting regular cybersecurity reviews by multiple 3rd-party vendors, including PricewaterhouseCoopers
We recommend activating multi-factor authentication on your Vaulted account for an extra layer of security. To activate MFA, contact your advisor or send us an email at [email protected].
If there is a long-term power outage, how would I get my gold?
All records are stored redundantly, and we regularly make backup copies offline so that in the event of a catastrophy, we have a record of all transactions and ownership.
What if the app gets hacked or goes down?
Multiple secure, redundant copies of transaction history are maintained separately from the core Vaulted systems to ensure that your account and your gold are kept safe.
What if Vaulted goes out of business?
Vaulted is owned and operated by McAlvany Financial Group, founded in 1972. Our history has enabled us to build a robust business that you can trust. In the unlikely event that McAlvany Financial Group goes out of business, your gold cannot be used to pay any creditors. You have a legal right to sell or take delivery of your assets at any time. You perpetually retain title to any and all gold allocated to you inside the Vaulted platform.
What if the Royal Canadian Mint goes out of business?
The Royal Canadian Mint is a Crown corporation 100% owned by the AAA-rated government of Canada. The Mint physically accounts for 100% of the gold allocated to Vaulted customers at all times, and insures all assets through Lloyds of London. The Mint is a custodian, which means your gold is never on the Mint’s balance sheet. Even in the case of a bankruptcy or liquidation, your gold cannot legally be used by the Mint or its creditors. The agreement between Vaulted and the Mint requires that gold allocated to you must be segregated from the Mint’s own assets.
What if the gold is lost, stolen, or damaged while in the Mint’s custody?
The Royal Canadian Mint insures its gold through Lloyds of London and has agreed to provide full compensation for any gold that is lost, stolen, or damaged while in its custody and control. In the unlikely event of such a loss, the compensation or replacement gold provided by the Mint will become your collateral securing our obligations to you. As soon as the Mint is ready to deliver the compensation or replacement gold, we will allocate it to you, aiming to restore your Vaulted account to normal operation. Please see the Vaulted End User Agreement for details.
VaultPlan
What is VaultPlan?
VaultPlan is an automatic gold savings plan. The tool allows you to initiate automatic gold purchases monthly, or every two weeks. You can change your VaultPlan amount and frequency at any time.
Why VaultPlan?
VaultPlan makes it easy to dollar-cost average into the gold market. Dollar-cost averaging is a strategy in which investors divide an investment into multiple asset purchases over time, rather than investing the entire lump sum all at once. Dollar-cost averaging is a long-term strategy that takes the guesswork out of "timing the market." VaultPlan also makes it easy to meet a savings goal. Just specify the amount you want to save from each paycheck, and the funds will be automatically transferred!
How do I set up a VaultPlan?
Step 1: Enter an amount. This value will be automatically transfered from your linked checking account to your Vaulted account.
Step 2: Enter a frequency and start date. The VaultPlan will begin on the date you specify, and initiate a transfer every month or two weeks after that.
Step 3: Submit. After you lock in your VaultPlan, funds will automatically start moving to your gold balance during market hours at your selected frequency.
166 Turner Drive
Durango, CO 81303
USA
Durango, CO 81303
USA
Vaulted is backed by McAlvany Financial Group, one of the largest and longest continuously operating full-service gold brokerage firms in the United States.
