Goldco | Top Pick

Simply stated, Goldco can be considered as a leading provider of gold as well as other precious metal IRAs. Investing is a breeze with Goldco, with a customer service agent guiding you through each step of the way.

A Few Key Points To Note About Goldco:

The volatility of the stock market, rising inflation, and a declining dollar are all significant contributors to the depreciation of your retirement wealth. Precious metals like silver and gold have preserved their value for centuries and can be considered as real commodities. On the other hand, the American dollar is only a fiat currency – no longer backed by gold or anything else.

This implies that any investment that you make with the dollar, or the stock market, is subject to unacceptable risks if adverse events hit the financial market. Precious metals can be classed as standalone assets, not linked to the dollar and also the stock market. If, for example, the stock market crashes, these assets actually perform their best.

This is obviously a good enough reason to diversify your retirement funds by investing in precious metals and securing for yourself the financial immunity that these assets provide.

Services Offered By Goldco

Goldco provides its customers the following services:

Goldco offers its customers competitive and transparent buyback rates. However, you are under no compulsion to sell your precious metal assets back to the company at the time of retirement.

Goldco offers 2 types of services to its customers:

Precious Metal IRA

Any person whose age is 70½ years or less is eligible to purchase what is known as a traditional precious metal IRA. These IRAs can accept investments in the form of silver, gold, or any combination of both. Goldco’s experts advise customers on the best way to approach their investments.

The company complies with all regulations and guidelines of the IRS. Goldco has tie-ups with third party custodians that provide sophisticated storage facilities for precious metal assets. These vaults are distributed throughout the country. Although Goldco partners with a number of custodial companies, they prefer Equity Trust Company.

Direct Purchases

These purchases are not subject to any restrictions. Any customer has the option to directly purchase silver, gold, or a combination of both from Goldco, which has a stock of collectable items in the form of these precious metals. A direct purchaser has the option of storing their precious metals in a secure storage facility or taking direct possession of them, whichever is preferable.

Fees Charged By Goldco

Goldco's pricing and fees are not listed on their website, although company officials stated:

"The required minimum purchase at Goldco to start a gold IRA is $25,000. Goldco’s preferred Custodian charges a flat annual account service fee which includes a one-time IRA account set-up fee of $50, as well as a $30 wire fee. Annual maintenance is $100, and storage is $150 for segregated storage or $100 for non-segregated storage.

Fees for gold storage and custodianship can vary depending on the company you select to handle these services (required by the IRS, as all IRA assets must be managed by a custodian). Depending on the Custodian, storage fees can range from $10 to $60 per month, or as a percentage of assets, from 0.35% to 1% annually. Goldco does not charge any storage fees for cash transactions over $25,000."

Augusta Precious Metals - Top Endorsed

Simply stated, Augusta Precious Metals is amongst the top providers of Gold IRAs. The company’s reputation is without a blemish in the industry, with absolutely no complaints against it registered with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Business Consumer Alliance (BCA). Moreover, it offers the most competitive pricing as well as lifetime support for your account. Besides, you will be invited to a one-to-one web conference in order to educate you before you can buy anything.

A Few Key Points To Note About Augusta Precious Metals

With the pandemic creating mayhem, inflation rising, and jobs being lost, there is concern amongst many that their current retirement plans, usually of a conventional nature, may not be sufficient to provide a financially secure retired life in future. However, Augusta Precious Metals can be of assistance.

There is no doubt that Augusta can help any American investor, who wishes to secure his future life of retirement, understand the present state of the economy, and also why and how to diversify with physical silver and gold.

It is one of the most important reasons, along with incredible reputation and attractive pricing, to select Augusta over others. After all, it is not an easy proposition to find favor with a multi-millionaire’s personal advisors – the multi-millionaire being Joe Montana.

You can't lose with Augusta if you are thinking of opening a Gold IRA for your retirement portfolio.

Specialty Offerings from Augusta Precious Metals

Gold IRA:

This is a retirement investment option with tax benefits allowed by the IRS. In essence, it is a “self-directed” investment, allowing you to manage your own assets and take advantage of the many benefits that silver and gold investments offer. A Gold IRA has the same advantages and is subject to the same rules as any other IRA. It has to be administered by a custodian and its storage needs to be in a secure facility.

Augusta provides its customers with the physical silver and gold for this kind of IRA. It also offers the services that help you to not only learn about and open your account, but also guide you on how to work with the custodian as well as storage facility.

Silver IRA:

This is similar to the Gold IRA, except that it contains silver.

Non-IRA Silver And Gold Cash Accounts:

This allows investors to buy gold and silver coins and store them at any place of their choice. Over time, these coins appreciate in value, improving the wealth status of the investors.

Storage Services Related To Physical Silver And Gold

Although the company sells silver and gold coins, they work hand in hand with storage facilities that provide you with secure storage for these coins too. Augusta’s website features a map that shows where these storage facilities are situated and you can make your selection according to your convenience.

Custodian Services

A silver or gold IRA has the requirement that your account be administered by a custodian. Augusta has tie-ups with a number of custodians - which gives you confidence in the company's way of functioning. Augusta actually helps you, on completion, with 95% of the paperwork. Moreover, in contrast to some other gold IRA providers, it continues working with you so that you can communicate better with your custodian subsequent to your purchase of silver and gold.

Multi-Team Approach

Lastly, Augusta’s multi-team approach towards the customer deserves special mention. Every staff member of the company is ready to help you to understand silver and gold and get started with your account without difficulty. Also, they continue assisting you along the way as your investments build up. Possessing silver and gold is like a journey, and the company is ever ready to offer you that critical support whenever necessary - making it easy for you to diversify your retirement savings.

Gold IRA Fees That Augusta Requires

Nature Of Service: Precious Metal IRAs

Minimum Investment: $50,000

Annual Fee: $180 (custodial plus storage fees – no additional management fees chargeable)

Nature Of Service: Non-IRAs

Minimum Investment: $50,000

Annual Fee: $100 (no fees if you take care of your own storage)

Admittedly, Augusta’s high minimum of $50,000 to start, in comparison to competition, might seem prohibitive to some investors. However, this is the company's only drawback. Now, it is a fact that many retirement investors can comfortably come up with this minimum amount. Hence, it is not a problem for them to get started with Augusta.

Augusta is exceptionally transparent regarding fee structure. For precious metal IRAs, there is a modest $80 fee for custodial maintenance, and the rest, which is $100, is payment for depository storage.

Custodial setup fees are minimal and Augusta itself does not charge any management fees as you, to all intents and purposes, have the responsibility of managing your own account. The company also offers, up to a limit of 10 years, fee-free custodial services as well as storage.

Hence, it can be said that Augusta’s fee structure is very competitive. Further, the company’s compliance department makes sure that you are informed on precisely what products you are paying for and how much. The order desk has no issues with spending plenty of time with you to introduce you to the best choices for silver and gold and to assist you with putting together a precious metals portfolio.

Birch Gold Group - 3rd Place

Simply stated, Birch Gold Group ranks amongst the top companies offering not only investment options in precious metals IRA, but also physical purchases. The low investment minimum required makes this company accessible to almost all investors.

A Few Key Points To Note About Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group is a precious metals IRA provider established in 2003. The company deals in silver, gold, palladium, and platinum. Birch focuses on helping customers roll over existing 401(k)s, IRAs, as well as other types of retirement accounts into, what is termed as, a self-directed precious metal IRA.

With Birch, you can invest in 4 types of metals in coins, bars, and rounds, which makes for a more diversified precious metals IRA compared to certain other competitors.

No investment is completely risk-free, and Birch wants investors to appreciate the pros and cons associated with the diversification of their retirement portfolios. Birch has received rave reviews from customers regarding customer service, educational resources, communication, and ease of use.

The company is highly rated with organizations that monitor businesses – like Business Consumer Alliance and Better Business Bureau.

IRA Custodian Fees 

The following fees are levied by the custodian that the company sets many of its customers up with:

$50 setup fees

$80 maintenance fees

$100 storage fees

Special Rates

For all investors buying gold for the first time, there are advertisements for ongoing special promotions. However, these promotions keep on changing from time to time. Currently, the following promotions are available:

Fees for the first year are waived for those investing in precious metal IRAs if the investment is $50,000 or higher

Free shipping offered for cash purchases worth $10,000 or higher

Qualifying purchases come with the incentive of a maximum of $10,000 offered in free metal

Minimum Investments

Precious metal IRAs require a minimum investment of $10,000

Cash purchases also require a minimum investment of $10,000

Products You Can Invest In

With Birch Gold Group, you can make IRA investments in silver, gold, palladium, and platinum. It might be interesting to note that gold has always preserved its intrinsic value over centuries. Although IRS approval is not available for all precious metal products with regard to IRAs, the products offered by Birch have the highest quality and conform to IRS standards.