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Gold IRA companies are important when you want to invest in precious metals and hold them in your retirement account. As there are dozens of gold companies that focus on IRAs, with some of the popular options being Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group. Both companies feature a national reach with celebrity endorsements and also offer IRA-approved precious metal products.
Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group both focus on gold and silver IRAs and allow people to roll over their existing retirement account funds. The companies also allow you to purchase physical precious metals with cash, but they mostly focus on IRAs. Both companies also have client education resources and feature decent reputations online.
While both companies are reliable with different similarities, there are some differences that you need to keep in mind before choosing your investment company. In this guide, we will take a closer look at them to help you choose.
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A Look At Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals is a highly reputable company that was founded in 2012 and is known for being family-owned and service-oriented. The company offers world-class services in the precious metals area and has a very good reputation. If you decide to invest with Augusta Precious Metals, you get access to an extensive marketplace of precious metals, gold and silver IRA services and one-on-one customer support.
In addition to physical precious metals, Augusta Precious Metals also specializes in self-directed IRAs. But the company has a high minimum investment requirement of $50,000, and this might be unsuitable for those on a budget. The available precious metals are limited to silver and gold, but you can roll over to Augusta Precious Metals if you have an existing IRA.
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A Look At Birch Gold Group
Birch Gold Group is one of the top businesses that deal in precious metals and was founded in 2003. The company is based in Burbank, California and has a reliable team of precious metal experts that are highly experienced. The company offers top-notch solutions for investing in precious metals with cash. Aside from their wide range of precious metals, they allow you to open IRAs and save for retirement.
Birch Gold Group has a pretty low minimum investment requirement, which is $10,000. The company allows you to invest in silver, gold, platinum and palladium and allows you to roll over your IRA. It has won a number of awards for its wide range of services and customer service.
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Differences Between APM and BGG
Now that you know the basics of Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group, it’s important to spot their differences and choose the one that is ideal for you. Both companies have similarities as they focus on IRAs and offer many perks that give them an edge over the competition. With Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group, you can purchase precious metals in cash but also invest in an IRA.
They also have similar processes to sign up, as you can fill out their application forms on the computer website or call someone from the company. Both investment companies also focus on education and offer excellent customer service. Let’s take a closer look at their differences.
Gold Services
Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group both provide precious metals IRAs and allow you to buy physical metals too. With the former, you can only invest in gold and silver, but the latter also provides platinum and palladium.
Augusta Precious Metals provides gold IRAs which are IRS-compliant. Also, you can directly purchase physical gold and silver, including American Gold Eagles, Gold Canadian Eagles, Canadian Maple Leaves, American Silver Eagles, Gold American Buffalo and Canadian Silver Eagles.
Also, Augusta Precious Metals provides a gold buyback service. This means that they would buy your gold back and won’t turn down any request. The gold purchase comes at competitive prices. For IRAs, the company partners with Equity, which serves all 50 states and provides self-directed accounts.
On the other hand, Birch Gold Group mostly provides IRAs as their main product. You can roll over your IRA into Birch Gold. When you sign up, the company will assign a representative to open and manage your accounts and help with future investments.
Birch Gold Group provides platinum and palladium along with gold and silver, although they are scarce and costly to purchase. There is also a buyback program available that allows you to sell your precious metals back at a good price.
Fees for Setup and Maintenance
Both Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group require fees when setting up up a gold IRA, and you will pay for storage and maintenance. There will also be fees for your custodian, and in most cases, it depends on the custodian you are working with.
With Augusta Precious Metals, you get transparent fees for your precious metals. There are no hidden fees involved, unlike with other precious metals. You will not pay any fees for shipping and transit, and the cost of gold and silver bullion and coins can change due to market rates and spot prices.
You pay a $50 fee the first time for setting up your account, while the custodian and storage fees are $80 and $100 annually, respectively. Also, the minimum investment amount is $50,000, which is pretty high.
As for Birch Gold Group, it has a minimum investment amount of $10,000. If you invest up to $50,000, you won’t have to pay any fees for the first year. You will pay a $50 setup fee, which is payable only once. Another one-time fee is $30, which is for your wire transfer.
For insurance and storage, you will pay an annual fee of $100. Then, the management fees are payable annually and also go for $80. It is the same price as Augusta Precious Metals, except for the extra wire transfer fee.
Online Reputation
In terms of their reputation, Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group have mostly positive reviews and are well-known in the industry. Both companies are ethical with reliable customer service.
Augusta Precious Metals has only high ratings online. The company features a 4.8 rating on Facebook and 4.9 on Trustlink. It also has a 4.7 rating on Consumer Affairs. This shows that the general customer experience for most users in Augusta has been positive.
Augusta also has an A+ rating on Better Business Bureau, with a 4.96 rating out of 5 stars on the website. Also, there have been no complaints filed against the company over the years, and whenever a customer complains online, they will solve it immediately. That is why there isn’t any negative feedback.
The company also has top marks for transparency and ethics at the Business Consumer Alliance. It is endorsed by Joe Montana, an NFL star. Along with their positive reviews, the company offers top customer service with one-on-one lifetime support and a dedicated agent that will help you every step of the way.
As for Birch Gold Group, the company seems to have more reviews online, but that is probably because more customers are attracted by the low minimum investment requirement. It has 4.8 stars on Consumer Affairs and the same on Trustpilot. It is also accredited by BBB with a 4.7-star rating.
Birch Gold Group has dealt with more complaints than Augusta, but they respond to each and every complaint and focus on solving the problem with the affected customer. It has been endorsed by Ben Shapiro, who has sponsored them multiple times in their podcasts and talk shows.
Storage and Depository Services
Augusta Precious Metals works with Delaware Depository to provide you with secured storage services. Their depository is IRS-compliant, and it stores precious metals and allows you to store your gold in different US cities. You also get a $1 billion all-risk insurance policy which protects your precious metals. If you arrange a meeting with your custodian, you can see your investment in person.
Birch Gold Group partners with Brinks Global Service, which means that you can store your precious metals anywhere in the world. It partners with licensed and accredited depositories, including Delaware Depository. Another option is International Depository Services which offers the option to store your metals globally.
Who Wins Between Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group?
Both Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group are reputable companies with valuable IRA services. But after our research, it is clear that Augusta is the winner. If you can afford the minimum investment amount, it comes with different benefits that make it worth it.
With this gold company, you get a lifetime of hands-on customer service, one-on-one workshops and meetings, and insights from analysts and experts providing customer service. The company has no official complaints filed against them and offers different promotions that you can win.
In general, Augusta offers a smooth and fine-tuned experience, even after your initial purchase. But Birch Gold Group is still a reliable company and is an ideal choice if you cannot afford the minimum investment amount that you have to pay in Augusta. Also, Birch Gold Group provides platinum and palladium for those that want to expand their investments.
Alternative Gold Companies
If you’re unsure about investing with Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group, you should consider some other alternatives. Here are some top companies that you can invest with:
#1. Goldco
Goldco is a great alternative for investing in gold, as it only features positive reviews online. You can purchase physical gold, silver, platinum and palladium or invest in gold IRAs with this company. There are only flat fees, which means that you won’t spend a lot of money even with a high investment amount. It is much cheaper than other options.
American Hartford Gold is the best choice for those on a tight budget, as it comes with a very low minimum investment threshold. You can get started with $5,000, which is even lower than what you get with Birch Gold Group. When you open or rollover your gold IRA to American Hartford Gold, you get free storage and insurance. It also does not provide platinum and palladium.
Final Thoughts
Both Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group are top-notch companies in the industry, known for their quality experiences and customer service. Birch Gold Group has been around for two decades, with a lot of experience, diverse precious metals, and waived fees on the first year if you invest up to $50,000.
With Augusta Precious Metals, you get a pretty high minimum investment amount but cheap fees offered at a flat rate. It has the best customer service that you can expect in the industry and one-on-one support that you can benefit from. Also, the company offers extensive client education that you can benefit from.
With this in mind, you should consider the company that is best for you. But if you can afford it, you should go for Augusta Precious Metals. You can also consider the alternatives in our guide.
