To secure your financial future, it is best to diversify your investments and include stable assets in your portfolio that are less prone to serious market fluctuations. For a solid retirement portfolio, it makes financial sense to invest in a Gold IRA company of your choice. But such a pursuit, simple though it might sound, is not without its pitfalls. 

If you happen to be an amateur investor, and unable to distinguish a reputable company from a dubious one, you are likely to end up worse off than when you began your investment venture. Hence, it would make better logical sense to research, compare and contrast different Gold IRA providers operating in the market before you can finally select one.

Working hard in your job or profession is commendable, because the extra money you earn by dint of your dedication can then be channelized to an IRA that works best for you - making it possible to lead a relaxed and financially secure retired life. If Gold IRA is what fascinates you, then it would be crucially important to understand the nature of companies providing such a service and the quantum of investments and expenses involved before arriving at any decision to invest. 

In order to assist you with such decision-making, we have done some of our own in-depth research on two of the best Gold IRA companies available in the market and present here the relevant and important details related to them. The two leading companies that we will compare in this post are – Birch Gold Group and Goldco Precious Metals.

Overview: Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group is a market leader in the business of dealing in precious metals. The company, established in 2003, and based in Burbank, California, has a workforce comprising a dynamic team of highly experienced financial advisors, managers, and brokers dedicated to providing world-class solutions for alternative investment avenues. 

Birch Gold Group is renowned as a provider of full-scope and special offerings in the domain of physical precious metals. As a trusted and dependable precious metals dealer, Birch Gold Group assists investors in diversifying, growing, and securing their retirement asset and wealth portfolios via the route of purchasing and selling bullion, planning for retirement, and storing precious metal assets in a secure manner.

Here is some of the basic information about the Birch Gold Group:
  • Name: Birch Gold Group.
  • Founder: Michael Howell (also CEO).
  • Website: birchgold.com.
  • Year of Establishment: 2003.
  • Minimum Investment for Account: $10,000.
  • Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5.
  • Carson's Rating: 4.8 out of 5.

Overview: Goldco Precious Metals (Goldco)

Goldco Precious Metals, aka Goldco Direct, or simply Goldco, based in Calabasas, California, has been in business for over 10 years. Since the start, the company has come up as one of the best service providers in the field of precious metal investments. Its founder, Trevor Gerszt, who deals full-time in precious metals, aims to assist investors in growing, diversifying, and securing their retirement assets and wealth through investments in precious metals. 

The company specializes in offering multiple services related to precious metals like purchase and sale. With Goldco, you get world-class services in metal IRA that include opening an IRA, funding the IRA, and rollover.

Let us note some basic information about Goldco as follows:
  • Name: Goldco Precious Metals (Goldco).
  • Founder: Trevor Gerszt.
  • Website: goldco.com.
  • Year of Establishment: 2011.
  • Minimum Investment for Account: $25,000.
  • Average Rating: 4.8 out of 5.
  • Carson's Rating: 4.9 out of 5.

Products Offered: Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group offers its customers a full-house package in precious metals comprising silver, gold, palladium, and platinum. This package includes opening a Gold IRA, sourcing, purchasing and selling of precious metals in physical form. 

As already mentioned, Birch Gold Group clients can diversify wealth through purchase of physical precious metals. After purchasing, you can store your wealth in verified precious metal assets like silver, gold, palladium, and platinum. While it is more common for investors to hold their wealth in the form of gold or silver assets, you might, instead, choose to hold yours as palladium or platinum assets – which are rarer and hence more valuable. 

If you would rather prefer to store your wealth in the form of gold coins or bullion, you get the following options from Birch Gold Group:
  • Gold Gyrfalcon.
  • American Buffalo.
  • Gold Rose Crown Guinea.
  • South African Krugerrand.
  • Valcambi CombiBars.
  • Australian Nugget / Kangaroo.
  • Gold Indian Head Eagle.
  • Gold Polar Bear and Cub.
  • American Eagle Coins (Bullion and Proof).
  • Gold bars and rounds from approved mints and refiners.
  • Liberty Head (Coronet Head) collection.
  • Canadian Maple Leaf.
  • Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle ($20).
  • Austrian Philharmonic.
  • Gold Twin Maples.
  • Liberty Head Double Eagle ($20).
In case you wish to invest in silver bullion or coins, Birch Gold Group allows you the following options:
  • Silver Polar Bear and Cub.
  • Silver Gyrfalcon.
  • Walking Liberty Half Dollar.
  • Canadian Maple Leaf and Twin Maple Leaf (2 oz).
  • Canadian Silver Maple Leaf.
  • Peace Silver Dollar.
  • America the Beautiful Silver Series.
  • Silver bars and rounds from approved mints and refiners.
  • Silver Bars and Round.
  • Silver Twin Maples.
  • Austrian Philharmonic.
  • Mexican Libertad.
  • American Silver Eagle (Proof).
  • Morgan Silver Dollar.
  • Australian Kookaburra.
  • American Eagle (Bullion and Proof).
  • American Silver Eagle (Bullion).
  • Rose Crown Guinea.
Again, if you are more inclined towards platinum, Birch Gold Group gives you these options:
  • The American Platinum Eagle.
  • Austrian Philharmonic.
  • Verified Platinum bars and rounds from approved mints and refiners.
  • Canadian Maple Leaf.
  • Australian Koala.

For investors with more affinity to palladium, the company accepts verified rounds and bars, and also the Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf.

Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) Offered By Birch Gold Group:

Birch Gold Group provides its investors the opportunity of growing and diversifying their retirement portfolios into gold self-directed IRA. This IRA gives you the complete freedom to manage your investments in a way that you feel best – making almost all the investment decisions. Still, you always have the company’s highly experienced and market-wise investment specialists a stone’s throw away should you want to receive professional guidance at any point of time.

Apart from handing over to you the full control of your investments, the company’s SDIRA also offers you extra flexibility in what you can invest in. You no longer are restricted to what investors commonly invest in, what may be termed as conventional investments, like stocks, mutual funds, and bonds. Instead, full freedom is accorded to you to diversify your investments into non-conventional assets that include real estate, debt, precious metals, business, and cryptocurrencies

Moreover, a Gold IRA from Birch Gold Group can help maintain and secure your retirement wealth even when adverse events beset global financial markets.

Products Offered: Goldco Precious Metals (Goldco)

Goldco can be classed as a Gold IRA and full-time precious metals company. With Goldco, you receive a full-house investment kit for precious metals that includes not only precious metals IRA, but also SDIRA, and non-IRA marketplace for precious metals.

Precious Metals IRAs Offered By Goldco:

With Goldco’s precious metals IRA package, you can set up and fund your own silver or gold IRA package – which gives you benefits like wealth and asset diversification, enhanced tax rates and also terms, as well as protection from financial upheavals associated with volatile assets like stocks and bonds.

Moreover, with a precious metals IRA from Goldco, your financial assets are protected from potential cyber attacks, and also shielded from the inherent instability of global currencies – especially when the market plays rough. At present, your Goldco precious metals IRA package will allow investment and trade in silver and gold bars and coins.

Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) Offered By Goldco:

With a Self Directed Individual Retirement Account (SDIRA) Goldco package, you can further diversify and secure your retirement wealth. This diversification can occur via investment in alternate assets like real estate and private equity. 

Although the company is not a custodian of SDIRA itself, it partners with reputed IRA custodian firms – offering clients legal, genuine, and secure protection and storage for their assets. Equity Trust Company is Goldco’s preferred IRA custodian.

Non-IRA Marketplace For Precious Metals Offered By Goldco:

Aside from offering silver and gold IRA as also SDIRA services, Goldco also provides a marketplace for customers to purchase and sell precious metals in the non-IRA segment. Primarily, this private option is intended for collectors of and investors in precious metals. 

Once you have purchased something in this marketplace, you can either have it stored in a secure vault or request the company to get it shipped to a specific address. Whichever option you choose, your purchased assets are considered as belonging to your private collection, and thus separate from the IRA you have opened with Goldco.

Goldco allows you to trade in a wide range of gold coins including:
  • Gold Buffalo Coin.
  • Royal Mint Gold Lunar Series: 2016 - Year of the Monkey Coin.
  • Gold American Bald Eagle Coin.
  • Royal Mint Gold Lunar Series: 2019-Year of the Pig Coin.
  • Gold Lucky Dragon Coin.
  • Gold American Eagle (Proof).
  • Royal Mint Gold Lunar Series: 2018-Year of the Dog Coin.
  • Royal Mint Gold Lunar Series: 2017-Year of the Rooster Coin.
  • Gold Australian Saltwater Crocodile Coin.
  • Gold Maple Leaf Coin.
  • Gold American Eagle Coin.
  • Perth Mini as well as PAMP Suisse Gold bars in 1 oz, 5 oz, 10 oz, and 100 oz in addition to other sizes.
Furthermore, the company also permits its clients to trade in the following silver coins:
  • Silver Maple Leaf Coin.
  • Silver WWII Victory Coin.
  • Silver Australian Saltwater Crocodile Coin.
  • Silver American Eagle Proof Coin.
  • Silver American Eagle Coin.
  • Silver World War I Coin.
  • Royal Mint Silver Britannia Lunar Series: 2016-Year of the Monkey Coin.
  • Royal Mint Silver Britannia Lunar Series: 2019-Year of the Pig Coin.
  • Silver American Bald Eagle Coin.
  • Royal Mint Silver Britannia Lunar Series: 2015-Year of the Ram Coin.
  • Silver Lucky Dragon Coin.
  • Royal Mint Silver Britannia Lunar Series: 2018-Year of the Dog Coin.
  • Royal Mint Silver Britannia Lunar Series: 2017-Year of the Rooster Coin.
  • Perth Mini as also PAMP Suisse Silver bars in 1 oz, 5 oz, 10 oz, 100 oz, alongside other sizes.

IRA Rollover: Birch Gold Group

For those with an already existing retirement account, Birch Gold Group gives the option to partially or completely rollover the investment into the Gold IRA opened with the company. This gives access to the benefits accruing to an IRA using an earlier investment. However, you need to buy physical assets in the form of precious metals (gold) to support your investment.

The following retirement accounts qualify for rollover to a Gold IRA held with Birch Gold Group:
  • Traditional IRA.
  • TSP, 401(k), 403(b), and 457 accounts that qualify.
  • SIMPLE IRA.
  • Roth IRA.
  • SEP IRA.

IRA Rollover: Goldco Precious Metals (Goldco)

Investors who have already existing IRAs and eligible 401(k) accounts are allowed to rollover partly or fully their funds to a silver or gold IRA held with Goldco. The client only needs to successfully open an IRA with the company, and then contact support desk for professional guidance on things to do next. 

After you have transferred your funds to your newly opened Goldco IRA, the company will assign to you a financial expert for walking you through the process of selecting the best precious metal assets for investment in the account. You will also receive guidance on the most appropriate way of storing your silver and gold assets.

Minimum Investment: Birch Gold Group

The company recommends that you begin with a minimum investment of $10,000 in your freshly opened precious metals IRA. In addition, you will need to pay the following fees:

  • A one-time fee of $50 for setting up your account.
  • A $30 wire transfer fee to be paid only once.
  • A $100 annual fee for insurance and storage.
  • Management fees amounting to $80 payable yearly.

Minimum Investment: Goldco Precious Metals (Goldco)

The recommended minimum amount that you can invest in your Goldco account, in either silver or gold assets, is $25,000. When $25,000 is invested initially, Goldco charges a fee of $175. If there is a further investment of $25,000, the company will ship silver worth the value of an extra year of storage to the customer. 

Although the annual fee payable is $175, it increases to $225 at the investment level of $100,000.

In addition, the following fees also have to be paid:
  • A $50 one-time fee for setting up the IRA.
  • A $30 wire transfer fee payable once only.
  • A maintenance fee of $80 for your Goldco IRA payable annually.
  • An annual fee of $100 for non-segregated asset storage for your IRA (depending on custodian).
  • $150 yearly fee to cover the cost of segregated precious metals storage related to your IRA.

Storage Options: Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group has tie-ups with IRS-accredited depositories for offering its clients the best legal as well as secure storage services for precious metals. Your precious metal custodians, aside from providing you with burglar-proof storage for your assets, also manage your account by handling all necessary paperwork, audits, and oversight. 

Birch Gold Group recommends that you use Delaware Depository or Brink’s Global Services for convenient and secure storage of your assets. Both these companies are reputed and trusted for the high quality of their services in terms of security, customer support, and convenience.

Storage Options: Goldco Precious Metals (Goldco)

Goldco appreciates the high value of its clients’ precious metal assets and leaves no stones unturned to make available the best in storage security.

The company partners with reputed IRS-accredited IRA depositories like IDS Texas, Delaware Depository, and Brinks Salt Lake City to assure world-class storage security for you. Yet, you are free to select your preferred IRA storage facility.

Final Conclusion: Deciding Whether Birch Gold Group Or Goldco Precious Metals (Goldco) Is Better For Investment In Gold IRA

Goldco caters better to investors looking for a reliable and legit marketplace for diversifying retirement investment portfolios through physical as well as digital precious metal assets. The company may be known as a full-house precious metals dealer, allowing clients to make their future retired lives more financially secure by making investments in digital precious metals, accordingly backed by tangible precious metals. 

However, because Goldco is a comparatively new entrant to the market, it is best suited for small and medium investors interested in alternate investment options to enhance their future financial security. Also, the comparatively steep minimum investment requirement of $25,000 serves as a major dampener for investors with little or no experience. 

In contrast, Birch Gold Group works best for those preferring to diversify and enhance their retirement wealth via investments in tangible precious metals. The company offers a complete package for precious metals investment coupled with a huge range of precious metals to pick from. 

Considering their extensive range of precious metal assets, the company is an attractive option for many retirees, headline traders, and aspiring investors looking for more stable financial options for a prosperous life of retirement in the future.

Related: Goldco vs Augusta precious metals, Birch gold group vs Augusta precious metals

About the Author James Holland

James is a certified financial planner who helps retirees and pre-retirees make the most of their money. He has more than 10 years of experience in the field, and he knows how to help people plan for retirement on a budget. James also offers advice on estate planning, long-term care, and other aspects of retirement planning.

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