Gold IRA Companies Compared on What They Actually Publish

Gold IRA companies differ most on three published things: the minimum investment, the yearly fees and what they promise when you sell the metal back. We've lined up five of them, Augusta Precious Metals, Goldco, American Hartford Gold, Birch Gold Group and Noble Gold Investments, using only what each company and the Better Business Bureau publish. Where a company doesn't publish a figure, the table says so.

How we compared them

Every fact here comes from the company's own website or its Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile, opened on October 17, 2026, and is credited to its source. No review sites, no paid rankings, no scores of our own. Fees and offers change, so get each figure in writing from the company before you open an account.

Augusta Precious Metals is the company this site refers readers to, which is why it comes first. The other four follow in alphabetical order.

We also tried the Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) site for each company. It didn't load that day, so BCA ratings for the other four aren't shown.

Gold IRA companies side by side

A few things stand out. All five hold an A+ from the BBB. Published minimums run from $5,000 at Birch Gold Group to $50,000 at Augusta. Three of the five name Equity Trust as a custodian. And the buyback wording runs all the way from a "guarantee" to a company saying it "cannot guarantee" it'll buy your metal back.

Augusta Precious Metals

Augusta has been in business since 2012 and is headquartered in Casper, Wyoming. Its educators are salaried and non-commissioned. We'd weigh that, because it tells you how the person walking you through the account is paid. Money magazine named it "Best Overall" from 2022 to 2026. It holds an A+ BBB rating and a AAA rating at the Business Consumer Alliance.

On cost, Augusta's published schedule is $50 one time to open, $125 a year administration (custodian) and $100 a year storage, and it lists ZERO setup, custodian and storage fees for up to 10 years. Shipping and transit insurance are free to all customers. Its preferred custodian is Equity Trust and its preferred depository is Delaware Depository.

Then there's what happens after you buy. Augusta lists a Highest Buyback Guarantee and a 100% 7-Day Money-Back Guarantee. The minimum investment is $50,000.

American Hartford Gold

The BBB lists American Hartford Gold at 11755 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, with a business start date of March 30, 2015, and BBB accreditation since June 3, 2016.

We didn't find a minimum on the pages we opened, or fee amounts. Its gold IRA page says there are storage fees at the depositories and there "may also be setup fees," and its commitment page says clients "will be fully informed of any costs or fees" before a purchase. The same gold IRA page names Equity Trust Company and Entrust as custodians, and Delaware Depository, A-M Global Logistics (AMGL), International Depository Services (IDS) and Brink's as depositories.

On buyback, American Hartford Gold says it offers "a buy-back commitment with no back-end fees." Its commitment page adds: "While we cannot guarantee that we will repurchase metals, we never charge any additional liquidation fees."

Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group says it's been in business since 2011 and lists its headquarters at 309 Court Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa. The BBB shows accreditation since July 22, 2013.

• Minimum: Birch says it "currently requires a minimum investment of $5,000," for both direct purchases and precious metals IRAs, and that this can vary.
• Fees: the custodian and depository charge their own, which "typically average around $235 per year," and Birch "covers the first year's fees for accounts over $50,000."
• Custodians: Equity Trust Company and GoldStar Trust Company, named as typical.
• Storage: Delaware Depository, Brink's Global Services, International Depository Services, Texas Precious Metals Depository and Texas Bullion Depository.
• Buyback: Birch says it "always welcome[s] the opportunity to buy back metals we have sold," and that buyback values can differ from spot depending on product, mint, size and demand.

Goldco

The BBB lists Goldco (also Goldco Direct LLC) in Calabasas, California, with a business start date of October 26, 2011, and accreditation since December 9, 2011. Goldco says it "generally require[s] a minimum of $25,000 to start a gold IRA."

Its cost page lists a one-time $50 setup fee, a $125 yearly account administration fee, and storage at $100 a year (non-segregated) or $150 a year (segregated). Its FAQ page gives a lower figure, "around $80," for the yearly account fee, so ask which one applies to you. We didn't find a custodian or depository named on the pages we opened. Goldco's About page advertises "the industry's highest buyback guarantee PLUS no fees when you're ready to liquidate."

Noble Gold Investments

The BBB lists Noble Gold Investments (also Golden Bull, LLC) at 16830 Ventura Blvd in Encino, California, with a business start date of May 14, 2016, and accreditation since January 23, 2017.

"Our Gold IRA minimum investment is $20,000," Noble says, and its cash purchase and home delivery minimum is $10,000. Its fee table is the most itemized of the five: $50 setup, $125 a year account maintenance, $160 a year metals storage, a $30 wire transfer fee, a $75 in-kind distribution fee and a $250 account closure fee.

Noble says it will "connect you with a trusted precious metals IRA custodian" without naming one on that page; its Texas storage page names International Depository Services in Dallas. It describes a "top-rated buyback program" without published terms.

How to check any gold IRA company

Run this list on any company you're weighing, including the five above. You can check each item yourself in a few minutes.

1. Read the BBB profile: the rating, the complaints and how the company answered them. The BBB notes that the nature of complaints and a company's responses "are often more important than the number of complaints."
2. Look up the Business Consumer Alliance profile for a second rating and complaint record.
3. Get the full fee schedule in writing. That's setup, yearly administration, storage (pooled and segregated), wire, in-kind distribution and closing fees, and who bills each one.
4. Ask the price of each product over spot on the day you buy, and what the company would pay to buy the same product back that day.
5. Get the custodian's name and confirm it's qualified. Under section 408(a)(2) the trustee must be a bank or an IRS-approved nonbank trustee. The IRS publishes its approved nonbank list, though FINRA notes that list "is not a complete list of every custodian."
6. Get the depository's name and the storage type, segregated or pooled, and ask how your holdings will show on statements.
7. Make sure every product qualifies. Under section 408(m), gold has to be an American Eagle coin or at least 995 fine. The coin checker below will tell you.
8. Read the buyback terms. Is there a written commitment, a holding period, a fee to sell? Get the wording, not a summary.
9. Ask about a cancellation window and how refunds work if you change your mind.
10. Ask how the account will be funded. A direct trustee-to-trustee transfer avoids the 60-day and once-per-12-months rollover rules in IRS Publication 590-A; our gold IRA guide explains both.
11. Don't expect the custodian to vet the deal. The SEC, NASAA and FINRA alert says self-directed IRA custodians don't sell investments, give advice or "evaluate the quality or legitimacy" of what you buy. There's more in our self-directed IRA guide.

IRA coin checkerDoes a coin or bar meet the IRS rules for an IRA?

What makes one gold IRA company different from another?

Not the account. At every company it's the same legal structure: a self-directed IRA under section 408, held by a custodian, with the metal stored at a depository.

The company is what changes. Its minimum, the custodians and depositories it works with, what it charges or covers in fees, its product prices, how its staff are paid and what it commits to when you sell. Those are the facts in the tables above, and they're the ones we'd ask for in writing.

What people ask when choosing a gold IRA company

What are the best gold IRA companies?

We don't rank companies. Compare minimums, written fee schedules, named custodians and depositories, buyback terms and BBB records with the checklist above. Augusta Precious Metals is the company this site refers readers to.

Which gold IRA company has the lowest minimum?

Of these five, Birch Gold Group publishes the lowest, at $5,000. Noble Gold Investments publishes $20,000 for its gold IRA, Goldco $25,000 and Augusta Precious Metals $50,000. American Hartford Gold doesn't publish one on the pages we checked.

How much do gold IRA companies charge?

Among the published schedules here, yearly administration and storage fees together run from $225 to $285, plus a $50 setup fee where one is listed, and the price of the metal over spot. Augusta Precious Metals lists zero setup, custodian and storage fees for up to 10 years.

Are gold IRA reviews reliable?

Some review pages come from sites that are paid for referrals, as this one is. BBB and Business Consumer Alliance profiles show complaints and the company's responses directly, and you can read them yourself.

Do gold IRA companies hold the gold themselves?

No. The gold company sells the metal, an IRA custodian administers the account, and a depository stores the metal for the custodian.

What's the difference between gold investment companies and gold IRA companies?

Most of the companies here are both: they sell metal for an IRA and for delivery to you. Noble Gold Investments, for example, publishes separate minimums for each ($20,000 IRA, $10,000 cash purchase).

Sources and fact-check17 primary sources, checked October 17, 2026

1. BBB: Goldco business profile
2. BBB: American Hartford Gold business profile
3. BBB: Birch Gold Group business profile
4. BBB: Noble Gold Investments business profile
5. Goldco: How much does a gold IRA cost?
6. Goldco: Gold IRA frequently asked questions
7. Goldco: About
8. American Hartford Gold: Gold IRA, what it is and how to open one
9. American Hartford Gold: Our commitment to you
10. Birch Gold Group: FAQs
11. Birch Gold Group: Home page
12. Noble Gold Investments: Gold IRA
13. Noble Gold Investments: Texas storage
14. Legal Information Institute: 26 U.S. Code 408
15. IRS: Publication 590-A
16. IRS: Approved nonbank trustees and custodians
17. FINRA, SEC and NASAA: Investor alert, self-directed IRAs and the risk of fraud

We check every figure against the original source: the mint, the regulator, the exchange or the company itself. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.