Augusta Precious Metals vs Birch Gold Group: Fees, Minimums, Custodians

Disclosure: Augusta Precious Metals is our affiliate partner, and we may earn a commission if you request its info kit through a link on this site. The full explanation is in Our relationship with Augusta Precious Metals.

What is this page, and what is it not?

This page puts two companies' published information side by side. It is one way to compare Gold IRA companies side by side. It does not rank, score or recommend either company.

What was re-opened today. On 2026-10-18 we re-opened these company pages: Augusta's home, FAQ, Gold IRA, Silver IRA, reviews and Terms of Use pages, and Birch's FAQ, Gold IRA, Terms and Conditions and Risk Disclosure pages. Those figures and quotes are from today's text. Not re-opened today: Birch's home, Silver IRA, storage-options, prices, customer-reviews and custodian pages, the custodians' fee schedules, Delaware Depository, the IRS, CFTC and CFPB pages, and Trustpilot. For those we use our reviews of Augusta Precious Metals (2026-10-12) and Birch Gold Group (2026-10-15), and the citations keep their original access dates. Everything attributed to a company is its claim, not our finding; confirm figures with the company.

How do the two companies look at a glance?

How do their minimums compare?

Augusta's FAQ says it "requires a minimum initial purchase of $50,000 for both cash (non-IRA) and IRA purchases," and calls the minimum not a fee. Its Gold IRA page says "Augusta's minimum investment is $50,000," and its Silver IRA page says it "typically requires" that amount. A separate "$100,000 or more" figure concerns a web conference, not the minimum. Birch's FAQ says it "currently requires a minimum investment of $5,000" for home delivery and IRA purchases, and that this can change with market conditions; its Gold IRA page says "a minimum of $5,000 is needed to really get started." See minimum investment.

What do the two companies say the account fees are?

Both companies state $125 and $110 annual figures, but Birch labels its $125 "management fees" and Augusta labels its $125 a "custodian" fee, so they may not be the same thing. The custodians' schedules matter, as the next section shows.

Which custodians and depositories do they name, and do the schedules match?

Augusta says it works with Equity Trust Company. Birch's FAQ names "Equity Trust Company or GoldStar Trust Company" (with "typically"). A custodian legally holds your IRA; the depository is the vault.

Custodian schedules, as recorded in the reviews: Equity Trust's Universal IRA schedule lists $500 a year for a $50,000 to $99,999 account and storage of $160 segregated or $110 non-segregated; GoldStar's (Rev. 01/2026) lists $150 maintenance plus $150 asset holding and storage of $125 commingled or $225 minimum segregated.

The Augusta review also recorded Equity Trust's "Legacy Retail" ($425) and institutional "Flex" (a flat $125 for a "Precious Metals" account) schedules. Neither company says which schedule applies to its accounts, so we draw no conclusion. See segregated and commingled storage.

On depositories, Augusta's Gold IRA page says it stores metals at Delaware Depository, and its FAQ lists cities. The words "segregated" and "commingled" do not appear on Augusta's FAQ or Birch's FAQ (the only pages searched for them). Augusta's FAQ says metals are "held fully allocated and off-balance-sheet, entirely separate from the depository's own assets and liabilities," and its Silver IRA page says "Fully allocated storage, with your silver securely held in your name." Birch's Gold IRA page says only "stored securely and insured." Delaware Depository's home page, as read for our reviews, had no insurance statement, so neither company's insurance claim was confirmed there.

Insurance claims: Augusta's Gold IRA page says it uses "a fully insured, IRS-compliant private storage facility." Birch's storage page, as recorded in our review and not re-opened today, says Delaware Depository has "all-inclusive $1 billion coverage of assets under their management" and "$100,000 transit insurance per package," that Brink's "assumes full liability," and that Texas Precious Metals Depository is "fully segregated" and "100% insured." None was confirmed with an insurer.

Are the custodians on the IRS list of approved nonbank trustees?

The IRS publishes a list of approved nonbank trustees and custodians. In the April 1, 2026 version, our reviews searched for Equity Trust (both) and GoldStar, Gold Star and Centennial (Birch); none was found in the text we could read. Equity Trust's regulatory page says the list "does not include entities that qualify as an IRA custodian under state law, which includes Equity Trust"; that is the custodian's statement. We offer no legal conclusion. See custodian requirements.

What do they say about the price of the metal?

The spot price is the market price of one troy ounce; the gap between a dealer's sell and buyback prices is the spread. The CFTC's customer advisory says to get fees in writing before purchase and ask what you would receive selling back tomorrow.

The cost of the metal can only be compared once you hold a written quote. See dealer premiums, markups and spreads.

What buyback terms do they publish?

Neither set of statements promises a repurchase price, and track-record claims cannot be verified from outside. See buyback policies and liquidation costs and liquidity risk.

What do their BBB profiles and complaints show?

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a nonprofit that publishes business profiles and complaints. We did not open bbb.org. The figures below come from screenshots of BBB's profiles sent to us by the site owner: Augusta's profile and review pages on 2026-10-12, its Complaints tab on 2026-10-15, and Birch's three tabs on 2026-10-15.

Augusta's complaint. Filed 01/23/2026, classed "Sales and Advertising Issues," status "Answered" (not "Resolved"). The consumer alleged premiums on a retirement purchase were substantially above typical market pricing and that buyback pricing differed from what was presented. Augusta responded that there appeared to be confusion about valuation. The exchange continued into July 2026; no resolution is shown.

Birch's complaints. We read only the first of nine, dated 02/12/2026, classed "Service or Repair Issues," status "Answered." The consumer alleged premiums on IRA coins were far above standard bullion premiums and the buyback value far lower. Birch responded on 02/23/2026, disputing the allegations and saying pricing was confirmed in writing and on a recorded line. We have not reviewed the other eight.

The counts are not normalized for company size or sales volume, and only one of Birch's nine complaints was read. A complaint is a consumer's allegation, a response is the company's statement, and no judgment or order is shown. We have not verified either side.

What do the companies' website terms say?

These are website terms, not purchase agreements, which we did not see.

• Augusta. Wyoming law and venue in Casper; informal resolution, then "final and binding Arbitration" administered by National Arbitration and Mediation; a class action waiver; claims "MUST BE BROUGHT WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES." The contracting party is "Augusta Precious Metals," with no entity type. No cancellation terms; transactions are governed by an agreement not on the page.
• Birch. Iowa law; "a binding, individual arbitration agreement and class action waiver," before a single neutral arbitrator in Des Moines under JAMS rules; no claims-period deadline. The entity is "Birch Gold Group, which operates the website www.birchgold.com, and its affiliates," with no entity type. No purchase cancellation or refund terms.

These can limit options in a dispute; this is not legal advice.

What public records did we check?

These are results recorded in the reviews on the dates shown, not re-run today. A search that finds nothing proves nothing either way. A lawsuit or regulator action is an allegation unless there is a judgment or order. We make no claim about actions outside these records. See verifying a dealer.

Where do the companies' own pages conflict or run thin?

Augusta

• Cancellation: Augusta's FAQ describes a "100% 7-day money-back guarantee for account-opening peace of mind," a cancellation period of "up to seven calendar days after the date a transaction is confirmed," and a "24-hour Highest Buyback Price Guarantee window" to cancel if another dealer offers more. The Gold IRA page repeats a "24-hour cancellation window if you find a better offer." The pages do not explain how these windows relate to each other or to different products. The BBB profile's refund policy, as recorded in our review, said bullion and semi-premium orders are "final upon confirmation."
• Augusta's reviews page says BBB shows "134 reviews, 0 complaints on file (as of 7/16/26)"; the BBB screenshots show 136 reviews and one complaint filed 01/23/2026.

Birch

• The FAQ says "since 2011"; the home page metadata said 2003, and the Silver IRA page said $100 storage (both as recorded).
• Birch's reviews page said BBB accreditation dates from November 14, 2011 (as recorded); the BBB screenshot shows 7/21/2013.
• The Risk Disclosure counts the 90 days from purchase in one sentence and from "the date of receipt" in another.
• No buyback price terms or cancellation terms were found.

Both. Star ratings from other websites come from the companies' own pages and are mostly undated. Birch's Trustpilot profile was opened by our reader on 2026-10-15 (4.7 from 326 reviews); no equivalent Augusta page was opened.

What did we not check?

• Pages not re-opened on 2026-10-18: Birch's home, storage-options, prices, customer-reviews and custodian pages, Augusta's compliance page, and custodian and depository pages.
• bbb.org itself (screenshots only), and purchase and custodian agreements for either company.
• Equity Trust's other schedules for Birch accounts, and the records marked "not searched" or "blocked" above.

What should you ask Augusta Precious Metals?

1. What are the sale, spot and buyback prices for each product I'm quoted?
2. Which Equity Trust fee schedule applies to my account?
3. What does "up to 10 years" of fees paid mean, and what is charged after?
4. Is storage segregated or commingled, what does the depository charge, and what does it insure?
5. What are the exact cancellation and refund rights for each product?
6. What will the custodian charge to sell, distribute or close?
7. How are your educators and salespeople paid?
8. Which legal entity am I contracting with, and may I see the agreement before sending money?

What should you ask Birch Gold Group?

1. What are the sale, spot and buyback prices for each product I'm quoted?
2. Which custodian's fee schedule applies to my account?
3. How does the first-year fee waiver work, and what is charged in year two?
4. Is storage segregated or commingled, what does the depository charge, and what does it insure?
5. What are the exact cancellation and refund rights for my order?
6. What will the custodian charge to sell, distribute or close?
7. How are your specialists paid?
8. Which legal entity am I contracting with, and may I see the agreement before sending money?

See our checklist for evaluating a Gold IRA company and Augusta Precious Metals vs Goldco and Augusta Precious Metals vs Noble Gold Investments.

What risks apply to any company?

No company removes the basic risks of physical metal: prices rise and fall (price volatility), fees can exceed those of a fund, and you can only sell at a buyback price or to another buyer. See counterparty risk. We do not predict prices. A qualified planner, tax professional or attorney can address your situation.

How was this page researched, and when will it be updated?

Company figures come from the pages we re-opened on 2026-10-18 (listed at the top) and, where stated, from our reviews of Augusta Precious Metals (2026-10-12) and Birch Gold Group (2026-10-15), plus owner-supplied BBB screenshots. We review this page quarterly under our update policy. Report errors on our corrections page. Our advertising disclosure explains how the site is funded.