Augusta Precious Metals vs Goldco: 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 Augusta Precious Metals and Goldco next to each other, using the same fields in the same order. It is part of our guide to comparing Gold IRA companies side by side; see also Augusta Precious Metals vs Birch Gold Group.

It is not a ranking. We pick no winner, give no scores, and make no recommendation about either company. Company statements are claims, and we flag thin evidence for both.

What was re-opened today. On October 18, 2026 we re-opened Augusta's home, FAQ, Gold IRA, Silver IRA, Reviews and Terms of Use pages, and Goldco's home page, cost article, Gold IRA FAQ article, minimum-investment article, "5 Reasons" page, Delaware Depository article and Terms & Conditions page. Where today's text differs from our reviews, we use today's text and say so. Everything else (Goldco's About and privacy pages, BBB, public-record searches, court items, Equity Trust, the IRS list, the CFTC advisory, Trustpilot) is as recorded in our reviews (October 12 for Augusta, October 15 for Goldco), not re-opened today.

How do the two companies compare at a glance?

Entries come from pages re-opened on 2026-10-18 unless marked "review" (not re-opened today). All company entries are claims.

The BBB figures come from screenshots of BBB's pages that the site owner sent us (Augusta's profile and review pages on 2026-10-12, its Complaints tab and Goldco's pages on 2026-10-15). We did not open bbb.org ourselves.

How do the minimums and fees compare?

What minimums do the two companies state?

According to Augusta's FAQ, it "requires a minimum initial purchase of $50,000 for both cash (non-IRA) and IRA purchases," and the minimum "isn't a fee." Its Gold IRA page says "Augusta's minimum investment is $50,000." Its Silver IRA page says it "typically requires a minimum investment of $50,000."

According to Goldco's cost article, "we generally require a minimum of $25,000 to start a gold IRA," and its FAQ article says it "generally" requires at least $25,000 to roll over. Its minimum-investment article says "You really don't need much to start a gold IRA in theory." See minimum investment.

What account fees do the two companies state?

Augusta's FAQ states $50 setup, $125 custodian and $110 depository storage and insurance: "That totals $285 for the first year and $235 per year thereafter." It says "Every account also receives up to 10 years of custodian and depository fees paid by Augusta," without explaining the terms.

Goldco's cost article states a "one-time fee of $50," "$125 per year" for annual administration, storage of $100 (non-segregated) or $150 (segregated) a year, and "about $275-325 in the first year." Its FAQ article says "around $80 for your annual account management fee" and "between $100-150 for annual gold storage," and its minimum-investment article says "about $200-300 a year" combined. The annual fee therefore appears as both $125 and "around $80" on Goldco's own pages.

Our Augusta review recorded that Equity Trust publishes several fee schedules with different amounts; which applies to Augusta accounts is not stated. Goldco names no custodian, so we could not look at a schedule. See custodian fees, storage fees and hidden fees.

Who are the custodian and the depository?

The custodian legally holds the IRA and the depository is the vault; see the custodian, the dealer and the depository.

Augusta's Gold IRA page says "Augusta works with Equity Trust Company" and "Augusta stores metals at Delaware Depository." Its Silver IRA page adds "Fully allocated storage." Its FAQ says metals are "held fully allocated and off-balance-sheet."

Goldco's cost article says it "works with precious metals custodians who have experience managing precious metals assets" and with "reputable and established bullion depositories." Neither is named.

Our Augusta review recorded that the IRS list of approved nonbank trustees (April 1, 2026) did not show Equity Trust Company, and that Equity Trust says on its regulatory page that the list excludes entities qualifying as IRA custodians under state law (a company statement we did not confirm). We could not run that check for Goldco because no custodian was named. See custodian requirements.

On insurance, Augusta's FAQ says "Your metals are insured against covered losses while stored, typically through a London underwriter," and its Silver IRA page claims "$1 billion in all-risk insurance backed by leading London underwriters." Goldco's article about Delaware Depository says that depository "maintains $1 billion in all-risk insurance," and does not say Goldco uses it. Our Augusta review recorded no insurance statement on Delaware Depository's home page on October 12; we did not re-open it. See IRA metals insurance and segregated and commingled storage.

What do the companies say about metal prices and the spread?

The spot price is the market price for one troy ounce. The gap between a dealer's selling and buyback prices is the spread. The CFTC's customer advisory on buying physical metals says: "A dealer will always sell metal above the spot price and buy it back below the spot price."

According to Augusta's FAQ, "No additional commission is added to prices listed by Augusta," and "Prices quoted to you by the Augusta order desk are the prices you will pay." Its Gold IRA page says it walks through all costs, "including the spread," before any transaction. No percentage over spot appears on the pages we read. Goldco's pages state no markup, premium or spread for any product. Goldco's cost article has a promotion, "Get 10% in FREE Silver when you purchase $100,000 or more in Goldco premium coins"; we did not find how those coins are priced.

Neither company publishes a spread figure on the pages we read. See dealer premiums and markups.

What do the companies say about buying your metals back?

According to Augusta's FAQ:

• "Augusta has never declined a buyback, though the law doesn't allow any dealer to guarantee future repurchases." The first half is a track-record claim we cannot verify; the Gold IRA page repeats it ("never denied a client buyback since 2012").
• "Augusta's buyback policy is subject to change without notice."
• "There's no separate liquidation fee when Augusta agrees to repurchase your metals."

According to Goldco's "5 Reasons" page:

• "Goldco guarantees to buy back your metals at the highest price."
• A footnote says "Goldco will buy back metals purchased from Goldco at any time," and "The highest price buy back guarantee applies after three years from initial purchase from Goldco."
• The same footnote says "No specific buy back rates guaranteed." Goldco's home page describes a Buy Back program "guaranteed at the highest price."

See buyback policies and liquidation costs and liquidity risk.

What do they say about cancelling?

Augusta's FAQ mentions "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, during which you can request cancellation if another dealer offers more." Its Gold IRA page says "24-hour cancellation window if you find a better offer." These differ in scope, so ask which applies to each product. Augusta's Terms of Use contain no cancellation or refund terms; they say transactions are governed by the transaction agreement, which we have not seen. Goldco's FAQ and "5 Reasons" pages say "please see your customer agreement," and its Terms page has no purchase cancellation policy, only refunds for lost or stolen shipments.

What do the BBB profiles show?

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) publishes business profiles, reviews and complaint records. We did not open bbb.org. The figures are per screenshots of BBB's profile sent to us by the site owner (2026-10-15 for both Complaints tabs and the Goldco pages; 2026-10-12 for Augusta's profile and review pages). BBB says it does not verify third-party information.

The review average is not BBB's letter grade or a measure of complaints. BBB notes the complaint text shown may not represent all complaints.

What does the Augusta complaint say?

The one complaint was filed 01/23/2026 (Sales and Advertising Issues; status Answered, not "Resolved"). The consumer alleged premiums well above typical market pricing on a purchase made with retirement funds, and that written buyback pricing differed from what was presented. Augusta's responses (05/18 to 07/17/2026) said there appeared to be confusion about valuation and that a live appointment is needed for buyback pricing. The consumer's last answer (07/18/2026) rejected the response. No resolution, judgment or order is shown.

What do the Goldco complaints say?

BBB lists many Goldco complaints with responses. We read only two. One (08/25/2026) alleged being unable to confirm access to an inherited account; Goldco responded on 09/03/2026 that the person was not shown as an authorized party. Another (08/21/2026) alleged deceptive sales representations, excessive markups on specialty coins and an obstructed liquidation. These are consumers' allegations and company statements; no judgment or order is shown.

A count of 72 against 1 is not a measured rate of problems: we do not know either company's transaction volume. We read all of Augusta's one complaint but two of Goldco's many.

What do the website terms say?

Website terms differ from the sales agreement, which we have not seen for either company.

Augusta's Terms of Use say disputes not resolved informally "shall be resolved through final and binding Arbitration," administered by National Arbitration and Mediation and held in Wyoming, and that "the parties expressly waive their right to file a class action or seek relief on a class basis." They name Wyoming law, the courts of Casper, Wyoming as venue, and require claims to be brought "WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES." The contract names "Augusta Precious Metals" with no entity type.

Goldco's Terms & Conditions page, as read today, has no governing-law, arbitration or claims-period clause, and names no entity type (only "© Copyright 2026 Goldco"). Our Goldco review recorded that its privacy policy names "Goldco Direct LLC" (not re-opened today). Such clauses are often in the agreement you sign, so we cannot tell how a dispute with Goldco would be handled. This is not legal advice; a lawyer can review any agreement.

What public records did we check for each company?

These were limited searches, not a full regulatory or legal history.

The two CFPB searches used different methods (Augusta: the site's search function; Goldco: the database API); both returned 0. A zero means no complaint matched that search text. The searches were not identical: Augusta's court check was a web search only, so the lack of a court item does not show that no cases exist.

What court items were found for Goldco?

In Goldco Direct, LLC v. Wilson, No. 4:18-CV-850-KOB, a March 27, 2019 opinion lists Goldco Direct, LLC as plaintiff and denied one defendant's motions to dismiss and to transfer; it does not decide the underlying claims.

A ClassAction.org report describes Summerton v. Goldco Direct, in which a plaintiff alleged Goldco sent marketing texts in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. It reports a $2 million class settlement. A settlement is not a finding that the allegations were true. This is a secondary report; we did not open the docket.

What court items were found for Augusta?

None in the web search recorded in our Augusta review. We did not search a court docket, so we make no claim either way.

Where do the companies' own pages conflict, or say too little?

• Fees and minimum. Augusta: which Equity Trust schedule applies is not stated; "typically" $50,000 on one page. Goldco: $125 versus "around $80" for the annual fee; $25,000 "generally" versus "it depends".
• Custodian, depository, insurance. Augusta names the first two but not the fee schedule or insurer; Goldco names none. Each "$1 billion" statement is unconfirmed by us at the depository.
• Buyback and cancellation. Augusta: a "never declined a buyback" claim beside "the law doesn't allow any dealer to guarantee future repurchases", and several cancellation descriptions. Goldco: a "highest price" guarantee beside "No specific buy back rates guaranteed", and no cancellation policy on its Terms page.
• Complaints. Augusta's reviews page says BBB "134 reviews, 0 complaints on file (as of 7/16/26)", while BBB screenshots show 136 reviews and 1 complaint filed 01/23/2026. Goldco's pages state no BBB complaint count; screenshots show 72.
• Legal entity and ratings. Augusta: BBB shows a 2011 start and 2021 incorporation, the Terms name only "Augusta Precious Metals", and platform scores are mostly undated. Goldco: the privacy policy (review) names "Goldco Direct LLC", and its "8,000+" rating claim has no platform or date.

What did we not check?

• Pages not re-opened today: Goldco's About and privacy pages, Augusta's compliance page, Equity Trust's pages and fee schedules, Delaware Depository's site, the CFTC advisory, the IRS list, the CFPB database, the court documents, ClassAction.org and Trustpilot. These are as recorded in our reviews.
• bbb.org. We rely on owner-supplied screenshots, and have not seen most of Goldco's 72 complaints.
• Sales agreements, and custodian and depository schedules and insurance documents, for both companies.
• Third-party ratings. We have a Trustpilot reading for Goldco but none for Augusta.
• Records not searched by either review: Investor.gov, state regulators, PACER, state courts. EDGAR, NFA BASIC and CourtListener were blocked or errored.

What questions could you ask Augusta Precious Metals?

Ask for answers in writing.

1. What are the sale, spot and buyback prices for each product I am quoted, at the same time?
2. Which custodian fee schedule applies to my account, and what does "up to 10 years" of paid fees mean in my case?
3. Which depository and storage type would hold my account, and what are its fees and insurance details?
4. Which cancellation and price-revision rights apply to each product type?
5. How are your representatives paid, and may I read the sales agreement, including arbitration terms, before I send money?

What questions could you ask Goldco?

Ask for answers in writing.

1. What are the sale, spot and buyback prices for each product I am quoted, at the same time?
2. Which custodian fee schedule applies to my account, and is the annual fee $125 or "around $80"?
3. Which custodian, depository and storage type would hold my account, and what are its fees and insurance details?
4. Which cancellation rights apply to each product type, and what does the "highest price" buyback guarantee mean in dollars?
5. How are your representatives paid, and may I read the sales agreement, including arbitration terms, before I send money?

See also how to evaluate a Gold IRA company.

What risks apply no matter which company you pick?

No dealer, custodian or depository can remove the basic risks of owning physical metal. Prices go up and down (see price volatility), and counterparty risk, the chance that a company you depend on fails to do its part, is covered in our counterparty risk guide. We do not predict prices.

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

Company statements come from pages re-opened on October 18, 2026 (listed near the top) and are written as claims. BBB data comes from owner-supplied screenshots; public-record results and other material come from our two published reviews.

Fees and terms are reviewed every three months under our update policy; see our methodology. Report mistakes through our corrections page.

This page is general information, not personalized advice.