Birch Gold Group vs Goldco: Fees, Minimums, Custodians

This page lines up what Birch Gold Group and Goldco say about fees, minimums, custodians, storage, buybacks and disputes, plus the public records we checked. It does not rank them, score them or say which is suitable for anyone. It is one page in our set of Gold IRA company comparisons. If the words "custodian," "dealer" and "depository" are new, read our guide to the custodian, dealer and depository roles first.

Dates matter. Company facts below were read on each company's own website on 2026-10-18, unless a row says "as of our 2026-10-15 check." Companies change fees, minimums and wording without notice. Before you rely on any figure, get it in writing from the company. Everything about a company is that company's claim unless an independent source is named.

How do the two companies compare at a glance?

What minimum does each company state?

According to Birch's website, it "currently requires a minimum investment of $5,000," and the page adds that the amount can change with market conditions and product availability. The Silver IRA page says $5,000 "is required." The Precious Metals IRA page says Birch "recommend[s]" starting with $5,000 and offers support so the first purchase meets that figure.

According to Goldco's website, "we generally require a minimum of $25,000 to start a gold IRA." The FAQ says "at least $25,000 available to roll over."

What fees does each company publish?

An IRA that holds metal usually has several separate charges: a setup fee, an annual account (custodian) fee, a storage fee, and sometimes wire and transaction fees. For more on each, see our guides to custodian fees, storage fees and hidden fees.

Sources: the Birch IRA pages, fee article and custodian article; the Goldco cost page, FAQ and minimum article.

Goldco's FAQ says its fees are, "in many cases," flat, so $30,000 or $3 million pays the same fee.

Who is the custodian, and where is the metal stored?

A custodian is the IRS-approved bank or trust company that holds your IRA. A depository is the vault. The dealer sells the metal. Our segregated vs commingled storage guide explains how storage types differ.

Birch Gold Group. Its FAQ says custodians are "typically Equity Trust Company or GoldStar Trust Company," and its custodian article says "you are welcome to work with any approved custodian." Its Gold and Silver IRA pages list five depositories: Delaware Depository, Brink's Global Services, International Depository Services, Texas Precious Metals Depository and Texas Bullion Depository. The storage page gives no storage price for any of them. Its insurance descriptions are Birch's descriptions of other companies, and we did not verify them.

We also read the two custodians' own pages. Equity Trust's precious metals page lists five depositories and GoldStar's lists four. Both differ from Birch's list: Texas Precious Metals Depository is on Birch's and GoldStar's but not Equity Trust's, and Brink's is on Birch's and Equity Trust's but not GoldStar's. GoldStar's page also says it is "a division of Centennial Bank," is "not affiliated with any precious metal dealers," and that "the dealer you buy precious metals from usually determines which depository will be used." Neither custodian page mentions Birch, and we do not quote either custodian's fee schedule.

Goldco. No Goldco page we opened names a custodian or a depository. The pages say it "works with established gold IRA custodians" and "established bullion depositories," and a home-page teaser says the statement comes from the IRA custodian, not Goldco. Without a name, no one can look up a fee schedule or check a custodian against the IRS list of approved nonbank trustees until Goldco says which one applies.

What do the buying and buyback terms say?

Dealers earn money from the gap between what they charge you and the market ("spot") price, called a premium or spread. The CFTC's customer advisory advises asking for fees in writing and asking what you would receive if you sold the metal back, and notes that a dealer sells above spot and buys back below it. See also our guide to buyback costs.

Birch. Its fee article says "we charge a premium over the spot price" and gives no percentage. On buyback, the FAQ says "We always welcome the opportunity to buy back metals we have sold," and recommends requesting a buyback quote. The fee article says "we do not make any money when we buy back." Its Risk Disclosure page has no repurchase commitment. It says "Customer alone decides what items to buy and when to buy or sell."

Goldco. None of the opened pages disclose a markup, premium or spread. On buyback, its "5 Reasons" page says Goldco "guarantees to buy back your metals at the highest price," with a footnote: Goldco "will buy back metals purchased from Goldco at any time," the "highest price" guarantee "applies after three years from initial purchase," and "No specific buy back rates [are] guaranteed." The footnote refers readers to the customer agreement, which we could not see. Its About page says "no fees when you're ready to liquidate." That is a company claim, and it does not say what a custodian or depository might charge.

Goldco also advertises a silver bonus: according to its pages, "up to 5% back in FREE Silver" on purchases of $50,000 to $99,999 and 10% on $100,000 or more, with "additional rules" and "qualified orders" language and a note that it "cannot be combined with any other offer." Birch's pages we opened show no comparable promotion.

What do the websites' contract terms say?

Neither website shows the actual sales agreement. What we read are the public site terms and policies.

Birch has Terms and Conditions that state Iowa law governs and that "any Dispute will be decided exclusively by final and binding arbitration, before a single neutral arbitrator," in Des Moines, Iowa, under JAMS rules. Disputes are decided "on an individual basis," not as class actions. The arbitration sections cover "any transaction, communication or interaction" with Birch, not only website use. Arbitration means a private decision-maker instead of a court. The Risk Disclosure limits refunds, "other than counterfeit coins returned in their original holders within ninety (90) days of purchase," and elsewhere refers to ninety days from "receipt."

Goldco's Terms page: we found no arbitration, governing-law, venue or class-waiver language there or in the Privacy Policy. That does not mean the customer agreement lacks such terms. The Terms say Goldco "cannot guarantee, assure, or promise future market movement," and that its staff "are not licensed financial advisors."

What does BBB show for each company?

BBB (the Better Business Bureau) is a private nonprofit that runs business profiles and takes consumer complaints. BBB blocks automated access, so these figures come from screenshots viewed by the site owner on 2026-10-15. We could not re-open them. BBB says it does not verify information from third parties and does not endorse any business, and that the nature of complaints and responses can matter more than the number.

Sources: BBB profiles for Birch and Goldco.

Complaint counts are not comparable between firms of different size and volume, and they imply nothing about either company on their own. BBB itself says size and volume of transactions matter. We do not know how many customers or sales each company has.

All complaints are consumers' allegations, and business responses are the company's statements. No judgment or order appears on either page. For Birch, we read only the first complaint. A consumer alleged that premiums on IRA coins were well above standard bullion premiums and that the buyback value was far lower. Birch responded that its review showed the consumer realized a gain and that pricing was confirmed in writing. We have not verified either side, and we did not review the other eight. For Goldco, we read two. One was a family member alleging they could not confirm access to an inherited account; Goldco answered that the person was not shown as an authorized party. The other alleged deceptive sales representations, excessive markups on specialty coins and an obstructed liquidation. We did not read the rest.

What public records did we check?

The CFPB, FINRA and web-search results are as of our 2026-10-15 check and were not re-run on 2026-10-18. Sources: CFPB and FINRA BrokerCheck.

Goldco as plaintiff. In Goldco Direct, LLC v. Wilson, No. 4:18-CV-850-KOB, the Northern District of Alabama opinion dated March 27, 2019 lists Goldco Direct, LLC as plaintiff. It denied one defendant's motions to dismiss and to transfer. It does not decide the underlying claims, and we do not know how the case ended.

A reported settlement. A ClassAction.org article reports a $2,000,000 settlement in Summerton v. Goldco Direct LLC, case no. 23-cv-238-wmc. The article says Goldco allegedly sent more than one marketing text within 12 months to consumers who had asked to unsubscribe and whose numbers were on the National Do-Not-Call Registry. The article reports a hearing on March 26, 2026 and a claims deadline of April 10, 2026. It does not say whether Goldco admitted wrongdoing. A settlement is an agreement, not a finding of liability.

For Birch, we found no court or regulator record. A search that finds nothing is not proof nothing exists. Our regulatory actions page tracks cases we confirm.

Where do each company's own pages disagree?

Birch Gold Group

• Founding: the home page body says "since 2011" and "40,000+" customers, while its page metadata says "Since 2003" and "30K." Another page has "Since 2011" in its title and body, yet also refers to a reputation earned "for nearly two decades."
• Storage: $110 on the Gold and Precious Metals IRA pages, $100 on the Silver page.
• Total: "typically average around $235" (FAQ) versus "the same $235 annual fee" for any account size.
• Fee waiver: the over-$50,000 offer is worded four or five ways ("accounts over," "new accounts of more than," "transfers over").
• BBB accreditation date: Birch's reviews page says accredited since November 14, 2011. BBB's profile shows 7/21/2013. We do not know why.
• Refund window: ninety days from "purchase" in one sentence and from "receipt" in another.

Goldco

• Annual fee: $125 (cost page) versus "around $80" (FAQ).
• Yearly total: about $225, about $200, and $200-300 on three pages.
• Buyback: "highest price" guarantee with a three-year condition and "No specific buy back rates guaranteed" on one page, "no fees when you're ready to liquidate" on another.
• Ratings and awards: its pages make "top rated," "#1" and "best" claims, which we do not repeat as facts. Wording of one Inc. ranking differs between pages (a "#1" claim on one, a Pacific regional ranking of #18 on others).

What does each side differ on, and what is the same?

Differences stated by the companies themselves

• Minimum: Birch states $5,000. Goldco states "generally" $25,000.
• Named custodians: Birch names two. Goldco names none.
• Named depositories: Birch names five. Goldco names none.
• Fee waiver: Birch states a first-year waiver over $50,000. Goldco states a first-year cost estimate of about $275-325.
• Buyback: Birch's pages give no terms. Goldco's include a three-year condition and no rate guarantee.
• Website dispute terms: Birch's include JAMS arbitration and a class waiver. Goldco's Terms and Privacy pages have none.
• Silver bonus: Goldco advertises one. Birch's opened pages do not.

Similarities

• Both state a $50 setup fee and a $125 annual account fee on at least one page.
• Neither publishes a dealer markup or spread.
• Both show an A+ BBB rating per the screenshots, and both have pages that conflict with other pages of their own.

What did we not check?

We did not open any customer agreement or sales order form, ask for quotes, or test buyback prices. We did not open Birch's prices page on 2026-10-18, either custodian's fee schedule, or Trustpilot, Google, ConsumerAffairs or Business Consumer Alliance pages. We did not check SEC EDGAR, NFA BASIC, CourtListener, PACER, state courts or state regulators. We make no claim about lawsuits or complaints outside the records above. For a related look at another pair, see Goldco vs Noble Gold Investments. Our guide on how to verify a dealer shows how to run these searches yourself.

Questions to ask each company

Ask for every answer in writing, and consider talking with a qualified tax or financial professional about your own situation.

Questions for Birch Gold Group

1. Is the $5,000 figure a requirement or a recommendation, and does it differ for silver?
2. Is the storage fee $110 or $100 for my metals, and does the fee change with account size?
3. Which custodian and depository would hold my account, and can I read that custodian's current fee schedule before I open it?
4. What is the premium over spot on each product I am quoted, in dollars and percent?
5. What would the buyback price and fees be today for the same items? Is any time limit attached?
6. Which transactions does the arbitration clause cover, and does the first-year fee waiver apply to my kind of transfer?

Questions for Goldco

1. What is the exact minimum for my account type, and what are the exceptions to "generally"?
2. Is the annual fee $125 or about $80, and what is the storage fee for non-segregated and segregated storage?
3. Who is the IRA custodian and who is the depository? Can I read the custodian's fee schedule and see it on the IRS approved list?
4. What are the markup and spread on each product, in dollars and percent?
5. What does "highest price" mean for a buyback, what applies before three years, and what fees apply when I sell?
6. May I read the full customer agreement, including dispute terms and the silver-bonus rules, before I pay?

How was this page researched?

On 2026-10-18 we re-opened the company pages cited above, the Equity Trust and GoldStar pages, the court opinion and the settlement article. BBB figures come from screenshots viewed by the site owner on 2026-10-15, and the CFPB, FINRA and CFTC items are from our 2026-10-15 checks. Facts changed since our reviews are noted above. We plan to review this page quarterly.