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Founded in 2003, Birch Gold Group is a leading precious metals dealer located in Des Moines, Idaho.
Birch Gold Group largely serves the retirement sector of the U.S. precious metals market, but also handles direct sales of metals to customers across the U.S.
The truth is, new gold IRA dealers seem to pop up every week. So why choose Birch Gold? How does Birch Gold Group stack up against these other companies?
In this Birch Gold Group review, we'll examine the company, their offerings, online reviews, customer complaints, fees, and more. Let's get started.
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Executive Summary
Don't have time for the full Birch Gold Review? Here are the main points of the article. Birch Gold has:
- earned high ratings on review sites like BBB, BCA, TrustLink, Birdeye, Truspilot, and industry related blogs
- been in business for over two decades
- earned the endorsements of prominent conservative figures such as Ron Paul and Ben Shapiro
- low account minimum for IRAs ($10,000)
- reasonable IRA fees, and low markup on their bullion products
Based on our findings, we've ranked Birch Gold as our #1 Gold IRA company for 2025.
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Our only Birch Gold complaint is their minimums are high ($10,000) for customers looking for cash purchases (physical deliver). If you're planning on buying more than $10k in precious metals - Birch Gold is worth your consideration.
Continue reading if you're interested in our full Birch Gold review.
Birch Gold Group Review
Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, Birch Gold markets their services to U.S. families across all 50 states.
They've been featured in major media outlets, and advertise heavily on conservative platforms such as Bannon's War Room, Ron Paul's Liberty Report, and The Ben Shapiro Show.
Birch Gold Group's website proudly displays 5-star customer reviews, linking out to third party websites showing an almost overwhelmingly positive reputation.
We've searched the major consumer review sites and internet watchdog groups for any red flags with the company and compiled them here for your review.
Birch Gold Reviews, Complaints, & Disputes
Birch Gold Group has been in business for more than two decades, serving over 34,000 customers across the United States. Given their high profile and billions of dollars in completed transactions, it’s natural to come across a few negative reviews. However, such reviews are common for any large-scale business.
It's worth noting that dissatisfied customers are more likely to leave online complaints, making it easier to identify issues with less-reputable companies through a simple Google search.
In contrast, reviews for Birch Gold Group are overwhelmingly positive, reflecting their strong reputation and customer satisfaction.
Better Business Bureau: Birch Gold Group has an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB shows 95 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.16 out of 5-stars. The company has five total complaints filed in the last twelve months and the BBB shows that Birch is active in responding to any complaints and working to resolve customer issues when they arise.
Business Consumer Alliance: The Gold IRA company has an AAA Rating with the Business Consumer Alliance (BCA). The BCA shows seven 5-star customer reviews and zero complaints filed against them in the last three years..
Google Reviews: The world's largest search engine also allows consumers to review businesses online. Google has racked up 351 Birch Gold Group reviews averaging a 4.7 out of 5-stars rating.
TrustPilot: TrustPilot has compiled 188 Birch Gold Group reviews. The company currently has 4.3 out of 5-stars average rating on the review platform.
BirdEye: Birch Gold has a 5-star average rating based on 695 customer reviews.
TrustLink: BGG has 135 client reviews on TrustLink with an average 5-star rating.
Some online complaints about Birch Gold Group stem from liberal media sources critical of the company's partnership with Ben Shapiro and other conservative influencers like Ron Paul and Steve Bannon.
Birch Gold Group is a proud supporter of The Ben Shapiro Show and has been a long-time advertiser with Shapiro’s media company.
Over the years, left-leaning bloggers and journalists have criticized Shapiro’s statements and pressured his sponsors to withdraw advertising from his and other conservative platforms.
While some advertisers, such as Saucey and Calm, have distanced themselves from politically right-leaning programs, Birch Gold Group has remained steadfast. The company has supported Shapiro since 2016, refusing to bow to external pressures.
Over the years, Birch Gold Group has also had their spokesman Phillip Patrick appear on The Ben Shapiro Show, Steve Bannon's War Room, Roger Stone's "Stone Zone," and Ron Paul's Liberty Report.
Below is a recent visit with Ron Paul discussing topics ranging from inflation, federal spending, currency devaluation, and precious metals' role as a safe-haven asset.
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Birch Gold IRA Fees
If you're taking the time to read this Birch Gold review, you already know the benefits of buying and holding physical gold and silver. Rolling over 401(k) funds and buying precious metals with an IRA offers some great tax advantages.
However, there are fees involved when opening and maintaining your Gold IRA account.
There is a one-time setup fee, as well as annual costs to maintain a self-directed IRA. If you open an IRA with Birch Gold Group, here's what you can expect.
Setting Up Your Gold IRA
Whether you choose to work with Birch Gold or one of their competitors, you’ll be connected with a precious metals specialist who can guide you through the entire Gold IRA process.
This includes coordinating with a self-directed IRA custodian and a gold storage provider to ensure a smooth setup.
Gold IRA Custodian
Most 401(k) providers allow a variety of traditional options for your account, such as stocks, index funds, bonds, and possibly ETFs.
Most retirement accounts don’t offer the option to purchase physical precious metals. To diversify your retirement portfolio with gold and silver, you’ll need to initiate a gold IRA rollover.
This process involves transferring a portion of your 401(k) or IRA into a new self-directed IRA designed for purchasing precious metals. To get started, you’ll need to work with an IRA custodian that specializes in managing these types of accounts.
If this sounds complicated, it's really not.
The goal of the Gold IRA company is to streamline the process and hold your hand through each step of opening and funding your new account.
Birch Gold Group has been doing this for over two decades. They’ve already vetted the top gold IRA custodians and can recommend the best Gold IRA custodian to service your new account.
Contact Birch Gold Group for More Information.
Equity Trust Company
Many of their customers end up working with Equity Trust. The company is a trusted self-directed IRA custodian, in business for more than 50 years, and their fees are very competitive.
Below are your fees assuming you've chosen Equity Trust as your Custodian.
Setup Fee | Wire Fee | Annual Custodial Fee |
---|---|---|
$50.00 | $30.00 | $100.00 |
Important Note: Birch Gold Group will waive all initial setup, wire, and maintenance fees on new IRA accounts over $50,000.
If you're planning on investing $50,000 or more, you will pay zero fees your first year. This also includes depository storage fees (more below). Make sure to discuss this promotion with Birch Gold.
Related: Gold IRA Tax Rules: The IRS and Your Precious Metals IRA
Buy Precious Metals with Your 401(k) or IRA
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Birch Gold Group Today...
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Gold IRA Storage
You cannot store your precious metals IRA at home. Retirement funds must be held through a custodian and outside of your direct access.
Otherwise it’s considered a distribution and the IRS may disqualify the IRA status of your metals. The physical gold bars and coins in your IRA must be held in an IRS-approved storage facility.
Birch Gold Group again, can work with the storage partner of your choice, but can suggest one of their partners below.
- Delaware Depository Service Company (DDSC) is highly rated for precious metals IRA storage. They offers both segregated and non-segregated vault storage.
- Brinks is also a top choice for many investors. Brinks also offers both segregated and non-segregated vault storage options for your precious metals IRA. Many choose Brinks due to their wide selection of storage locations across the U.S.
- International Depository Services (IDS) is another trusted gold IRA depository specialist that Birch Gold Group works with closely and recommends to their customers.
Note that these are all private non-bank storage facilities. So while the metals are not in your personal possession, you can rest assured knowing your gold is held outside of the banking system.
Between these three companies, you should be able to find a storage location that is convenient to your location of choice. They are all comparable for storage fees.
Confirm pricing with Birch Gold, but you can expect to pay $100 annually for non-segregated vault storage or $150 annually for segregated storage of your metals. Any of the three companies above are more than capable of holding IRA metals on your behalf.
Do you need segregated vault storage?
Discuss the pros and cons of segregated vault storage with your Birch account specialist. They can help you determine which storage option makes the most sense for you and your goals.
Total Annual Storage Fee |
---|
$100 - $150 |
Related: How to Diversify Your Retirement with Physical Gold and Silver
Birch’s Products and Services
Birch Gold Group caters to both gold IRA customers and those looking for direct sales and delivery of precious metals.
While the bulk of their business is in facilitating gold IRAs, their offerings extend beyond IRA-eligible bars and coins.
We believe Gold IRA customers should prioritize purchasing common bullion products and aim to buy as close to the spot price as possible.
If you're interested in collectible coins for home delivery, they also provide a range of premium, numismatic and semi-numismatic coins. Here’s a quick overview of the more popular gold, silver, platinum, and palladium products available through Birch Gold.
- Gold, silver, and platinum American Eagles
- Gold, silver, and platinum American Eagle (proof) coins
- Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium Canadian Maple Leaf coins
- Gold American Buffalos
- America the Beautiful Silver series
- Gold Polar Bear and Cub
- Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bars and rounds
- Valcambi Combibars
For the collectors, Birch Gold Group can source a variety of coins such as rare pre-1933 coins, Saint Gaudens Double Eagles, Morgan Silver Dollars, Gold Indian Head Eagles, and more.
Gold Buy-Back Program
Birch Gold Group offers one of the best buy-back programs in the industry. If or when you need to liquidate any precious metals from your account, you always have a buyer with Birch Gold.
Some companies tack on additional fees and other charges in order to turn a profit from buying back metals from customers. Compare Birch with other precious metals dealers.
In our Birch Gold Group review, the firm has one of the best buy-back programs for your precious metal investments.
Birch Gold Review: Worth Your Consideration?
We recommend Birch Gold Group for a number of reasons. The Gold IRA company:
- Is highly rated across all independent verified consumer review sites
- Has been in business for two decades.
- Has a low $10,000 minimum for their Gold IRAs.
- Is trusted by prominent figures like Ron Paul and Ben Shapiro.
- Excellent promotional offers.
This $10,000 minimum is very modest in comparison to other gold IRA companies. Some of the U.S. precious metals dealers have minimums as high as $50,000 which could disqualify Americans seeking the tax benefits of gold in a self-directed IRA.
You're in good hands with Birch Gold Group. They have streamlined the entire system and have a professional with you for every step of the process.
At the time of this writing, Birch Gold will cover all first year fees and customers can get up to $10,000 in free silver on qualifying accounts.
Check Birch Gold's Site to Learn About Current Promotions
Birch Gold Complaints: What We Don't Like
No Birch Gold Group review would be complete without addressing some potential drawbacks. For instance, I recently recommended Birch Gold to a blog reader interested in buying gold and silver coins for home delivery. However, the company requires a $10,000 minimum for all non-IRA cash purchases.
Since this individual only planned to spend a few thousand dollars, they had to look elsewhere for their purchase.
This minimum order requirement is one reason why I see Birch Gold Group as an excellent choice for gold and silver IRAs but less suitable for buyers looking to make smaller, direct purchases.
If you’re looking to spend just a few thousand dollars on gold coins, there are alternative online shops that allow for direct purchases without high minimums.
For small cash purchases, you may consider Silver Gold Bull, an online shop, or a local businesses that can better serve your needs.
Birch Gold Alternatives
If you're still vetting gold and silver IRA companies, it's always smart to compare pricing and fees with 2-3 companies before buying. Here are a few other highly rated competitors worth considering:
- Augusta Precious Metals: The company offers a free one-on-one educational webinar and zero IRA fees for up to 10 years. New account minimum is $50,000.
- Goldco: Goldco has a wide selection of metals and offers up to $10,000 in free silver for new accounts. Account minimum = $25,000.
- Noble Gold: The company focuses on low cost bullion at the best prices. Excellent buyback program. Account minimum of $20,000.
- American Hartford Gold: No fee buyback program and up to $10,000 in free silver. The company has a $10,000 account minimum.
Summary
We only endorse a short list of gold dealers for our readers. It's important that we fully vet any company before making a recommendations.
After sifting through Birch Gold Group reviews online and exchanging emails with a representative from the company, we've decided to add them to the top of our list.
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Birch Gold Group reviews show they've developed a reputable brand over the last 20 years of business. I believe you can't go wrong working with them for your precious metals IRA.
Of course, always contact two to three gold firms. Request information and don't hesitate to ask all of your questions. Compare pricing, fees, buyback policies - and get everything in writing.
Have these gold firms work to earn your business.
Check the gold IRA companies out for yourself on review sites and consumer watchdog organizations like TrustPilot or the Better Business Bureau.
Due diligence now will ensure your gold IRA experience is simple and stress-free.
Buy Precious Metals with Your 401(k) or IRA
Request Your Free Gold IRA Information Guide from
Birch Gold Group Today...
Overall Rating:
Why Birch Gold Group?