Birch Gold Group offers a precious metal IRA to help retirement savers diversify, protect, and secure their nest egg against the fluctuations of economic uncertainties and more.
Historically, the value of precious metals, especially gold, has been shown to rise when other economic markets are impacted by inflation. Thus, many US citizens are now looking into gold IRAs as an alternative method of hedging their portfolios against such risks.
Their IRA is also a self-directed IRA, which means the account holder maintains the right to make their own decisions concerning the amount they want to invest and where they want it to be invested.
Our thoughts on Birch Gold in short
Company name: Birch Gold Group
BBB grade: A+
Summary: Birch Gold Group is based in Des Moines (309 Court Avenue, Suite 809), Iowa but serves members across all 50 states who are looking to invest in a precious metals IRA for inflation protection and more.
In fact, the company, which consists of financial advisors, wealth managers, commodity brokers, and more, started in 2003 and has helped more than 13,000 customers roll over and transfer their current retirement account into a gold IRA so that they can own gold, silver, and more as part of their nest egg portfolio for greater diversification.
It also prides itself on empowering clients with a wide range of knowledge on the various financial factors that affect gold and other prices, so they can determine if and when to buy using their IRS-approved process. It is in our opinion, one of the top-rated gold IRA company in the US.
Our score: 5/5
What Are Their Products?
As a customer of Birch Gold group, you have the option to get various physical precious metals for your IRA account, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
The metals are also IRA-approved, so you don't have to wonder if your investments meet the requirements of your retirement account.
They also offer gold combibars, which can be broken down into smaller pieces for easier gold trading.
Setting Up an IRA Account
Once you have determined that a Birch Gold Group IRA is right for you, you will next need to open an account with the company to get the ball rolling.
As an account holder, you will then be assigned a specialist to walk you through the rest of the process for setting up your IRA.
Fund Your Account Via an IRA Transfer, Rollover, or Cash Purchase
Should you choose to move your retirement account to a precious metal account, you can do so via a rollover of your traditional IRA, SEP IRA, Roth IRA, Simple IRA, 401k, 403b, TSP, 457, and more.
There are also no tax penalties on this type of transaction.
You can also get physical gold, silver, and more directly from the company using cash. In this case, their precious metal specialists will help you select the right coins and bars from a list of their most popular products.
You can then make a bank-to-bank wire transfer to fund your account and finish the process.
A discreet package containing your assets will then be shipped to you, after which time you can store your investment wherever you'd like since there are no IRA requirements or guidelines to meet.
Your Account Custodian
An A+ rated account custodian of your choice will also be provided to you to help with the funds' transfer and transaction as per IRS rules for a precious metals IRA.
The IRS also requires your custodian to ship your investments to a secure depository and manage your account from there on out for added protection.
During this time, they will also help you complete future transactions, make withdrawals, and complete all paperwork regarding the whereabouts of your assets.
Choose From One of Their IRS-Approved Storage Facilities
The organization works with the Delaware Depository and Brink's Global Service in Los Angeles, New York, and Salt Lake City, which are non-government holders of precious metals.
However, they may also have a list of other depositories for you to make your selection.
After choosing the depository, your custodian will then make arrangements with the facility to have them safely transported there.
You can also contact your custodian to inquire about the performance of your holdings and more for peace of mind.
In the meantime, your account specialist will also remain available to provide you with more specific details about your account, including buyback quotes and more.
Education
Before you invest in a gold IRA or even after you have made your acquisition, you can also check out their site for a list of educational resources.
This way, you can explore different topics, such as why to invest in precious metals and the difference between physical gold and paper gold, to help make smarter investment decisions.
You can also read interviews with industry insiders and articles on the latest news to keep up with the market and factors affecting values and more.
5/5
Ratings
Birch Gold Group holds various high ratings with reputable companies, including the Better Business Bureau and Business Consumer Alliance.
The Better Business Bureau grades the company as A+, which it has successfully maintained over the years. This is the BBB's highest rating. And it is based on having received a large number of favorable comments filed with the private, non-profit organization.
Meanwhile, it holds an “AAA” with the Business Consumer Alliance, which is also the nonprofit's top rating for businesses that have received rave customer reviews for their superior service.
Their Members' Feedback
Birch Gold Group also has several 5-star scores with top consumer sites, including Gold Dealer Reviews, Consumer Affairs, Google, Trustlink, Trust Pilot, and more.
After further exploring each of these sites, we found that most testimonies on the Better Business Bureau site spoke about how easy the company's IRA process was to complete, how informative its staff was, and how helpful its customer service was, which made them happy with their choice.
The same was true after also checking the many comments on Trustlink and Trustpilot.
And of the few complaints we witnessed on the various sites, we found that the company was quick to respond and provided a solution to resolve the issue. In fact, they hold a 100% complaint experience score with the Business Consumer Alliance for their quick response and action to complaints on their site.
Transparent fees
This firm is one of the few alternative IRA companies that provides a breakdown of their costs on their website, which is as follows:
To set up a retirement account with the company will cost you $50. After that, there is a $100 fee to manage your account. There is also a wire transfer fee of $30.
The depository also charges a fee to store your precious metals and to insure them, which is $100.
However, new accounts opened with $50,000 or more will have their first year's fees waived. Otherwise, their minimum investment requirement is $10,000.
For a non-IRA transaction, the minimum required amount is $5,000.
You can also receive $10,000 in complimentary metals when your investment exceeds a certain amount.
Pros about Birch Gold Group
They Make it Possible to Own Physical Gold as Part of Your IRA
IRS rules forbid you from owning physical gold as part of your IRA without a precious metals company and custodian to get, store, and manage your account on your behalf, which Birch Gold Group provides.
Gold offers many benefits for your IRA, including the ability to buffer against falling stock market prices with its increased value during such times, which helps keep your nest egg balanced for peace of mind.
And then, once you retire, the Birch Gold Group will help you take hold of your gold, which can then be kept in your family as an heirloom or even passed down to your heirs as part of their inheritance. Or you can cash it in for its current value and then use the proceeds to fund your retirement.
They Also Offer Palladium, Silver and Platinum Assets That You Can Own as Part of Your IRA
Like other precious metals IRA companies such as Goldco, Birch Gold Group also offers IRS-approved silver, platinum, and palladium, which can be acquired as part of your gold IRA.
In fact, they offer many of the same benefits as gold due to their growing demand for various applications and unique price action that tends to move oppositely to declining stock markets. Hence, they can also add diversity to your retirement portfolio.
As with physical gold, you can also choose between silver, platinum, and palladium bars, rounds, and coins.
You Can Rollover or Transfer Your Previous Retirement Account Into Their IRA
Even if you already have a retirement plan, you can still transfer or roll over some or all of the funds from your account into a precious metals IRA to help better hedge against inflation and more.
Simply let your BGG specialist know that you would like to fund your account using your existing IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, 401k, or another eligible retirement account.
They will then work with you to complete the proper paperwork for your plan administrator to complete the rollover.
They Work With Equity Trust and STRATA Custodians Who are Some of the Most Trusted Account Managers in the Industry
The firm works with both Equity Trust and STRATA custodians to help oversee your IRA account.
Equity Trust is a long-standing company that has earned a reputation for recruiting some of the industry's best self-directed IRA custodians. Meanwhile, STRATA Trust is also a leading company known for its elite self-directed IRA services, so you're in good hands no matter your choice.
Both companies also have an A+ with the Better Business Bureau.
Once you have chosen your custodian, they will remain available to you for inquiries, updates and more for the lifetime of your account.
Top gold and silver IRA companies like Augusta and Noble Gold also work with Equity Trust, the number one directed custodian in the United States.
Lots of IRA-Approved Storage Options to Choose From
Unlike some gold IRA companies that only offer one depository option, Birch Gold Group works with many IRA storage facilities, including Delaware Depository, Brink's, Texas Precious Metals Depository, and International Depository Services.
This makes it easier to select a storage option near you in case you ever want to visit the vault and check on your assets, which some depositories allow.
Some of the depositories on their list are also private. Therefore, you can also choose one that offers added protection against creditors and more.
They Have Great Customer Perks
When you open a self-directed IRA account with them, you can also earn up to $10,000 in precious metals with your purchase, provided your initial investment is over a certain amount.
The company also waves off your first year's fees when you make an initial investment of $50,000 and up.
Lots of Educational Material to Help You Make a Confident Choice
The group prides itself on empowering its visitors to make confident choices when investing in precious metals.
Hence, they provide a wide range of educational resources on their site, from articles on why to get such rare resources to an overview of Proof American Coins and more to help you get started.
They also provide an IRA FAQs page on their site to help answer many common questions you may have before you open an account.
They Also Provide a Free Information Kit
You can also request a 20-page information kit to help you gain a more in-depth view of how gold and silver can hedge against inflation and more.
5/5
Sign Up for Weekly Market Updates Email Newsletters
The market is always changing, which affects your retirement holdings.
However, you can remain in the know concerning these changes by signing up for Birch Gold Group's weekly market emails, which can be used to help you make the best choices for your portfolio.
They Provide a Live Ticker and Interactive Historical Chart on Their Site
Part of making smart investment choices is knowing their value at all times, which enables you to get them at a good cost.
However, in most cases, you have to contact the company before each acquisition to get a price quote for that day, which can be time-consuming and intimidating.
Birch Gold Group helps make it easier to check precious metal values anytime you want via the live ticker located at the top of their website.
They also have an interactive historical chart on their site, so you can check the past value of gold and more to also determine a good entry point for your acquisition in relation to its growth.
Their Prices are Listed on Their Site
It is not uncommon for precious metal IRA companies to avoid including information on their prices for services on their website. Instead, you must call them to get a breakdown of the costs associated with owning one of their accounts.
However, their costs are listed on their site, so you can see them any time of the day or night to help decide if their IRA is right for you.
They Have Good Ratings and Testimonies
Birch Gold Group has many verified feedback across all top feedback sites, most of which are by satisfied members.
They also have a high complaint resolution score, which shows how serious they are about their reputation and their customers' satisfaction.
The company also has the highest ranking with the Better Business Bureau, which is based solely on its business practices, ethics, government actions, and more.
This firm is also endorsed by top names like Steven Forbes and Ben Shapiro, who are the CEO of Forbes and the Editor and Chief of the Daily Wire, respectively.
Their cons
High Minimum Investment Requirement
Birch Gold Group's minimum investment requirement of $10,000 is a bit higher than other precious metals companies. However, their credentials lead you to believe it's worth it.
They Charge an Account Setup Fee
They also charge an account setup fee of $50, which is not uncommon, but you can find some companies that do not charge it.
To sum up our analysis
Overall, Birch Gold Group stands out for its well-rounded features that make the company's services worth looking into.
And its quick and effective responses to negative feedback, the few times they have emerged on such sites, show that it has a commitment to building a stellar reputation and customer satisfaction, so you feel you're in good hands as a client.
It also holds the highest grade with the BBB for its history of ethical practices and more, which again attests to its commitment to being a reputable company and providing quality service.
Clients also have the opportunity to work with either a STRATA or Equity Trust custodian, which are two of the most experienced self-directed IRA companies in the industry, so you feel good entrusting them with your account.
They can also choose between various depositories with the hope of finding one near them.
Lastly, the fact that the company also goes out of its way to list its prices on its website and that it also includes a live ticker and historical chart to analyze past precious metals values makes you feel like they really want the best for you, so why wouldn't you want to choose them for your gold IRA needs?