Birch Gold Review
Birch Gold review: Are you ready to get serious about your retirement finances but aren’t sure about which IRA options make the most sense? If so, as you inch closer to age 60, it’s essential to find reliable companies that can help you navigate the sometimes confusing selections in the retirement planning industry.
Unfortunately, in a highly competitive field like gold IRA services, there are a number of untrustworthy companies alongside the very good, reputable ones. Our research team dug in to find the few who lead the pack, and Birch Gold Group (BGG) is one of them. And, while there are about five leaders of the gold IRA industry at the present time, each one specializes in one or more unique services.
Some, for example excel at doing IRA rollovers while others offer metals and cryptocurrency options side-by-side. The main thing for investors to remember is that gold IRAs, as long as you set them up via a trustworthy company, are an excellent way to deal with the long-term threat of inflation and a global economy that seems to be on the brink of a major downturn.
Birch Gold Review: What We Looked At
We studied the the top-tier gold IRA companies in-depth, paying particular attention to the top five in the niche. Our team was already aware of Birch Gold Group and had done small-scale reports on the company but had never done a full-fledged audit. We decided it was time to dive into the details of BGG and find out what makes them tick.
We looked at thousands of Birch Gold review reports, social media comments, financial articles, and more. It’s a fact that as the national and world economy worsens, more people than ever before are seriously considering adding precious metals to their IRAs. Opening a self directed account through a company like Birch Gold Group is one of the fastest ways to get started.
Our Birch Gold review researchers paid more attention to how customers feel about the company rather than non-essential information like who owns Birch Gold Group, the Birch Gold stock price (fyi: there is no price because BGG does not issue stock), and the outcome of a Birch Gold Group lawsuit that has no bearing on the quality of the company or its reputation in the industry.
Instead, we evaluated the services and products BGG sells, the way they treat their customers, company fees, and other pertinent factors. With a completely objective approach, we listed all the pros and cons about the company we could identify and report on our research. Our research team has no connection of any kind with BGG, so we were completely free to do 100 percent honest reporting, as you’ll discover when you read through the paragraphs below.
Corporate Summary: Birch Gold Review
Birch Gold Group is unique in two ways. First, they only operate online and have
no ”corporate offices.” This means they don’t have a high overhead cost, which is likely a plus for clients. Second, they have been in operation for a very long time compared to their competitors, since 2003. Based in California, BGG offers gold IRA services to investors and sells metals to both IRA investors and the general public.
They offer the basic menu of the four most popular metals, namely gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. One of the key areas of focus for the business is to educate customers who are brand new to the precious metals industry and particularly to gold IRAs. The BGG representatives take their time to explain all the details about account setup, which metals are appropriate, based on IRS guidelines, for gold IRAs, and much more.
The company’s online educational materials are among the best in the industry. They include research papers, short articles on pertinent topics, instructional videos, and occasional webinars. Every staff member is equipped to assist customers who need help choosing which metals are good choices for a new IRA and make a point to explain each step of the account setup process.
Birch Gold Review Pros and Cons
No one company can do everything for all investors. That’s why even among the best gold IRA companies, you’ll find a few negatives. However, as is the case with BGG, those negatives are not deal-breakers by any means. In fact, the pros far outweigh the cons, which is one reason Birch Gold Group enjoys such a stellar reputation among gold IRA companies that currently do business.
The following pros and cons are relevant as of this writing. Keep in mind that companies at the top of a given industry, be it automobiles, health care, or the gold IRAÂ niche, often address problems that pop up and rectify them almost immediately. With that in mind, here are the current pros and cons related to BGG.
Pros
- Birch Gold has an A+ rating from the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and has been plying its trade for nearly 20 years, longer than any other major competitor in this industry.
- Since their early days as a new company, BGG has carved out a place for itself as a provider with lower than-average fees. In a niche where many gold IRA providers feel the need to boost custodial, storage, insurance, and other fees year after year, BGG has kept their entire fee schedule among the lowest of all gold IRA providers.
- Even among its competitors, the company has a positive reputation. With consumers, based on objective, verified reviews, BGG is one of the top five gold IRA companies in existence.
- When investors want suggestions about which storage facility to use or which custodians are the best to work with, Birch Gold Group’s representatives are glad to help. They also offer their clients a full array of precious metals at competitive prices.
- Every gold IRA company’s website has an ”educational resources” section, and most are relatively informative. However, the BGG educational section on its website is one of the best there is for newcomers and experienced investors alike.
Cons
- There are no options to store your precious metals outside the U.S.
- The Birch Gold Group website is a bit confusing when it comes to the company’s fee structure.
Who Invests With Birch Gold Group?
Even though all investors are encouraged by the company to use the services, BGG has a special aptitude for helping those who are brand new to both precious metals and IRA investing in general. Their reps are experienced at helping new clients do paperwork, acquire precious metals, find an appropriate storage vault that is IRA-approved, and open accounts, all in a very short amount of time. Overall, the company’s core demographic is made up of working adults who are getting close to retirement age, but they do have clients in all age groups.
Birch Gold Review: Storage, Minimum Account Balances, and Fees
Fees for the custodian you select as well as for your preferred depository (vault) can vary a lot. However, BGG most often works with a custodian called Equity Trust Company and a preferred storage facility. If you take advantage of the relationship BGG has with these other companies, the vault and the custodian, you can save a lot of money. The total, in that case, for storage and custodial fees would be $175 per year. That amount includes all vaulting and custodian services, as well as theft insurance on your precious metals in the amount of $1 billion. As far as typical fees are concerned, the company frequently offers promotions and discounts so that clients can save even more. For all gold IRAs at BGG, the minimum opening balance for new accounts is $10,000.
How BGG Ranks In the Industry
Birch Gold Group is a standout in the gold IRA industry due to its longevity (in business since 2003), extremely helpful agents, wide selection of precious metals, top-notch educational materials, and lower-than-average fees. When selecting the gold IRA company that is best for your particular investing goals, spend some time at the Birch Gold Group website to see if what they offer is exactly what you want.
Opening a Precious Metals IRA With BGG
The Birch Gold Group system for opening a new gold IRA account is strikingly simple. The representative will walk you through every step of the short paperwork. Then, you’ll discuss which metals are best for your account. Once you pay for the metals, they’ll be shipped to the storage facility of your choice and you’re all finished. Even if you wish to roll over an IRA you already have into a gold IRA, the account rep will do the paperwork for you while you speak with them on the phone.