Advertising disclosure: the owners of this website are paid to recommend Augusta Precious Metals and certain other precious metals companies identified on this site. The content on this website, including any positive reviews, is not neutral or independent.
Independent research · No personal information required
Rolling over $50,000 or more? We highly recommend Augusta Precious Metals.
Below that, the math changes — so the answer does too. We publish the fees, minimums, and rating-agency records for every company we track, and show you the arithmetic that decides which one fits your balance.
Why the $50,000 minimum is the reason, not the obstacle
Physical metal inside an IRA needs an IRS-approved custodian and an approved depository. Both charge flat annual fees — they cost the same whether the account holds $15,000 or $150,000. Augusta's published schedule is $50 to set up, then $125 a year for the custodian and $100 a year for storage.
Held against different balances, that same $225 looks very different:
| Account balance | $225/yr in flat fees is… |
|---|---|
| $15,000 | 1.50% of the account, every year |
| $25,000 | 0.90% of the account, every year |
| $50,000 | 0.45% of the account, every year |
| $150,000 | 0.15% of the account, every year |
Most companies in this industry accept $5,000 or $10,000 accounts. Augusta does not. They publish a $50,000 minimum and hold to it, which means the accounts they open are the ones where flat fees stay small as a percentage. Whether that trade-off suits your situation is a question for you and your financial or tax advisor — we publish the numbers, not the decision.
Why Augusta, for accounts over $50,000
Augusta Precious Metals
- Annual fees
- $50 setup + $125/yr custodian + $100/yr storage (ZERO for up to 10 years)
- Storage
- Segregated storage via Delaware Depository; free shipping and transit insurance
- Account types
- Traditional, Roth
- In business since
- 2012
Before you buy anything, Augusta puts you in a one-on-one web conference with their own analyst. The subject is how the gold industry works — including the pricing practices that cost buyers money. We think that session is worth attending whether or not you ever open an account with them.
The questions you should have answered before you call anyone
Every company in this industry — Augusta included — answers the detailed questions on the phone, after you hand over your number. You do not have to do it in that order. Read the mechanics here first, for free, and arrive at that conversation already knowing what you are looking at.
What does a gold IRA actually cost me each year?
Fees explained →How does a 401(k) rollover work without triggering taxes?
Rollover mechanics →Who holds the metal, and why can’t my broker do it?
Custodians →Which coins and bars are actually IRA-eligible?
IRS-approved metals →What are the IRS rules I have to follow?
IRS rules →What happens to the account when I die?
Beneficiaries →If your rollover is under $50,000
Augusta will not open the account, so sending you there would waste your time. These companies accept smaller balances, and we publish their fees, minimums, and rating-agency records exactly the way we publish Augusta's. Run the same arithmetic from the table above against their numbers — on a smaller account, the annual fee is the number that matters most.
Monetary Gold
BBB: A+~$100 base + $1 per $1,000 invested/year (storage) + custodian fee
Priority Gold
BBB: A+First year covered by Priority Gold; year two — request in writing
Preserve Gold
BBB: A+$280/year base ($180 maintenance + $100 storage); waived up to 3 years for larger rollovers
Birch Gold Group
BBB: A+$200/yr ($100 storage + $100 management); first year fees waived on IRAs over $50K
GoldenCrest Metals
BBB: A-No Gold IRA fees for up to 5 years. After promotional period: Delaware Depository $125/yr + Entrust Group $125/yr.
Why I Created This Site
First off, I'm a gold and silver investor — just like you.
I learned about real money from people like Mike Maloney, Frank Giustra, and Bill Bonner. These are just a few of the people who produce genuinely eye-opening content on the history and purpose of gold and silver. They do a much better job explaining it than I ever could.
I went to school because I was told that's how to be successful. Got an M.B.A. which I refer to as More Bad Advice. At 66, I've noticed life has a cruel sense of humor — by the time you finally know what you're doing, you've got less time to do it.
I've been an entrepreneur pretty much my whole career. Some successes and plenty of failures later, I can say one of my few real talents is spotting bullshit — and in today's world, that skill gets a daily workout. The media we all consume has become a firehose of noise aimed straight at us.
So I read the fee schedules, the minimums, and the complaint records for every company in this industry I could get numbers on. Most of them are built to get you on the phone before you know what anything costs. One of them requires you to sit through an education session before they will sell you a thing. That is the one I send people to.
Full disclosure — when you use the services of a company I have an active affiliate relationship with, I may earn a commission. It costs you nothing extra. I gathered the best rating agency information and display it for you — the BBB, Trustpilot, Google Reviews, BCA, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. My job is to gather the information and present it clearly so you can decide. I'm also hoping to earn enough to keep adding to my own stack of gold and silver — which means we're all rooting for the same thing. Honest Money.
— Mike Miller, Founder, GoldIRADeals.com
Ready to talk to someone?
Augusta's one-on-one web conference is free, and it happens before any purchase conversation. Take it, ask hard questions, and decide afterward.
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GoldIRADeals.com is an informational resource, not a financial advisor. We may earn affiliate commissions when you click through to dealer websites. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Tax rules change — consult a tax professional about your specific situation.