Many or all of the companies featured provide compensation to "Gold Option For You". Commissions are how we maintain our free service for consumers. Compensation, along with hours of in-depth editorial research, determines where & how companies appear on our site. Further information can be found on our website disclaimer.
Birch Gold Group Review - Is Birch Gold IRA for you?
Dr. Ron Paul Partners with Birch Gold Group helping to Educate Americans on Wealth Preservation.
Dr. Ron Paul, a longtime advocate of sound money and common-sense economics, has partnered with Birch Gold Group in an effort to educate the nation on methods to insulate their savings from debasement.
Dr. Paul has spent a lifetime serving his country as a medical doctor, a U.S. Air Force veteran and a Congressional representative for the state of Texas. He's written more than 20 books on economic and legal subjects, and is an established critic of both deficit spending and the Federal Reserve's monetary policies. When asked about this partnership, Dr. Paul said, "Before I started working with Birch Gold, they asked me, 'What's your case for buying gold today?' I said, 'Well, it's the same as it's been for the last 5,000 years!'"
Essentially, Dr. Paul's case for buying gold comes down to financial stability. "Just maintaining what you have is a major challenge today," he said. Phillip Patrick, senior Precious Metals Specialist with Birch, added, "People confuse not having enough buying power with not having enough money. So they want more money, because they can't pay the grocery bill." But every time the Federal Reserve prints more money, it reduces the buying power of all other dollars in the world. More money doesn't create more wealth, it just creates inflation.
In Dr. Paul's words, "A lot of people don't even understand that inflation is a tax on your buying power. If you're an American with the relatively modest goal of just keeping your money safe, well, I've got to warn you, it's harder today than it's ever been." and that's one of the major advantages of opening a Birch Gold IRA.
"I'm a big believer in education," Dr. Paul said. "Most of my work has been focused on educating Americans on the benefits of liberty and sound money. And Birch Gold believes in education, first and foremost."
Many or all of the products featured on our website are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.
Five-star Endorsements
Any silver or gold IRA provider is only as good as its customer reviews and endorsements. Apart from a high rating on Better Business Bureau, Birch Gold Group is also endorsed by the Ben Shapiro Show, boosting the company's overall credibility.
Buying Gold in an IRA
If you want to hold physical gold in Birch Gold IRA (Individual Retirement Account ), you can't do so in your regular account. You can only do it in a separate, special one called a self-directed gold IRA account. Also referred to as precious metal IRA, gold IRA accounts operate more or less like standard individual retirement accounts: same distribution rules and contribution limits.
However, instead of holding paper assets like bonds or stocks, a precious metal IRA account holds physical bullion, including gold coins and other approved precious metals. Gold IRAs can also hold gold stocks (shares of gold mining or production companies), gold mutual funds investing in stocks or bullion (or both), and gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track gold indexes.
Want to skip over the basics of IRAs and head straight into the logistics of opening an IRA, including the fees, security, and precious metals eligibility? Click here to jump ahead.
You’ve likely heard about investing in a gold IRA.
As people look for ways to diversify their retirement investments, gold IRAs continue to grow in popularity. But gold is only one of the several different precious metal assets available to retirement account owners.
If you are curious to know why people are turning to a precious metals IRA to secure their retirement, be sure to bookmark this page.
Before jumping in, we’re going to do a deep dive into frequently asked questions that come up when someone first considers opening a precious metals IRA.
Let’s begin with something called a self-directed IRA.
What is a self-directed IRA?
A self-directed IRA) is a type of retirement account where the account holder makes the investment decisions, specifically where to invest and how much.
The biggest difference from a conventional IRA is in who makes the calls: with a SDIRA, you have much more control of your investment decisions.
Along with this greater amount of control, a self-directed IRA also provides flexibility with your investments. You are not restricted to the most common of assets — such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and CDs.
Your self-directed IRA enables you to also invest in the following (and more):
- Precious metals, including gold
- Real estate
- Debt
- Businesses
- Cryptocurrencies
As you can see, a self-directed IRA takes your ability to diversify your retirement savings to a whole new level.
You may already know this: diversifying your investments is widely known to be a smart strategy, further, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission advises diversified retirement investments as being a safe way to manage financial risks and attain financial security after retirement.
If this is news to you, let’s quickly review why.
Why it's important to diversify your investing portfolio
There is an old proverb (from Spanish or Italian origins): “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” No matter the context, this phrase means don’t risk losing everything by only having one plan or idea and then depending on that one thing entirely for your success.
This is particularly true when it comes to saving for retirement.
Leverage a safe-haven approach.
According to Forbes, “buying metals represents a safe-haven approach to diversification.” These additional investment “baskets” provide diversity and act as a shield against an unpredictable stock market, the fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar, and other economic uncertainties.
Gold can be used to diversify several categories of investments, including equities, bonds, and cash, like the U.S. dollar.
Gold’s performance endures when the dollar doesn’t.
Time and time again, gold’s performance has been demonstrated to correlate inversely with that of equities, bonds, and cash. When the value of the dollar or a bond goes down, the value of gold tends to increase. Because of this, diversifying a portfolio by investing a portion of it into precious metals such as gold can help round out a portfolio’s value over time.
The fact that gold is a tangible item of value—as opposed to a printed promise of value—adds another layer of diversification and security to your portfolio. People may lose faith in stocks or in the dollar, leaving you holding a piece of paper with no value. Since precious metals have tangible worth and have historically carried intrinsic value, they’re effectively guaranteed to have lasting value.
Precious metals retain value.
Historically, gold, silver, and other precious metals tend to hold their value in the face of inflation. If your retirement includes precious metals, this can provide some peace of mind that your current lifestyle could be preserved and without having to continue working long past your target retirement date.
If you need more convincing, take a look at some statistics demonstrating the endurance and consistency of precious metals.
From 2007 to 2009, the U.S. stock market faced one of its worst crashes ever, dealing a massive blow to as much as 60% of some Americans’ retirement savings. But while the S&P 500 continued to crash, gold’s price rose—and effectively rewarded anyone who had diversified their portfolio.
Of course, gold is not the only precious metal that you can place in your precious metals IRA; diversification of the precious metal types held in the IRA can help your portfolio’s value to endure.
Diversity extends through the metals in your portfolio.
This diversification has played out positively in previous periods of economic difficulty. For example, during the 2008-2012 recession, not just gold but also silver showed off its ability to endure through economic crisis; even in the most harrowing conditions, it continued jumping up in value by almost 450%.
You get the idea here. Generally all metals deemed precious make great hedges against economic downturns.
So if you want to move some of your retirement into a precious metals IRA, the gold or silver that you select will provide many of the same benefits.
Why should you invest in a gold IRA?
- Diversify your retirement savings — This is worth repeating: don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversification will help to safeguard your savings.
- Limited supplies could result in future gains — Precious metals are finite; that’s what makes them precious. And as silver and gold continue to be used in medical and industrial sectors, there will be sustained demand for them.
- Secure your purchasing power — Longtime investors in gold and silver have seen their holdings maintain their purchasing power. As the U.S. dollar declines, the value of precious metals usually goes up.
- Converting to a precious metals IRA is simple — Jumping through a bunch of hoops is not required. All it takes is an eligible 401(k) or an IRA (or other less common retirement accounts) to easily transfer to an IRA backed by gold, silver or other precious metal assets.
Elegible precious metals for IRA investing
The precious metals eligible for placement within an IRA have proven track records over thousands of years. These are the metals that transcend government influence they are tangible and cannot be printed like paper money or stored as a number on a computer file.
Gold, silver, platinum and palladium — these precious metals are popular for use in self-directed IRAs because of their long-term investment track record:
- Gold — a highly prized symbol of wealth since the earliest records of history
- Silver — used for thousands of years in coinage, jewelry, tableware, and more
- Platinum & Palladium — similar histories to gold and silver, these two precious metals are known for their catalytic properties and are still heavily used in industrial processes
Here is a detailed look at each metal’s current eligibility rules on what you can specifically invest in:
Gold (.995 minimum fineness, except for the American Eagle |
Silver (.999 minimum fineness) |
Platinum (.9995 minimum fineness) |
Palladium (.9995 minimum fineness) |
How safe are your physical precious metals in an IRA?
During times of political instability, recessions, and economic uncertainty, retirees, entrepreneurs, independent-minded investors have turned to investments in gold as a safe option. It can be used to hedge against currency devaluation or inflation.
To protect your savings, Birch Gold helps you create an account with a reputable, qualified custodian who will facilitate tax compliance (keeping up with law changes) so your investments remain legal over the long term. Additionally, your metals are protected by one of the approved depositories.
Gold values are driven by supply and demand
Gold remains valuable because of limited supplies and increased demand especially as gold mining has leveled off since 2016. According to the World Gold Council (WGC), there was a demand for 4282 tons of gold per year between 2008-2017.
Birch Gold Group
Founded in 2003, The Birch Gold Group is a reputable gold IRA company based in Burbank, California. They have high rankings on Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs, Business Consumer Alliance, and Google Business.
How to set up a Birch Gold Group IRA
Step 1: Open the account — starting with your funding source
To start a precious metals IRA, you will first need to consider how you will fund this account… will you transfer an existing IRA or perhaps rollover a 401(k) from an old employer? Whichever way you begin, given the support that Birch Gold Group provides during the process, we require that you start with an account value of at least $10,000.
Like a conventional IRA, you can move your retirement account to a precious metals IRA with no tax penalties. With Birch Gold, you will have a Precious Metals Specialist assigned to help you through the entire process.
You will begin by transferring your funds to a custodian who specializes in precious metals IRAs, such as Equity Trust Company and STRATA Trust Company. All custodians are held to the highest standards by Birch Gold and only those with A+ ratings from the Better Business Bureau are selected.
The following accounts are eligible to be rolled over into a precious metals IRA:
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- SEP IRA
- SIMPLE IRA
- Eligible 401(k), 403(b), 457, TSP, and more
Step 2: Choose your precious metals
The good news is you don’t have to make this decision on your own. Your Precious Metals Specialist at Birch Gold Group can provide you with information and even make recommendations based on your current situation.
For example, what are your choices? Your Specialist can go over the metals choices in more detail with you. There are four precious metals that are approved to become a part of your IRA. The IRS has determined some specific criteria you will need to follow to make sure they are eligible.
- Gold
- Silver
- Platinum
- Palladium
Step 3: Make your purchase
Having determined what you want in your portfolio, you are now ready to purchase precious metals.
Your Specialist will confirm this with you before walking you through the necessary paperwork.
Once the purchase is made, your metals will be sent on your behalf to a depository.
Okay, so then what is the role of the custodian?
While you will not have a lot of direct contact with your precious metals IRA custodian, they still play an integral role in managing your retirement account.
Custodians are not individuals, but rather financial institutions that are responsible for managing the storage assets in your account. The custodian also helps complete transactions, execute withdrawals, and handle paperwork. In a nutshell, they keep track of your account and ensure your assets are where they should be.
Step 4: Your precious metals are stored at a depository
As per the IRS regulations, Birch Gold stores IRA precious metals in a third-party, state-of-the-art vault.
Your Precious Metals Specialist will give you a list of options to store your gold and silver, and walk you through each of them.
This list includes the Delaware Depository, where your metals are insured up to $1 billion. Another option available for storage is with Brink’s Global Service — the largest non-bank, non-government holder of precious metals in the world — located in New York, Los Angeles or Salt Lake City.
Step 5: Keep an eye on things
The best way for you to have peace-of-mind is to connect directly with a Birch Gold Specialist, who will always be there to provide you with an up-to-date buy-back quote. These quotes tend to be more detailed and accurate than the statements you will receive from your custodian.
You will continue to work with the same Specialist who walked you through setting up your precious metals IRA, and who knows your needs and retirement goals.
What is the cost to set up a Birch Gold Group IRA?
MINIMUM INVESTMENT AMOUNT
$10,000 for both IRA and Cash purchases (physical delivery)
Can vary by custodian, but here are fees for the custodian that most customers use:
• One-time: $50 setup, $30 wire transfer
• Annual: $100 storage, $100 management
What makes Birch Gold Group unique?
It starts with their value statement...
"At Birch Gold Group, we believe in empowering our customers through knowledge"
History – Founded in 2003
As we mentioned before, Birch Gold has been offering precious metals IRAs since 2003. This means that the company has nearly 20 years of experience in this industry. They have been helping customers better navigate the complexities of gold IRAs, and financial freedom and invest their money into a better future. When it comes to money and investments it’s always better to opt for a broker or company that has authority and most importantly trust.
Ambassadors – Endorsed by Ben Shapiro
When someone you trust and admire recommends something, you’re most probably gonna try it. The same goes for investments and gold IRAs. Birch Gold has partnered with Ben Shapiro for a few years now. He regularly endorses the precious metals company during the Ben Shapiro Show and has invested money himself into it. If you trust him and his judgment when it comes to finances, then rest assured that your investments will be safe too with Birch Gold.
Experienced Team of Professionals
Birch Gold’s team consists of highly professionals with decades of combined experience in various areas, including former money managers and other experts. You can trust that each and every one of them will help you with any question you might have. According to Birch Gold, their team members have held past positions with big companies such as Citigroup, Dun & Bradstreet, and IBM. Their team of experts can walk you through the precious metals IRA signup process, assist with funding and rollover, and perform other tasks to make the setup as easy as possible. This is only one of the few reasons why they’ve lasted over 2 decades on the market.
Customized Support With 1-on-1 Care
When you set up your account, Birch Gold matches you with a precious metals specialist right from the start. That Specialist gets to know you and your specific needs and goals, just like a sales assistant would. The Specialist can help you set up your account and answer questions about your account anytime. They can also redirect you to other customer support specialists when needed.
Trust
When you choose a Birch Gold Group IRA, your personal data is safe. They claim to never sell customer data to third parties for-profits, as other companies do. Instead, the company follows industry standards on data protection.
The rigorous set of standards thatBirch Gold hold themselves to include:
- Customer Empowerment
- Educational
- Empathy
- Ethical
- Transparency
- Efficiency
On-going promotions
• First year fees waived on IRAs over $50,000
• Free shipping for cash purchases over $10,000
• Up to $10,000 in free precious metals on qualified purchases
Who is the most trustworthy Gold IRA company in 2023?
There are many gold IRA investment companies out there that have their own happy clients. But, to get the most out of your gold IRA investment, you have to look for the winning companies that offer the best services to their clients and have earned dozens of 5-star reviews and near-perfect ratings. You cannot go wrong by choosing Birch Gold Group and it all starts by requesting their FREE Gold Investing guide.
Stephen AZ.
“Wonderful experience with Jake and Natalie in establishing my new IRA and filling it with products that will provide me with security against a waning US dollar. The staff has honed their process of reaching out to inform potential customers of their services, to very efficiently opening new accounts and providing expertise/assistance in selecting the appropriate PMs to purchase for their customers…”
Les B.
“This was my first time purchasing precious metal products. I did my due diligence and educated myself on how precious metals are priced and sold, I chose Birch because of very high marks on their business practices. It was the right choice for me to go with Birch. The whole transaction was smooth with no high pressure…”
Jerry L.
“When the geopolitical world started to go upside down I knew I had to find a safe place for my retirement IRA. Enters Mr. Stuart Nash from BirchGold… He managed all of the details with his professional team. honestly I have never received the type excellent customer service that Stuart Nash Is dedicated to giving to each and every client. My metals have increased substantially. I have decided to make a few adjustments after a year and have received the same, consistent professional and expert assistance from beginning to the end of the process. Choose Mr. Stuart Nash if you want the best of the best…”