Birch Gold Review: Worth Using for Your Next Gold Bullion Buy? (2024 Update)

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Last Updated on: 18th December 2023, 04:34 pm

Birch Gold
Birch Gold - bySarah Bauder, April 1, 2011
4.9/ 5stars
on
Birch Gold
Review Summary :

Established in 2003, Birch Gold has become an industry leader within the precious metals IRA space. The company offers a vast array of IRA-approved gold, silver, platinum, and palladium products. Currently, the company provides no transparency regarding its management team, yet heavily champions its partnership with conservative political commentator, Ben Shapiro. In our opinion, they're a worthwhile option given their longevity and broad product catalog, even if their pricing isn't transparent.

Pros:

  • Good selection of precious metals
  • Great customer reviews
  • Education & communication prioritized
  • No first year fees on $50,000+ transfers

Cons:

  • Higher premium on exclusive coins
  • Not transparent about their product pricing
Quick Facts about Birch Gold
Year Founded:2003
Company Headquarters:Des Moines, Iowa
Annual Fees:Variable
Supports 401(k)?:Yes
Supports Roth IRA?:Yes
Crypto Offered?:No
Assets Offered:Gold, Silver, Palladium, and Platinum
Offers Other Assets?:No
Custodian:Equity Trust, STRATA Trust, and Goldstar Trust
Current Promotion:N/A
Supports Home Storage?:No
International Storage?:No
Segregated Storage?:Yes
Preferred Storage Location:Several locations
Preferred Storage Vault:Brink’s Global Service and the Delaware Depository
Reviewed By:Sarah Bauder
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Company Info and Background

Birch Gold Group is one of the leading precious metals dealers and a well-respected precious metals IRA company. Founded in 2003, the company is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. The company offers a myriad of IRA-approved gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion products.

Since the company's partnership with political commentator Ben Shapiro, the company has been elevated to the international spotlight. However, many newcomers to the precious metals investing scene are left wondering whether this company is truly worth the endorsement. In this review, we'll touch on why we think Birch Gold is the real deal, and why they're worth considering if you're interested in adding gold or silver to your IRA or 401(k).

Birch Gold Management Team

No official information is listed about Birch Gold Group’s management team. On its website, the company states, “Our dynamic team of former wealth managers, financial advisors, and commodity brokers continue to help customers diversify their portfolios with gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.” 

The company's LinkedIn page does list a handful of key players involved in the company's day-to-day operations, including:

  • Karlo Vartan (Chief Financial Officer)
  • Adrineh Telime (Director of Customer Relations)
  • Andy Klein (Marketing Director)
  • Jyoti Tyagi (Business Analyst)

According to the firm's Datanyze profile, the Iowa-based company has 94 employees and does about $18.4 million in annual gross revenue. As a larger company within the industry, this is certainly a vote of confidence in their favor. While it's certainly not a great sign that the company isn't transparent about its management group, the fact that they have a large payroll and nearly two decades in business is enough to make us confident that these guys are the real deal.

Birch Gold Education and Customer Satisfaction

Birch Gold offers numerous educational resources, including an array of articles published on Precious Metals IRAs, precious metals ownership, bullion and numismatic coins, and 401k rollovers to cite a few examples. The company also has a section for market investment news, precious metals charts, a live ticker displaying prices of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in real-time, and a free 2021 Information Kit on precious metals investment.


The company lauds its customer service and satisfaction, including an entire section dedicated to customer reviews from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Consumer Affairs, Trustlink, Trustpilot, and YP (Yellow Pages).

Birch Gold Storage 

Birch Gold’s preferred depositories for IRA-approved precious metals are the Delaware Depository, and Brink’s Global Service, respectively. Clients who opt for the Delaware Depository can choose between two facilities located in either Wilmington, Delaware, or  Seal Beach, California. 

Those clients who decide to store their  IRA-approved precious metals with Brink’s Global Service have the option of storage facilities located in New York City, Los Angeles, or Salt Lake City, Utah.

Birch Gold Products and Pricing

Birch Gold is renowned as one of the leading precious metals dealers in the United States. The company offers a vast selection of IRA-approved gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion products. Some of the popular selections of gold coins include the Gold American Buffalo, in either 1-ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce options.

Gold bars and rounds are offered in 1/10 ounces, 1/4 ounces, and 1/2 ounces form. For silver products, Birch Gold offers an array of popular coins including the Silver American Eagle (in both bullion and proof), Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, and silver bars and rounds (typically in weights such as one ounce, 5 ounces, 10 ounces, and 100 ounces) amongst others. Platinum products offered include platinum bars and rounds, and the Planum American Eagle coin. For palladium products, the company offers the Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf coin, in addition to palladium bars and rounds.

Regarding Precious Metals IRAs, Birch Gold has partnered with acclaimed custodians Equity Trust, Goldstar Trust, and STRATA Trust Company.

Regarding pricing, the company is not transparent. They do not list the prices of their gold or silver bullion or coins on their website and require you to call their 1-800 number in order to access this information. While it could be the case that they charge market prices, this certainly isn't a good sign and one should expect to encounter premium prices from this vendor.

To view more Birch Gold products, as well as their most up-to-date pricing data, we recommend reading more here.

Premium Coins vs Standard Bullion Coins – Understanding the Difference

Choosing which IRA-compatible coins to include in your gold IRA can be difficult, given the vast array of selections. Yet, before you decide which coins to hold in your self-directed IRA, it is crucial to understand the difference between premium and standard coins.

Premium Coins

Premium coins are approved by the IRS to be held in a self-directed IRA but are deemed semi-numismatic. This is due to the fact that these types of coins are part of a specific collectible series issued by mints, thus giving them limited circulation. Some companies choose to sell premium coins at much higher markups.

Standard Bullion Coins

Standard bullion coins are a good investment option for those simply looking to hold precious metals in their gold IRA. These types of coins are 99.99%, but because they are not considered semi-numismatic with limited circulation, standard bullion coins retail for a lower price than premium coins. They make a good investment option in a retirement strategy and prove an excellent hedge against inflation.

Below is a comparison chart to give you a better understanding of the available types of coins.

BullionProof & Uncirculated coinsCollectibles/Numismatics
IRA Eligible?YesSomeNo
Highest Purity Level?YesYesNo
Limited Edition and/or Scarcity Factor?NoYesYes
High Finishing Quality & Detail?*NoYesSome
Easy to Sell/Liquidate AnywhereYesNoNo
Premium Over Spot When Buying?LowMediumHigh
What you can expect to sell them for?Close to spot price. Usually no or little premium.Spot price + premium based on rarity/age/demand for your coinsSpot price (if they contain some precious metals) + premium based on rarity/age/demand and other factors
Where can you sell them?Anywhere, since these bullion coins are recognized and trusted worldwide. However they'll probably only give you spot price. Anywhere, but original dealer would likely be the best place if you want to recoup premium. Others might only give you spot price. Ebay is also a good option if you have rare and highly sought after coins.Antique stores, coin shops, collectors' markets, eBay.

Birch Gold Precious Metals IRA Info

Company NameBirch Gold
Annual CostVariable
Scaled or Flat Fees?Flat Fees
Partnered Storage VaultsDelaware Depository and Brink’s Global Service
Partnered CustodiansEquity Trust, Goldstar Trust, and STRATA Trust Company
Metals Available Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion products
Years in Business18 years (2003)

Birch Gold Reviews, Ratings, and Complaints

Below we offer a diverse selection of reviews, ratings, and complaints that you can read on Birch Gold from trusted consumer reporting and rating agencies sites. Simply click on the links provided to study the reviews in greater detail.

  • BBB Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (“A+” and 4.56 Star Rating based on 144 Customer Reviews)
  • BBB Complaints: 7 complaints closed in the last 3 years (Details)
  • BCA Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (“AAA” and 5 Star Rating based on 7 Customer Reviews)
  • BCA Complaints: 0 complaints in the last 3 years (Details)
  • TrustLink: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 Star Rating based on 135 Customer Reviews)
  • Trustpilot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 Star Rating based on 154 Customer Reviews)
  • Yelp: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.4 Star Rating based on 5 Customer Reviews)
  • Facebook: 41,000+ “Likes” (Details)

Birch Gold Contact Information

  • Phone: (800)355-2116
  • Address: 309 Court Ave, Suite 809, Des Moines, IA 50309
  • Email: info@birchgold.com
  • Website: www.birchgold.com

Do We Recommend Birch Gold?

While we think you should weigh all of your options before choosing a single gold IRA service provider, Birch Gold is certainly a viable option. With countless thousands of happy customers over nearly twenty years in business, as well as being a Better Business Bureau-accredited institution, you have every reason to be completely confident in their products.

Despite Birch Gold boasting endorsements from political figures like Ron Paul and Ben Shapiro, you should consider every service provider before you open a gold IRA. You must carefully consider the different precious metals companies available before making any purchases as part of your IRA investment strategy. In addition to its overall reputation, be mindful of a company’s bullion prices, policies, practices, and most importantly, storage fees for precious metals.

Birch Gold
Birch Gold - bySarah Bauder, April 1, 2011
4.9/ 5stars
on
Birch Gold
Review Summary :

Established in 2003, Birch Gold has become an industry leader within the precious metals IRA space. The company offers a vast array of IRA-approved gold, silver, platinum, and palladium products. Currently, the company provides no transparency regarding its management team, yet heavily champions its partnership with conservative political commentator, Ben Shapiro. In our opinion, they're a worthwhile option given their longevity and broad product catalog, even if their pricing isn't transparent.

Have you purchased products from Birch Gold? Leave a review!

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Sarah Bauder
Sarah Bauder

Sarah Bauder has a decade of experience at numerous publications, writing about finance, politics, economy and more.

Articles: 114

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