No one should undertake any investment lightly. That’s why when I’ve looked into Gold and Silver IRAs, I’ve taken as much time as I can to investigate companies. One company that keeps coming up is Birch Precious Metals.
This is my full review of their program, including things to look out for and what fees you’ll actually pay. If you still have questions, check out the FAQs at the end.
Who is Birch Precious Metals?
Birch Precious Metals is a no-nonsense investment option for people that want security and diversification in their portfolio. You can see real-time market performance for all four IRS approved precious metals, and track how well all of them are doing in the market.
Speaking of “all four metals,” one of the biggest reasons to go with Birch Precious Metals is that they’ve developed strategies for investing in all the metals approved by the IRS–Gold and Silver, yes, but also Platinum and Palladium.
Platinum and Palladium are important metals in today’s economy. Especially because most of the world’s Palladium comes from Russia and South Africa.
By offering all the precious metal types available, Birch shows their commitment to your financial portfolio. Birch has been in business for almost twenty years, and has earned an A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau.
What to Look Out For
To get a full picture of what Birch customers experience, I combed through a dozen or so complaints filed against them. The subject matter of the customer’s negative interactions stemmed from not feeling that Birch was upfront and honest about the valuation of coins versus bullion, and how the market may affect prices.
A number of these complaints were resolved to the customer’s satisfaction, but if you go with Birch, make sure you ask as many questions as you need to before signing anything.
How Birch Works
When you sign up with Birch Precious Metals, you’re getting some of the best analysis in the business. And they communicate that analysis clearly and concisely throughout your experience with them.
From the first page of their Precious Metals IRA page, you’re given a crystal picture of what it means to have a Gold IRA. They not only break down why diversification is important, they also explain what a “self-directed IRA” means in the first place.
Once you’ve set up your account with Birch, you can pursue any avenue of precious metals you like. The flexibility of choosing between Gold, Silver, Platinum, or even Palladium means you’ll never miss an opportunity in the markets.
After your account is set up, you can decide on your custodian and storage options. Two of the most popular options are the Delaware Depository and Brinks. Both of these companies are insured for many millions of dollars, and you can work with them and Birch to make sure your Gold or other Precious Metals are shipped securely and safely.
Benefits of Other Precious Metals
One of the big advantages of Platinum and Palladium is diversification. Diversification, after all, is the reason to invest in precious metals in the first place. Precious metals can help your portfolio withstand inflation and ebbs and flows in stock markets.
Investing in Platinum and Palladium offer those same insurances against fluctuations in the Gold and Silver markets. Birch Precious Metals is committed to making sure those assets are available to you when you set up an IRA with them.
Physical Metals
If you’re interested in investing in any Precious Metals for non-IRA purposes, Birch has you covered there, too. In fact, you can arrange to have your purchases delivered right to your front door.
That means that if you want to invest in precious metals that you can pull out and spend whenever you like, as protection against any eventuality or emergency, Birch can work with you.
Simply contact them or visit their dedicated page for physical purchases, and work with their specialists to determine what values and denominations are right for you.
Fees
One of the very best things I found out about Birch is that their fee structure is clear and easy to find on their website. That alone gets a recommendation from me. In today’s Gold IRA world, many of the fees are similar, if not the exact same. But the fact that Birch puts their fee schedule right on the website earns a lot of trust from me.
These fees are straightforward and quite reasonable. In fact, I’ve seen much higher one-time fees due at set-up.
In addition to these numbers, keep in mind that Birch requires $10,000 for initial investments. While this may sound high, most reviews I’ve done for other Gold and Silver IRA companies require as much as $50,000 for getting started.
Pros & Cons
There aren’t a lot of things to look out for with Birch–they’re respected, transparent, and can handle all of your precious metals needs.
Pros
Cons
Final Thoughts
I’ve written thousands of words on Gold and Silver IRA companies, and Birch has continuously earned high marks from me for transparency and options. Rarely do I see a company with so much flexibility in Palladium and Platinum.
In fact, some companies I’ve reviewed and researched don’t even have options outside of gold and silver. This alone would set Birch apart from the rest. But the fact that they are transparent about your fees and offer so many options for storage make them one of the best Precious Metals IRA companies around.
FAQs
No, absolutely not. But they might be great options for you, especially in the changing world of technology. Both Platinum and Palladium have a number of uses in modern electronics, and could be great investments, long term.
Yes, most definitely. In fact, if you want to check your current IRA or other account for eligibility, feel free to reach out to Birch. They can work with you to determine if your plan is a good fit, with no obligation to sign with them.
Typically, no, not until you are at retirement age. In general, taking your precious metals is similar to taking an early cash withdrawal from a traditional IRA. That means you can do it, but there may be penalties. After you reach 59 ½, you can work with Birch on withdrawal options.
