Written and reviewed by Hannah Lowell, Senior Content Editor
Augusta Precious Metals Review 2026
Delaware Depository Partner • Min: $50,000
Augusta Precious Metals is the highest-rated company in this comparison (4.9/5) and also the one with the highest listed minimum, $50,000. This review is built around one question: does that profile match your account size and the way you like to make a decision? It covers who the company fits, what its education-first approach means in practice, how the Delaware Depository tie-in affects storage, and which written answers to collect before you fund anything.
Pros
- Education program led by an economist the company describes as Harvard-trained
- BBB shows A+ and, per our research, no complaints (check the live BBB page before you decide)
- Fee schedule is published online, so you can read it before you talk to a sales rep
- Metals are stored at Delaware Depository, one of the five facilities covered in our depository guide
- Segregated storage is listed as a feature
Cons
- The $50,000 minimum is the highest of the five companies reviewed here
- The product catalog is focused rather than broad
Who Augusta fits, and who should look elsewhere
A $50,000 minimum makes the first filter simple. If you are rolling over a 401(k) or an existing IRA of that size or larger and want a company that leads with education before a purchase, Augusta is a reasonable candidate to put on your shortlist. If your rollover is smaller, the other four companies on this site list lower minimums: Goldco at $25,000, Noble Gold at $20,000, and American Hartford Gold and Birch Gold Group at $10,000.
What an education-first approach does and does not tell you
Augusta's profile on this site highlights an education program and a one-on-one web conference with an economist described as Harvard-trained. A structured walkthrough is useful: it forces the company to explain fees, storage and the sale process before money moves.
Storage: the Delaware Depository connection
Augusta is listed on this site as a Delaware Depository partner, and segregated storage appears among its features. Delaware Depository Service Company (DDSC) in Wilmington, DE is one of the five facilities in our depository guide. Segregated storage means your specific bars and coins are tracked for your account and returned to you on distribution. Commingled storage pools equivalent metals and returns equivalent metals, not the same pieces.
Ask which storage type is the default on a new account, whether segregated storage changes the annual storage fee, and who invoices that fee: the custodian, the depository or the dealer.
Fee questions to put in writing
A published fee schedule is a good start, but a schedule is only useful if you compare it line by line. Ask Augusta and the custodian it works with to confirm each item below in one document:
- Account setup fee, and whether it is charged once or every year.
- Annual custodian (administration) fee.
- Annual storage fee for segregated and for commingled storage, and whether it is flat or a percentage of account value.
- Insurance cost, if it is billed separately from storage.
- The buy/sell spread: the difference between the price you pay for each product and the price at which the company would buy it back.
- Fees for wires, partial distributions, in-kind delivery and closing the account.
How to check the claims before you fund
Our review data lists an A+ BBB rating and no BBB complaints. Do not rely on a summary written on someone else's site, including this one. Open the company's BBB page yourself, read the complaint and review history, and note whether the page is accredited or only rated.
Then check the custodian separately. Your IRA is held by the custodian, not by the dealer, so verify the custodian's registration with your state regulator and ask for its own fee schedule. Be cautious of any pressure to decide the same day, any promise of a specific return, and any request to take possession of metals yourself. Taking personal possession of IRA metals is treated as a distribution and can bring income tax and, under age 59 and a half, a 10% early withdrawal penalty.
How Augusta compares with the other four companies
On the numbers shown across this site, Augusta ranks first on rating (4.9/5) and has the highest minimum ($50,000). Goldco follows at 4.8/5 with a $25,000 minimum, American Hartford Gold at 4.7/5 with $10,000, Birch Gold Group at 4.6/5 with $10,000, and Noble Gold at 4.5/5 with $20,000. All five are listed with an A+ BBB rating on this site.
The practical trade-off is access against structure. Augusta asks for the most capital and leads with education. American Hartford Gold and Birch Gold Group accept smaller accounts. Goldco is the one that emphasizes speed and a buyback program, and Noble Gold is the one with a Texas storage option.
The process in five steps
- Confirm that your rollover amount meets the $50,000 minimum.
- Open a self-directed IRA with a custodian; the company will name the custodian it works with.
- Move the money by direct transfer or direct rollover so that you never receive a check. An indirect rollover has a 60-day deadline and can bring withholding.
- Choose IRS-eligible metals: gold at 99.5% purity, silver at 99.9%, platinum and palladium at 99.95%, with certain U.S.-minted coins also allowed.
- The dealer ships to the depository, never to you, and the custodian posts the holding to your account statement.
Verdict: Augusta suits investors with $50,000 or more to move who want an education step before buying and are willing to read a fee schedule line by line. If your account is smaller, or you want to compare several spreads side by side, start with the lower-minimum companies on this site and return to Augusta only if the numbers fit.
FAQ
This site lists the minimum at $50,000, the highest of the five companies reviewed. Confirm the current figure with the company in writing, since minimums can change.
Segregated storage is listed among its features, and the company is shown as a Delaware Depository partner. Ask whether segregated storage is the default, what it costs per year, and who bills it.
No. IRA metals must be held by a qualified custodian at an approved depository. Taking personal possession is treated as a distribution and can trigger income tax and a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you are under 59 and a half.
Open the BBB profile yourself, read the complaint history and customer reviews, and check whether the company is accredited. Do not rely only on a rating shown on a comparison site.