Augusta Precious Metals vs Goldco: Fees, Minimums, Buyback and Complaints Compared (2026)

Augusta Precious Metals and Goldco charge almost the same yearly account fees: $235 at Augusta and $225 at Goldco after year one, as of September 2026. Both figures come from the companies' own fee pages and assume pooled (shared vault) storage. So the choice turns on four other things: the minimum, the promotion, the written terms and the complaint record. Which of them matters for your money?

The biggest cost at both companies is one neither publishes: the markup on the coins you buy. The markup is the part of your price above what the coins cost the dealer. This page is part of our gold IRA comparisons, built from each company's own pages, court records and Better Business Bureau (BBB) data.

The sections follow the title: fees and promotions, the $50,000 and $25,000 minimums, buyback and cancellation wording, then complaints and lawsuits. We end with a verdict by reader situation, not an overall winner.

The five key numbers below were checked on September 29, 2026. Augusta's figures come from Augusta's FAQ, updated September 23, 2026. A custodian is the trust company that holds your IRA.

• Minimum: $50,000 at Augusta vs $25,000 at Goldco (as of Sept. 29, 2026).
• Account fees in year one: $285 at Augusta vs $275 at Goldco with pooled storage (as of Sept. 29, 2026).
• Promotion: Augusta says it pays up to 10 years of custodian and vault fees; Goldco gives up to 10% free silver on its premium coins (as of Sept. 29, 2026).
• Cancellation window: 7 calendar days at Augusta vs not published at Goldco (as of Sept. 29, 2026).
• BBB complaints closed in three years: 1 for Augusta vs 72 for Goldco (as of Sept. 29, 2026).

Augusta Precious Metals vs Goldco at a Glance: 16 Facts Side by Side#

Augusta and Goldco match on the $50 setup fee, the $125 yearly custodian fee and an A+ BBB grade, as of September 29, 2026. Each of the 16 facts below comes from the company's own page, a court record, the BBB or Trustpilot, with the date checked.

Seven terms in the table have a plain meaning, listed below.

• Depository: the vault that stores your coins.
• Pooled (non-segregated) storage: your coins share space with others' coins of the same type; segregated storage keeps yours apart.
• Spread (markup): the share of your price above what the coins cost the dealer.
• Premium coins: coins sold well above their metal value.
• Transaction agreement: the contract you sign for each purchase.
• BBB accreditation: a paid membership, separate from the BBB grade. "Complaints closed" are complaints the BBB has finished processing.
• TCPA: the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the federal law on robocalls and marketing texts (47 U.S.C. 227).

Company website links in this table: SafeOunce earns nothing from these links.

Table T1: Augusta Precious Metals vs Goldco: 16 facts, checked September 29, 2026.

"Not published" means we searched the company's website and found nothing. Our Augusta Precious Metals review covers the company alone.

Other comparison pages disagree, as of September 29, 2026. They list Augusta's setup fee as $50, $250, $275 or "often waived", and Goldco's yearly fee as $80 or $125. One puts Goldco's Trustpilot score at "about 4.8" instead of 4.4. USA Today's comparison, updated June 23, 2026, says "Neither Goldco nor Augusta Precious Metals publishes full fee schedules online", yet both publish their account fees.

The Goldco review covers Goldco alone.

How Do Augusta and Goldco Fees Compare?#

Augusta and Goldco charge nearly the same account fees: $235 vs $225 a year after year one with pooled storage, as of September 2026. But these fees are the smaller cost of a gold IRA. What else do you pay, and what are the two promotions really worth?

Account fees are the flat yearly bills from the custodian and the vault. The markup is a one-time cost hidden in the price of each coin. Our guide to gold IRA fees lists every cost layer, from setup to exit.

The table below puts both costs side by side on a $100,000 purchase. "At list" means the published fees, before any promotion.

Table: Account fees vs the spread on $100,000, fees as of September 29, 2026. Not a quote from either company.

At a 15% spread, the same-day loss is more than six times the highest 10-year fee total. One percentage point of spread on $100,000 costs $1,000, which is more than four years of Augusta's listed $235 fee.

Account fees: $285 vs $275 in year one#

In year one Augusta lists $285 in account fees and Goldco $275 for pooled storage or $325 for segregated storage, as of September 2026. Both charge flat fees: the same dollar amount whether your account holds $50,000 or $500,000.

Augusta's FAQ, updated September 23, 2026, lists a $50 setup fee, a $125 yearly custodian fee and $110 a year for storage and insurance. It adds: "That totals $285 for the first year and $235 per year thereafter."

Goldco's fee article, updated February 2025, lists "a one-time fee of $50" and "$125 per year" for administration. Its storage costs "$100 per year" pooled or "$150 a year" segregated. The table below adds up each company's fees at list price.

Table T2: Account fees from Augusta's FAQ (updated Sept. 23, 2026) and Goldco's fee article (updated February 2025, re-read Sept. 29, 2026). Spreads are not included.

Augusta's three figures match Equity Trust's precious-metals schedule (FS-0004-05, Rev. 081726) line for line: $50 setup, $125 a year and $110 pooled storage. This suggests Augusta passes the custodian's fees on without adding to them. The full Equity Trust precious metals IRA fees include exit charges.

Goldco's older FAQ still says "around $80" a year, as of September 29, 2026; this page uses the fee article's $125.

What is Augusta's 10-year fee coverage worth?#

Augusta's FAQ says every account receives up to 10 years of custodian and depository fees paid by Augusta, worth up to $2,350 at its listed $235 a year. The FAQ, updated September 23, 2026, puts it in one line: "Every account also receives up to 10 years of custodian and depository fees paid by Augusta."

The FAQ leaves out three things, listed below.

• Conditions: what you must buy, or keep, to get the full 10 years instead of fewer.
• Setup fee: whether the $50 setup fee is covered.
• Exit fees: whether exit fees are covered. Equity Trust's schedule charges $250 to close an account and $125 per in-kind transfer out (moving the coins themselves, not cash).

Fee coverage is therefore worth most when the spread is also low and in writing. Our analysis of no-fee gold IRA offers shows how these deals compare.

What is Goldco's free silver worth?#

Goldco's free silver beats plain bullion only if its required premium coins carry a small spread: 13% or less for the 10% bonus, 9% or less for the 5% bonus. Premium coins, such as proof coins (specially struck, polished coins) or limited-mintage coins (made in small numbers), sell above plain bullion prices. Bullion is metal priced close to its metal value, such as common 1 oz coins and bars.

Goldco's homepage, read September 29, 2026, states the offer: "Get up to 5% back in FREE Silver when you purchase $50,000 - $99,999 in Goldco premium coins. Get 10% in FREE Silver when you purchase $100,000 or more in Goldco premium coins." Its footnote says "Cannot be combined" and refers you to "your customer agreement".

The hypothetical table below shows what each purchase would fetch if sold back the same day. It assumes a 5% spread on plain bullion, 15% or 30% on premium coins and 20% on bonus silver. The dealer's bid, the price it pays you, is 95.3125% of its own cost (the industry buyback template).

Table T3: Illustration, not a quote from Goldco. Neither the premium-coin spread nor the bonus-silver spread is published.

At a 30% spread, the 10% bonus leaves you $16,203 behind plain bullion on $100,000. At 15%, the gap shrinks to $1,906. The bonus breaks even at a 13% spread for the 10% offer and at 9% for the 5% offer.

Goldco does not publish its premium-coin spread, so ask for it in writing before you accept the bonus. Augusta's homepage lists "'Free silver' scams" among things "that raise your overall cost". Our math shows that is true above the break-even spread and not true below it. How free silver gold IRA promotions are paid for is explained step by step.

The markup: the cost neither company publishes#

Neither Augusta nor Goldco publishes the markup on its coins, and the markup is the largest cost in a gold IRA. This page measures the markup as the spread: the share of your price above what the coins cost the dealer. When you sell, the dealer also pays you about 4.7% less than its own cost. So a same-day sale loses the spread plus that buyback gap: at a 5% spread, $100,000 sells back for $90,547.

Augusta's FAQ says its "sale prices and potential buyback prices are determined and controlled by Augusta in its sole discretion". It also says "No additional commission is added to prices listed by Augusta." In plain English: the price you are quoted already contains Augusta's margin. Goldco publishes no product prices at all, as of September 29, 2026.

Money.com's April 2026 review reports Augusta margins "as high as 14.5%" on common bullion and "generally 29%" on premium products. We could not confirm these figures in Augusta's own documents.

The table below lists outside benchmarks from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the federal commodity-market regulator, plus one retail check. Spot is the current market price of raw metal.

Table: Outside price benchmarks, with dates.

The table below shows what $100,000 would fetch on the day you buy it at three spreads.

Table T4: Illustration using the industry buyback template (the dealer bid is about 4.7% below its cost). Not a quote from either company.

The next table adds 10 years of account fees to the same-day loss, with the same spread at both companies.

Table T4b: Illustration: same spread at both companies, gold price flat, fees as of September 29, 2026. Neither company publishes its spread, and Augusta's coverage conditions are not published.

At list prices, the 10-year totals differ by $100 to $400 between the two companies. Full fee coverage, if you qualify, would put Augusta $2,250 below Goldco's pooled total. Each percentage point of spread moves the total by $1,000, so the spread you get in writing decides which is cheaper.

Our explainer on gold IRA markups and spreads shows how to get the number in writing.

How much must gold rise to cover the markup?#

At a 15% spread, gold must rise about 23% before a same-day sale gets your money back; at 30%, about 50%. Nobody can tell you when, or whether, gold rises that much.

Minimum Investment: $50,000 at Augusta vs $25,000 at Goldco#

Augusta requires at least $50,000 for its first purchase and Goldco generally requires $25,000 to open a gold IRA, as of September 2026. The IRS sets no minimum; these are company rules.

Augusta's FAQ, updated September 23, 2026, asks for "a minimum initial purchase of $50,000 for both cash (non-IRA) and IRA purchases". Goldco's fee article says "we generally require a minimum of $25,000 to start a gold IRA". In plain English: with $25,000 to $49,999, Goldco is the one of the two that generally opens your account.

Goldco's FAQ asks for "at least $25,000 available to roll over", as of September 29, 2026. To roll over means to move money from a 401(k) or another IRA into the gold IRA.

Augusta pays referral websites (sites paid for sending customers) its $200 lead fee only for people "with at least $50,000 that can be rolled over". We list the gold IRA minimum investment for every company we track.

What the minimum means for fee drag#

At each company's minimum, Goldco's yearly fees take 0.90% to 1.10% of a $25,000 account, while Augusta's listed $235 takes 0.47% of $50,000 before any fee coverage. Fee drag is the share of your account the yearly fees take. Flat fees weigh more on small accounts.

Goldco's fee page says: "If you start your gold IRA with $25,000, the $225 in fees works out to an 0.90% annual fee." The page sets that figure beside fund expense ratios but leaves out the coin spread.

Table: Fee drag at each company's minimum, from company-published fees, as of September 29, 2026.

At the same $50,000, the yearly fees differ by 0.02 percentage points with Goldco's pooled storage ($235 vs $225, a $10 gap). With Goldco's segregated storage, the gap is 0.08 points ($275 vs $235). The minimum matters more for who can open an account than for the yearly cost.

Less than $25,000? A gold ETF or a bullion dealer may cost less#

With less than $25,000, neither company generally opens a gold IRA for you, and a gold ETF in an existing IRA usually costs less per year. A gold ETF is a fund that holds gold and trades like a stock. The costs are set out in gold IRA vs gold ETF.

Table: Yearly cost of three gold ETFs on $20,000.

For comparison, Goldco's flat fees start at $225 a year, on accounts of $25,000 or more.

Some bullion dealers also arrange IRAs with lower minimums. Dealer IRAs are compared in bullion dealer vs gold IRA company.

Buyback and Cancellation: What Each Company Puts in Writing#

Augusta puts a 7-day cancellation window and a no-guarantee buyback statement on its FAQ, while Goldco publishes neither, as of September 29, 2026. Why does the written wording matter more than what a salesperson says on the call? Disputes are decided on the signed documents, and both companies say their written agreement is what counts.

Buyback wording: "cannot legally guarantee" vs "guaranteed at the highest price"#

Augusta's FAQ says it cannot legally guarantee a buyback; Goldco's homepage calls its buyback "guaranteed at the highest price" but publishes no terms. Both were read on September 29, 2026. A buyback is the company buying your coins back when you want to sell, and liquidation means turning the coins into cash.

The table below sets the two companies' own words side by side.

Table T5: Buyback wording in each company's own words.

Other firms' contracts point the same way. Those of American Hartford Gold (September 2026), Lear Capital (December 2025), Preserve Gold (June 2025), Goldline and American Bullion say the law prohibits a repurchase guarantee. Our guide to buyback prices and custodian fees when you sell explains the bid.

Forbes Advisor's June 26, 2026 list labels Goldco "Best for Buyback Guarantees". Yet Forbes' own Goldco card ranks it 10th of 10 on transparency and trust (59% negative) and 9th of 10 on pricing and fees (91% negative). Forbes' summary table shows a different transparency score, so its card and table disagree.

Buyback prices also depend on the coins. Plain bullion usually sells back close to its metal value; premium coins lose their premium.

A buyback promise is only as good as the clause behind it. Other firms' wording is in gold IRA buyback programs compared.

Cancellation windows: 7 calendar days vs not published#

Augusta's FAQ gives up to 7 calendar days after a transaction is confirmed to cancel, and Goldco publishes no cancellation window, as of September 29, 2026. Augusta's FAQ, updated September 23, 2026, says "every customer is offered a cancellation period of up to seven calendar days after the date a transaction is confirmed". A longer period applies where your state's law requires one.

Augusta's FAQ also describes a "7-Day Price Protection Program": a one-time option to lower your price within 7 days on low-mintage coins (made in small numbers). We have not seen its terms in a signed agreement.

The table below separates the dealer's rights from the IRS right.

Table: Cancellation rights at Augusta, Goldco and under IRS rules, as of September 29, 2026.

The only public record we found of how Goldco handles a cancellation is a 2019 court opinion. In Goldco Direct, LLC v. Wilson (federal court in northern Alabama, Case 4:18-cv-850, March 27, 2019), Goldco was suing a competitor. The case began as Goldco v. Clackum; Barbara Clackum was the Alabama customer whose orders the court described.

The court noted that Goldco refunded her $159,901.72 order, cancelled within 24 hours. Goldco did not agree to cancel or buy back her two earlier orders. The court made no finding on Goldco's prices.

The IRS right in the table runs against the custodian that holds the IRA, not the company that sells you the coins. Our page on how to cancel a gold IRA separates the IRS right from the dealer's terms.

Contracts, custodians and depositories#

Neither Augusta nor Goldco publishes the transaction agreement you sign, as of September 29, 2026. Augusta's FAQ names Equity Trust as its custodian and recommends Delaware Depository; Goldco names neither on its fee page.

Augusta's old agreement page shows "This form is no longer available." Its FAQ says: "Before any purchase, Augusta provides a written Transaction Agreement." Goldco's promotion refers to "your customer agreement", which is not public.

Goldco's website terms give two shipping times: "5-14 business days after receipt of good funds" (money that has fully cleared) and "up to 45 business days". Those terms contain no arbitration clause, which would send disputes to a private hearing instead of court. Our table of gold IRA company contracts compared shows the clauses at firms that do publish them.

The two companies also describe their sales process differently, as the table below shows.

Table: How each company describes its sales process, in its own words.

For Augusta customers, Equity Trust's Custodial Account Agreement (Article XVIII) requires individual arbitration unless you opt out within 65 days of opening. It also waives class actions, which are lawsuits filed for a whole group of customers.

Delaware Depository's $1 billion all-risk insurance pays the value of the metal, not the extra premium you paid for collector coins, per its site on September 29, 2026. It does not cover war, terrorism, cyber attacks or government seizure (confiscation). Delaware Depository storage and insurance terms are on its own page.

Third-party sites say Goldco uses STRATA Trust or Equity Trust. Ask each company to email the agreement before you move any money.

Complaints, Lawsuits and Regulatory Records Compared#

As of September 29, 2026, Augusta has 1 BBB complaint closed in three years and Goldco has 72. Goldco also has two telemarketing class settlements, and we found no regulator action against either company.

Each Goldco case is listed on the Goldco complaints, lawsuits and BBB record page.

BBB and Trustpilot: 1 vs 72 complaints in three years#

Goldco has 72 BBB complaints closed in three years and Augusta has 1, as of September 29, 2026. Goldco also has far more reviews, so we compare complaints per 100 BBB reviews: 4.2 for Goldco and 0.7 for Augusta.

Table T6: BBB, Trustpilot and TrustLink records, checked September 29, 2026.

Across the ten companies we track most closely, five-star shares on Trustpilot run from 89% to 99%.

Keep three limits in mind, listed below.

• Sales volume: counts grow with sales. Goldco says it has placed "over $3 Billion"; Augusta publishes no sales volume.
• Arbitration: it keeps serious disputes out of public view.
• Closed only: the BBB counts only closed complaints.

The BBB grade itself says little about price. Under the BBB's own method, 90 of 100 points depend on complaints: how many there are and how they are handled. Reviews are not used, and accreditation is paid. Why star ratings barely separate these firms is covered in BBB, BCA and Trustpilot ratings.

Goldco's one-star reviewers report being pushed toward "exclusive limited-mintage coins" and slow callbacks. One reviewer reports losing about $38,000 on a $123,000 rollover. These are reviewer statements, not findings.

Lawsuits: Goldco's two TCPA settlements and the Clackum case#

Goldco settled two TCPA class actions (final approval reported in 2021 and granted in 2026) and won a 2019 case against a competitor. The 2026 settlement covers marketing texts sent to about 19,280 people after they replied STOP. Goldco denies wrongdoing.

A class action is one lawsuit filed for a whole group; final approval is the judge's sign-off on the settlement. The courts below are federal district courts in western Wisconsin (W.D. Wis.), central California (C.D. Cal.) and northern Alabama (N.D. Ala.).

Table T7: Court records for Augusta and Goldco, as of September 29, 2026.

In Summerton, unclaimed settlement money returns to Goldco under the approved terms. The settlement site states: "Defendant denies the allegations and any wrongdoing." A settlement is not a court ruling: neither settlement includes a court finding that Goldco broke the law.

The TCPA explains why these cases settle. Under 47 U.S.C. 227(b)(3), each illegal call or text can cost $500, and up to three times that if willful, which adds up fast across thousands of people.

For Augusta, we found two business disputes on court-record websites and no lawsuit by an Augusta customer. Details sit on Augusta Precious Metals complaints and lawsuits.

One pending case names both companies. Orion Precious Metals, the company in the name dispute with Augusta, sued Money Group on June 29, 2026 (C.D. Cal. 2:26-cv-07092). It alleges money.com was "paid by these companies to rank their businesses as a top choice", naming Augusta and Goldco among them. These are allegations only, and we know of no ruling.

Regulator actions: none found for either company#

We found no action by a federal or state regulator against Augusta Precious Metals or Goldco, as of September 29, 2026. We checked CFTC press releases, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) litigation releases, and state attorney general and securities regulator sites. The state check does not yet cover all 50 states.

Every case we track is in our list of gold IRA enforcement actions. For scale, the last new CFTC complaint against a retail metals dealer was against Regal Assets, filed September 27, 2023; we found none newer through September 25, 2026.

Marketing claims vs the record: awards, purity rules and "IRS-approved" custodians#

Both companies' websites contain claims that the underlying record does not support, from award dates to IRA rules. The table below lists five, each read on September 29, 2026.

Table T8: Marketing claims vs the record, read September 29, 2026.

None of this shows intent. It shows that both websites need the same checking as any sales call.

The purity error on Goldco's fee page can cost money. A silver bullion coin that is only .995 fine (99.5% pure) bought inside an IRA counts as a collectible. The IRS then treats the money spent on it as if you took it out of the IRA, so it is taxed (26 U.S.C. 408(m)(1)). The exact gold IRA purity requirements differ by metal.

Equity Trust does not need IRS approval. It is a trust company supervised by South Dakota, and the tax code lets such companies hold IRAs (26 U.S.C. 408(n)). The IRS approval list covers only "nonbank trustees" (Treasury Regulation 1.408-2(e)).

What the IRS list does and does not cover is on IRS-approved gold IRA custodians.

Augusta or Goldco: Which Company Fits Your Situation?#

Neither company is better for everyone: the right one depends on how much you are moving, whether you want a promotion, and what you can get in writing. The table below matches nine reader situations to the fact that decides each one, as of September 29, 2026.

Table T9: Verdict by reader situation, from company pages, BBB records and court records, as of September 29, 2026.

SafeOunce scores companies only on documents and written quotes. We have not yet received a written quote or the transaction agreement from either company, so neither is scored, and we name no overall winner. The scoring rules are in how SafeOunce rates gold IRA companies.

Augusta publishes more of its terms. Goldco accepts smaller accounts and offers a bonus that depends on an unpublished spread.

If you are asking which gold IRA company is best overall, our ranked list is on best gold IRA companies.

What Should You Ask Augusta or Goldco Before You Sign?#

Ask both companies the same five questions in writing, on the same day, before you move any retirement money. The five questions are listed below.

1. Ask for the price of each coin and its percent over spot by email, before any recorded confirmation call.
2. Ask what the company would pay you for the same coins today.
3. Ask for every yearly and exit fee, and which ones any fee coverage pays.
4. Ask for the cancellation window, when it starts and whether it covers bullion.
5. Ask for the transaction agreement by email before you pay.

All 12 questions of the longer checklist are in how to choose a gold IRA company.

Federal law backs the first question. The Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 CFR 310.3(a)(1)(i), requires a telemarketer to disclose the total cost before you pay. Section 310.6(b)(5) keeps precious metals sales under the rule even when you called first.

Put both written quotes side by side in our gold IRA company comparison tool.

How are review sites paid to recommend Augusta or Goldco?#

Augusta pays referral sites 8% of the premium-coin value of an order and nothing on bullion, plus $200 per qualified lead; Goldco does not publish what it pays. Augusta's affiliate terms, read September 29, 2026, define a qualified lead as a person "with at least $50,000 that can be rolled over". They describe the ideal customer as "between the ages of 55 and 75". Augusta's higher "VIP" plan pays 10% on premium coins and 1% on bullion, plus the same $200.

The table below shows what a referral site earns, assuming Augusta's "Premium Trade Value" equals the order. Augusta itself decides that value.

Table: Referral pay on an Augusta order, computed from apmaffiliates.com terms (Sept. 29, 2026).

Augusta's contract also bars these sites from trying to rank in search results for "any competitor" brand name without approval. The third Google result for this search on September 29, 2026 says "Augusta authorized this comparison to name Goldco". We explain the whole system in are gold IRA reviews paid.

Goldco runs its referral program on a platform called Everflow, per its affiliate page read September 29, 2026. A site gets credit for your purchase for up to 90 days after you click its link, but Goldco publishes no amounts.

Augusta's homepage says you speak with a "salaried, non-commissioned educator". The outside sites that send you there are paid by commission.

SafeOunce takes no money from any company named on this page.

Who are Goldco's celebrity spokespeople?#

Goldco's website names Sean Hannity, Donald Trump Jr., Lara Trump, Tom Selleck and Dennis Quaid among its spokespeople, as of September 29, 2026. Under the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255), paid endorsers are business partners, not neutral reviewers. Augusta's homepage criticizes "Celebrity endorsements built into pricing". Who is paid by whom is listed under celebrity gold IRA endorsements.

How do Augusta and Goldco compare with other gold IRA companies?#

This page compares only these two; six other head-to-head pages compare each of them with other large gold IRA sellers. They are listed below.

• Augusta Precious Metals vs American Hartford Gold
• Goldco vs American Hartford Gold
• Goldco vs Noble Gold Investments
• Goldco vs Lear Capital
• Augusta Precious Metals vs Birch Gold Group
• Goldco vs Priority Gold

Is Goldco a good company to buy gold from?#

Goldco is an operating, BBB-accredited company with published account fees and no regulator action found. It also has two TCPA (telemarketing) class settlements, publishes no spreads and ties its bonus to premium coins. Whether Goldco is good for you depends on the spread you get in writing; everything else is in our Goldco review 2026.

What are the reviews like for Augusta Precious Metals?#

Augusta has a 4.8 Trustpilot score from 372 reviews and one BBB complaint closed in three years, as of September 29, 2026. Star ratings, though, barely separate gold IRA companies. Augusta asks its customers to post reviews on Trustpilot. Our full take on Augusta Precious Metals reviews is on the review page.

Can you move from Goldco to Augusta later?#

Yes. Your metals can move from one IRA custodian to another without being sold, in a trustee-to-trustee transfer. A transfer is not a rollover, so there is no 60-day deadline and no once-per-year limit (IRS Publication 590-A).

Your current custodian charges the exit fees, so ask Goldco which custodian holds your IRA. Equity Trust's schedule (FS-0004-05, Rev. 081726) lists $125 per in-kind transfer out and $250 to close an account. STRATA's fee page (modified August 31, 2026) lists a $250 closure fee. Augusta's FAQ minimum of $50,000 applies to an initial purchase, so ask whether metals moved in kind count toward it. Steps and costs are in switching gold IRA custodians or companies.

Can you keep Augusta or Goldco metals at home?#

No. Metals in a gold IRA must stay with the trustee, the custodian that holds your IRA. Taking them home counts as a taxable distribution, meaning the IRS treats it as a withdrawal. The US Tax Court ruled this in McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021). Augusta's FAQ says the same. The ruling is explained under home storage gold IRA.