Birch Gold Group Review
Do you know what happened to the “gold standard” in 1971? Before 1971, all U.S. dollars were backed by physical gold. However, in 1933 the gold standard was originally suspended by President Roosevelt, although that conversion of dollar-to-gold was reestablished soon thereafter. In 1971, the U.S. officially ended this dollar-to-gold conversion, and creditors could no longer demand payment in gold. One of the reasons for this was the problems associated with the Gold Rush. Another contributing factor was that during the Great Depression, people hoarded gold and thus illuminated the flaws of the dollar-backed-by-gold system. As the public lost confidence, they began hoarding, so Congress said “no more!” The government bought back the gold at a fixed price until 1971, and then the “gold standard” was officially dead. So, since then, the U.S. dollar is not backed by any precious metal; it is backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government.
Gold has had value on this earth for thousands of years. It is due to its beauty and rarity that it was used to adorn tombs, make jewelry and decorative objects and create the earliest currency. Gold is valued for its rarity and beauty – two ideals that will always make it valuable. This makes it a great investment to safeguard from the volatility of the stock market or real estate.
How do you responsibly invest in gold? Birch Gold Group is a precious metals investment group that can help you diversify your portfolio by investing in gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. They can walk you through the steps and options involved in purchasing these precious metals as part of a well-balanced financial portfolio.
Birch Gold Group specializes in both the purchase of physical precious metals to have as a personal investment and also in Precious Metal IRAs. They thoroughly explain on their website the difference in these options and the benefits of gold, silver, platinum, or palladium possession versus holding it in an IRA.
At Gold IRA, we have done the research. We know the best precious metal investment companies. Birch Gold Group is a top pick and here’s why:
About Birch Gold Group
What is the Birch Gold difference? Well, first of all, they consider themselves an industry leader. From their beginning in 2003, they have maintained a well-informed and multi-talented staff of financial advisors, wealth managers, and commodity brokers. These experienced individuals are what make the difference. They know the industry, have integrity, and can help their clients make strong decisions about their retirement portfolios by investing in precious metals. Birch Gold Group has earned awards, accolades, and high ratings – an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, a AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance, and 5-star ratings from websites like Consumer Affairs. Happy customers drive positive reviews!
Customer service is the core of Birch Gold Group, and they have three main values – “knowledge, dedication to one-on-one care and trust.” Each customer relationship is taken seriously, and when you are matched with a Specialist at Birch Gold Group, you keep the Specialist for your working relationship. No customer question is unimportant. They are patient and thorough with their clients. They also provide you with all the information you need so that you know your investment is secure. In an age where scams are highly prevalent, they allay your worries with information and a proven track record. They have educational resources on their website that includes a guide on how to recognize financial scams, so as you shop around for an investment company, you can detect the warning signs well in advance.
What is the Precious Metals Advantage?
Investing in precious metals is a smart move as part of a diversified portfolio. Diversification is a strategy that protects you in uncertain times. If the stock market crashes, your gold investment will likely not suffer in the same way, for example. Or, if real estate prices plummet and all you have for your retirement plan is the sale of property, your retirement could be postponed until that land regains value.
Ease of liquidation is another consideration. If your retirement demands that you sell that property when the market is in a slump, you will have a difficult time selling and then be forced to accept a lower offer. Precious metals, on the other hand, are easy to liquidate (sell for cash), so you get your money without the headache.
Back to “Diversification” – or selecting a variety of ways to invest. This is critical to your financial future, especially as you plan for retirement. Investing in precious metals is a way to diversify.
The future is difficult to predict, and we have seen great fluctuations in the value of stocks and real estate, two very common investments. Certainly, when the stock market does well, many people enjoy huge capital gains. But there is also the possibility that the market will crash or even dip at your retirement, leaving you in a very unfortunate financial situation if your investment portfolio is dominated by stocks.
Some people also hold their retirement in savings accounts, but that can be impacted by inflation and thus reducing the purchasing power of the dollar. Naturally, this can severely impact your retirement timeline. Precious metals are not tied to a specific currency and not subject to the same fluctuations in value. Their value-based on limited supply and proven use throughout history – helps them remain more stable.
Precious Metal IRAs
Birch Gold Group specializes in Precious Metal IRAs. Gold and Silver IRAs are self-directed IRAs. In a standard individual retirement account, you have tax advantages that make it beneficial in the long term for saving. The same is true for a Precious Metal IRA, and the difference is that you can invest in alternative investments – like precious metals – which are normally prohibited from regular IRAs. The account is administered by a custodian or trustee, although it’s directly managed by the account holder (you), which is why it is called “self-directed.”
Birch Gold Group can help you set up a new Gold or Silver IRA, or they can help you roll over an existing IRA into a Gold or Silver IRA. You can roll over funds from your traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), or 403(b) to your gold and silver IRA.
Birch Gold Group has a 5-step process for opening a Precious Metals IRA. Step one is to start your account and pick your funding sources. You can choose to transfer or roll over an existing retirement plan, such as a 401(k) to fund your new Precious Metal IRA account. Examples of accounts that are likely eligible for a roll-over include traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, and 401(k)s. 403(b)s, 457s, and TSPs. For existing IRAs and 401(k)s that are eligible for transfer or rollover into a Precious Metals IRA, there are no tax penalties or consequences for the transfer.
Once you have the funds in your account, you choose your precious metals (gold, silver, platinum or palladium). After this, step three is to make your purchase. After the purchase is made, your metals are sent to a depository that is IRS-approved and heavily insured. The depositories that Birch Gold Group uses are Brink’s Global Service and Delaware Depository. Finally, in the last step, you sit back and monitor your investment as you like. Birch Gold Group can answer questions about your investment or make any changes you’d like to your account at this point. Birch Gold Group says that you can call your Specialist at any time to monitor the progress on your account.
Coins and Bars Approved for your IRA
Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium must have a particular level of purity In order to be held in a Precious Metals IRA. For example, gold coins or bars need to be at least 99.5% pure, silver coins and bars need to be at least 99.9% pure, and platinum and palladium coins and bars need to be at least 99.95% pure.
Birch Gold Group offers a wide array of IRA-approved coins and bars, such as:
Gold
American Buffalo Coins
American Gold Eagle (bullion)
American Gold Eagle (proof)
Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
Austrian Philharmonic Coins
Australian Nugget/Kangaroo Coins
Gold Gyrfalcon Coins
Gold Polar Bear and Cub Coins
Gold Rose Crown Guinea Coins
Gold Twin Maples Coins
Valcambi Combi Bars
Various Gold Bars and Rounds
Silver
America the Beautiful Silver Series
American Silver Eagle (bullion)
American Silver Eagle (proof)
Canadian Silver Maple Leaf
Austrian Philharmonic Coins
Australian Kookaburra Coins
Mexican Libertad Coins
Silver Gyrfalcon Coins
Silver Polar Bear and Cub Coins
Silver Rose Crown Guinea Coins
Silver Twin Maples Coins
Various Silver Bars and Rounds
Platinum
American Platinum Eagle Coins
Various Platinum Bars and Rounds
Palladium
Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf Coins
Various Palladium Bars and Rounds
Secure Storage Options for Precious Metals
Precious Metal IRAs obviously hold extremely valuable goods, so the IRS mandates that they have to be in an IRS-approved facility. Birch Gold Group recommends storing your precious metals in the Delaware Depository or with Brink’s Global Services.
The Delaware Depository has $1 billion in insurance coverage and is widely recognized as one of the most trusted and secure IRS-approved locations. During the transit period to the depository, your precious metals are also covered with $100,000 in insurance. The Delaware Depository is the nation’s largest depository of precious metals outside of New York City.
Brink’s Global Services customers have the option of storing their metals in Los Angeles, New York City or Salt Lake City. Precious metals are transported in armored vehicles and guarded by armed messengers. Chances are, you’ve seen one of the Brink’s trucks on the road before! They are well-known for their armored trucks. Once your metals arrive at the depository of your choosing, the employees there inspect them to confirm purity levels (both for your benefit and theirs). While at the depository, your coins and bars are yours alone – they never become part of the depository’s balance sheet. Brink’s assumes full liability if anything happens to your precious metals at their storage facility.
Purchasing Precious Metals for Self-Storage
Birch Gold Group also offers gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars for sale that you can store in the facility of your choice without being part of an IRA. This carries the same diversification benefits discussed above. Birch Gold Group breaks it down into three steps.
First, you select the precious metal bars or coins you would like. Specialists can help you make your decision. Then you provide payment in the form of a wire transfer or a personal check. Finally, your items are shipped to you. The parcel is fully insured against loss or damage and the packaging is discrete. The IRA-approved coins and bars listed above are also available for non-IRA investments. Additionally, you have more options, including these gold and silver coins:
Gold
Gold Indian Head Eagle $10 Coins
Liberty Head (Coronet Head) Collection
Liberty Head Double Eagle $20 Coins
Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle $20 Coins
Silver
Morgan Silver Dollars
Peace Silver Dollars
Walking Liberty Half Dollar Coins
Free Information Kit
Still have questions? Prefer to see it spelled out for you on paper? No problem. Purchasing these precious metals for physical possession or setting up a Precious Metals IRA can be a little confusing if you’ve never done it. Their website has a form you can fill out and request a free 20-page information kit that will answer more of your questions and there is never any obligation to make a purchase through their company. Still want to know more? They encourage you to call them, speak with a Specialist and find out the benefits and ease with which you can invest in gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
Educational Resources
Another source of good information is the Birch Gold Group’s Website, where you will find a variety of helpful resources. Click the ‘Education’ tab on the site, and the drop-down menu has choices that will educate you on investing and the benefits of investing in gold, an interactive price list, and an article titled “Physical Versus Paper Gold,” which will help explain gold ETFs and mining stocks, for example. It never hurts to be more educated about your money and protecting your financial future.
Overview
Pros
Birch Gold Group has been in business since 2003
They want to educate and help with a straightforward process for investing
They have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and an AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance, giving you confidence in their track record
Birch Gold Group offers a large selection of IRA-approved precious metals for personal possession or for a Precious Metals IRA
Two storage options - Delaware Depository or Brink's Global Services
Free information kits can be mailed to you
The website offers educational articles and videos
Cons
For collectors looking for a wide variety of coins, the selection might not be as big
$10,000 minimum investment for opening or transfer of an traditional or Roth IRA into a Birch Gold IRA
In Conclusion
Birch Gold Group is a fantastic way to diversify your portfolio and protect your retirement with a Gold IRA. Birch Gold Group has a variety of ways to help get your investment in gold, silver, platinum, or palladium started. Maybe you prefer to talk to someone on the phone or get a printed information kit in the mail? Perhaps you are comfortable doing your research online. They have many ways to get answers about investing in precious metals for personal possession or as a Precious Metals IRA. They have been doing this since 2003 and have the system ironed out and knowledgeable and experienced staff ready and enthusiastic about helping you.