Gold IRA Fees Compared (2026): Provider Costs & Quote Sheet

The public fee records do not establish one lowest-cost Gold IRA company. Augusta publishes a standard account schedule; Birch publishes a named custodian/depository example; Lear discloses storage-dependent alternatives; Noble’s two published pages disagree. American Hartford Gold supplies a minimum but not a complete numerical schedule in the material reviewed, while Silver Gold Bull’s IRA pages were inaccessible during this check. Product prices and exit charges still require comparable written quotes.

Use the tables to identify what is known, not to rank unlike accounts. Then send every shortlisted provider the same quote sheet. For definitions, billing roles and the worked entry/holding/exit calculation, read Gold IRA fees explained.

First-party sources checked October 12, 2026. These are published disclosures, not account offers or hands-on transaction results. Gold IRA Path may receive compensation through links on this site; see our affiliate disclosure. Educational only—not financial, legal or tax advice.

Public Provider Fee Comparison: What Each Number Covers

Amounts are in US dollars; snapshot checked October 12, 2026 against the linked first-party sources. On a small screen, scroll the tables sideways to see every column. No promotion or waiver is deducted. A minimum is a provider’s entry requirement, not a fee, an IRS contribution limit or a recommended allocation. Reconfirm all terms before funding.

“Not verified” and “not established” do not mean $0. A dealer’s quote can exclude custodian/depository charges. The snapshot also does not supply a comparable live purchase price or repurchase bid for any proposed metal. Compare identical products and ask whether shipping, insurance or transaction deductions are already included to avoid adding them twice.

Augusta: a specific FAQ schedule, not the general overview ranges

Augusta’s FAQ states $285 for the first year ($50 + $125 + $110) and $235 thereafter. It describes those as flat account fees. The same FAQ states the $50,000 initial minimum.1

Its Gold IRA overview gives broader educational custody/storage ranges, rather than replacing the FAQ’s specific schedule. A legacy official PDF is a different, dated sample and is not used for this current snapshot. Request the actual custodian/depository schedules plus any wire, activity and exit costs. No advertised fee coverage is assumed without the complete terms for the proposed account.2

Birch: the parties are part of the example

Birch’s pricing page explicitly labels the displayed schedule an example involving Equity Trust and Delaware Depository. The recurring sum is $235; including its displayed $50 setup and $30 wire gives $315 for a full first year before other activity. Birch’s FAQ says the $5,000 minimum can vary with market conditions and product availability.3, 5

A different custodian, storage arrangement or transaction pattern is not the same quote. Confirm whether the selected storage/insurance terms match the example, and request the exact product price separately. Do not extrapolate a first-year waiver headline into permanent free custody.

Noble: two live public disclosures need reconciliation

The Gold IRA page itemizes $50 setup, $30 wire, $125 annual maintenance and $160 annual storage, plus $75 in-kind distribution and $250 closure. It publishes a $20,000 IRA minimum.18

However, Noble’s expanded support FAQ describes $80 setup and $275 annually, composed of $125 custody and $150 segregated storage. These are different annual totals. The Gold IRA table does not identify the storage arrangement corresponding to its $160 amount. Ask which published schedule applies to the proposed account; do not infer the storage arrangement from its price.19

Ask Noble and the assigned custodian for one dated schedule naming the depository, storage type, each billing party and all applicable charges, and ask them to explain the conflicting web figures. Until then, neither public total is an account guarantee. This discrepancy also does not establish that commingled holdings lack ownership; ownership must be assessed from the actual custody documents.

Lear: electronic statements and storage choice change comparability

Lear’s fee-structure article, published December 17, 2025 and still available when checked, states $315 first year/$235 thereafter with non-segregated storage, or $365/$285 with segregated storage. Its IRA FAQ confirms the lower totals are conditional on electronic statements and non-segregated storage; other options can cost more.6, 7

The $10,000 IRA minimum comes from the fee article, not a general cash-purchase threshold. Ask for the selected custodian’s schedule, statement choice, insurance terms and additional transaction/exit charges. No limited-mintage promotion is included in this comparison.

American Hartford Gold: a verified minimum, incomplete fee amounts

AHG’s Gold IRA FAQs state a $10,000 minimum and say depository fees vary with account size and metal holdings. That supports the minimum and variable storage description, not a universal $0 storage bill. The current comparison article advises separating custodial and storage fees and checking flat versus balance-based charges.14, 8

Request the actual setup, custody, storage and activity amounts for the selected parties. Clarify any quoted fee coverage, its duration and later charges. A retail-shipping statement is not proof that an IRA distribution or transfer will be shipped free.

Silver Gold Bull: source access is an information gap, not a fee finding

During the October 12 check, direct access to the official IRA route returned a security block. The IRA subdomain redirected to the official services/IRA route, which also displayed a browser security challenge. No numerical IRA minimum, fee or storage schedule from those pages is treated as verified here.

Ask Silver Gold Bull for its current IRA instructions and for the selected custodian/depository schedules. Do not use a non-IRA retail storage or trading offer as an IRA rate. A public quote should identify the exact account and product, not merely a brand name.

Disclosed Account Charges Over One, Five and Ten Years

This is limited account-fee arithmetic, not a return projection, all-in provider ranking or forecast of future invoices. It holds the displayed amounts constant for full years, assumes one opening wire only when it is actually disclosed, and excludes promotions, product-price gaps, taxes, additional activity and exits. Those missing components can change the result materially.

An unknown charge stays unknown; it is not entered as zero to produce a neat ranking. Augusta’s first-year disclosed subtotal omits an itemized wire while Birch’s includes one, so even their account subtotals are not perfectly matched. Noble’s $100 difference over ten years between its two web schedules is not a resolved saving—it is the mathematical effect of an unresolved $10 annual discrepancy.

For the complete formula and a hypothetical example incorporating product entry/exit economics, use the fee calculation guide.

A Reusable Written-Quote Worksheet

Send this same request to each shortlisted firm: “Please quote the same account type, funded amount, exact IRA-eligible product, quantity, storage arrangement and holding period, with all costs itemized and the quote timestamp/expiration shown.” If a provider cannot quote that combination, identify the difference rather than force its figures into the same column.

Copy or print this sheet. Keep a separate version for each provider; retain the dated reply and signed schedules together.

For each quote, calculate account charges as one-time amounts plus the sum of each year’s recurring charges, plus planned activity and chosen-exit charges, minus documented credits. Evaluate P − B separately and do not add a deducted transaction cost twice. If a percentage fee or a variable schedule cannot be resolved, retain alternate scenarios with the assumptions visible.

The CFTC advisory recommends comparing premiums and getting fees in writing. It also warns against sales pressure and misleading precious-metals pitches. A complete quote is due diligence, not proof that the investment fits a retirement plan.12

Decide Which Quotes Are Actually Comparable

Use the public records to prioritize questions, not to award a lowest-fee label. Augusta and Birch disclose the same recurring sum in the reviewed arrangements but different opening subtotals; Lear separates storage options; Noble needs written resolution of conflicting records. AHG and Silver Gold Bull need the numerical schedules before a comparable calculation is possible.

Pause when the sales proposal changes product, storage option or fee coverage without updating the quote. Do not increase a metals allocation merely to meet a minimum or receive a promotion. The SEC/Investor.gov alert identifies high fees, liquidity constraints, volatile performance and complex tax rules as relevant self-directed IRA risks.13

For provider context beyond fees, use the reviews linked in the snapshot. For the mechanics behind an invoice or quote, return to fee definitions and worked cost math. Keep the decision tied to complete written terms and qualified independent advice, not a web subtotal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Gold IRA company has the lowest total fees?

The reviewed public records cannot establish that. Compare same-day, same-product quotes with matching account/storage choices, all billing parties, activity, chosen exit and written fee coverage. The displayed account arithmetic excludes costs that can change the ordering.

What annual Noble Gold fee should I use?

Checked October 12, 2026, Noble’s Gold IRA page shows $125 maintenance plus $160 storage; its support FAQ shows $125 plus $150 segregated storage. Ask for a written explanation and the actual selected arrangement. Neither is treated as a universal current bill.

Are Augusta and Birch annual costs identical?

Checked October 12, 2026, Augusta’s FAQ and Birch’s named example both sum to $235 in recurring custody/storage charges, but the disclosures are not identical account contracts. Opening wires, selected parties, product quotes and other costs need matching before an all-in comparison.

Why is Silver Gold Bull still marked not verified?

Its official IRA pages were blocked by a security challenge during the October 12 check, including browser access. That is a documented access limit—not evidence that fees are absent or high. Obtain the current IRA-specific schedules directly.

Is a provider minimum the IRS contribution limit?

No. A dealer minimum is a commercial entry threshold. IRS rules govern contributions and eligible transfers/rollovers separately; the quote sheet should identify the funding method. The IRS rollover guidance explains the routes and limitations.

Does a fee waiver remove the product spread?

Not by itself. A waiver covers only the specified charges and duration in its terms. The same-product purchase quote and bid must still be compared; do not assume free account administration means free entry or exit.

Sources

• 1 Augusta Precious Metals FAQ
• 2 Augusta Gold IRA overview
• 3 Birch Gold pricing and fee example
• 5 Birch Gold FAQs
• 6 Lear minimum investment and fee structure
• 7 Lear Precious Metals IRA FAQs
• 8 American Hartford Gold IRA comparison
• 11 IRS rollovers of retirement plan and IRA distributions
• 12 CFTC precious-metals advisory
• 13 SEC/Investor.gov self-directed IRA alert
• 14 American Hartford Gold IRA FAQs
• 18 Noble Gold IRA minimums and fees
• 19 Noble Gold support FAQs