The 2026 Register, laid out for comparison. Filter by minimum, sort by criterion, and see the full scorecard across all ten institutions at a glance. Our position is in the first column; everyone else follows in rank order.
| Criterion |
Editor's Selection
Nº 01
Augusta
Precious Metals
|
Nº 02 American Hartford Since 2015 |
Nº 03 Goldco Since 2006 |
Nº 04 Lear Capital Since 1997 |
Nº 05 Birch Gold Since 2003 |
Nº 06 Priority Gold Since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I · Verdict | ||||||
| Meridian Score Composite · 10-point scale |
9.8/10 | 9.6/10 | 9.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 9.0/10 | 8.8/10 |
| Award Category distinction |
Editor's Selection | Best Rollover | Best Low-Min | Best Small Accts. | Best No-Min | Best Fee Waiver |
| II · Cost of Entry | ||||||
| IRA Minimum | $50,000 | $25,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 | — | $10,000 |
| Setup Fee | $50 | $50 | $50 | $80 | $230 | Waived |
| Annual Fee (Standard) | $180 | $180–$260 | $180 | $225 | $180 | $250 |
| Fee Waiver Longest structure offered |
10 years on $250k+ | $10k in free silver | First year | None | Up to 3 years | Up to 5 years |
| Published Fee Schedule | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| III · Custody & Safekeeping | ||||||
| Depository | Delaware | Brink's / IDS | Delaware / Brink's | Texas / Delaware | Brink's / Delaware | Delaware |
| Jurisdictional Choice | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Segregated Storage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Insurance Underwriter | Lloyd's of London | Lloyd's | Lloyd's | Lloyd's | Lloyd's | Lloyd's |
| IV · Service & Experience | ||||||
| Dedicated Analyst | Lifetime | Yes | Three-person team | Yes | No (desk) | Yes |
| Account Setup Time | 5–7 days | 3–5 days | 7–10 days | 24 hours | 2–4 days | 3–5 days |
| Online Portal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Partial | ✓ | ✓ |
| V · Liquidity | ||||||
| Buy-back Guarantee | Written · Spot − 0% | Yes · Spot − 1% | Written · Spot − 1% | Yes · Spot − 2% | Yes · Spot − 1.5% | Yes · Spot − 2% |
| Settlement Window | 5 biz days | 5–7 biz days | 5 biz days | 7 biz days | 5–7 biz days | 7 biz days |
| VI · Standing | ||||||
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ | A+ | A+ | A+ | A+ |
| Unresolved Complaints | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Regulatory Actions | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| VII · Scorecard | ||||||
| Custody & Depository | ||||||
| Fee Transparency | ||||||
| Liquidity & Buy-back | ||||||
| VIII · Take Action | ||||||
|
Read Review → Visit Augusta → |
Read Review → Visit Goldco → |
Read Review → Visit Birch → |
Read Review → Visit Noble → |
Read Review → Visit AHG → |
Read Review → Visit Preserve → |
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