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Lowest Fee Gold IRA

Methodology: How the Fee Calculator Works

By Jan Wirum, editor

Published · Updated

This page explains exactly how the fee calculator turns published fees into a year-1 figure and a total, and what it deliberately leaves out.

Which companies

American Hartford Gold, Augusta Precious Metals, Birch Gold Group, Goldco, Lear Capital, Noble Gold Investments, Patriot Gold Group and Priority Gold. Each has one record of fees, minimums, waivers and public-record notes, with a source and a check date per figure.

Caution on Lear Capital: NY AG $6M consent order (2022) and 2022 Chapter 11 with multistate $5.5M restitution.Caution on Priority Gold: Site claims 'fully accredited' BBB A+ and 4.9 Trustpilot; BBB shows NOT accredited and Trustpilot shows 4.8 (2026-10-29).

The formula

Year 1 = setup + annual admin + annual storage
Total over N years = setup + N × (annual admin + annual storage)

With Equity Trust's published schedule and commingled storage, that is $50 + $125 + $110 = $285 in year 1, and $50 + 10 × $235 = $2,400 over ten years. The share of account is the total divided by the amount you enter.

Assumptions

  • Fees stay at today's published level for the whole period. Custodians do change schedules; the calculator can't know when.
  • Every company that publishes fees charges flat dollar amounts, so the dollar total doesn't depend on the amount. Only the share does.
  • The balance is not projected forward. We don't model any change in the price of metal.

Storage type

Commingled uses the company's commingled (non-segregated) rate. Where a company publishes a storage rate without saying which type, we use it for commingled and note "storage type not stated". Where a company offers segregated storage only, its segregated rate appears in both modes, with a note. Where a figure comes from the custodian's schedule rather than the company's own page, the row says so, and says that it applies only if that custodian holds the account.

Missing and disputed figures

If a company doesn't publish its setup, admin or storage fee for the chosen storage type, it isn't added up; it is listed under "Not enough published to add up". We never fill a gap with an estimate. Where the company's own pages disagree, we use the newest figure and mark it "sources disagree". Where the scope of a figure is unclear, it is marked "scope not fully clear".

Order and equal totals

Rows are sorted by total cost, smallest first. Companies with the same total are listed alphabetically by name. There are no rank numbers and no highlighted winner: equal totals are equal, and the table shows them that way. Whether a company pays this site plays no part in the order, here or in any other table on the site; tables that aren't sorted by a figure are alphabetical.

The minimum is shown on every row; amounts below a company's minimum are flagged rather than hidden. Where a company publishes a fee waiver, its row says so, but the total doesn't include it.

What the totals leave out

  • The markup or spread on the metal, which is usually the largest cost and which most companies don't publish. The CFTC notes that collectible coins typically carry higher markups than bullion.
  • Fee waivers, because each depends on conditions and amounts. They are listed on the fee waiver page.
  • One-off charges such as wires ($30), liquidation ($30), closing ($250) and paper statements ($60 a year) at Equity Trust.
  • Taxes, which depend on your situation. Talk to a tax professional.

The percentage-fee field

If you enter a percentage someone quoted you, the calculator shows that rate times your amount per year, and times the number of years for the total, on a balance that doesn't change. It is there to compare a quoted percentage with the flat schedules, not to suggest any rate.

Keeping it current

Company records are rechecked at least every 90 days. The date facts were last checked is at the foot of every page. Errors can be reported through the contact page.

Sources

  1. Equity Trust: Fee FAQs, checked October 29, 2026
  2. Goldco: How much does a gold IRA cost?, checked October 29, 2026
  3. Augusta Precious Metals: What a gold IRA costs each year, checked October 29, 2026
  4. Noble Gold Investments: Support FAQ, checked October 29, 2026
  5. CFTC: Precious metals fraud advisory, checked October 30, 2026

Facts checked October 29, 2026