Goldco needs $25,000 to open a gold IRA and publishes what the account costs to run: $50 to set up, $225 a year, about $2,300 over ten years. Preserve Gold publishes no minimum and no fee schedule, so it may accept a smaller rollover, but you will only learn the terms on a phone call. With $25,000 or more and a wish to see costs before you speak to anyone, Goldco is the more predictable choice. Below that, Preserve Gold earns a call on one condition: every number arrives in writing before you fund anything.
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you open an account through one of them, at no extra cost to you. It does not change the figures below or who we say each company suits.
Minimum Investment and What Each Company Publishes
Goldco states its $25,000 IRA minimum on its own fee page, along with the rest of the schedule: a $50 one-time setup charge, $125 a year for account administration and $100 a year for non-segregated storage ($150 if you choose segregated). That is about $225 a year in total, or roughly $2,300 across a decade including setup. Goldco's own arithmetic puts the annual cost at 0.90 percent of a $25,000 account and 0.23 percent of a $100,000 one. Our Goldco review goes through the schedule line by line.
Preserve Gold's website states no minimum and no fees. Its FAQ says only that fees vary with your chosen investments and the services you use. Third-party review sites commonly report a $10,000 IRA minimum, and at least one account of a call with a representative cites $25,000, but neither number comes from Preserve Gold. Treat $10,000 as a figure that circulates, not one you can plan around, and ask for it before you share personal details. Our Preserve Gold review covers what the company does and does not put in public, and the minimum investment comparison shows where every published figure sits.
What this means for you: on $25,000 or more, Goldco lets you price the account before any call. On less, Goldco is out of reach and Preserve Gold may be the only one of the two you can use.
Fees, Promotions and the Question After the Waiver
Both companies lead with an incentive. Goldco advertises bonus silver on qualifying orders: up to 5 percent on purchases of $50,000 to $99,999 and 10 percent from $100,000. Preserve Gold advertises free insured shipping, a $200 account credit and a free home safe for new clients on a qualified purchase.
Goldco's offer applies to a stated fee base, so you can weigh it against $225 a year. Preserve Gold's cannot be weighed at all, because the fees underneath it are not stated. Whatever waiver or credit you are offered, ask what the annual cost becomes when it ends. A gold IRA runs for twenty or thirty years, and the promotional period covers only the first few.
Keep the fee gap in proportion. Neither company publishes what it charges over spot for the metal, and on a six-figure purchase that markup outweighs a decade of admin fees. One extra percentage point on $100,000 costs $1,000 on day one. Ask each dealer for the total premium over spot on the exact products you are being offered.
Complaint Record and Track Record
Both hold an A+ from the Better Business Bureau. Goldco has been accredited since 2011 and shows 74 complaints in the three years to 16 September 2026, a large file that reflects its size. Preserve Gold has been accredited since September 2022 and shows two, one Resolved and one Answered, with none closed in the last twelve months.
Neither number tells you who is safer. A company handling many times the orders will collect many more disputes, and Preserve Gold's thin file partly reflects a shorter history and smaller volume. What matters more is how complaints are handled and whether the terms behind them were in writing. Preserve Gold's one published complaint, from February 2024, concerned a shipping charge, a price gap against a competitor and slow delivery, all terms the buyer believed he had been promised. It was resolved after the company responded. Our explainer on what a BBB A+ actually measures covers the limits of the grade.
You may see it claimed that Preserve Gold has zero BBB complaints. It has two.
Metals, Storage and Buyback
Goldco sells gold and silver. Its educational pages explain that platinum and palladium can be IRA-eligible in general, but its menu and product pages cover gold and silver only, so do not choose Goldco for a four-metal account. Preserve Gold names Delaware Depository, International Depository Services and Texas Precious Metals Depository on its own site and maintains product pages for all four metals. The Texas option is uncommon. Our comparison of Delaware Depository, Brink's and IDS shows how the facilities differ.
On buyback, Goldco states a guaranteed highest buyback with no fees on liquidation. Preserve Gold says it will help you sell and ensure you receive fair market value. Neither publishes a spread, so the buyback promise is only as good as the quote you get on your specific products. Ask each for a current buyback price on the exact coins you would hold.
Which Company Fits Your Rollover
Goldco fits a rollover of $25,000 or more where you want the costs written down before the sales conversation, a long public record, and a gold and silver account. Preserve Gold fits a smaller rollover, a wish for platinum or palladium, or in-state Texas storage, provided you get six things in writing before funding: the minimum, setup fee, annual administration fee, storage fee, the storage fee after any waiver ends, and the custodian's name. The company does not name its custodian publicly. Our questions to ask a gold IRA company before you sign is a useful script for that call, and the full comparison by minimum and fees shows the rest of the field. We also set Preserve Gold against another name in Augusta Precious Metals vs Preserve Gold.
On the commercial side: we have an affiliate relationship with Goldco and may earn a commission if you open an account through the links on this page. We have none with Preserve Gold and earn nothing if you choose it.
Common Questions
Is Preserve Gold a legitimate company?
Yes. It holds an A+ from the BBB, has been accredited since September 2022 and shows two complaints in three years. The open question is disclosure, not legitimacy: it publishes no minimum or fee schedule.
What is Preserve Gold's minimum investment?
The company does not publish one. Reviews commonly report $10,000 for an IRA, and one account of a direct call cites $25,000. Confirm it yourself.
What are Goldco's BBB complaints about?
Our Goldco review breaks the 74 complaints down by theme and by how each was closed.
Does Preserve Gold publish its fees?
No. Its FAQ says fees vary with your investments and services, and that a breakdown is provided before you decide. Ask for it in writing.
Which is better for a first-time gold IRA investor?
If you have $25,000 or more, Goldco's published schedule makes the first conversation easier to judge. If you have less, Preserve Gold is worth a call, with the written-terms condition above.
Figures were checked on 30 September 2026 against each company's own pages and its BBB profile. Dealers change terms without notice, so confirm them before you fund an account. This article is educational and is not tax, legal or investment advice.
