Match the kit to your rollover size, because every company has an account minimum: roughly $10,000 (reported) at American Hartford Gold and Noble Gold, about $25,000 (reported) at Goldco, and a verified $50,000 at Augusta Precious Metals. Reading any kit is free, but a company will not open an account below its floor — request kits from your own tier first.
Every gold IRA company sets an account minimum, and the minimums split the market into tiers about 5x apart. That single number decides which kits are worth your time, so start there and the rest of the comparison gets short.
One note on sourcing before the table: only Augusta’s minimum (✓) is confirmed from its own materials. The rest are figures reported by third-party reviews, which is also why reviews manage to disagree about Noble Gold. Confirm with the company before you plan around any of them.
The tiers
| Rollover size | Companies in your tier | Reported minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Around $10,000 | American Hartford Gold, Noble Gold, Golden Crest Metals | $10,000 / $10,000–$20,000 (reports vary) / $10,000 |
| Around $25,000 | Goldco, plus everything above | $25,000 |
| $50,000 and up | Augusta Precious Metals, plus everything above | $50,000 ✓ |
The $10,000 tier
This is the entry tier, served by American Hartford Gold (American Hartford Gold Review), Noble Gold (Noble Gold Review), and the newer Golden Crest Metals (Golden Crest Metals Review).
The honest caveat for this tier comes before any company comparison: fixed costs hit small accounts hardest. Reported annual fees in the $200 to $275 range are roughly 2% of a $10,000 account, every year, before the dealer’s spread. A small gold IRA has to clear a higher bar to make sense than a large one, and that math belongs in a conversation with a fiduciary, not with a salesperson.
Within the tier, the comparison is straightforward because the product is similar: get each company’s written fee schedule and spread, and pick the cheaper honest answer.
The $25,000 tier
Goldco’s territory by reported minimum (Goldco Review), with the $10k operators still available. Fixed costs drop below 1% a year here and the decision shifts to pricing and sales practices. Goldco is known for promotional offers, bonus silver in particular. Treat any promotion as a pricing question: what is the spread with it, and without it? The company that answers both in writing earns the comparison.
The $50,000-and-up tier
Everything is available at this size, including Augusta, whose verified $50,000 minimum funds an education-heavy process (a one-on-one web conference before the transaction, salaried agents, no giveaway promotions). We’ve reviewed the company (Augusta Precious Metals Review) and gone through its kit document by document (Inside the Augusta Kit).
At this tier the percentage drag of fixed fees fades and the spread becomes nearly the whole cost story. A half-percent difference in spread on a $100,000 purchase is $500, which buys a lot of patience for getting quotes in writing from two companies instead of one.
How to run the comparison
Request kits from two companies in your tier. When each arrives, check it against the five-block standard in What Is a Gold IRA Information Kit?, then put the same five questions to each follow-up caller. The kits are free; the discipline is the part you supply.
Frequently asked questions
Why do gold IRA minimums vary so much between companies?
Business model. A high-touch operator running hour-long education sessions needs larger accounts to cover that cost, so Augusta sets a verified $50,000 floor. Volume operators serve smaller accounts with a lighter process, which is how reported minimums reach down to roughly $10,000.
Should I request a kit from a tier above mine?
Reading it costs nothing, but the company will not open your account below its minimum, and time on the phone with a company that will turn you away is time wasted. Request from your own tier first and treat the tier above as optional homework.
Are fixed annual fees worse for small accounts?
Proportionally, yes. Roughly $200 a year in custodian and storage fees is about 0.4% of a $50,000 account and about 2% of a $10,000 account, every year, before the dealer spread. Small accounts need to weigh whether the wrapper is worth it at all.
Are the minimums on this page exact?
Only Augusta’s $50,000 is verified, from its own materials. The others are figures reported by third-party reviews as of mid-2026, and reviews disagree about Noble Gold’s. Confirm the current minimum with each company before planning around it.