Birch Gold Review: Make Sure It's Right for Your Investment Needs

• Birch Gold Group, Inc. produces gold mining and exploration properties.
• It owns two producing gold mines in Alaska, the Fort Knox mine and the Kensington mine.
• Birch Gold Group, Inc. (BRS) operates in the precious metals sector.

Is it time to invest in gold? The U.S. dollar is weak, and, according to some analysts, it's quite possible that the dollar could soon lose its status as the world's reserve currency. With gold prices rising, now could be a great time to purchase some gold stocks.
Birch Gold Group, Inc. (BRS) is one option available, but it may be more risky than other types of stocks. Here's what you need to know about this gold mining stock before you invest.

Pros Explained

Birch Gold is a precious metals dealer that specializes in IRA and 401(k) accounts. The company also offers bullion and coins, and you can buy through one of their convenient stores or buy direct online.
The company's website has all of the resources you need at one place, including an online calculator to help you figure out how much your metals are worth, and a free downloadable catalog.
One of the features of Birch Gold is their "My Gold" program. For a small fee of $5, this program allows you to check your gold stash at any time. My Gold also keeps track of each purchase you make, so you can calculate the value of your metals at any given time.
Birch Gold is one of the few companies to offer free storage of your precious metals. You can store or send your gold, silver, and platinum, and you'll get free insurance and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Cons Explained
There are, however, a few cons to doing business with Birch Gold. First, the company charges a $20 fee if you sell or buy less than $25,000 worth of precious metals. Second, Birch Gold charges $35 for secure overnight shipping and $50 for shipping by FedEx.

Cons Explained

While Birch Gold Exchange claims to be registered with an FDIC-insured bank, some customers reported the company failed to deposit their funds into the bank, instead sending back cash deposits through checks. A Birch Gold Exchange representative told one customer the funds were lost in the mail.

Available Courses

As of December 2018, Fidelity offers the following types of courses:

1. Introductory to Investing in Gold

2. Investing for Income and Growth: Gold

3. Investing in Gold: How to Manage Your Portfolio

Courses cost $89 or $129 for premium access. While the price might seem exorbitant, it is worth considering. The courses offer very detailed historical information and present it in a way that makes it easy to follow along. Fidelity includes several case studies and incorporates several videos into the course.
The introductory course teaches you about investing in gold, including how to pick the right type of gold stock and when to sell. It also discusses where to purchase gold stocks, including online brokers. The course walks you through all the steps necessary to invest in gold, from opening an account to making your first trade.

Birch Gold Basic

Per share cost: $10
Annual expense ratio: 0.55%

Assets: 1.34%

The Birch Gold Basic Portfolio seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation. It uses the S&P 500 Index (IVV), the MSCI EAFE Index (EFA) and the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (AGG) as its primary benchmarks.
The portfolio's asset allocation consists of 50% stocks, 30% bonds and 20% cash.

Birch Gold Advanced

The Birch Gold Advanced account promises a $100 bonus if you manage to invest $10,000 or more within a month of opening the account. However, this account only allows you to invest in physical gold and silver bullion, as opposed to ETFs, mutual funds, or stocks.

Birch Gold Options

There are three types of options:

Call options: Make money when the price of an asset rises.

Put options: Make money when the price of an asset falls.

Ratio options: Make money when the asset's price changes by a specific amount.

Each option has a specific maturity date, a specific strike price, and a specific payout. The option holder has the right to purchase the underlying asset at a specific price. If the asset's price exceeds the strike price when the option expires, the option holder can exercise his right to purchase the asset for the strike price. If the asset's price is less than the strike price when the option expires, the option holder can exercise his right to sell the asset for the strike price.

Availability of Instructor Support

Support can come in many forms, including e-mail and phone calls. Some courses provide some form of phone support, while others may rely on online forums for communication.
The most convenient option is the availability of an instructor or tutor to walk you through the course.
Course Format
Some courses include interactive components, such as quizzes or live discussions. Others, like Birch Gold, offer downloadable PDFs and videos that you can watch at your own pace and in your own time.

Instructor Experience

Former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, Dave Birch, founded Birch Gold Group in 2014. The Birch Gold Group is a private precious metals company, which, among other things, offers educational resources and precious metals investing services.
Instructor Background
Dave Birch is a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, special operations medic, and instructor. He has traveled widely, studied ecological systems, and earned his master's degree in environmental management. Birch is also an avid outdoorsman, having spent extensive time backpacking, rock climbing, and deep-sea fishing.

Reputation

Since Birch Gold was established back in 2002, the company has been renowned for helping clients make smart investments, whether they are just getting started or already have a solid portfolio. With a team of experienced financial analysts and seasoned traders, Birch Gold provides its clients with some of the best financial information available.
Trading
Birch Gold offers a number of investment plans, including day trading, swing trading, and long-term investments. For day trading, clients can place as many as 10 trades in a single day, while swing traders can purchase stocks to hold up for at least a month. For long-term investments, clients can invest as little as $2,000 for a one-year term or $10,000 for a 10-year term.
Low Minimums
Birch Gold's minimum investment amounts are significantly lower than those of other brokers. Although the minimum investment amounts for most brokers hover around $250, Birch Gold charges only $2,000 and $10,000 for its short-term and long-term investment plans, respectively.
Commissions
Birch Gold has one of the lowest commission rates among online brokers, charging only $4.95 per trade. For day trading, clients are charged only $0.65 per contract, or $0.07 per share. Clients can trade more than 30 stocks for as low as $2.95 per trade.

Price

The Birch Gold review ratings are all over the board, from a high of 3.7 stars to a low of 1 star. The prices are all over the board, too. The lowest price for the Birch Gold review is $3,000. The highest price is the $10,000 package.

Available Customer Service Options

While Birch Gold reviews show that the company itself offers basic customer service and technical support, it doesn't offer live chat support.
Fees and Charges
The most expensive investment plan with Birch Gold is the Bright Gold Plan, which costs $99 per month and includes 0.25% annual management fees. Other plans include Silver (0.25% annual management fees), Bronze (0.10% annual management fees), and Copper (0.05% annual management fees).

Available Technical Support Options

Birch Gold Investment Club provides several ways for you to get in touch with the technical support team, including phone, email, and live chat.
Birch Gold Investment Club Phone Support
The phone support line is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
Birch Gold Investment Club Email Support
The email support team is available via your account dashboard, which allows you to submit support tickets.
Birch Gold Investment Club Live Chat
The live chat support team is available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST.

Available Course Features

Birch Gold offers two membership options: Silver and Gold.
Silver Membership: $29.95/mo
Gold Membership: $69.95/mo

Birch Gold Silver Membership includes the following:

Two live daily webinars on Tuesday and Thursday

Access to past webinar recording

Access to Birch Gold's private forum

Birch Gold Gold Membership includes the following:

All Silver Membership benefits

Three live daily webinars on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

Birch Gold also offers a free 10-day trial period.

Birch Gold Course Modules
Birch Gold's free course, "The Gold Standard," has 11 lessons that run about an hour each.

"The Gold Standard" covers the following topics:

The Gold Standard: History

The Gold Standard: How It Works

The Gold Standard: The Demise of Paper Money

The Gold Standard: Why Gold Matters

"The Gold Standard: Investing" costs $29.95.

"The Gold Standard: Investing" covers the following topics:

The Gold Standard: Investing

The Gold Standard: Gold ETF Investing

The Gold Standard: Gold Futures Investing

The Gold Standard: Precious Metals Investing

Birch Gold also offers a free, 10-day trial.

Available Course Customization Options

Birch Gold does not offer any customization for this course.
Course Cost
Students are charged $15 for the introductory class, and $20 for each subsequent class.
Course Format
The course is delivered via pre-recorded video lectures, with quizzes provided after each lesson.

Gold IRA: Should You Open One To Save For Retirement?

The Bottom Line

The Birch Gold Group offers investors a wide range of precious metals and mining shares, but there are also some mutual funds, a newsletter, and precious metals IRAs. Overall, there are plenty of options for investing with Birch Gold Group, whether you are new to precious metals investments or already have some experience.