Birch Gold Group question for smaller accounts - My experience, wondering about yours.

• •I know the prevailing wisdom here trends towards the biggest, most established players in the Gold IRA space for serious allocations.
• •And for my larger, established accounts, I’m with some of the bigger guns, obviously.
• •But I’ve been looking into Birch Gold Group for a new, relatively smaller account I’m setting up for my youngest grandson.

I know the prevailing wisdom here trends towards the biggest, most established players in the Gold IRA space for serious allocations. And for my larger, established accounts, I’m with some of the bigger guns, obviously. But I’ve been looking into Birch Gold Group for a new, relatively smaller account I’m setting up for my youngest grandson. We're talking maybe $100k-$150k to start, just to get him into the metal game early. Most of my other holdings are well into the 7-figures, but this one is more of a legacy start for the next generation.

My initial impression of Birch has been... fine. Their reps were responsive enough, though I had to push a bit for some of the more nuanced details I'm used to getting without asking. I’m a Wall Street retiree, so I’ve seen every sales tactic under the sun, and sometimes their pitch felt a little more "main street" than I’d prefer. My main concern is the fees for a smaller account. Are they going to eat through any gains with their structure for something under, say, $200k? I’m in NYC, so I have access to pretty much any service imaginable, but I’m exploring options for something that feels a bit more hands-off for this particular account, given it’s for a younger family member.

I usually stick to the heavy hitters like Augusta or JM Bullion for direct purchases, but for an IRA, I want a truly smooth process, even if the account isn't my primary focus. Has anyone here had direct experience with Birch Gold Group, particularly with accounts on the "smaller" side (using that term loosely, of course, given what some folks consider small). Did you find their fee structure reasonable for a ~100k initial deposit, or did it feel like they were a bit heavy-handed? Any red flags I should be aware of beyond the usual spiel about precious metals?