When you’re planning on your retirement savings or investment plan, often, you will be advised to diversify your retirement investment portfolio. Doing so limits the risk of volatility of the asset market.
A popular way of diversification is by purchasing a precious metals IRA from a reputed precious metals company. When it comes to silver and gold IRA companies, the name Augusta Precious Metals is bound to come up. This silver and gold IRA company is famous in the business.
But is it really as good as people say? Today, I will walk you through a detailed Augusta Precious Metals review to decide for yourself! Keep reading to learn what Augusta Precious Metals offers and how it has made a name for itself in the industry.
What Is Augusta Precious Metals?
Augusta Precious Metals is an award-winning company revolutionizing the physical gold and silver IRAs industry. This company has been the industry leader in the gold IRA industry ever since its inception in 2012. It is owned by the Nuriani Family, and the owners have over 4 decades of industry experience.
The services of Augusta Precious Metals include cash purchases, precious metals IRA, and gold or silver coins. What sets this company apart is its core focus on the customer. The gold provider goes out of its way to educate and help each customer with purchasing gold and silver coins.
Augusta Precious Metals has multiple custodian options as well as depositories to store your purchased gold and silver coins. The company advocates simplicity and full transparency. As a client, you will get lifetime customer service from them just so you can rest easy knowing your funds are in good hands.
Joe Montana, the Hall of Fame quarterback, is Augusta Precious Metals’ ambassador. He became an ambassador after availing of their services himself and enjoying them.
Thanks to its excellent business practices and customer service, Augusta Precious Metals has earned an AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance, an A-plus rating from the Better Business Bureau, and a 5-star rating from TrustLink.
How Does Augusta Precious Metals Work?
To get started with Augusta Precious Metals IRAs, you have to follow the following steps:
First, Sign up for the Gold Guide
The first step of your journey begins with visiting Augusta Precious Metals’ website here and signing up for the free gold guide. You will then be walked through the next steps.
Create a New IRA
You will need to avail the services of an IRA custodian for this step. Augusta Precious Metals has carefully vetted many gold and silver IRA custodians to find the best three options. They are:
Equity Trust is the industry leader for custodians, with over 30 years of experience under its belt. To date, it has managed over 200,000 properties and 25 billion USD in assets.
As the industry leader, Equity Trust’s track record of excellence remains unmatched. Its custodians will streamline your investment experience by finding optimized solutions for your gold IRA investments.
Unlike the first option, GoldStar Trust company specializes in its services as a custodian, paying agent, and trustee for self-directed IRA. The gold IRA company is known for its expertise of over 3 decades.
It has been a custodian for over 37,500 self-directed IRAs, so you can rest assured that you are in good hands.
The youngest out of the three, Kingdom Trust was established in 2009. This newer gold IRA provider focuses on unique and innovative custody solutions.
Don’t think they are any less experienced just because of the founding year; the company serves over 100,000 customers, managing 12 billion USD worth of assets.
Fund Your IRA
Once you have worked out a custody solution with your custodian and opened an IRA, fund your account with dollars. You can transfer it from a bank account. Alternatively, if you have an existing gold IRA, 401(k), or any other retirement account, you can roll over funds from these accounts to your IRA.
This money will be spent to buy precious metals such as gold and silver coins from Augusta Precious Metals.
Precious Metals Purchase
Browse Augusta’s product selection to choose the type of precious metal you want to buy. After the choice is made, order them from the company’s order desk. The precious metals you have purchased will be stored in Augusta Precious Metals’ secured storage facility.
You can choose the depository where your metals will be stored. Augusta Precious Metals’ depositories are located around the United States and Canada. Pick one you can visit easily.
To see your purchased precious metals in person, book an appointment with the depository. If you are not storing the precious metals in their depository, you can choose to have the metals delivered to your location instead.
Augusta Precious Metals offers free delivery cost and shipping liability until they are safely delivered.
Augusta Precious Metals Storage
The company has many storage vaults you can choose to store your gold and silver bullion coins in. They are insured for 1 billion USD, and the access controls are very strict. The buildings are fortified and have class 3 security vaults. As the cherry on top, the security systems in these builds are cutting-edge.
All facilities comply with relevant regulations, and the inventory controls are strict. The storage facilities are located at:
- New Castle, Delaware
- Jackson, Ohio
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Wilmington, Delaware
- Los Angeles, California
- Springfield Gardens, New York
- Mississauga Ontario, Canada
The Delaware depository is a major one amongst these.
Is Augusta Precious Metals Worth It?
If you have a strong portfolio and would like to diversify it to contradict market volatility and inflation, then getting precious metals IRA is a great option. And when it comes to gold IRA, Augusta Precious Metals is the best company in the United States for you to go to.
Choosing this company is worth it, because –
- Augusta Precious Metals is completely transparent, so you will not have to pay additional charges.
- Augusta’s team of customer service reps will help you not only with buying gold and silver coins or setting up a gold IRA, but also with strengthening your investment portfolio and learning about the industry.
- When it comes to gold IRA, Augusta Precious Metals offers a safe choice. You can rest easy knowing that your funds are in capable hands.
- The company always goes the extra mile to help its customers in any way, so you will have a great experience with them always.
- Opening a gold IRA is very simple, thanks to Augusta’s team, who takes care of everything. You will not have to go through much intricate paperwork.
Augusta Precious Metals Features
Augusta Precious Metals stands out from other gold IRA companies for its superior experience, total transparency, and customer-centric activities. The company is committed to three key elements, which are:
Transparency
As you will find out in the following section, Augusta Precious Metals is very serious when it comes to being transparent about the company and its operations. You can see a detailed breakdown of the costs of each purchase, and no hidden fees are charged.
No matter what your query is, a representative will always be available to provide you with any information regarding Augusta Precious Metals. They have gone the extra mile to join businesses that work with evaluating the due diligence and transparency of business processes just to show their credibility.
Best Customer Service
Look up any Augusta Precious Metals review online, and you will undoubtedly find a mention of Augusta Precious Metals’ customer service.
As a customer-centric company, Augusta Precious Metals works hard and goes the extra mile to provide its customers with resources to learn about the industry. The customers also get lifetime customer support.
Each customer gets a personal agent assigned to them who helps them through their journey at Augusta Precious Metals. The agent helps out the customer in any way they can, no matter the need. Augusta’s agents are highly trained. They will walk you through the entire process as if it is a walk in the park.
The different departments and teams to help customers are:
- Economic Analytics Team
Led by a Harvard economist, this team helps the customers with any query regarding the economy and the gold or silver IRA industry. Due to their extensive knowledge, you can get any advice on the precious metals market. They will also teach you ways to safeguard your retirement portfolio.
- Customer Help Agents
This is the basic team of people you talk to for any general query. If they cannot help you, they will forward you over to the specialized teams to help.
- Portfolio Support
If you are planning on building a portfolio with gold IRAs or expanding your existing retirement portfolio to precious metals, this team will help you with doing so.
- IRA Account Processing Team
After you have chosen a custodian, they work with this team to process all paperwork and set up your gold IRA account.
- Order Desk Help
This desk helps with the purchase of gold and silver. If you want to purchase gold and silver, go to them to place the order.
Augusta’s team takes care of 95 percent of the legwork when a customer is setting up an account, simplifying it for them.
Due to such dedication to pleasing, Augusta Precious Metals complaints number is very low from any customers on reviews of multiple trustworthy review websites. This is a remarkable feat if you ask me. Most of their customers recommended Augusta Precious Metals to everyone.
Expertise & Extensive Knowledge
Augusta Precious Metals believes in enlightening its customers. It is not like other gold companies, focusing on helping customers choose a suitable plan and opening an account.
Instead, Augusta Precious Metals shares its knowledge and expertise with its customers through various means. Here, their aim is to help the customer know exactly how the gold IRA portfolio business works.
This, in turn, helps the clients make sound decisions regarding diversifying their retirement savings portfolio. Augusta Precious Metals has an economist from Harvard who leads all economic analysts that are available to help the customers.
Going the extra mile has paid dividends to the company, as they have amassed a community of loyal customers and high ratings everywhere. These followers highly recommend Augusta Precious Metals.
Augusta Precious Metals Products
Apart from gold and silver bullion coins, Augusta Precious Metals also sells bars. The company partners up with the Royal Canadian mint to make their coins. Royal Canadian mint helps Augusta offer purer coins at lower prices.
Here is a complete list of their precious metals products you can buy:
Gold Bullion
- Gold American Eagle Bullion (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 ounce)
- Gold American Buffalo Bullion (1 ounce)
- Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Bullion (1 ounce)
- Austrian Gold Philharmonic Bullion (1 ounce)
- South African Gold Krugerrand (1 ounce)
- Gold Bar (1 and 10 ounces)
Silver Bullion
- American Silver Eagle Bullion (1 ounce)
- Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Bullion (1 ounce)
- Austrian Philharmonic Silver Bullion (1 ounce)
- Silver Round (1 ounce)
- America the Beautiful – Cumberland Gap (5 ounces)
- America the Beautiful – Effigy Mounds (5 ounces)
- America the Beautiful – Fort Moultrie (5 ounces)
- Silver Bar (10 and 100 ounces)
Aside from these common gold and silver coins, you can also find many premium gold coins and silver bullion offered at Augusta Precious Metals. The premium gold coins are of better quality. So, purchase premium gold for superior value.
Is Augusta Precious Metals IRA Safe?
Multiple businesses and websites have rated Augusta Precious Metals highly based on various factors such as performance, transparency, business ethics, trustworthiness, customer reviews, etc.
These ratings are signs of Augusta Precious Metals’ reliability. So, you can put your trust in them easily. Some of the most noteworthy companies that have rated Augusta Precious Metals are:
BBB is a private nonprofit organization that focuses on rating businesses’ trustworthiness in the marketplace. It has strict policies in place to avoid bias. This organization operates in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The BBB rating system starts from A + to F grades, from highest to lowest. According to this scale, Augusta Precious Metals scores an A+, meaning BBB has complete confidence that Augusta Precious Metals is operating in a credible manner.
Business Consumer Alliance (BCA)
This is another nonprofit organization that monitors business practices and reports on them. It works by assisting existing customers of certain businesses in resolving any complaints against the businesses.
The organization then uses this information and other relevant data (such as business type, licensing compliance, customer experience, years of operation, etc.) to rate the reliability of a business. According to the BCA rating, Augusta Precious Metals gets an AAA, which is the highest grade.
This indicates that Augusta Precious Metals works with complete transparency, and that customers have a great experience with this business.
TrustLink is an online community program that focuses on building trusted business & customer relationships. This website achieves that by publishing thousands of feedbacks from actual customers about businesses, along with other critical information.
Businesses listed on TrustLink get an overall rating based on all the customer feedbacks and reviews posted on the website. Currently, Augusta Precious Metals has a rating of 4.9 stars out of 5 on TrustLink, with a total of 278 reviews.
Most of the Augusta Precious Metals reviews on TrustLink praise the company’s professionalism, customer care, and genuineness. A typical Augusta Precious Metals review also highlights their thoroughness and informativeness when dealing with customers.
This is a platform for customer review & consumer news around life-changing major purchase decisions. On their website, Augusta Precious Metals review has got a rating of 4.9 out of 5, with rave remarks from many verified customers.
If you would like to know the actual experience of customers buying gold IRAs from Augusta Precious Metals, give this website a read.
Facebook is a very popular social media site for older users in the United States. As such, they often use the platform to post reviews for businesses they have used. Check out any Augusta Precious Metals review from their Facebook page, and you will understand how satisfied their customers are with the business.
In Facebook, Augusta Precious Metals has a user rating of 4.8 out of 5.
Lastly, Google My Business is one of the most popular business review sites globally. This is because people often look for reviews in the Google search engine.
The Augusta Precious Metals reviews on Google are quick to read and find. Submitting reviews on Google as a user is also very simple, adding to the popularity.
On Google My Business, Augusta Precious Metals has a user rating of 4.8 out of 5.
National Ethics Association (NEA)
The National Ethics Association is a community that helps its members with maintaining the integrity and due diligence to put the skeptical customers’ minds at ease. NEA promotes ethics in all aspects of a business.
Augusta Precious Metals is a member of the NEA. Being a member of NEA indicates that a business is serious about credibility and transparency in its business practices. NEA also does regulatory checks on the business practices of its members, ensuring full transparency.
With ratings from all of these professional websites, reviews from verified Augusta Precious Metals customers, and membership of the NEA, Augusta Precious Metals has ensured to build a strong image of transparent business operations.
So, you can rest easy that Augusta Precious Metals is as safe as it can get in the physical precious metals industry.
Augusta Precious Metals Pros and Cons
To summarize, here are the pros and cons from my Augusta Precious Metals review:
Pros
- It is easy and simple to set up Augusta Precious Metals IRA with the streamlined gold IRA process
- Provides thorough educational materials on precious metals for free
- Augusta Precious Metals provides lifetime customer support
- Transparency and business integrity are prioritized
- New customers can get their fees waived for up to 10 years from Augusta Precious Metals IRA
- Well-respected and well-known corporate ambassador signals credibility
- Three custodian options to choose from
- Augusta Precious Metals follows a competitive pricing policy
- No-cost portfolio reviews are provided
- No management fees are charged for self-directed accounts
- The purchase information is fully transparent
Cons
- The minimum value for a gold IRA is 50,000 USD, smaller lots are not available
- Augusta Precious Metals specializes in gold and silver, other precious metals eligible for IRA (platinum & palladium) are unavailable
Augusta Precious Metals Alternatives and Competitors
If you are looking for a good alternative to Augusta Precious Metals, here are 4 other gold companies that are great:
- Goldco (see my comprehensive review of Goldco)
Goldco is another prominent name in the industry, with over a decade of expertise. It is a private firm that boasts ethical business, dependability, and customer service.
The minimum investment amount at Goldco is 25,000 USD, which is half of Augusta Precious Metals’. This precious metals company has an annual average fee of 175 – 225 USD. Customers can claim a 5 percent cash back on any physical metals purchased over 50,000 USD.
Goldco has a BBB rating of A + and a BCA rating of AAA. It also has over 1000 5 star reviews. All in all, it is a strong contender if you want other precious metals company recommendations.
Noble Gold Investments is a California-based company founded in 2017. This company is known for the fastest shipping and lowest fees in the precious metals industry. It also has a low minimum investment amount of 2,000 USD, which allows you to buy gold and silver bullion in a low amount.
Early fees are also quite low. Annual fees for Noble Gold precious metal IRAs are 225 USD. It is known for its Gold IRA roll over process.
Another California-based business, the Birch Gold Group has been in business since 2003. Apart from gold and silver, they also offer palladium and platinum.
They have a team of financial advisors, commodity brokers, and former wealth managers to help their customers make investment decisions. This team of educators is what the Birch Gold Group is known for. To date, they have had over 7500 happy customers.
Lastly, American Hartford Gold is another popular choice known for low minimum investment and good customer satisfaction. It is a family-owned business that has an A + rating in BBB.
The annual fee for this company is 180 USD, with a minimum investment of 2,500 USD. They offer totally free IRA rollover, with free storage, insurance, and maintenance for 3 years. On qualifying purchases, you can also get free silver worth 1,500 USD.
You will get free shipping too. The company offers a buyback commitment. So, if you want to sell off your purchased precious metals, American Hartford Gold will buy them back from you with no additional fees.
Augusta Precious Metals Cost & Pricing
The minimum investment amount for opening a gold IRA at Augusta Precious Metals is 50,000 USD. If you are not buying a gold IRA, the minimum investment is 25,000 USD.
A yearly custodian fee, as well as storage fees for your precious metals, will apply. For the initial application of a gold IRA, the custodian fee is 50 USD. After that, you will be charged a yearly fee of 80 USD.
The storage fee will vary depending on your IRA or precious metals purchased. Usually, it is 100 USD annually. The cost of the actual precious metals, i.e., gold and silver, you buy will depend on the current market prices & rates for premium precious metal coins.
Augusta Precious Metals will not add any commission fees to the quote prices of precious metals. Gold or silver bullions will have a markup of around 5% of the cost.
As long as the precious metals are in their storage, all liability insurance and shipping costs will be covered by Augusta.
This company is always transparent about its pricing, so you will be able to see the transaction status, ask-to-bid differentials, and fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where does Augusta Precious Metals store my gold and silver?
If you choose to keep your precious metals in Augusta’s deposit, your gold and silver will be stored in any of their previously-mentioned storage facilities. You can visit to see the physical gold and silver in person.
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What are the best metals to buy for IRA?
Gold and silver are very common precious metals. They both make excellent options for IRA. Silver has a high demand for its industrial use. On the other hand, gold is always in demand for jewelry making, as it has been a way of showcasing wealth for centuries.
Other precious metals are platinum and palladium. They are less common metals for precious metals IRAs. So, you should try gold or silver first.
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Is there a lot of paperwork involved with opening a gold IRA?
As is the case with any investment or other financial work, there will be a lot of paperwork for setting up a gold IRA. However, you do not have to worry much about it. Augusta Precious Metals’ IRA processing team will take care of most of the work for you. This makes setting up an account very simple.
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What sets Augusta Precious Metals apart from its competitors?
Customer service, transparency, and simplicity set Augusta Metals apart. The company focuses on building a lifetime relationship with its customers. It helps customers every step of the way, from learning about gold IRAs to the final purchase.
Also, it provides general advice on building a strong precious metals portfolio.
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Why don’t I need to pay any management fees for Augusta Precious Metals accounts?
If you go through the account set up process explained earlier, you will notice that the accounts are self directed IRA. This means you are in charge of managing the account yourself. So, no management fees or any other hidden fees are required.
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Why should I invest in precious metal in my retirement accounts?
Buying precious metals is a way of safeguarding your assets against inflation and market volatility. The value of metals often does not fluctuate the same way as other investments. So, they will stabilize your overall investment and strengthen your portfolio.
If you have precious metals purchased inside an IRA, then over time the value of the metals will only increase. You can also bypass portfolio management fees by purchasing gold. So, you should definitely add precious metals to your portfolio if possible.
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How do you make a withdrawal from an Augusta Precious Metals IRA?
You can make a partial or full withdrawal for either the physical gold and silver or the monetary value at any time by contacting Augusta Precious Metals. Make sure to check if you have any taxes to pay beforehand. You can avoid taxes and penalties by taking the required minimum distributions starting at 70 ½ age.
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How do I check the performance of my Augusta Precious Metals IRA?
You can check the status online at any time at the Augusta Precious Metals website. The company also prepares investment performance statements each quarter.
Final Words
You are finally at the end of my long Augusta Precious Metals review. If you have been wanting to introduce precious metal in your retirement portfolio but don’t know how to get started, Augusta Precious Metals is undoubtedly a great choice.
The company will teach you everything you need to know, and then walk you through the process of precious metals purchase without being pushy. A word of advice would be to opt for the premium coins. In the long run, premium coins will provide you with a better value.
Get started with Augusta Precious Metals to make your dream of successful retirement a reality!