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There are plenty of reasons to invest in precious metals. But when you're an individual investor, it can be hard to know where to start. How do you pick a reputable company? And how can you be sure that you're making the right choice for your financial future?
American Hartford Gold is a company that tries to make answering these questions easier. They are geared toward families and individuals who want to expand their investment portfolios into precious metals. Endorsed by Bill O'Reilly, the company is most popular with Americans who want to protect their savings.
We've taken a closer look at this group and what they have to offer. Are their services worth it? And do they really sell what they say they do?
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About American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold is a company that has been operating out of Los Angeles since 2015. They help people invest in precious metals, even if you don't have a strong financial background. Thanks to their experts, you can make an informed decision even without in-depth knowledge of the industry.
The company is family-owned by people with more than 20 years of experience with silver and gold. They state that their goal is to help both experienced and new investors reach their goals through strategic use of precious metals.
The company also promises that they only sell gold and silver of the highest quality. They include a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, so if you're not happy with the purchase, you can get a refund or replacement.
The main precious metals available are platinum, gold, and silver. You can buy them in coin or bar form.
Inc. Magazine has placed the company on the list of the top fastest-growing private finance companies found in the country.
In addition to all of this, the company proudly sponsors NASCAR every year. They are the only precious metals firm that is endorsed by commentator Bill O'Reilly.
Products and Services
The company mainly sells precious metals to investors who want to secure their assets, open a precious metals IRA, diversify their portfolios, or invest for other reasons.
The staff are all experienced with the precious metals and investment industries. They understand how changing global factors can affect the price of precious metals. Each staff member will help teach you about the options available so that you can make your own informed decisions.
In addition, the company provides educational resources including:
Not only is there enough information to familiarize yourself with the industry, there's a lot of interesting reading as well. You can even download a 25-page guide to gold investment for free. It explains all the basics of investment in silver and gold.
After you make your purchase, you have two delivery options. The first is to have the package delivered to your door. The second is to have the assets secured in a retirement account. If you secure your assets in an IRA, they must be locked in an accredited storage facility with a licensed custodian. They must also adhere to the purity standards outlined in the IRS guidelines.
Fees and Minimums
Almost every investment company has a minimum threshold for your buy-in. The minimum changes depending on whether you're using IRA services or buying for your current portfolio with cash.
If you're making a cash purchase to shore up your current assets, you must invest a minimum of 2,500 dollars. However, you don't need to pay any extra service fees. You just have to purchase at least 2,500 dollars worth of items.
If you're using the gold and silver IRA services, you will need to pay 180 dollars annually for the upkeep and storage of your account. In addition, you will need to invest 10,000 dollars at minimum.
The 180 dollar fee will come from your custodian rather than American Hartford Gold itself; some custodians might have slightly different pricing.
As an incentive, the company covers all of your account fees for your first year. For people with larger portfolios, they're willing to cover up to three years of account fees. You can talk to a specialist to find out whether the extra coverage would apply to you.
Unique Aspects
The staff is extremely thorough and knowledgeable. In addition, it's easy to get involved with the company. There's no need to understand complicated investment jargon or market forces. That makes the company super accessible to people who have never invested in precious metals before.
The company's president and CEO both have two combined decades of precious metals experience. They make sure that the company operates with integrity and transparency.
One particularly unique feature is the price match guarantee. Lots of companies claim that they offer the lowest prices on the market, but American Hartford Gold puts their money where their mouth is. If you find a better price anywhere, they'll match it so you get top value for your dollar.
This price match service is part of why the investment minimums are so high. You need to be willing to invest a lot if you're going to buy at the lowest possible market price.
Promotions
There are several promotions available, similar to promotions run by other gold investment companies.
When you make qualifying purchases, you can earn up to 1,500 dollars in free silver. This will be shipped to you rather than added to any existing retirement accounts.
For those who invest in an IRA, the first three years of fees are waived for all purchases over 100,000 dollars.
You also get free insurance and shipping with every purchase. This is fairly standard for the industry, but still worth mentioning. You don't have to worry about the headache of a lost package costing you thousands.
Getting Started
The streamlined enrollment process is very similar to that of many top-rated gold investment companies. You'll either submit an online form or call the company and talk to a specialist. They'll guide you along every step of the process. This specialist will also answer your investment questions, make suggestions based on your goals, and help you get your paperwork in order.
If you're simply making a cash purchase, you'll just need to finalize the order with your specialist. There won't be any need for complex paperwork or investment strategies. That said, the expert can still provide guidance on how to allocate your current resources.
With IRAs, after you fund the account, you can select and purchase your metals. Then the purchase will be delivered to the secure IRS-approved storage vault.
Once you reach the age of 59.5, you can start liquidating your IRA without penalties. You'll either be able to cash out or remove the assets themselves. American Hartford Gold offers a buyback guarantee, so you can instantly trade your assets for market value when it's time to pay dividends.
Buyback Program
One of the biggest struggles with precious metals is that they are difficult to liquidate. If you need to sell them quickly, you might be tempted to offer them to a pawn shop for much less than market value. People who do that tend to lose money on their investments, even if they've held them for years.
To mitigate this worry, American Hartford Gold has a buyback program. Once you're ready to start taking distributions from your retirement account, they will buy the gold at the current market price.
The liquidation process is also super simple. Most of it is handled on their end. They arrange for the metals to be shipped to them from your IRA vault. Once the metals have arrived, they will send you a payment in an agreed-upon amount.
When you sign up for an account, you will be given an account executive. You can reach out to this person to find out whether you can use the buyback program. Eligible people can avoid added fees and difficulty with liquidation.
Is American Hartford Gold a Scam?
American Hartford Gold is not a scam. They are accredited by multiple third party alliances and have thousands of credible customer reviews. In addition, we haven't been able to find any consistent complaints that point to mismanagement in the company.
The company does exactly what it sets out to do. It aims to make gold investment accessible to people who don't know much about investing. Customers come away armed with new knowledge and happy that they've been able to make their own choices.
Consumer Watchdog Ratings
American Hartford Gold's reviews and ratings with third party watchdogs are consistently good. The Business Consumer Alliance gives them an A rating, while the Better Business Bureau has accredited the company with an A+ rating.
Consumer Affairs has accredited the company. On that website, the reviews give a total average of 4.9 out of 5 stars, indicating that the vast majority of customers are satisfied. On Trustpilot, the company has a nearly unheard of 5 stars. Meanwhile, on TrustScore, the company scores a 9.6 out of 10.
All in all, there are very few companies that perform so consistently well with consumer groups. These reviews are an excellent sign. They indicate that the company is trustworthy.
Customer Reviews and Complaints
Customer reviews tend to be positive, for the most part. Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, and Google all give them high ratings.
The most common praise is the ease of use. Customers are happy with how knowledgeable the staff is and how simple the process is. It's a very relaxing service, particularly if you've been nervous about getting started with investing.
Many people also say that they've recommended the company to friends and family who want to start investing. They've been happy enough with their experiences to spread the love.
Every popular company has some negative reviews. But the ones for American Hartford Gold have very little to do with the company itself. Most complaints were centered on monetary losses due to the fluctuating precious metals market. In this case, the most the company can be blamed for is not adequately educating the clients about risk.
Customer Support
In addition to robust customer support options, there are ample educational resources on the company website. The experts love to share their knowledge about investing in the precious metals industry. These resources are super helpful if you're coming into the process without knowing much about gold.
Some of the other helpful resources you'll find include:
If you complete a short form on the website, you'll be emailed a free guide to precious metals investing. Not only does it explain the pros and cons of different precious metals, it also explains the nuances of a gold IRA.
Online chat tools are available when you want to have your questions answered. You can also pick up the phone to chat live with a customer service expert at any time.
Potential Drawbacks
The only serious potential drawback we can find is that the online catalogue doesn't show any prices. You can see what's available in the marketplace, but you don't know how much it costs.
That's because the price of precious metals fluctuates on a daily basis. The company doesn't have an algorithm that can adjust the prices accordingly. When you call to talk to a specialist, they can make suggestions for you based on your goals, the current prices, and market trends.
Remember the price match guarantee as well. The company promises to match any lower quote that you find. So be sure to do your research and make sure you get the actual lowest price on the market.
Final Thoughts
American Hartford Gold has an excellent reputation in the precious metals industry. In addition to thousands of satisfied reviews, they also have an A+ from the BBB, a perfect score on Trustpilot, and an endorsement from commentator Bill O'Reilly.
The company utilizes many of the same practices that make the most competitive industry leaders, such as:
Many people have said that the ease of use and the excellent customer service made them happy with their choice. Several stated that they would recommend the company to any friends or family who wanted to start investing.
If you're making a non-IRA cash purchase, you'll need to purchase a minimum of 2,500 dollars. That's to make the price match guarantee worth it. For those opening an IRA, you'll have to invest a minimum of 10,000 dollars. This can be rolled over from your existing retirement accounts.
The only potential drawback of the company is that they don't post their prices online. It's hard to find out what kind of fees you can expect from an account. To find out about the prices, you have to contact a representative, which isn't as easy as filling an online shopping cart.
All in all, though, this is a good company for those new to investing. There are a few other brokerages that might beat it just slightly in terms of customer service and convenience.
Although we do think that American Hartford Gold is a solid company, we believe that there are better companies out there to make your investment with.
Or you can get a free precious metals investment kit from our #1 recommended company right now!
Or, continue with American Hartford Gold...