Augusta Precious Metals Review

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By Tim Schmidt Sr.
Accredited Investor and Gold IRA Specialist

More people than ever before are putting their money into physical gold, and one of the best ways to do this is to open a gold IRA. There are many gold IRA companies out there, but only a very few have the sterling reputation that Augusta Precious Metals has.

Is Augusta Precious Metals legit? Very. I have been reviewing gold IRA providers for many years, and Augusta Precious Metals stands tall against most other companies I have worked with.

Here, I want to share my experience with the Augusta Precious Metals company and how to open a precious metals IRA.

>> Visit Augusta Precious Metals

Pros and Cons – Why it’s the Best Gold IRA Company

Pros of Choosing Augusta Precious Metals for a Self-Directed IRA	Cons of Choosing Augusta Precious Metals for a Self-Directed IRA
Endorsements from some of the top media companies including Forbes, CNBC, Money.com, USA Today, and Investopedia.	There is a high minimum investment of $50,000 to invest with the company. This doesn’t work for those with smaller allocations.
Thousands of 5-star reviews from customers, an AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance, and an A+ rating from the BBB.	The company only sells metals over the phone; you cannot buy gold or silver online, which is something several other gold IRA companies offer.
Wonderful buyback program, which allows customers to sell their physical precious metals back to Augusta at the best price possible.	Only gold and silver products are available. Augusta Precious Metals does not offer platinum or palladium, unlike other gold IRA providers.
Seamless sign up process – Augusta has top-notch customer satisfaction ratings thanks to their no-pressure sales process.	A mandatory phone consultation is required for all retirement investors who want to work with Augusta.
There are no management fees or hidden fees to be worried about.	Augusta Precious Metals only works with customers in the United States.
Augusta has a great focus on education, and it offers its customers exceptional educational materials.
There is a 7-day money-back guarantee from the Augusta Precious Metals team.
Augusta Precious Metals offers complimentary shipping and insurance on investments.
There is lifetime support from the moment you open an account with Augusta.

A Full Overview of Augusta Precious Metals

Augusta Precious Metals is known for selling gold and silver coins, bars, and other products, but its main focus is helping customers open a gold IRA account. These accounts help retirees store physical gold, silver, and other metals in their retirement portfolio. These retirement accounts offer tax benefits, and it’s a great thing to consider when investors seek deeper diversification, as this can definitely diversify your retirement savings. The only way to really invest in metals other than purchasing physical gold is to invest in mining stocks.

Unlike other gold companies that offer gold IRAs, crypto IRAs, and other types of self-directed IRAs, Augusta only offers gold and silver. This type of focus allows them to really have a lot of knowledge about precious metals investing, and it allows them to offer a very tailored approach for those who want to invest in metals for their retirement.

As mentioned, Augusta Precious Metals has some of the highest ratings in the gold IRA industry. This includes an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, zero complaints, and so many 5-star reviews that other companies in the precious metals industry are hard pressed to meet its standards.

The ratings for Augusta Precious Metals are certainly impressive, but, that being said, it might not be the right company for everyone. Augusta Precious Metals requires a minimum $50,000 investment to open a gold IRA. This is higher than the industry average. However, this comes with the best service in the industry, and every customer gets personal guidance for their lifetime.

Augusta Precious Metals takes investing seriously, and because of that, they also want to make sure that their customers are well-versed on retirement investing, too. This is why it puts so much effort into education. Customers have access to free guides about gold investing, as well as up to the minute market trends, reports, and even one-on-one online sessions with Devlyn Steele, a Harvard-educated economist.

Augusta also partners with one of the most well-respected custodians in the industry, Equity Trust, which is a high-level custodian that has a history of making clients happy with its services.

For those who can pay the minimum investment, Augusta makes it well worth the price. The company does almost everything for you, they will help you choose the best products to meet your investment goals, and will even help with arranging storage with the Delaware Depository or International Depository Services, which are its chosen storage facilities.

>> Visit Augusta Precious Metals

Storage Options for Precious Metals

If you add precious metals to your retirement plan, there are a few things to keep in mind. All metals that are part of a precious metals IRA must meet specific purity standards from the IRA. Gold must be at least .995 pure and silver must be .999 pure.

Though adding gold and silver to an IRA is a great idea, only certain types of metals can be added. The specialists at Augusta will help make sure you choose the right metals for your investment goals. Many gold companies out there don’t do this, and this is just another reason Augusta is such a great company. Pair that with their lack of high pressure sales tactics, and you really do have a winner.

There is no charge for shipping, and once you buy your metals, Augusta will ship them to the storage facility in about 10 days. Once they arrive, they are insured by Lloyd’s of London with a $1 billion insurance policy.

If you buy gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, or silver bars for personal investments outside of a gold IRA, Augusta can ship those directly to your home. Then, you can store the metals in a safe or at a bank safety deposit box at the financial institution of your choosing.

Ready to Choose? Which Precious Metals Are Available at Augusta?

Investors choose Augusta Precious Metals over other companies for many reasons, including the lack of aggressive sales tactics and the transparent pricing it offers. Retirement savers also choose Augusta because they know that the metals available from Augusta are high-quality, meet IRS guidelines, and will work with their retirement goals.

While other IRA companies and IRA custodians offer platinum and palladium, Augusta does not. The only alternative assets available are gold and silver. Here are some of the popular options from Augusta Precious Metals:

Common Gold Products

• American Eagles
• American Buffalos
• Canadian Maple Leafs
• Austrian Philharmonics
• South African Krugerrands
• Canadian Polar Bears
• British Britannias
• Gold bars

Common Silver Products

• American Eagles
• Canadian Maple Leafs
• Austrian Philharmonics
• Silver rounds
• Canadian 5 Blessings
• American the Beautiful series
• Silver bars

Since the IRS has put restrictions on what type of coins can be used in an IRA, it’s important to work with a company that understands that. In addition to traditional IRA coins and bars, Augusta also offers premium coins for collectors. Augusta representatives can help to offer advice here, too. They will know what you can get with your purchasing power and they will offer just good solid information about the metals you might be considering. These, too, are good options for times when market volatility is high, and when done right, it can have tax benefits, too. But, always talk to a professional when you need tax advice about IRAs.

In times of economic uncertainty, collectors often like to invest in coins like:

• Gold Sovereign from St. Helena
• Canadian Gold Arctic Fox
• Royal Canadian Mint Silver Soaring Eagle
• Certified 5-piece sets of Indian or Liberty gold coins.
• Ben Franklin silver half-dollars
• Mercury silver dimes

It doesn’t matter if you are working with Augusta to set up an IRA or you are buying precious metals for personal investments, the company will help you through the entire process. If you already have an existing account, they will already know your risk tolerance and what you need, so you can give them a call and they will do all the legwork, something many competitors just don’t do.

Augusta Precious Metals Reviews and Customer Ratings

I have already mentioned how high the consumer reviews are for Augusta Precious Metals, but let’s look at this a little closer so you can really appreciate the amazing team that works at Augusta.

Augusta Precious Metals has a prestigious A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 4.8 out of 5-star rating on TrustPilot. Those are two of the most well-respected consumer review sites out there. This shows that the narrow focus Augusta has works well for their customers. They are also known for having very ethical business practices, being transparent, offering clear explanations, having a fair pricing structure, and a hands on training approach, which allows customers to not only meet their financial goals, but also make informed decisions about their investments.

Here’s a list of the reviews that Augusta has gotten thanks to its outstanding customer service, education process, and the company’s commitment to its customers:

• Google – 4.9/5
• Better Business Bureau– A+ rating and 4.93/5 star customer satisfaction rating
• Business Consumer Alliance – AAA rating
• TrustLink – 4.9/5 stars
• TrustPilot – 4.8/5 stars
• Consumer Affairs – 4.9/5 stars

When you look at these reviews, one thing is very clear; customers really like Augusta Precious Metals, and more importantly, they trust the Augusta team. Customers understand that the higher premiums and education calls, and web conferences, etc, are all meant to make them more knowledgable about the process, and even things like the market insights and educational approach the company takes works so well to improve the customer experience. Augusta does a really nice job making sure customers never feel pressured, and from the first contact to the final purchase, it has been my experience that the team answered my questions and addressed my concerns each and every time.

>> Visit Augusta Precious Metals

Augusta Precious Metals Fees and Costs

Augusta Precious Metals is also very serious about being ethical, and its transparency extended to pricing information. All this really matters when you want to have a long relationship with your new custodian and gold IRA company.

Let’s take a closer look at the pricing structure and consider the information presented below:

• Setup Fee – $50 – one time
• Yearly Custodian Fee – $125
• Annual Storage – $100

That’s it. Other companies, for example, put higher markups or other hidden fees in, but Augusta never does this. You won’t pay hidden fees at any point, from the order desk to the storage facility. The total fee for opening a gold IRA with Augusta is $275, and then it’s only $225 for each year to come.

Augusta Precious Metals handles shipping and insurance for all orders, and this ensures that your precious metals will arrive safely to the storage facility. The customer service person you speak to will explain all of this in most cases, but I thought it was important to mention before you decide to work with this company.

Another thing I want to mention is the markup. All of these companies want to make profits, and the way they do it is by putting a markup on the metals they sell. So, your metals will be priced a bit above the spot price. I found that Augusta has very fair and affordable markups, which still allow it to be profitable to the company and fair to their customers.

Just to compare, I can confirm that I did some research, and a one-ounce bar from Augusta was priced 0.05% higher than the Comex gold price at the time of this writing. When I looked at competitors, they were around 0.08% higher. This is just one more reason why I think Augusta is a rare company in this industry and working with them is priceless.

How to Invest in a Gold IRA With Augusta Precious Metals

Opening a gold IRA account from Augusta Precious Metals is very easy. Remember, a customer services rep will be working with you from the first step. When I went through the process they answered all my questions and I felt comfortable making the decision to invest. They even went through the process of verifying that I understood everything, explained things like why precious metals are hedges against inflation, and gave me a comparison of how different coins and bars might perform over time.

As a buyer and investor, my best advice is to have patience through the process and follow these steps:

Step #1 – Request a Free Gold IRA Guide

The first thing to do, which will get the whole process started, is to request a free gold IRA kit from the Augusta Precious Metals website.

This kit will help you feel confident about getting the ball rolling, as it explains things like what gold IRAs are, the costs associated with them, how the market influences them, and common missteps to avoid.

Augusta will reach out to you after pairing you with a dedicated precious metals specialist to start talking about your interest in a gold IRA.

Step #2 – Set Up an Account With Augusta

The next thing you will do is set up the IRA. The gold IRA specialist will take care of all the paperwork, and they will open up the self-directed IRA for you, which makes the process quick and hassle-free.

Step #3 – Fund Your Account

With your account setup, the next step is to fund it. You can do this by rolling over from a 401(k), transferring from another IRA, or even other qualified plans. Again, the gold IRA specialists will help you do this.

Step #4 – Select Precious Metals to Include in Your IRA

After you funded the account, you can proceed to purchasing precious metals. Work with the purchasing team to pick from approved items that fit IRA rules. They’ll walk you through options and finalize everything during a recorded conversation for clarity and records.

Step #5 – Approve Shipment to a Storage Facility

Once you have chosen your coin, you have the ability to choose your storage facility. Whichever option you choose, when you work with Augusta, you have peace of mind thanks to the fact that they are fully insured and protected.

Once everything is decided on, and you have chosen a secure storage facility, they will ship the metals you have purchased and that’s all you have to do.

>> Visit Augusta Precious Metals

Augusta’s Buyback Program – Extra Protection

If you ever need to start the liquidation process, know that all is not lost when you work with Augusta. They have an amazing buyback program that allows for liquidity of your assets. You can convert your metals into cash or take the physical gold and silver yourself.

Keep in mind that there are some IRS guidelines that must be followed in order to avoid penalties. If you take funds from your IRA before the age of 59 1/2, there may be a 10% penalty.

Alternatives to Augusta Precious Metals

Augusta Precious Metals is certainly one of the highest-rated gold IRA companies out there. However, many people may not be able to meet the $50,000 investment requirements. Because of this, I think it’s wise to consider other options that are very good, too.

Goldco

Another company I really like is Goldco. This company puts an emphasis on helping new investors, and that really makes a difference when you start investing in precious metals. There is no minimum investment, the company has amazing customer service, and the fees are very competitive.

Like Augusta Precious Metals, Goldco has an A+ rating from the BBB and thousands of 5-star reviews. The company also has been endorsed by a number of high-profile celebrities including Sean Hannity, Tom Selleck, Chuck Norris, Dennis Quaid, and others.

American Hartford Gold

Another option I really like is American Hartford Gold. It is known for having competitive fees and a low investment minimum of $10,000. This is a very attractive option for those who want to invest in precious metals but don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to do it.

American Hartford Gold also offers a number of promotions including waived storage fees, a fee-free buyback program, and free metals, like silver, with some purchases.

GoldenCrest Metals

GoldenCrest Metals is a relatively new company, but they really are changing the game here in the precious metals industry. There are hundreds of positive reviews for the company, which is really impressive considering how new they are.

One thing that GoldenCrest also does well is bringing the act of metals investing into modern times. You can buy coins and bullion, you can open an IRA, and like Augusta, the GoldenCrest Metals team is known for helping their customers make the right choice when buying metals; those that are suitable for meeting their financial goals.

Who Should Choose Augusta Precious Metals?

Many people wonder if Augusta Precious Metals is the right company for them. I would say that it’s the best company for those who have a portfolio of $100,000 to $1 million+. It’s for people who are serious about precious metals investing and those who are close to retirement.

I would caution those, however, who only have around $50,000. You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. Precious metals should only be a part of a full retirement portfolio.

For those who do meet these requirements, and those looking to invest, I can’t recommend Augusta enough. Augusta Precious Metals provides lifetime support for customers, including assistance with Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and future contributions.

My Final Thoughts About Augusta Precious Metals for Gold and Silver Investing and Gold IRAs

Augusta Precious Metals is a wonderful company for those who want to buy traditional gold and silver or invest in a gold IRA. It has a commitment to clear communication, it offers amazing educational resources, and it has unmatched support. Augusta has had an A+ rating with the BBB for many years, and a perfect AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance.

This company really stands out thanks to its expertise, its strong educational resources, and the full commitment they have to meeting their customers’ needs.

Though some investors won’t be able to invest with Augusta due to the high $50,000 minimum, those who can should do so with confidence. The service here is very hard to beat, and there is a lot of value to be had by working with this company.

If you are ready to get the process started, I recommend requesting a free gold IRA guide from Augusta. There, you can learn about the gold IRA available, and additionally, speak to a customer service rep who can answer all of your questions. Augusta Precious Metals offers a one-hour educational session to new clients to explain the process and details of investing in precious metals, too.

If you can’t work with Augusta due to the high minimum investment, or you are looking at other options, consider Goldco, American Hartford Gold, or GoldenCrest Metals.