Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals is one of the most reputable family-owned and operated companies that deal in precious metals and gold IRA with their expertise and experience spanning close to 50 years. It is a company that has established its reputation as truly service-oriented, so for investors interested in gold or silver IRA it acts as a partner that can be trusted when it comes to building wealth or ensuring secure retirement. Investors can count on Augusta Precious Metals for all the assistance that they need if they would like to open a self-directed IRA or a precious metals IRA, or need to purchase gold and silver outside traditional retirement accounts.
Augusta Precious Metals Review
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) often advises retirement investors on taking advantage of effective strategies for diversifying their portfolios as a way of managing risks. With the help of representatives from Augusta Precious Metals, investors can open tax-advantaged accounts that they can fund with precious metals. They are known as gold IRA or precious metals IRA and with the same tax-deferred status as any other self-directed IRA account.
Pros
- Simple setup
- Lifetime customer service
- Competitive pricing and a streamlined approach
Cons
- At least required to have in savings $50,000
As investments, gold and precious metal IRAs do involve their own risks. Caution is advised to customers as far as claims of making money with little risk relating to these or other investments are concerned. As with many investments, you can still end up losing money considering that results of past performance are not guaranteed to predict future performance. Before you agree to start investing, as a consumer you have to make sure that you fully gain an understanding of the various fees that your investments will attract.
How to Open an Augusta Precious Metals Gold IRA
The process of opening an IRA through Augusta Precious Metals is simplified into 3 steps, while a knowledgeable representative as confirmed through numerous augusta gold ira reviews available online, will guide you through the entire process. The representatives are dedicated to assisting gold IRA customers to make the appropriate selections based on what the IRS requires or approves for retirement accounts. Such selections include gold coins in their various weights as well as the one-ounce silver coins that the United States Department of the Treasury mints. Also permitted are select gold and silver bullions.
- Opening your self-directed IRA: Augusta Precious Metals will recommend account custodians that meet high levels of experience, compliance and integrity. These include Equity Trust, Kingdom or Goldstar Trust.
- Funding your account: you can either do this through a gold IRA rollover or from a bank account transfer.
- Purchasing eligible gold and silver: after purchasing these precious metals for your IRA you will have them kept in a storage facility that must be secure and insured.
Augusta Precious Metals provides investors with gold as well as silver bullions, rounds and bars that come in wide ranging weights and also some premium coins. With Augusta you can also purchase certified coins, commemorative coins, collector sets and proofs.
Working with Augusta Precious Metals
When you are buying premium metals, Augusta Precious Metals offers a price protection program for 7 days that will lock the rate soon after you call to confirm your order. On the other hand, bullion prices are only locked in as soon as the company receives your payment. Substantial bullion orders with Augusta Precious Metals often allow customers to enjoy quantity discounts.
Opening a gold IRA or making another purchase from the company may give you up to a $2,000 silver bonus reward with an initial qualifying investment. For investors purchasing premium gold and silver, it is their right if they want to cancel an order within 7 days to do so while no questions are asked. However, any subsequent purchase or bullion order will be final immediately after confirming the order.
Augusta Precious Metals Gold IRA Storage
Augusta Precious Metals keeps all your gold IRA investments in any of the 7 secure and nongovernmental storage facilities of your choice that are located either in the United States or Canada. Once your purchase of the precious metals is finalized, it gets to the storage facility within a period of 7-10 days.
Augusta’s Storage Facilities
Secured Storage Locations
- Los Angeles, California
- Jackson, Ohio
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Wilmington, Delaware
- Springfield Gardens, New York
- New Castle, Delaware
- Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Security Features of the Facility
- Cutting-edge security system
- Class 3 security vaults
- Fortified building
- Strict inventory controls
- Strict access controls
- Compliant with every regulation requirement
- Facility creditors can’t access your investments
- Insured to $1 billion
- Direct contact with knowledgeable staff
Additional Details of the Facility
- They are privately owned storage facilities and not associated with Augusta
- Facilities may not charge any undisclosed fees
- Visits to the facility can be arranged for you to view, touch or withdraw your investments
For precious metals that are not held within an IRA, Augusta is able to ship them to your home or to any post office box within the United States. The company has never lost any package in transit through its free and fully-insured domestic shipping service. But should your order for gold, silver, or any other precious metals be lost while being shipped, the company promises to fully refund the purchase price.
Augusta Precious Metals Costs
Service
Precious Metals IRAs
Non-IRAs
Investment Minimum
$50,000
$50,000
Yearly Fees
$180
$100 required for storage in a depository, $0 for your own storage
Investment Minimum
Precious Metals IRAs:
$50,000
Non-IRAs:
$50,000
Yearly Fees
Precious Metals IRAs:
$180
Non-IRAs:
$100 required for storage in a depository, $0 for your own storage
Gold prices usually tend to fluctuate because of many factors, so if you need to find out more information about the investment costs you have to contact Augusta Precious Metals. You will at least need $5,000 in order to start investing in gold or silver with Augusta Precious Metals, but there is no limit or maximum investment.
- Setting up your gold IRA through Augusta Precious Metals will just cost you $50
- There are only two yearly fees that Augusta Precious Metals customers can expect, a custodian maintenance fee of $80 and a storage fee of $100
- Purchasing gold or silver if done outside of an IRA makes it possible to make your payment using a credit card, bank wire or personal check.
Augusta Precious Metals Complaints
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating for Augusta Precious Metals is an A+. The company also gets the highest rating for excellence of AAA with Business Consumer Alliance. Only one complaint related to Augusta’s products was received but that ended up being resolved. TrustLink rates Augusta at a perfect 5-star rating based on numerous reviews from customers that confirm the company’s exceptional service. With Facebook reviews Augusta scores 4.8 stars out of 5.
On Glassdoor, employees from Augusta have left many reviews over time resulting in an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Most of the employee reviews provide a useful sneak peek into the internal culture at Augusta Precious Metals and seem to appreciate the structure that the company provides along with respectful treatment while on their jobs.
Augusta Precious Metals Q&A
By dedicating a precious metal IRA specialist for each gold IRA account, Augusta Precious Metals shows an inclination towards a strong commitment of building long-term focused relationships with its customers. From the initial inquiry up to the gold IRA distributions, Augusta provides its customers with the assistance they need at every stage. To provide even better opportunities for their customers to fully understand how investing in precious metals works, the company also publishes various educational resources. Augusta Precious Metals is a member of NEA (National Ethics Association).
With the quarterly statements and other updates that Augusta Precious Metals sends to its customers in order to reveal their investment performance, at any given time it is fairly easy to know everything related to your online account.
At any given time, you can conveniently take full or partial gold IRA distributions. Taking the possession of precious metals in their physical form from the storage facility is one option and that means that your metals are securely shipped to you so that you may decide what to do upon receiving them. The other option and the most recommended option is to have Augusta Precious Metals wire to your bank account the equivalent cash value of the gold IRA distribution. It is advisable to take the required the Required Minimum Distributions or RMDs starting from the age of 70-½. That helps to avoid paying the unnecessary taxes and penalties that come with early withdrawals. On their website, Augusta provides the RMD calculator that you can use, but you are also strongly advised to talk to a professional who is qualified on taxes as far as distributions are concerned.
Since a gold IRA is essentially a self-directed IRA, it means that you are responsible for managing your account and you will not be required to pay any account management fees. But there are custodial and storage fees that may have to be paid for the gold IRA.
Although gold and silver from an historical perspective have always performed well, just like other investments may lose, it is important to appreciate the fact that these precious metals may not be an exception. Gold IRAs therefore do not guarantee returns. You are advised as an investor to consider these precious metal investments as part of your balanced portfolio that will have the advantage of a hedge against inflation and other economic uncertainties.