If you’re considering investing in gold for retirement, Augusta Precious Metals is one of the most reliable companies out there.
Not only does Joe Montana endorse it, but it’s also one of the only gold IRA companies with no negative complaints.
Here’s an in-depth examination of Augusta Precious Metals. Keep reading to learn the benefits of investing with them, as well as what sets them apart from other companies.
What Is Augusta Precious Metals?
Augusta Precious Metals is a gold IRA provider that lets you invest in physical gold and other precious metals. Since its founding in 2012, it has become one of the most trusted companies for investing in gold and silver IRAs.
This family-owned business was founded by CEO Isaac Nuriani with the help of his brothers Ariel and Gabriel. It’s headquartered out west in Casper, Wyoming— also known as America’s friendliest city.
Augusta offers:
- IRA-approved precious metals
- Direct purchase of gold and silver
- Gold storage in an IRS-approved depository
- Lifetime support from IRA professionals
They are committed to being transparent, simple, and providing excellent service to customers. Augusta will help you with every aspect of your journey — from beginning steps to withdrawals.
Although the minimum amount needed to open a gold IRA with this company is higher than many others at $50,000, their annual fees are lower than some other companies.
Looking for a lower minimum investment? Goldco offers the chance to invest in a precious metals IRA with only $25,000.
Who Augusta Precious Metals is Best For
The following are reasons why Augusta Precious Metals might be the best gold IRA company for you:
- You have not yet made a decision and want to educate yourself on gold investing before moving forward.
- You want a guide who will take you by the hand and show you what to do every step of the way.
- If you have at least $50,000 to invest or rollover, then this is the right place for you.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Free personal web sessions
- Prioritization on educating customers
- On-staff Harvard trained economist
- All positive reviews
- Helps you with paperwork and the entire process needed to open an IRA
- Competitive fees
- Professionals in Augusta provide support for a lifetime.
Cons:
- $50,000 minimum deposit
What Makes Augusta Precious Metals Stand Out
When looking for the right gold IRA company, it is important to pick one that you would feel comfortable trusting with your future. Here are three reasons why Augusta Precious Metals stands out among the rest.
1. Education Comes First
Making the decision to invest your savings can be difficult, especially when you don’t have all of the information that you need. Augusta Precious Metals understand this and goes above and beyond to educate their customers before they make a purchase. They want to ensure that you are buying for the right reasons and take time to assess your goals in order to help decide if a gold IRA is best for move for you rather than just pressuring you into a sale.
You will be able to have a free one-on-one web conference led by Devlyn Steel, who is an economist that went to Harvard. This session will teach you everything there is to know about gold and the market so that you can make the smartest choice possible. There’s never any pressure to open an account when you talk to the team, and if you’re not ready yet, no problem! You can still get their free guide on Gold IRAs.
2. Lifetime Support
As an Augusta customer, you receive lifetime support from their team of gold professionals. You will have a dedicated agent who will serve as your main point of contact and connect you to other experts for additional help with:
- Education about gold and market updates
- Adding more gold to your IRA
- Managing distributions during retirement
- Building a legacy for your family
- Selling back your precious metals
Augusta isn’t a company that will leave you once you make a purchase. Instead, they want to be your partner for the long haul–throughout your entire journey.
3. 100% Positive Reviews
Augusta is a gold IRA company with only positive reviews from customers. Based on over 790 customer reviews, Augusta averages 4.95 out of 5 stars—with no complaints whatsoever. In fact, it’s the gold IRA that star quarterback Joe Montana personally uses himself—and he isn’t the only one who loves it! Hundreds of glowing 5-star reviews come from:
- BBB: A+ rating, 4.96/5 from 100+ reviews
- Trustlink: 5 stars from 280+ reviews
- BCA: AAA rating, 5 stars from 90+ reviews
- Consumer Affairs: 4.9 stars from 30+ reviews
- Google Reviews: 4.9 stars from 290 reviews
Overall, customers say that they feel valued by the Augusta team, who never pressure them to buy. Instead, reps go above and beyond to answer questions and guide customers through the decision-making process.
Customers also report enjoying the one-on-one webinars, which are designed to help people understand if a precious metals IRA is right for them. Below are some representative reviews:
“Augusta Precious Metals is extremely helpful as you navigate the metal IRA industry. I appreciate their patience with all of my questions and concerns. Very customer oriented, do not pressure you to move faster than you want. Always kept in touch as I went through the process, again very patient with questions. Easy to work with, and deliver in good timing.”
– Mitzi B (on BBB)
“I really learned a lot from our conversations with Augusta Precious Metals. They really explained to us the economics of gold and silver and how the world around affects pricing, etc. Very very thorough, informative and it was not a high pressure sales situation at all.”
– Sharilyn V (on Trustlink)
“Augusta Precious Metals provided a solid performance. I didn’t expect this level of conversation in terms of honesty and human-ness. They answered questions that had been just beyond my ability to put into words. I feel that I will still be in control of my wealth.”
– Pamela P (on Google Reviews)
How to Get Started With Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals makes opening an IRA account easy. They’ve streamlined the process so it’s as simple as possible:
- Learn about gold IRAs in your free web conference.
- When you’re ready, you’ll open your self-directed IRA account. Augusta works with Equity Trust.
- Fund your account. Augusta will help you complete the paperwork to rollover your existing retirement account.
- Augusta’s order desk will help you purchase gold from a list of IRA-eligible coins.
- Your precious metals will be sent to an IRS-approved secure depository.
Even if the process of transferring paperwork or purchasing coins is new to you, Augusta will walk you through every step.
Continue reading to learn more about Augusta’s services in detail.
Minimum, Pricing, and Fees
Augusta Precious Metals has a $50,000 account minimum, which is higher than other gold IRA competitors. However, if you’re rolling over funds from a 401k or IRA, this amount may not be a big deal. Augusta’s fees are:
- One-time set up fee: $50
- Annual custodian fee: $100
- Annual depository fee: $100
You’ll pay a total of $250 for the first year. After that, there is an annual fee of $200 with no additional management, shipping, or insurance fees.
What Products and Services Do Augusta Precious Metals Offer?
Now that you understand Augusta Precious Metals a little better, let’s explore their products and services in more detail, including.
- IRA gold and silver coins
- Precious metals storage
- Gold buy-back program
Now let’s dive in.
Physical Gold & Silver IRA
Augusta’s primary offering is the Physical Gold and Silver IRA, which allows investors with over $50,000 to invest in gold and silver as a part of their tax-advantaged retirement account.
Augusta prefers working with Equity Trust as their custodian provider. They’re a self-directed IRA provider located in all 50 states with experience dating back 45 years ago. And they currently hold 34 billion dollars in assets under management.
Your gold and other metals are stored with the Delaware Depository, which is approved by CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) and ICE (Intercontinental Exchange).
This depository has top-notch physical security, as well as $1 billion all-risk insurance from Lloyd’s of London.
IRA-Eligible Gold and Silver Coins
The Internal Revenue Service has very specific demands for the type of gold and silver coins you’re allowed to invest in an IRA.
As per IRS rules, all gold coins must be 99.5% pure or higher (the one exception being American Gold Eagle coins, which are 91.67% pure). Silver coins must meet the same high standard of purity at 99.9%.
Fortunately, Augusta Precious Metals offers investors a wide variety of coins that you can purchase with peace-of-mind, and that adhere to all IRA regulations, including:
- American Gold Eagles
- American Gold Eagle Proofs
- Canadian Maple Leaves
- Gold Canadian Eagles
- Gold American Buffalo
- Gold Australian Striped Marlin
- American Silver Eagles
- Canadian Silver Eagles
- Canadian Silver Maple Leaf
Gold And Silver for Direct Purchases
In addition to buying gold and silver for your IRA, you can purchase gold and silver bullion directly from Augusta Precious Metals to store at home. Some of the metals they offer are:
- Gold American Eagle BU (1 oz, .5 oz, .25 oz, .10 oz)
- Gold American Buffalo (1 oz BU)
- South African Gold Krugerrand (1 oz)
- Gold Bar (10 oz)
- Gold Bar (1 oz)
- American Eagle Silver (1 oz)
- Silver Bar (100 oz)
- Silver Bar (10 oz) and more
Gold Buy-Back Program
Augusta’s Gold Buy-Back Program is beneficial because it gives you the option to sell your gold back to them, rather than having to find a buyer on your own. Additionally, Augusta has never refused a request to buy back gold.
If you want to sell your gold, you have a few options. You can try to find a buyer or local gold dealer on your own, but that involves searching for the best prices and haggling. With Augusta’s buyback program, you can have peace of mind knowing they’ll buy it back at competitive prices without any hassle.
Is Augusta Precious Metals Safe and Secure?
To ensure the safety of your physical gold and silver in your retirement IRA account, Augusta Precious Metals has taken out a policy with Delaware Depository. This is an IRS-approved depository that specializes exclusively in precious metals storage. Your gold and silver are protected by an all-risk insurance policy for up to $1 billion provided by Lloyd’s of London.
Augusta also has depositories in many US cities, including:
- Los Angeles, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Jackson, Ohio
- Wilmington, Delaware
- New Castle, Delaware
- Springfield Gardens, New York
- Nampa, Idaho
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Shiner, Texas
- Dallas, Texas
- South Fargo, North Dakota
- Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
You can even visit your storage facility to see your metals in person. Your custodian will be happy to arrange those visits for you.
Augusta Precious Metals FAQs
Is Augusta Precious Metals legit?
Yes, Augusta Precious Metals is a legitimate precious metals IRA provider. Their partner custodian Equity Trust has been around for over 45 years and holds over $34 billion in assets.
The gold and silver in your IRA is safely stored with depositories like Delaware Depository, which is protected by $1 billion all-risk insurance through London underwriters.
With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance, they maintain excellent customer ratings averaging 4.9 stars.
If you’re still concerned, take a look at this helpful guide from the CTFC on how to identify precious metals fraud.
Are Precious Metals still a Good Investment?
Precious metals like gold and silver can offer diversification to your investment portfolio, which is generally a sound investment strategy. By investing in precious metals, you are less subject to the volatility of a stock-based portfolio.
Who is Augusta Precious Metals best for?
Those looking to retire soon and diversify their portfolio away from stocks, and those who have an initial investment of at least $50,000.
What is the best metal to buy right now?
No market expert can tell you definitively which metal is the best to invest in at any given moment. Even they often make predictions that turn out to be wrong. The most effective way to protect your investment from a unstable market is diversification. Of the metals, gold and silver are probably the best options for new investors because they are readily available and there is high demand for them.
Is it worth buying precious metals?
It’s impossible to say definitively whether or not now is a good time to invest in precious metals. However, they can be a good way to diversify your portfolio if it consists mostly of stocks and other investments. Precious metals also have a low correlation with the stock market, so including them in your portfolio can help mitigate volatility.
Augusta Precious Metals Review – The Bottom Line
Augusta Precious Metals is a reputable provider of precious metals IRAs dealing in gold and silver, with almost exclusively positive reviews. They have exceptional customer service, with a team of specialists who are there to support you for the entire lifetime of your account. The only downside is their relatively steep minimum investment of $50,000 or more. If $50,000 is too high of a minimum investment for you, consider another provider such as Goldco or American Hartford Gold. You can also check out our other reviews of the best gold IRA companies of the year. If you feel Augusta Precious Metals is the right option for you, simply click the link below which will take you to their website to get started.