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Augusta Precious Metals is a Casper, Wyoming gold and silver IRA company specializing in helping Americans protect their savings with physical precious metals IRAs.
After reviewing all of the big players in this growing gold IRA market, we've placed Augusta Precious Metals at the top of our recommended list for 2024.
Why? Augusta seems to genuinely care about their customers' success. Their celebrity sponsors - including Joe Montana, Mark Levin, and Judge Jeanine Pirro - will attest to this.
Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals offers competitive pricing, zero fees for up to 10 years, and a unique, free one-on-one web conference we couldn't find anywhere else. The company will send you a free gold when you learn about gold IRAs through a free webinar - you don't have to become a customer.
There is no purchase required. Your free coin (1/10 oz, 99.5% pure) is shipped directly to your door at no cost. Click here to get your free guide and learn how to protect your retirement.
In this Augusta Precious Metals review, we take a look at the company's history, reputation, services, customer reviews, fees, and more.
Request Your Free Gold IRA Guide:
Protect Your Retirement Savings with Physical Gold & Silver.
Company History
Augusta Precious Metals was launched in 2012 by founder and CEO Isaac Nuriani. The CEO started this firm with the goal of helping retirees diversify savings in ways not typically made available through traditional retirement plans.
Isaac Nuriani, CEO Augusta Precious Metals
From the beginning, the company made a commitment to transparency, integrity, competitive pricing, education, and streamlined customer care. They are obviously doing a good job - they almost exclusively have 5-star ratings from both customers and industry relevant review websites.
Nuriani has a degree in economics from the University of Los Angeles, and is a member of both Ethics.net and the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA). According to Nuriani, this company is unique due to its personal approach in educating customers about precious metals and its dedication to "lifetime account service."
The company brought on Devlyn Steele as on-staff Harvard-trained economic analyst and Director of Education. With more than thirty years experience in the financial services field, Steele leads a team creating unique educational materials to share economic and process information some companies keep from retirement savers because they don't sell precious metals.
One of their most important educational resources is the "Ultimate Guide to Gold IRAs." Not only will this guide teach you everything you need to know about gold IRAs, they'll even give you a free gold coin just for getting started in the learning process.
While we endorse a few gold IRA dealers on our site - this personalized approach stands out above their competitors.
Celebrity Customer and Paid Ambassador Joe Montana
In 2021, NFL hall of fame quarterback Joe Montana joined the Augusta Precious Metals team as their celebrity ambassador. What's unique here is that Joe Montana approached Augusta Precious Metals as a potential customer who dialed into the web conference without sharing his identity.
Joe Montana was interested in diversifying his retirement savings into physical precious metals, because that's where his financial team said he should protect his retirement money.
Montana asked his team to research gold companies and find a company he can trust. The team suggested Augusta Precious Metals over other companies and this led to requesting the "Ultimate Guide to Gold IRAs."
After reviewing their educational guides and asking questions via their web conference, Joe Montana decided to buy gold and silver with Augusta Precious Metals for his own IRA.
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Company Products and Services
Augusta Precious Metals' business is almost exclusively in opening gold and silver IRAs. Many conservative savers in the U.S. want to move a small portion of retirement savings out of their 401(k) or IRA and buy physical gold.
This is what Augusta Precious Metals does for new customers every day. While headquartered in Wyoming, with a satellite office in California, the company does most of their business over the phone and internet with a fast-growing customer base located across all 50 states.
Outside of gold and silver IRAs, Augusta Precious Metals will also handle direct delivery of precious metals bars and coins. The company offers free shipping - as well as liability insurance for all shipments.
The company website shows a wide selection of:
- gold & silver bullion bars
- gold & silver bullion coins
- premium gold & silver coins
Some popular gold IRA eligible bars and coins include:
- Gold & Silver American Eagles (bullion or proof)
- Gold American Buffalos
- Gold & Silver Canadian Maple Leafs
- Gold Canadian Eagles
- Australian Striped Marlins
- and more...
This is not an exhaustive list. The company can source bullion and premium coins from all of the major Mints at the time of this writing. Please reach out to Augusta Precious Metals if you have questions about a specific bar or coin.
Augusta Precious Metals: 877-580-2357
Augusta Precious Metals review - inside look at the #GoldIRA company's history, ratings, complaints, fees, and more...
Gold IRA Fees
There are typically three parties involved with opening a new gold IRA account:
- the self-directed IRA custodian
- the vault storage depository
- the gold IRA company
If this sounds complicated, it's really not. Especially when you choose a company like Augusta Precious Metals that has focused on establishing a streamlined process. Augusta Precious Metals can walk you through each step of the process quickly and smoothly.
They will help you make the process simple, stress-free, and most importantly - set up in compliance with the IRS. Augusta Precious Metals also insists on making every step and every bit of information transparent, so you know exactly what is going on and when.
What can you expect to pay?
There is typically a one-time setup fee and annual charges for both the custodian and storage depository, but Augusta Precious Metals covers up to 10 years of fees (everyone qualifies) with your new account.
It's a self-directed IRA, so there are no hidden management fees other than usual storage and custodial fees.
Augusta Precious Metals still provides service to you for the "lifetime of your account" at no extra cost.
How does Augusta Precious Metals get paid?
Gold IRA dealers work closely with their suppliers to secure bullion bars and coins at a very low premium over spot. The gold company will then markup the price of these metals and sell at a competitive retail price.
This premium between their acquisition costs and your retail price is how Augusta Precious Metals makes a profit.
The gold IRA market is very competitive, so pricing should be comparable, but it is a good idea to compare pricing with two or more companies before buying. You want to ensure that you're paying a fair markup on your precious metals.
Related: Goldco Review - Company Background, Ratings, Online Complaints, and More...
Gold IRA Custodian
Your current 401(k) or other retirement account is held with a custodian. The problem is that most 401(k) custodians don't allow you to diversify with physical gold and silver. If you want to diversify your savings, you need to open a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) that allows for the purchase of gold and silver.
Augusta Precious Metals works closely with Equity Trust as their preferred SDIRA custodian. If you choose to open a gold IRA with Augusta Precious Metals, your account representative will:
- contact your current custodian with you
- help you fill out the paperwork for Equity Trust
- facilitate the rollover or transfer of funds from your old custodian to your new SDIRA
- assist in selecting and buying gold and silver for your new self-directed IRA account
Note: Equity Trust is a popular, low cost SDIRA custodian preferred by many of the top gold IRA dealers. Again, Augusta Precious Metals will cover these fees for up to 10 years, but if paying yourself, here's what to expect.
Equity Trust charges:
- $50 to set up a new account
- $100 annually to maintain the retirement account.
Related: Request Your Free Gold IRA Guide from Augusta Precious Metals
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Request Your Free Gold IRA Guide:
Protect Your Retirement Savings with Physical Gold & Silver.
Gold IRA Storage
In order to keep the IRS happy, your gold and silver has to go directly from the gold dealer to an accepted gold IRA storage facility. Augusta Precious Metals' preferred vault storage depository is the Delaware Depository, but can offer other options as well.
Most gold IRA customers tend to choose the facility closest to their home. Between Delaware Depository and other partner depositories, Augusta Precious Metals offers a wide selection of locations across the U.S. to choose from.
Augusta Precious Metals offers both commingled and segregated vault storage. Annual storage fees vary depending on the option you choose.
- commingled storage: $100 annually
- segregated storage: $150 annually
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Note: Fees are often competitive between the different gold IRA companies. Always ask if the company is running any promotional offers. A special offer might be enough of an incentive to choose one company over another. Augusta Precious Metals offers an excellent incentive: up to 10 years of zero fees. Make sure to ask how many years you qualify for.
Related: Request your free one-on-one web conference with Augusta Precious Metals
Reviews, Ratings, and Customer Complaints
You'll want to research any gold IRA company before trusting them with your retirement. This is where Augusta Precious Metals shines.
The company has an A+ rating with the BBB and AAA rating with the BCA, which are probably the most common and most trusted websites for these reviews. Not all gold companies can boast perfect scores with both. Augusta was also named Money Magazine's "Best Overall Gold IRA Company" for both 2022 and 2023, as well as Investopedia's "Most Transparent" gold IRA company..
Where else should you look for Augusta Precious Metals reviews?
We've curated the company's reviews from independent third-party sites. Actual customers can visit sites like the Better Business Bureau or TrustLink and leave their feedback, reviews, and complaints about any company.
Sifting through such websites can give you an idea of how reputable a business is in their dealings.
- Better Business Bureau: A+ Rating (highest rating) with 4.95/5 stars based on 110 customer reviews.
- Business Consumer Alliance: AAA (highest rating) with 5/5 stars based on 99 reviews.
- TrustLink: 5/5 star rating based on 287 reviews.
- Facebook: 5/5 based on 125 reviews.
- Yelp: 5/5 based on four reviews.
- Google Reviews: 4.8/5 rating based on 447 reviews.
- Rated "Best Overall" gold IRA company by Money Magazine in 2022 and 2023
Below: Review by Herbert Campbell - an actual customer of Augusta Precious Metals. Mr. Campbell has an interesting story and opinion of Augusta and the company's trustworthiness. Click here to visit Augusta's website and request your free guide today.
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*Past customers received silver coins as a thank-you for reviews.
Request Your Free Gold IRA Guide:
Protect Your Retirement Savings with Physical Gold & Silver.
Augusta Precious Metals Review: What We Like
So how does Augusta Precious Metals stack up against the competition? We really like Augusta Precious Metals' personalized approach to connecting with customers. Many of these companies have similar processes and systems that make opening a gold IRA simple and easy.
But Augusta's offer of a free gold coin just to learn about gold IRAs really stands out - as does its commitment to providing service after the transaction for the whole lifetime of your account.
We also like that the company is highly rated with the BBB, BCA, Trustlink, and other sites that report Augusta Precious Metals reviews. The company has been in business for over a decade now, they've aligned themselves with a reputable company spokesman, and have developed a consistent track record of customers walking away happy.
The company also has a simple buyback program. If and when you're ready to sell your metals, Augusta Precious Metals is willing to buy back your gold and silver at a competitive price (even if it can't guarantee it by law).
The company says it has never turned down a buyback request, and the firm offers a competitive price for all buybacks.
Due to the reasons above, we felt good enough to put Augusta Precious Metals at the very top of our list of gold IRA dealers that we recommend to our readers for 2024.
Note: It's always smart to get a company's buyback policy in writing when comparing Augusta's offerings with competitors.
Criticism: What We Do Not Like About the Gold Company
No review is complete without some criticism.
We don't like the fact that Augusta Precious Metals has an IRA minimum of $50,000. This allows them to maintain their impressive red-carpet service, but whether you're opening a gold IRA, or looking to have gold coins delivered to your home, this minimum purchase is out of reach for some Americans.
Related: Retirement Savings By Age - Are You On Track?
If you're looking to open a gold IRA and can't meet this $50,000 minimum, there are other gold IRA companies that are able to facilitate your gold IRA with an account as low as $10,000.
If you are in fact investing $50,000 or more in a gold IRA, you can reach out for more information here.
Augusta Precious Metals Review
If you're vetting gold IRA companies, know that there are many players in the arena. It seems that every day a new "gold IRA specialist" is opening their doors.
It is our pleasure to have done some of the legwork for you by comparing these companies and coming up with a list of our top recommendations. Augusta is consistently at the top of this list. Request your guide from Augusta Precious Metals.
This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and get everything in writing. Take your time getting to know the representatives from the company and examining every aspect of their service. In this case, we feel confident that Augusta Precious Metals will treat you right and stick with you throughout the transaction and be around for the lifetime of your account.
