American Hartford Gold Review
Is American Hartford Gold the best choice for your precious metal IRA needs? Find out in this in-depth review.
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Get Up to $10,000 in Free Silver on Qualifying Purchases | |||
Overall Score | 4.6 | ||
Minimum Deposit | 4.5 | ||
Fees | 4.0 | ||
Gold IRA | 4.5 | ||
Customer Service | 5.0 | ||
Safety | 5.0 | ||
Pros and Cons
- $10,000 minimum
- Fees waived first year
- A+ BBB rating
- Pricing not transparent
Bottom Line
Excellent Gold IRA with low minimum and lower fees
Investing in gold could protect you from the volatility of a 100% stock-based portfolio.
Gold IRAs, like those offered by American Hartford Gold, can better protect your investment by offering tax advantages. So when it's time to retire, you can keep more of your hard-earned income.
American Hartford Gold has strong customer reviews. Plus, they have one of the lowest minimums and can even waive your fees for the first year.
Is this gold IRA right for you? Are they legit? How high are their fees?
In this in-depth review, you'll learn everything you need to know.
What is American Hartford Gold?
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American Hartford Gold is a family-owned precious metals dealer, based in Los Angeles. They were founded in 2015 by Sanford Mann.
Their main services are:
- Selling precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium
- Offering Gold IRAs
You can buy precious metals from American Hartford Gold with perks like free insured shipping, price matching, and a buyback commitment.
To open a Gold IRA with American Hartford Gold, the account minimum is $10,000.[1] This is one of the lowest minimums in the industry. You also get the tax advantages of investing in an IRA.
American Hartford Gold has a couple of options to roll over your current IRA into their Gold IRA. You can use their 60-day rollover option or choose the trustee-to-trustee option. You'll have no penalties or taxes with either of these methods.[2]
They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, a 4.9/5 rating with Consumer Affairs, and a 4.9/5 rating with TrustLink with +1,000 reviews.
American Hartford Gold Features
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Let's look into American Hartford Gold features you can expect.
Gold IRAs
American Hartford Gold offers a retirement account where you can hold gold and other precious metals.
Gold is the most popular precious metal you can buy for your tax-advantaged retirement account. But you can also purchase silver, platinum, and palladium.
A Gold IRA lets you invest in physical gold bars and coins. Unlike "paper gold" investments that just hold stocks or ETFs focused on the gold industry.
The prices of gold don't usually correlate with the prices of the stock market. When the stock market is down, gold is often up. But you will have to pay taxes on any capital gains from your gold investment.
How Do Gold IRAs Work?
Your IRA is managed by Equity Trust, an IRS-approved custodian. They are partnered with most Gold IRA providers and have over 45 years in the financial industry.
You can select where your gold is stored from American Hartford Gold's depository partners: Brinks or Delaware Depository. You can choose from locations in Delaware, Texas, New York, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles.[3]
If you wanted to actually visit your gold, you can schedule an appointment.
How to Sign Up for a Gold IRA
To sign up for an IRA, you must roll over an existing IRA according to IRS regulations. But it's a simple process, and American Hartford Gold's customer support team will help you through it.
Once you're signed up, you can select from IRA-approved precious metals to add to your portfolio. American Hartford Gold lists a range of gold and silver coins and bullion on their website. You can also speak to a rep about investing in platinum or palladium.
The IRS requires certain purity standards for precious metals that are held in an IRA. IRA gold must be at least 99.5% pure. Silver must be 99.9% pure, and palladium and platinum must be 99.95% pure.
One benefit of working with a respected gold dealer and IRA provider like American Hartford Gold is that you don't have to worry about making the wrong choice when buying precious metals for your IRA.
Buy Precious Metals Directly
You can also buy precious metals from American Hartford Gold and have them shipped to your house. This way, you keep them outside your IRA.
American Hartford Gold has a solid offering of gold and silver bars and coins.
- Gold American Eagle Coins
- Gold American Buffalo Coins
- Gold Canadian Buffalo Coins
- Gold American Eagle Proofs
- Silver American Eagle Coins
- Silver Canadian Buffalo Coins
- Silver Saint Helena Sovereign
- Silver Canadian Maple Leaf
- Silver American Eagle Proof
- Gold Bars
- Silver Bars and many more
Like many gold dealers, American Hartford Gold doesn't quote its prices on its website. If you would prefer that, check out Orion Metals Exchange. Below you can compare them head-to-head.
Buyback Guarantee
American Hartford Gold promises to buy back your precious metals when you're ready to sell. They don't charge any fees on the back end for this service.
If you open a Gold IRA, you can take distributions when you reach the age of 59½.[4]
When you reach the age of 72 (73 if you reach age 72 after Dec. 31, 2022), you'll be required to take distributions.[5] To take your distributions, you can sell your metals back to American Hartford Gold, and they will send you a check.
This saves you from having to find a buyer to sell your gold.
Precious Metals Storage
For a gold IRA, the IRS requires you to store your precious metals in approved depositories. You can't store your gold at home, and there's no such thing as a "home storage IRA."[6]
American Hartford Gold has partnered with two leaders in the precious metals storage industry for you to select from.
- Brinks: Has industry-leading vaults to store your precious metals.
- Delaware Depository: The USA's largest precious metals storage option.
Fees to Look Out for
American Hartford Gold has fees in line with its competitors but offers to waive some of your fees. American Hartford's fees are:[7]
- Setup fee: waived
- Annual IRA fee: $75 for accounts under $100,000; $125 for accounts over $100,000
- Annual storage fee: $100
It also offers deals to waive your storage, maintenance, and insurance fees up to 3 years.
Account Minimum
The minimum account required to open an IRA is $10,000. This is one of the lowest minimums in the industry.
American Hartford Gold vs Competitors
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American Hartford Gold competes with other respected Gold IRA providers with different offerings and fees.
Let's see which is best for you.
American Hartford Gold vs Orion Metal Exchange
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| Visit Site | Learn More | |
American Hartford Gold | Orion Metal Exchange | |
|---|---|---|
Get Up to $10,000 in Free Silver on Qualifying Purchases - | ||
Benefits and Features | ||
| Annual Fee | $175 - $225 (waived for the first year) | |
| Minimum Deposit | ||
| Gold IRA |  | |
| Setup Fee | ||
| Silver IRA | | |
| Platinum IRA | | |
| Palladium IRA | | |
| Buyback | ||
| Visit Site | Learn More | |
Orion Metal Exchange offers similar services to American Hartford Gold. Both sell precious metals directly and can help you open a Gold IRA.
Both also have low minimum investments. But Orion charges an initial IRA setup fee of $250, while American Hartford Gold will waive your first-year fees.
On the other hand, after the first year, Orion's annual fees are only $175, while Americans' are $280.
Orion Metal Exchange is one of the only dealers with prices listed on their website. American Hartford Gold makes you call a rep for pricing.
American Hartford Gold vs Patriot Gold Group
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| Visit Site | Learn More | |
American Hartford Gold | Patriot Gold Group | |
|---|---|---|
Get Up to $10,000 in Free Silver on Qualifying Purchases - | ||
Benefits and Features | ||
| Annual Fee | $175 - $225 (waived for the first year) | |
| Minimum Deposit | $25,000. No Fee IRA $100,000 minimum | |
| Gold IRA | | |
| Setup Fee | 5% on dealer-over-cost metal prices | |
| Silver IRA | | |
| Platinum IRA | | |
| Palladium IRA | | |
| Buyback | ||
| Visit Site | Learn More | |
Patriot Gold Group is a competing gold IRA provider with a similar range of metals: gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
Patriot's minimum investment is higher at $25,000. But Patriot's annual fees are lower at $200, compared to American Hartford Gold's $280 annual fees.
However, if you have more than $100,000 to invest, Patriot offers a No Fee for Life IRA. This appeals to investors with more capital.
Bottom Line
American Hartford Gold is a popular precious metals dealer and provider of gold IRAs.
They have one of the lowest account minimums, and the ability to waive your fees for the first year with any account. These features make it an attractive company to investors who want to dip their toe into gold IRA investing.
If you want lower annual fees down the road, then you may consider other IRA providers.
But American Hartford Gold has highly rated customer reviews. And it's noted for making the process of investing in physical gold an enjoyable experience.
References
- ^ American Hartford Gold. Does American Hartford Gold have a minimum Gold IRA initial contribution amount?, Retrieved 6/23/2023
- ^ American Hartford Gold. FAQ: How do I move funds from another retirement account into a Gold IRA?, Retrieved 8/21/2022
- ^ American Hartford Gold. Custodian and Depository Information, Retrieved 8/21/2022
- ^ Internal Revenue Service. IRA FAQs - Distributions (Withdrawals), Retrieved 8/21/2022
- ^ Internal Revenue Service. Retirement Topics - Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), Retrieved 8/21/2022
- ^ Internal Revenue Service. IRA FAQs: Investments "If my IRA invests in gold or other bullion, can I store the bullion in my home?", Retrieved 8/21/2022
- ^ American Hartford Gold Group. IRA Investment Guide, Retrieved 1/16/2022
Free Gold IRA Kit
- Up to $10,000 in free silver for eligible customers
- Highest buyback price, guaranteed
- Endorsed by Sean Hannity and Chuck Norris
Free Information Kit
- Free "insider" info on gold & silver
- 1-on-1 care with a dedicated specialist
- Endorsed by Ben Shapiro and Ron Paul
Free Gold When You Open a Gold IRA
Free gold is only for qualified customers who have at least $100K saved for retirement and who open a gold IRA with Augusta Precious Metals.
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