Augusta Precious Metals Is 1st Place in Our List of Top 10 Gold IRA Companies. We found them to be the best overall, with the best reputation of the companies we reviewed.
They have a robust compliance and transparency program (including pricing), and they even help consumers avoid high-pressure tactics some companies use to try to get you to buy a gold IRA from them. They have very high ratings from trusted consumer websites:
Add to that thousands of 5-star reviews from happy customers – and the fact that this company was named “most-trusted” in the U.S. by IRA Gold Advisor. One of their most famous customers is Joe Montana whose personal financial team found Augusta for him. He loved their mission so much, he’s now their paid corporate ambassador. Part of their strength is a unique, one-on-one web conference they offer to all customers. It was designed by their on-staff, Harvard-educated economist, and it covers gold IRA accounts and fees, the economy, and the lies, gimmicks and high-pressure tactics you should watch out for in the industry.
Investing in a gold IRA is never about making a quick buck. Although, over time, the prices of gold and silver have historically risen even in the face of economic turmoil. It’s critical to understand the tremendous benefits of this investing strategy.
Tax-deferred or tax-free advantages
Hedging your bets against inflation
Increasing wealth in tough economic environments
In particular, you can have confidence opening a gold IRA account with Augusta Precious Metals because this company has years of experience in the industry. And not only have they received high praise, they crush the competition in many areas.
Want to find out how? Keep reading to learn more.
“Protectors” of the Industry Help Consumers Avoid High-Pressure Tactics
One of the worst things to permeate the precious metals IRA space is high-pressure sales tactics. Some companies attempt to push future retirees and IRA investors into high-priced gold and silver purchases through lies, gimmicks and other high-pressure pitches. This is dangerous, unethical, and very unprofessional in my personal opinion.
Augusta Precious Metals recognized this fact as well. Even more importantly, they decided to do something about it in-house. They changed their sales culture for the better and their customers reap the extraordinary rewards.
In addition, the company has produced materials that help consumers identify and avoid these tactics. For example, their web conference includes this important information, and you will find videos on their website titled “10 Big Gold Dealer Lies” and “15 Bad Reasons to Buy Gold.”
Augusta Precious Metals customers can speak with the sales team openly and honestly and expect real answers. Because no one is going to attempt to force them into buying assets they do not want.
Customer Support from On-Staff Harvard-Trained Economist Leading the Team
From a personal standpoint, I love how serious Augusta Precious Metals is when it comes to customer service. They take this aspect of their service so seriously that they hired a Harvard-trained economist to educate their support team. It is this person who created the excellent free one-on-one web conference that provides a wealth of information about gold IRAs and fees, the economy and high-pressure tactics to watch out for.
But then they took it a step further.
Not only does this individual train the team, he is also the head of the customer support team. They continue to guide the customer support staff every step of the way, for the lifetime of customer accounts. And the customer and gold IRA account holder benefits tremendously from the education director’s Harvard education.
There isn’t another company in the industry with the ability to explain precious metals investing the way this team does. Plus, there isn’t another company in the business with such a high-caliber expert on staff to answer questions and concerns.
Competitive Pricing at Its Finest
Finally, the last thing I’ll point out is Augusta Precious Metals transparent, competitive bullion pricing.
This company goes above and beyond to take care of their customers as far as pricing is concerned. They guarantee all of the prices on their coins upon an official confirmation call, which is tremendous because prices tend to fluctuate and it’s important to get them locked in once you complete your transaction.
They also provide one of the lowest markups in the industry. Their markup is low – only about 5% over the cost of bullion (it’s different for different products). And they never tack on additional management fees.
Plus, Augusta is willing to cover your custodial and storage fees by paying them for up to 10 years for qualified customers.
How Augusta Precious Metals Stacks Up In Our 7 Critical Factors Test
I created the 7 Critical Factors Test to come up with a system to properly judge and evaluate precious metals IRA companies. I use the system to learn the most intricate details regarding companies in the precious metals industry.
This evaluation process helps me discover the top companies in the industry. And it made it possible to narrow down my top 10 choices. The evaluation includes the following aspects:
online peer-reviewed ratings
types of precious metals: common & premium bullion coins, bars, and rounds
precious metals buyback program
stockpiling
IRA fees
account setup & delivery
customer support & salesmanship
Would you like to find out how Augusta precious metals measured up based on these criteria? Learn the results below.
1. Online Peer-Reviewed Ratings
It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that Augusta Precious Metals is a highly-respected company held in the highest regard. I wouldn’t have made them our #1 company if this weren’t true.
In fact, this company is so well-respected that they receive great praise. And they also receive tremendous accolades on the BBB, BCA, and Trustlink websites.
How do I know? I’ve read countless customer reviews, and many previous happy customers shared the same or similar sentiments. They constantly praise this organization over and over for the following reasons:
They strongly emphasize compliance and transparency
They have a near perfect 4.9 out of 5 stars on Trustlink and perfect grades with the Better Business Bureau and Business Consumer Alliance – and thousands of 5-star reviews
They were chosen over other gold IRA companies by Joe Montana and his personal financial team
They have excellent customer support and account lifetime service
They are extremely helpful to new investors learning the ins and outs of gold IRA investing – the free one-on-one web conference designed by their on-staff, Harvard-trained economist is a must-see for both new and experienced retirement savers who want to know more
They answer all major questions and concerns throughout the final presentation and other interactions
2. Types of Precious Metals: Common & Premium Bullion Coins, Bars, and Rounds
Augusta Precious Metalshas a wide array of IRA-approved gold and silver products for those looking to enter this savings arena. Their main precious metals IRA offerings include the following products:
American Eagle Gold and Silver Coins
American Buffalo Gold and Silver Coins
Canadian Maple Leaf Gold and Silver Coins
Austrian Philharmonic Gold and Silver Coins
1 Ounce Gold or Silver Rounds
2022 St. Helena Gold Sovereign
2020 Australian Striped Marlin
2021 Silver Soaring Eagle – Royal Canadian Mint
2015 Canada Silver Polar Bear and Cub
and other premium and common gold and silver assets to invest in
3. Precious Metals Buyback Program
Life throws unfortunate situations in our path from time to time. It’s at these times that we need to quickly liquidate our precious metals.
Thankfully, Augusta Precious Metalsmakes this easier than ever. They are willing to buy back your precious metals at the going market rate. They never charge additional fees and they pay their customers quickly upon receipt of the precious metals. Keep in mind that any gold and silver in an IRA is subject to the usual IRS rules for distribution.
This is the fastest and easiest way to liquidate some of your assets when you need money fast.
4. Stockpiling
Augusta Precious Metals gives their customers to ways to store their growing IRA physical assets. Their options include segregated storage or commingled storage.
With commingled storage, your physical precious metals are stored in a vault shared by other investors
With segregated storage, your physical precious metals are stored in a dedicated vault all your own
Augusta Precious Metals has strong working relationships with many of the top depositories with IRA approval. Their preferred storage facility is the Delaware Depository.
Augusta Precious Metals has a specific fee structure that all of their customers must adhere to. Their fees are as follows:
FREE storage and custodial fees – Augusta will pay these fees for up to 10 years on qualifying accounts
$50,000 minimum investment
Setup fee: $50
Annual custodian maintenance fee – $100 per year
Annual storage fee – $100 per year (commingled or segregated storage)
Augusta price-match guarantee – this guarantees their customers get the most competitive and best potential prices
Price guarantee on all coins upon an official confirmation call – very reasonable markup on coins and bars
NO management fees
6. Account Setup & Delivery
According to the good people at Augusta Precious Metals, here is what you can expect for setup times and delivery:
Delivery takes place on confirmed orders within 7-10 business days. Qualifying orders receive free shipping and transit insurance. They ship it via FedEx and USPS Express Mail. Brinks Global Services handles larger orders.
Account setup timeframe – as one of the top companies, they work hard to set up accounts quickly. They do not share a specific timeframe. But they want you to call them to discuss account setup in greater detail with their specialists.
7. Customer Support & Salemanship
This company is known for having a phenomenal reputation as far as customer service is concerned. Remember when I told you their customer support team was led by a Harvard-trained industry expert? Believe me when I tell you, their customers notice the difference when dealing with them as opposed to other companies.
Some previous happy customers said:
They love dealing with Augusta Precious Metals because their customer support team is highly educated and provides great information about the industry and economy in general and how to open gold IRA accounts. Customers feel heard, welcomed, and cared for during these interactions.
The sales team at Augusta Precious Metals does a phenomenal job. Customers appreciate that they never implement pushy sales tactics in order to get their business. They are honest, forthright, and trustworthy during every interaction.
Former quarterback Joe Montana is the current ambassador for Augusta Precious Metals. It may seem like a weird match, but it was actually a fortuitous coincidence that led to this situation.
You see, Joe Montana decided to invest in precious metals to help diversify his retirement savings. He wanted to hedge his wealth against inflation while growing his assets.
He has a team of financial advisors at his beck and call. When he decided to expand and diversify his assets, he asked them what he should do next. They said he should begin buying gold.
Next, he asked his team for THE BEST gold company in the United States. After doing hours of research, they recommended the good people at Augusta Precious Metals.
After going through the gold IRA account creation process, Joe Montana has been a customer of theirs ever since. And he was so thrilled with the experience and their company mission that he is now their ambassador. As you can imagine, Augusta was thrilled to give Joe Montana this honor!
What does Joe Montana love about Augusta Precious Metals?
Augusta Precious Metals understands the importance of education. That’s why they brought in Devlyn Steele as the company’s new Director of Education.What makes Mr. Steele qualified for this position? His career began in 1983 when he became a financial analyst for Butler Aviation. From there, he moved on to People’s Express Airline and UPS. As his career progressed, he moved even deeper into financial analytics. He is even a board member of a number of different technology companies and companies in Silicon Valley.Devlyn Steele is also a Harvard-trained economist and a member of the analytics program at the Harvard School of Business. His background and big data allow him to analyze markets and invest wisely. He personally predicted the 2008 housing crash and also predicted the rise in value of silver and gold that soon followed.After meeting Isaac Nuriani, the CEO of Augusta Precious Metals, Mr. Steele loved learning about his mission and decided that he wanted to be a part of it.As Augusta Precious Metals’ Director of Education, Devlyn Steele helps physical gold and silver IRA investors in the following ways:
He uses his analytics knowledge to educate investors and help them find peace of mind.
He shares his understanding of everything happening in the economy. This invaluable information allows investors to better understand potential situations that will drive the price of silver and gold.
He uses his Harvard School of Business education to train and educate his team. Augusta Precious Metals now has the most informed and educated customer support staff in the industry.
He wrote a new book called Pandemic Economics. It will hit all major online bookstores and brick-and-mortar stores very soon.
