American Hartford Gold Review
The best about American Hartford Gold
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High-quality, diverse collection of gold, silver coins and bars
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Buy-back program (no backend fees and price match guarantee)
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Free silver worth up to $10,000 on qualifying purchases
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Reasonable $10,000 minimum account deposit
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Excellent customer service and account specialists
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Investor education focus
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Visit AHG todayBefore we get started with this review:
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American Hartford Gold Company Review
American Hartford Gold Is Ranked #3 out of our top-rated gold IRA companies
There are gold IRA companies, and then there is the American Hartford Gold Group. Having delivered precious metals worth more than $1 billion to date (primarily gold and silver), this Los Angeles-based family-owned company helps investors buy gold and silver under or outside a precious metals IRA arrangement. Although California-based, AHG has clients nationwide, usually connected online or over the phone.
Besides offering a wide range of precious metal IRA services and purveying precious metals, the company is committed to educating its new patrons with its educational materials so they know how to begin setting up an IRA, what to expect, and more. And if you have doubts, you can always get in touch with one of their specialists—more on the company’s services and support later in this American Hartford Gold company review article.
Before delving into the details, here’s a snapshot of the company’s strengths and weaknesses, ratings and reviews, and more.
Goldco Pros & Cons
Benefits
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High-quality, diverse collection of gold, silver coins and bars
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Investor education focus
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Buy-back program (no backend fees and price match guarantee)
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Free silver worth up to $5,000 on qualifying purchases
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Excellent customer service and account specialists
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Reasonable $10,000 minimum account deposit
Disadvantages
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No platinum or palladium IRA
American Hartford Gold Key Summary
American Hartford Gold offers more than just IRA services. Below is a table delineating the other types of IRAs and financial services the company provides:
| Services | |
| Gold IRA | Yes |
| Silver IRA | Yes |
| Platinum IRA | No |
| Palladium IRA | No |
| Cryptocurrencies | No |
| Special Coins | Yes |
| Educational Library | Yes |
| Fees | Variable |
| Minimum Purchase | $10,000 |
| Ratings | |
| BBB Rating (A+ to F) | A+ |
| BBB Customer Ratings | 4.94/5 |
| BCA Rating (AAA to F) | AA |
| BCA Complaints (last 3 years) | 2 – click here for details |
| Trustlink Rating | 5/5 (1,071 reviews) |
| GENERAL | |
| Preferred Depository | Delaware Depository |
| Preferred Custodian | Equity Trust Company |
| Physical IRA Application | Yes |
| Digital IRA Application | Yes |
American Hartford Gold Category Ratings
Here is a quick look at how we rate the company on various parameters. To learn more about how we arrived at the ratings, click here.
| Product Range and Services | 4.9/5 |
| Pricing | 4.6/5 |
| Customer Care | 4.6/5 |
| Company Reliability | 4.5/5 |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5/5 |
| Total | 4.6/5 |
The Bottom Line - Is American Hartford Gold a Go?
Yes, American Hartford Gold is more than worth a consideration if you’re looking to set up a gold IRA—starting afresh or rolling over an existing account. The “A+” BBB rating, “AA” BCA rating, glowing user reviews overall, etc., prove the company’s legitimacy and authority in the space. We discuss the above in detail below in this American Hartford Gold precious metals review piece.
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Products Range and Services
American Hartford Gold furnishes a range of precious metal services. It provides physical delivery of gold and silver bars and coins or within an IRA, 401(k), TSP, or any other retirement savings or retirement account. Although headquartered in Los Angeles and another corporate office to its credit in Woodland Hills, California, AHG caters to patrons across the nation, helping families and individuals invest in gold and other precious metals from the comfort of their homes.
American Hartford Gold sells many precious metals, including coins, bars, and more prestigious coins. Besides selling precious metals for an IRA, the company also sells precious metals not intended for a self-directed IRA. Most importantly, AHG supplies the highest quality gold and silver coins at competitive prices. The prices, however, are not mentioned on the site. Get in touch with the company for gold, silver, and platinum prices and precious metals catalogs.
American Hartford Gold Services
American Hartford Gold offers gold and silver IRAs, besides providing other precious metals to buy. It is one of the country's most significant gold and silver retailers. The company’s biggest selling points are its buyback commitment and price match guarantee. If selling gold, ask AHG if it’s interested in the trade. If it’s keen, expect the best prices.
Depository Choices: The company doesn’t offer depository services or storage solutions. But since there’s no dearth of quality repositories, finding one shouldn’t be a problem. AHG recommends quite a few—Delaware Depository Service Company, International Depository Services, and Brinks.
But you can choose any repository you like, provided it’s in the States. Do note that AHG may not help you with your research in finding a depository. And if you go the solo route, any issues you face with the storage company later will not be AHG’s concern, or the company will be under no obligation to resolve your concerns.
It is advised to associate with AHG-recommended depositories. The three aforementioned precious metals storage firms are among the best in the precious metals industry and have multiple storage locations. Finding one close to you, therefore, won’t be an issue. Not to mention, there are numerous storage options (segregated, non-segregated).
Educational Materials: AHG has a rich investor library that consists of guides on several topics such as self-directed IRA, precious metals investment, TSP (thrift savings plan) rollover, dollar collapse, cybercrime, etc. The guides are free and available to those who call the business for information. The company also periodically issues live market data reports, helping their clients check their holdings’ prices any time, any day. Not to mention, AHG comes up with blog posts on gold and silver market trends and movements. If the market is hot, expect more frequent posts.
RMD Estimator Tool: Required minimum distribution (RMD) is the minimum sum that you (IRA account holder) should withdraw each year from your account after turning 72 years old (or 70.5 if you turned 70.5 years old prior to January 1, 2020). The exact sum to withdraw can be challenging to compute. American Hartford Gold makes that easy with its RMD Estimator. The RMD sum isn’t static. As you age, the annual withdrawal sum changes. The Estimator tool helps compute the yearly withdrawal sum by considering your age, ensuring your IRA complies with the given rule.
Gold Guide Rating: 4.9/5
Pricing Information
Below is all you need to know about American Hartford Gold’s pricing or how much it would cost to set up an account with the company and keep it in good stead.
American Hartford Gold Costs/Fees
American Hartford Gold is not the most transparent with its fees and other charges. Not publicly displaying the prices of the gold and silver coins it sells is an indication. But gleaning from all information we gathered, the company is pretty reasonable with its fees. The company charges a yearly $180 maintenance fee. The shipping and gold IRA storage fees are variable.
AHG won’t charge you anything for the first year if your account purchases are worth more than $50,000. And if your account’s gold and silver holdings are more than $100,000, expect a waiver for up to three years. Also, AHG doesn’t charge for shipping precious metals to any location in the U.S. If it does, just ask for a waiver. Tracking and insurance costs are covered too for free.
Minimum Investment
AHG requires a $10,000 minimum deposit. There are no particular minimum order quantities or sizes. If the $10,000 deposit sounds like a lot, wait until you come across companies that charge way more to set up and administer gold and other precious metal IRAs.
Gold Guide Rating: 4.6/5
American Hartford Gold Customer Care
American Hartford Gold is known for its knowledgeable and courteous staff. It’s arguably the best personnel on board for a gold IRA company. The service is impeccable both before and after you set up your account. Assigning an account executive to every client is a welcome move. The customer support line is available round-the-clock for clarifications, grievance redressals, and every other concern.
American Hartford Gold Educational Materials
As stated before in this American Hartford Gold self-directed IRA review write-up, AHG has a unique investor education program too. The comprehensive content library makes it easier for any investor (irrespective of their current knowledge level) to imbibe all information needed to learn about and invest in a gold IRA and other precious metals IRA.
Gold Guide Rating: 4.6/5
Company Reliability
If you’re looking to set up a self-directed IRA, there’s no shortage of businesses wanting to work with you. But not all are reliable or worth taking the journey with. Many of them are more interested in their client’s finances than the client. Thankfully, American Hartford Gold is one of the few credible, reliable companies that take care of you and your investments. The company’s efforts to guide its clients are also visible in the range of knowledge resources it offers.
American Hartford Gold Company History and Background
American Hartford Gold was founded in 2015. Although the company hasn’t been around for very long, it has become prevalent and is already one of the most credible names in the gold IRA industry. Although the amount and quality of work done within the period is the reason, the founding team’s experience in the space is also a major factor. The expertise built over the years underpins the company’s success.
Gold Guide Rating: 4.5/5
Customer Service
As mentioned earlier, customer service is one of American Hartford Gold’s strong points. The company is not perfect, but it strives to correct its mistakes, which the clients clearly appreciate if the glowing reviews and high ratings on credible third-party sites such as Better Business Bureau are any indications. A perfect Trustpilot score based on more than 1,000 reviews is no ordinary feat, bearing testimony to its unparalleled customer service.
American Hartford Gold Independent Third Party Customer Reviews
Read some of the American Hartford Gold reviews, and you’ll notice a commonality: positive and happy clients.
The excellent feedback is thanks to the lengths AHG goes to not leave any patron disgruntled. Luckily, AHG has had very few unhappy clients who usually present relatively minor concerns. Among the few American Hartford Gold complaints, the lack of transparent pricing on the American Hartford Gold Website is the only major red flag.
The investing space is quite cut-throat, primarily focusing on money-making and less on people. Companies like AHG are the outliers who believe serving the customer is paramount. Once individuals or families invest in precious metals or other financial tools with a company, getting the support team to resolve issues, if any, is not as easy as businesses claim. AHG is among the few that are true to its mission and strive to resolve client concerns.
If you’ve never invested in physical precious metals before, you’d have difficulty ascertaining the right amount and kind of gold or silver to add to your investment portfolio. Most companies you contact would suggest what it thinks is right without considering your requirements or goals you may have. American Hartford Gold is more than keen to hear you out.
Gold Guide Rating: 4.5/5
How Does American Hartford Gold Compare to Other Gold IRA Companies?
Here is a quick overview of how American Hartford Gold compares to the competition on different parameters:
| RATING 1-5 WHERE 5 IS BEST | Goldco | Augusta Precious Metals | American Hartford | Birch Gold Group | Noble Gold |
| RANKING | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
| PRODUCT RANGE AND SERVICES | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.4 |
| PRICING | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| CUSTOMER CARE | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
| COMPANY RELIABILITY | 5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| CUSTOMER REVIEWS | 4.9 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| TOTAL RATING | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 |
Alternatives to American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold compared to the competition
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Gold & Silver IRA
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$10,000
$2,500 non IRA
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$50
$180 Admin Annually
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Variable
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A+
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AA
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Free silver worth up to $5,000 on qualifying purchases
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Gold & Silver IRA
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$25,000
$3,500 non IRA
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$50 + $30
$100 Admin Annually
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$150 Segregated
$100 Non Segregated
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A+
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AAA
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Get 10% back in FREE silver
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Gold, Silver, Platinum & Palladium
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$50,000
$50,000 non IRA
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$50
$200 Admin Annually
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$125
Annually
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A+
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AAA
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None
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Gold, Silver, Platinum & Palladium
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$10,000
$5,000 non IRA
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80$
80$ Annually
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$100
Annually
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A+
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AAA
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None
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Gold, Silver, Platinum & Palladium
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$10,000
$3,000 non IRA
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$0
$80 Admin Annually
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$150
Annually
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A+
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AA
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First-year fees waived for qualifying IRAs
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Gold, Silver, Platinum & Palladium
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$10,000
$10,000 non IRA
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$0
$80 Admin Annually
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$110
Annually
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D-
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AA
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Get a 10 year anniversary silver coin if you request the free investor kit
As indicated in the table above, American Hartford Gold is not the top player yet. If not AHG, here are the other two companies you should look at.
Goldco
If American Hartford Gold’s unique selling proposition is its customer support, Goldco’s claim to fame is its investor education program. The company provides IRA holders complete access to their investor education library right after they come on board. The education program comprises well-researched and expertly created articles, videos, webinars, etc., on a wide range of precious metals and investment-related topics. The website also offers real-time market monitoring and other analytical tools.
Goldco is not far behind on the customer service front, too, assigning an agent or specialist to a client who may need help with a transaction. Buyback options and 401(k) rollovers are some complementary services the company offers. The only significant pushback with the company is its unwillingness to disclose its fees to prospective clients. Click here to learn more about the business.
Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals has set high standards, quite literally—the minimum $50,000 investment requirement is among the highest in the gold IRA space. Although the tall deposit figure scares many potential investors away, the number also indirectly denotes the quality of service you can expect from the business.
Notably, the company is quite forthcoming and transparent about its fees. You are not in for rude shocks. In your first interaction with the company, you’ll receive a comprehensive breakdown of all your one-time and recurring account expenses. If you are unhappy with the services, the company provides a money-back assurance. And if you want to liquidate the gold, APM charges you no liquidation fees.
How to Invest in American Hartford Gold?
To invest in gold or set up a gold IRA account with American Hartford Gold, contact the business and talk to an account specialist. If you have doubts to clear or apprehensions, you may discuss them with the company representative before deciding.
Once you’re sure about creating the account and have given the account executive your assent, AHG will send you the relevant paperwork. The company will need your personal and banking information. You can ask for the documents to be mailed to you or sent digitally.
After submitting the account set-up information, plan to move the funds from your current retirement account to the gold IRA. You may need your accountant’s help. Once the fund rollover is approved, it could take three business days for the money to reflect in your self-directed IRA.
Once the money appears in your gold IRA account, you may buy gold, silver, and platinum coins and bars with the funds. Let AHG know what kind of precious physical metals you’d like to invest in, and it shall process the transaction. The purchased physical metals will be transported to Delaware Depository Service Company, International Depository Services, or Brinks. All activities concerning your account will be documented and accessible at any time.
To summarize:
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Send in your precious metals IRA application
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Select your funding source for acquiring precious metals under the new IRA ambit
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Choose the precious metal (gold or silver) for the retirement account
An AHG representative will be with you throughout the onboarding process.
American Hartford Gold FAQs
1. What is the minimum investment for American Hartford Gold gold IRA?
The minimum investment required for the American Hartford Gold gold IRA is $10,000. To invest in precious metals outside an IRA, the investment minimums could vary—typically lower. Contact AHG for more information.
2. What type of metals should I have in my American Hartford Gold gold IRA?
Gold and silver are the precious metals (as bars and coins) AHG deals with under the IRA setup. The company doesn’t offer palladium, and platinum may not be available for an IRA arrangement.
3. When would I be qualified for American Hartford Gold gold IRA distributions?
For American Hartford Gold gold IRA distributions, you must be 59 years old at least.
4. Is there a buyback program for American Hartford Gold gold IRA?
Yes, American Hartford Gold offers buyback options for its gold IRA. Kindly note that the company is committed to the buyback even though it doesn’t guarantee anything. If you want to liquidate your metals, contact AHG before dealing with other buyers. There won’t be any liquidation fee, and the three-step process is quick and straightforward.
5. What storage options do I have with American Hartford Gold?
American Hartford Gold doesn’t directly store your precious metals in its locations. It, however, ties up with established depositories that provide segregated and non-segregated storage options.
6. Why would I need a custodian to handle precious metals in my American Hartford Gold gold IRA?
Because that is how an IRA works—standard or self-regulated. Like how it’s an IRS rule not to store IRA assets in a private property or provide physical possession of the gold to the IRA owner, having a custodian managing the account is a mandatory aspect. And having a custodian overseeing things is also practical since most people would struggle with all the IRA paperwork.
7. Who is the custodian of American Hartford Gold precious metals gold IRA?
As mentioned earlier in this American Hartford Gold IRA review article, AHG has Equity Trust Company taking care of the custodian role.
8. How long will it take to roll over my IRA to the American Hartford Gold precious metals gold IRA?
It takes around three business days for the funds from your existing account to move to the gold IRA. That’s after all the paperwork is complete. Overall, the rollover process should take a week to a month (in rare scenarios) to finish.