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Have the recent ups and downs in the economy and the stock market been making you think about adding gold to your portfolio? Some people discover the advantages of owning silver and gold by reading financial sites or hearing stories on the news. No matter how the idea of owning gold came to you, it's imperative to find a suitable company when the time comes to invest your money.
It's essential to be very cautious when entrusting anyone or any company with the capital you need for retirement or long-term financial security. The first step, and the wisest move you can make, is to do enough research on all the companies that are on your shortlist. Find out about their histories, investment principles, and reputation.
You've probably heard about Augusta Precious Metals, the company we review below. Our goal was to dig deep and reveal all the pros and cons of Augusta Precious Metals, often called APM for short. After reviewing the information we sorted through, you'll be in a better position to decide for yourself whether APM is the best choice for you.
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- 1,000+ 5 star ratings
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- 2021 company of the year
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Precious Metals Are Ideal For Today's Investors
Precious metals, especially silver and gold, are universally accepted assets. They're both instantly convertible into cash, no matter where you live. As popular commodities, they are among the most liquid assets in existence. That's just one reason millions of people use precious metals to round out and diversify their portfolios.
When the global economy is volatile, as it is now, the long-term value of silver and gold tends to rise in comparison to stocks, national currencies, and most other asset classes. When a person's retirement or other investments are not performing well, adding precious metals to their holdings can be an ideal way to bolster the returns, particularly in the long run.
Why Put Gold And Silver Into An IRA?
Many people are not aware that there is a thing called a self-directed IRA, or an SDIRA for short. The law allows anyone to set up an SDIRA and add precious metals to it in physical form. Traditional IRAs hold cash and stocks, both of which are intangible and susceptible to the ups and downs of the daily market. By setting up an SDIRA and adding gold and silver to it, it's possible to avoid the volatility and risk associated with paper-based stocks and currencies.
Gold and silver are the two most popular metals because they offer a way for investors to avoid all the risks that come with economic crises, inflation, unemployment, food shortages, pandemics, business closures, and more. In an era where financial uncertainty for individuals is at an all-time high, placing precious metals into a retirement account can be the wisest decision for anyone who values long-term financial security.
What Augusta Offers Its Customers
While the information elsewhere in this review describes in detail all the services APM offers, it's smart to have a "big picture" of the main things the company includes on its menu. The following list simply notes what the five core offerings are for the company's clients:
How Does APM Deal With Storage?
Many people ask, "Why can't I store my gold and silver in a safe-deposit box or at home?" The answer is that the IRS, by law, only recognizes precious metals IRAs that use government-approved storage facilities. Of course, it is entirely legal to store precious metals in your home or wherever you choose.
But remember that any metals you store on your own cannot be part of an IRA. Fortunately, Augusta works directly with several US-based depositories that are all fully approved by the IRS. Here's a list of the ones APM customers can choose from:
New clients with Augusta Precious Metals don't have to worry about transportation to their chosen storage facility. APM's team deals with all the details regarding shipping, insurance, and documentation of the transfer to the storage depository.
The company always uses high-level security procedures to make sure their customers' silver and gold get to where it's going without a hitch.
IRA Options
An Augusta specialist will explain the benefits of adding precious metals to your IRA and how the process works. Customers can select various coins or bullion bars of gold or silver based on their preferences. You always have the option to ask questions and get direct, detailed responses from the APM agent who is assisting you. The company works with multiple IRS-approved storage facilities throughout the US.
Customers can not only choose their depository but can go there, in person, and view their precious metals whenever they wish. The team member will help you with paperwork and documentation throughout the initial process of account setup, funds transfer, and everything else. APM's team members pride themselves on working with newcomers, so there's no need to be reluctant to ask questions about any IRA-related issues.
Non-IRA Options
Many people choose to buy precious metals for non-IRA purposes, or sometimes along with IRAs that hold gold and silver. If you have the desire to add metals to your portfolio for a reason other than creating or adding to a self-directed IRA, Augusta's team of specialists can give you the necessary guidance.
Keep in mind that even without an IRA, it's still possible to diversify a portfolio by adding silver and gold to the holdings. There are a couple of advantages to non-IRA metals investing.
First, you can store the assets wherever you wish. Second, there are no laws regarding withdrawal. In other words, it's completely legal to sell some or all of the metals in a non-IRA portfolio anytime you want without the standard 10% fee that applies to IRAs.
It's up to you to decide how to manage such an account, and the Augusta specialists can help you choose the right metals to buy, offer advice about storage, and ship them to you at no cost.
Plus, there's never a fee to get this kind of advice from APM's team members. Simply ask to speak with a specialist, and you'll get all the information you need. When you decide how much gold and silver, or any combination of metals you wish to purchase, all you need to do is transfer the necessary funds.
The main thing to remember is that APM has a lengthy menu of premium silver and gold coins, silver bullion, and gold bullion from which to choose. Your options include the following:
Gold
Silver
How Does Augusta's Customer Service Rank?
Our researchers gave APM the highest possible customer service rating due to the way the specialists assist new customers every step of the way. From the initial phone call or chat to account setup, funds transfer, selecting metals, making sure transfer takes place in a timely way, and assisting with all other issues, the company's service is second to none.
Every new client has a designated agent to work with. That person answers your questions and will hook you up with whatever department you need during the account setup. Via a phone call or online chat, all new customers can get information directly from the analysis department about the state of the economy and the prices of precious metals. The team in the Augusta IRA section help with paperwork and documents to officially create an IRS-approved account for you. Should you ever decide to add more metals to your IRA or purchase them for a non-IRA account, the order desk will walk you through the process.
What About Shipping For APM Customers?
As alluded to elsewhere in this review, all APM customers get no-cost insurance on the transportation of metals as well as totally free shipping. That way, you can rest assured that any losses or in-transit damage are fully insured while your metals are moving from APM to your designated storage facility or to your home address.
Plus, Augusta Precious Metals ships all orders as soon as they receive payment, so there's never a delay in receiving the items you ordered. Of course, for home delivery, all metals are packed in secure, discreet containers in order to maintain their full value and protect your privacy. Even the delivery person will not have any way of knowing what's in the boxes you receive.
Decision Points, Pros, And Cons
Before reviewing a list of pros and cons, it's important to understand that APM's customer service is among the very best in the industry by any standard. Their BBB (Better Business Bureau) rating of A+ and BCA (Business Consumer Alliance) grade of AAA are the highest possible. Here are other pertinent pros and cons of doing business with APM:
Pros
Cons
Fees, Charges, and Account Minimums
Augusta's fees and account minimums are 100% transparent and simple.
The minimum investment is $50,000 for IRA accounts, with a yearly maintenance fee of $80.
Annual storage costs at the depository you select are $100, and there's a one-time-only account initiation fee of $50.
What Types Of Investors Should Choose APM?
Is APM a good match for your financial needs and investing goals? In fact, Augusta is best suited for people who:
What's The Best Way To Get Started With A New Augusta Account?
Getting started with a brand-new APM account is very easy. Call their toll-free phone number or email them, and they'll hook you up with an agent over the phone. The specialist will walk you through the initial steps of account setup and answer any questions you have about the process.
They'll explain the current state of the metals market and the general economy. If you decide to open an account, an IRA specialist will assist you with the documentation. In other words, the Augusta team members do all the heavy lifting as far as paperwork and details are concerned.
They'll show you how to transfer funds, and once you've done so, you'll be sent to the order desk. That's where you select the various precious metals, bullion or coins, gold or silver, to place into your account. At that point, the metal is transferred to your preferred depository. All this can be done via chat, but a specialist will phone you to confirm all the order details.
How The Company Compares To Its Competitors
Many of APM's competitors are nothing more than sellers of precious metals. Unlike those companies, Augusta works personally with every client to inform them about the markets, explain what's available for inclusion in IRAs or for investment accounts, and assigns a specific agent to all new customers to help with paperwork, documentation, funds transfers, etc. All clients are free to ask questions and get reliable, detailed answers at any point in the account creation process. Finally, all APM customers are treated with respect, whether they're new to investing in precious metals or not.
Our Final Rating Report Of Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals should be at or near the top of every serious investor's list of the best IRA and non-IRA gold and silver companies. Our researchers found APM's customer service and overall reliability to be unmatched. Their team members treat every new client with an equal amount of respect and courtesy.
They answer any questions about how self-directed IRAs work and how gold and silver investing works. We recommend that interested investors look at the company's website or call their direct number to get more details. The site is https://www.augustapreciousmetals.com/, and the phone is 800-700-1008. Our recommendation is primarily based on Augusta's longstanding reputation in the industry and with consumers.
Augusta's team members and specialists work hard to assist new clients with portfolio diversification, particularly with IRA accounts but also with non-IRA holdings. The lifetime support, full assistance during account setup, and the wide array of educational resources all contribute to making Augusta Precious Metals one of the very best companies in a highly competitive market niche.
