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Most people don't consider investing in gold with their retirement savings until they have built some wealth through a 401k retirement account. If you want to roll over your funds, you'll go through a complex process to ensure the IRS doesn't charge you with early withdrawal penalties and income taxes on your retirement savings. The complexity of rolling your funds over will encourage you to do this just one time, and that means picking the best gold IRA company to meet your needs.
Before you can choose a gold IRA company, you should know what to look for in a good company. This will give you a better starting point, providing you with the knowledge you'll need to evaluate each company. Once you know what makes a great gold IRA company, you'll be better able to choose one of the top firms to handle your retirement wealth. As with any type of investing, your own due diligence will result in better investment returns.
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What to Look for in a Gold IRA Rollover
Before reviewing the best gold IRA companies for retirement investing, you should know what to look for in the services they provide. While any company might provide all of the following services, you should also try to evaluate to what extent each service is offered. While some companies may only provide basic services, others will go out of their way to provide more extensive services to help them build long-lasting relationships with their clients.
Account Assistance
When it comes to customer assistance, the first thing most people think about is the availability of staff help with managing their accounts. This is an important consideration when it comes to using a gold IRA company because there are many occasions in which you might need your gold IRA company's help. A good company will help you manage your rollover from your 401k after you retire to ensure it will go more smoothly. This will involve customer service representatives at your gold IRA company communicating with your 401k manager. Even after the rollover is successful, you should have help available to you for as long as you maintain an account. Make sure lifetime customer service will be available to you.
Retirement Planning
The gold IRA company you use should also provide you with guidance in managing your investments in precious metals. This will involve discussing your retirement plans and determining how much wealth you'll need to amass by retirement age. Once your gold IRA representative can put a dollar amount to your retirement goals, they can recommend the best investments for your account. Since there are a variety of precious metals and several forms of those metals, this guidance is critical to using metals to reach your retirement goals.
Educational Resources
Be sure to choose a gold IRA company that will make it easier for you to learn about investing in precious metals. Find out about the educational resources they will supply free for your use. This might include access to articles and books, webinars, training videos, and market reports. A broader supply of educational resources will make it easier for you to become a skilled investor in gold and other precious metals.
The Top 3 Gold IRA Companies
When it comes to evaluating the top three gold IRA companies in today's market, trying to choose between them can be a little overwhelming. While you should gather as much information about each company as possible, it can help to take a quick look at each company's strong points and faults. Here is a quick overview to help you see the differences between them.
Augusta Precious Metals (WINNER)
Augusta is praised for its transparency in regard to the fees they charge as well as for the vast supply of educational resources they offer. Customers find their online webinars especially helpful. The company maintains a staff of professional economists to help their customers evaluate their investments and retirement goals.
There are several reasons that Goldco has earned a strong and positive reputation among investors. To begin, their prices are very competitive and they provide enough information to help their customers feel confident with their purchases. The staff is knowledgeable and customers find them to be patient and communicative.
The thing that sets American Hartford Gold apart from other companies is that they don't require a minimum initial investment. Even though they forgo that minimum, they don't let that interfere with the high quality of customer service they offer. The company has built a strong reputation by ensuring their customers have positive experiences with them.
This gold IRA company ranks the highest among past and present clients for a number of different reasons. The top concerns for most investors are low prices and transparent fee schedules. Augusta meets these expectations with excellence. The fact that they maintain an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau is proof of their dedication to the highest quality in customer service.
Pros & Cons of Augusta Precious Metals
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CONS
The company also provides a wealth of educational resources to their investors, including up-to-date videos discussing the current market. They maintain a staff of Harvard-educated economists to help their investors meet their retirement goals and protect their wealth under changing economic conditions.
#2. Goldco
After 16 years on the market, Goldco has earned its place among the top gold IRA companies in the modern era. That's due to the vast supply of educational resources they provide and their dedication to providing comprehensive customer service. They also maintain an A+ Better Business Bureau rating. A customer service feature that many investors find especially helpful is their live online chat feature. This ensures you can get knowledgeable answers to your questions quickly. Additionally, there are many more reasons Goldco is a preferred company for self-directed gold IRA services.
Pros & Cons of Goldco
PROS
CONS
While Goldco may not provide as many educational resources as other companies, they do make it easy to access the resources they do provide. Their website is very user-friendly, and you can find educational videos and articles quickly. For investors who prefer to handle their accounts online, Goldco's website can become a very efficient tool.
Even though American Hartford Gold was founded only six years ago, it has quickly grown to become one of the most popular self-directed gold IRA companies. That's partly because it started as a family-owned business and holds onto many of the values you would expect from any small business. They offer a favorable buyback program and partner with secure IRS-approved storage facilities. Their business philosophy focuses on providing long-term stability and security for each client's investment holdings.
Pros & Cons of American Hartford Gold
PROS
CONS
Since American Hartford Gold only delivers to U.S. locations, you may not be able to have your purchases shipped to IRS-approved depositories outside the United States. Additionally, making purchases is more complicated since you will still have to call them to place your order. The online catalog can be used to help you choose your products ahead of time. While these are minor inconveniences, they may affect your decision in choosing a gold IRA company for your needs.
Why Should You Invest Your Retirement Savings in Gold?
If you're unsure about taking the time to learn about investing in precious metals, it might help to think about some of the advantages this option will offer. There are differences between investing in precious metals and paper investments, such as stocks and mutual funds. Here are a few reasons to consider converting your 401k into a self-directed gold IRA as soon as possible.
Brace for Hard Economic Times
Gold and other precious metals are tangible assets that you will hold in a secure depository. This will protect your finances in a couple of different ways. First, your gold will never be worthless regardless of how the economy shifts. While stocks and other paper investments can drop in value far beyond the initial purchase price, gold won't lose value. The amount of gold you hold in your vault will remain constant regardless of economic fluctuations.
In addition to helping you secure your existing wealth, your gold's value may even increase during economic downfalls. As inflation rises, the value of gold will also rise. This is partly because supply chain issues can reduce the availability of gold. Additionally, paper money will lose value during inflation, and that can lead to more people looking for ways to invest in gold. If you already have precious metals in your own vault, you'll be ahead of the game.
Build More Retirement Wealth
Gradual inflation increases over time, leading to a rise in the value of physical assets. That's why real estate costs so much more today than it did 10 years ago. Gold and other precious metals appreciate in value in a similar way. Any gold you keep in your vault will increase in value without requiring you to take any action at all. You can just let your existing gold appreciate over time.
Most people prefer to add to their precious metal holdings. Although the gold you buy today won't increase in value as quickly as the gold you bought a few years ago, all of your gold will appreciate. As you build your inventory of precious metals over time, you'll experience a steady rate of growth on your entire inventory. In this way, adding to your holdings over time can help you maximize the wealth you will have at retirement age.
Pass Your Holdings to Loved Ones
If you have planned well for your retirement, you probably won't use all of your savings by the end of your life. You can leave your remaining holdings to your spouse or children, giving them an investment that they can continue to grow. While the payout on a life insurance policy is limited, gold can appreciate consistently over time. Your loved ones can take over your vault with the help of your gold IRA company's customer service representative. In this way, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that a loved one has a head start in planning their retirement.
Since the ownership of the account is transferred to a beneficiary upon your death, your gold IRA won't go through the probate process. This means your beneficiary will get exactly what you intend for them. Even if the rest of your estate is liquidated to settle your debts and taxes in probate, your beneficiary can rely on the precious metals in your vault. This can help them manage finances after you're gone. Especially if your spouse or adult children are unprepared to manage finances without you, your self-directed gold IRA can be used to help them get back on their feet.
Final Words
While you can look to other gold IRA companies, choosing a less popular company may lead you with a less than satisfactory experience. As with any industry, the companies that offer the best level of service are often the most popular choices among clients or customers. That's not to say there aren't other gold IRA companies that are just as good as the top three choices listed here. Just be prepared to research any company you consider using for investing in precious metals. Be sure they will offer you the level of service you want from your gold IRA company.