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Available Deals

Some people might wonder how American Hartford Gold is able to offer such incredible deals and low fees. Usually, companies like this have a minimum investment requirement along with a setup fee. American Hartford Gold doesn't have either of these things. They're willing to work with anyone who has retirement money to spend, no matter how much or how little.

So surely there must be some trade-off, right? What if the company overcharges for their products, or they have hidden fees?

Neither of these is the case, as it turns out. American Hartford Gold has other ways of offsetting their costs. They really do offer their items at super affordable prices without extra fees. And they really do have a price match guarantee, as long as you get the other offer in writing.

Instead of getting the newest minted bullion, American Hartford Gold stocks their inventory with bullion from years past. You'll find American Eagles and Canadian currency reaching as far back as 2012. Many customers don't want to buy these items when there are newer minted ones on the market. But they're still the same kind of pure bullion that you want to put into your retirement account.

Look at it this way. Chances are, you won't be removing those coins from your retirement account for years. Depending on how old you are, it might be decades. So what does it matter if the coin was minted in 2015 or 2022?

By buying up these old, "less desirable" coins in bulk, AHG is able to make gold IRAs accessible to people who otherwise couldn't afford them. The bullion is priced exactly like bullion usually is, but it's kept affordable based on the going spot price.

This means that American Hartford Gold is able to offer extra specials to people who invest a certain amount. Their promotions last for a limited amount of time, so you'll need to check to see what options are active. But there's the chance that you could have your fees waived for a maximum of three years, or get a maximum of $5,000 back in totally free silver.

The silver is kept outside of your IRA. It is sent directly to you or to a safety deposit box of your choice. Then you're free to liquidate it, hold onto it, or do whatever else you want with it. You can talk to your company representative about what you need to do to meet the requirements for this offer.

Company Services

The services that American Hartford Gold is best known for is providing gold IRAs. You can use your retirement savings to purchase high quality gold and silver bullion. However, since this is tax-advantaged income, you also have to abide by strict IRS rules.

This means opening a self-directed IRA and rolling over funds for it. A self-directed IRA doesn't have an investment manager, so you have full control over everything you buy. There's a great deal of paperwork involved in both the application and the rollover. Then when you actually buy the precious metals, there's a lot of red tape there, too. Only some forms of bullion are eligible to put in an IRA.

Many people have chosen not to invest any of their retirement funds in precious metals because of this. But leading experts frequently recommend using a portion of your retirement funds to buy gold and silver. These metals hedge against inflation, and they tend to perform well during times of market volatility. While it's probably not a good idea to transfer all of your savings, it's a good idea to secure some.

Gold IRA companies are places that sell IRA-approved gold. As part of their deal, they'll connect you with a custodian and a depository for your account. Then they'll help you to purchase the gold that you want, and have it shipped to the depository you've chosen.

Many Americans don't have enough personal savings to buy a lot of gold. But they do have retirement accounts. So this method works out for everybody involved.

Most of the time, a good gold IRA company will charge a setup fee to get started. They also often require that you have several thousand dollars to spend at once. Some of the leading industry names have minimum requirements of up to $50,000.

This means that gold IRAs have still been inaccessible to people without many retirement funds. It takes a while to save up $10,000, let alone to save up enough for $10,000 to be a small percentage of your holdings.

By working without a setup fee or a minimum requirement, American Hartford Gold has tapped into a whole new sector of the population. Prior to this, it was difficult for people with lower incomes to find non-terrible gold IRA companies. Part of AHG's success can be attributed to tapping into this niche. They were able to carve out a slice of the industry without much competition.

If you want to create a self-directed IRA for precious metals, you can contact an AHG representative to get started. There's no obligation, and since the salespeople don't work on commission, they have no ulterior motives. Their goals are truly just to connect you to the best products for your personal needs.

Direct Purchases

Not all of the inventory at American Hartford Gold can be kept in an IRA. Some of the items are historic, collectible, or simply not the right purity level for the IRS to approve. These need to be purchased using non-retirement cash. You can also buy the IRA-approved metals using non-retirement cash if you want.

Direct purchases of precious metals don't have the same strict requirements. You don't have to worry about choosing a depository or a custodian. There won't be ongoing maintenance fees. You can simply have the package delivered straight to your door, or to some other safe address of your choosing. All shipments are fully insured while in transit, so you'll have to sign for it at the door.

If you're concerned about the logistics of the shipping, you can talk to your AHG representative about it. They'll be able to walk you through the insurance policy and the address to make sure that everything is correct. Since the package is insured, you can get your funds back if it gets lost or stolen in the mail.

There are no official prices listed on the website. If you want to find out how much something costs, you will need to call American Hartford Gold directly. They will quote a price based on the current market conditions and spot price.

The spot price is available to view in real time if you look it up. So you shouldn't have any trouble checking your quote to make sure it's a good deal.

If you find a better deal for the same item elsewhere, American Hartford Gold has a price match guarantee. You'll need to get the offer in writing, showing that the item is the same mint, quality, type, and year. Once you provide all of the required documentation, AHG will match the price for you.

Buyback Guarantee

American Hartford Gold offers a buyback program to each customer. There are legal reasons that the company cannot guarantee that they'll buy back your items. However, they will do their best to make an acceptable offer.

The company states that they have some of the best buyback prices in the industry, especially because they don't charge extra transaction fees for the liquidation. You don't have to worry about having money arbitrarily taken out of your pocket.

The liquidation process involves only three steps. You'll give the company a call and speak to someone about selling back your items. Once you establish what you have to sell, you'll be given a price quote. Assuming you accept the price quote, you'll be given shipping instructions to send the package out. As soon as the package arrives and is processed, you'll be paid.

Most customers who have liquidated their holdings report that they are satisfied with the process overall. A few have been disgruntled about the spread between the buy and sell price, but some spread is normal in the precious metals industry. That's just something to keep in mind as you get started. You likely won't be selling the metals back for exactly the same price you bought them for.

Storage Options

As mentioned, if you make a purchase for your cash portfolio with non-retirement money, you can have the package shipped directly to your address. But that isn't the case with an IRA. The IRS requires that precious metals be kept in specialized depositories that meet certain security and insurance requirements.

These depositories are some of the most secure in the world. In addition, they are operated by private companies, so you don't need to worry about your items being overseen by a central government or bank.

There are two main storage companies that AHG works with.

The first is the Delaware Depository. This is the biggest depository in the entire US. In addition, it is in a state that has no sales tax on precious metals. You don't have to worry about taxes when you buy, sell, or move the items within the state. Many people prefer this because it helps to shrink your tax liability when the time comes to liquidate.

The other company is Brinks Global Services. Brinks is known for being one of the biggest security companies in the world. In keeping with this, they have storage depositories all over the US. There's likely one in your region, if you want to store your items close to home.

Regardless of what depository you choose, you are the sole owner of your precious metals. Nobody else can seize them on a depository or another company's behalf. If you arrange an appointment to visit the depository, you can even look at your metals in person.

The fees that you pay will vary depending on what custodian and depository you choose. According to the AHG site, usually people pay a flat fee of $100 for each. You may need to pay more if you choose to get segregated storage, or you use a custodian that isn't partnered with the company. You can ask your representative about how to best save on your annual costs if need be.

Final Thoughts

American Hartford Gold is a legit company that offers services many people haven't previously been able to access. They allow you to open a gold IRA without any fuss or hassle, no matter how much or how little money you have to spend. So if you don't meet the high minimum requirements of some websites, you're in luck here.

This is a company that has received ongoing excellent reviews and endorsements. They have been endorsed by commentators like Bill O'Reilly, as well as praised in numerous finance publications. While some customers found them through their advertising campaigns, many others found them through referrals by family and friends.

Overall, this is an extremely solid company to work with if you want affordable gold IRA options. They have the policies and the customer service necessary to give you what you deserve. Just keep in mind that your investment options might be from a few years back, rather than minted this year.