Is American Hartford Gold Legitimate?

Whether you are approaching retirement or striving to diversify your portfolio, exploring alternative investment strategies can be highly beneficial. Two prominent approaches to consider are the risk-based strategy and the balanced strategy.

A risk-based strategy involves investing in high-volatility assets such as cryptocurrencies, which have the potential for substantial returns but also come with significant risk.

On the other hand, a balanced strategy entails combining high-risk investments with safer, more stable options, providing a more secure and diversified portfolio.

By understanding and implementing these strategies, you can make more informed decisions to meet your financial goals.

Stocks and other traditional investments don't always provide good returns. Company stocks often drop or increase in value based on how the economy is performing. When the economy is bad, an investor's savings can dwindle quickly.

When searching for an investment that protects against market volatility and inflation, gold should be a heavy consideration. Gold typically performs well even when the economy isn't.

When someone decides to invest in gold, one problem they might encounter is that gold can't be kept in traditional retirement accounts. The primary retirement account that will accept gold is a self-directed IRA. However, it's essential that this account meets the latest regulations set by the Internal Revenue Service.

These regulations are complex, which is something that American Hartford Gold helps its customers navigate. They guide their clients throughout every aspect of the paperwork to make sure that mistakes are avoided altogether.

Once the necessary paperwork is completed, it's possible to buy gold and other precious metals directly from American Hartford Gold. The following guide provides a comprehensive look at American Hartford Gold and their offerings.

What Is American Hartford Gold?

The only assets that are sold by this gold dealer are precious metals. Nearly all of the inventory available through American Hartford Gold can be placed in self-directed IRA accounts.

It's also possible to purchase precious metals at a cheaper rate through this company because they focus specifically on coins that are a few years old. Recent coins cost more to buy.

American Hartford Gold offers numerous coins from different countries, which include the U.S., Australia, and Canada. They offer gold bars as well. However, it's difficult to verify quality since these bars come from a wide range of different refineries.

Once precious metals are placed in an IRA account, withdrawals can be made upon reaching retirement age. At this age, it's possible to sell investments if they are now worth more.

American Hartford Gold includes a buyback program that benefits investors who want to sell their precious metals. Once gold or other metals have been withdrawn from a retirement account, they can be sold back to American Hartford Gold.

The price of gold changes regularly, which is why it's necessary to compare an offer from the company with the current price on the market. Over the years, American Hartford Gold has built a reputation for providing customers with fair and honest price quotes.

When holding precious metals in an IRA, there are two primary expenses that must be paid every year, which include maintenance costs and storage costs. The funds that are paid for storage go directly to the depository company. In comparison, maintenance costs are given to a custodian.

According to American Hartford Gold, maintenance and storage costs can differ depending on the exact custodian and depository that are selected. Fees typically amount to something like $100 for the depository and $80 for a custodian. Costs can be slightly higher when paying for a vault that's sealed.

Even though American Hartford Gold helps customers complete their paperwork, there aren't any fees for doing so. Investors don't need to buy $10,000 in gold before they can join. Even when an investor doesn't have a large amount of savings, they should be able to purchase precious metals from American Hartford Gold.

While investors benefit from the lack of a minimum investment, American Hartford Gold gives people reasons to make larger investments. For instance, they often have promotions on a monthly basis that reduce or eliminate all fees if the investment is at least $10,000.

Delivery and Storage

Storing gold or precious metals is relatively straightforward. The difficulty of doing so is deciding which depository to use for storage. Any precious metals that are held in a self-directed IRA must be stored in a licensed depository.

In order for a depository to manage an IRA, it must adhere to high security standards, which involve everything from regular audits to 24/7 surveillance. These locations provide much better security than an in-home safe or a safe deposit box. Vault insurance is also essential. Make sure to look at a copy of this insurance policy before choosing a specific depository.

While it's possible to store gold in other locations, it may be best to store it in a depository even when using cash savings for the purchase. Licensed depositories aren't directly connected with central banks or governments, which means that the holdings should remain secure regardless of the situation. Reputable depositories will have full insurance coverage and extensive privacy policies.

There's also a good chance that the ample security features available with a licensed depository make it safer in comparison to home storage. If an investor buys gold without placing it in a retirement account, it will be sent to their home, which can result in high shipping costs. The price to ship gold to a residential home mainly depends on how large the order is and how far it's being shipped.

When using a depository that has been approved by American Hartford Gold, all holdings are fully insured. The three primary depositories that they work with in the U.S. include International Depository Services, Delaware Depository, and Brinks Global Services.

While American Hartford Gold works with these three companies, that doesn't mean that every depository that each company operates is supported by them. Before choosing a specific depository, it's important that investors speak with a representative about the different locations that they support.

Buyback Program

 When an investor retires and chooses to remove some gold from their self-directed IRA, they can sell their holdings to American Hartford Gold. In return, they will receive cash.

Before selecting this option, keep in mind that they don't guarantee that they'll buy back all of the metals an investor offers, which is mainly because of legal reasons. However, they strive to purchase any metal that's placed in front of them. An existing client can get in touch with American Hartford Gold at any time to request a buyback offer.

When an investor chooses to take advantage of the buyback program, there won't be any unexpected transaction or liquidation fees. American Hartford Gold provides a clear quote with details on what every item is worth. Once an investor receives a price quote, they can use it in any way they see fit. The quote is provided before any agreements are made.

Once a final agreement has been made, a representative from American Hartford Gold will assist in setting up a shipment for the metals. Payment is sent to the investor after the metals reach their intended destination and have undergone a full inspection. During this process, customer representatives should be able to provide an accurate timeline for how long it will take to inspect the metals.

When selling precious metals to American Hartford Gold, the price that they offer will likely be lower than the initial purchase price. However, the amount of money an investor receives is often higher when selling to American Hartford Gold as opposed to other dealers. Since precious metals are often used to combat inflation, a small difference between the purchase and sell prices shouldn't be an issue.

Investors can sell the gold they put into an IRA before turning 60. However, fines are assessed when someone withdraws money from their IRA before they get to retirement age. Even though most investors sell their gold once it's been taken out of an IRA, another potential solution is to hold onto these precious metals and continue storing them at home or in a vault.

Getting Started with an IRA

The process of creating an IRA with American Hartford Gold is similar to what it is with other gold and precious metal dealers. Even though they don't require a minimum investment, they'll still assist investors in creating a self-directed IRA. American Hartford Gold has numerous specialists on hand who will help in this regard.

During the initial conversation, the specialist will ask the investor why they're looking to invest, what their current and future financial goals are, and why they believe a self-directed IRA is the ideal solution. They'll then guide the investor through the initial account application process before contacting a custodian.

The custodian who's hired to manage a retirement account will also help with any paperwork that needs to be filled out. Mistakes must be kept to a minimum to make sure that the funds are correctly transferred from a 401(k) or individual retirement account.

After the signup process is finished, the investor can start looking for the types of precious metals they'd like to buy. An American Hartford Gold representative should offer recommendations based on an investor's portfolio and the potential for future growth.

Is American Hartford Gold Legit?

When searching for the right gold dealer to make investments with, there aren't any notable reasons why American Hartford Gold should be avoided. They aren't a scam and won't charge hidden fees during a transaction.

As mentioned previously, they have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, which is a clear indicator that they have a fantastic reputation in the industry. They've also received high ratings from such associations as Consumer Affairs and Business Consumer Alliance.

Just like any company, there are several drawbacks to buying gold or other precious metals from American Hartford Gold. Even though they offer lower prices than other companies, this isn't always a good thing. American Hartford Gold has mainly invested in coins that are a few years old and are more affordable. These savings are pushed to the customer.

Any investor who's looking forward to buying coins that were made over the past year or so may need to shop somewhere else. There are, however, a small number of coins available at American Hartford Gold that were produced in 2022.

When customers have a request or complaint, they can submit a form on the American Hartford Gold website. Even though they will always provide a response, the wait time can be longer than expected. While there are some minor complaints and issues with how American Hartford Gold operates, they don't outweigh the positives for most customers.

Advantages & Disadvantages of American Hartford Gold

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