Is American Hartford Gold Right for Your Precious Metals IRA?

Who American Hartford Gold Fits, and Who Should Look Elsewhere

A $10,000 minimum ties with Birch Gold Group for the lowest among the five companies on this site. Goldco requires $25,000, Noble Gold $20,000 and Augusta Precious Metals $50,000. That makes American Hartford Gold the most practical starting point when the amount you plan to move is modest.

A good match if

• You are rolling over a smaller 401(k) or IRA balance and the $10,000 minimum is close to the amount you intend to move.
• You want one dedicated representative to answer questions from the first call to the metals purchase.
• You plan to compare the price match guarantee against written quotes from other dealers before you buy.

Look elsewhere if

• You want the longest operating history. Birch Gold Group was founded in 2003 and American Hartford Gold in 2015, and our cons list notes that it is newer than some competitors.
• You would choose a company only for its promotion. The site data says some promotions have specific requirements.

Reading the Reputation Numbers

The table above shows 15 closed complaints on the Better Business Bureau profile next to 800+ reviews, one complaint at the Business Consumer Alliance and 18 one-star Trustpilot ratings. For comparison, the BBB complaint counts for the other four companies in our data are Goldco 19, Birch Gold Group 12, Noble Gold 5 and Augusta Precious Metals none. Open each profile yourself and check when the complaints were filed and how they were resolved.

Fee Questions to Put in Writing

Our data does not list American Hartford Gold's setup, custodian, storage or insurance fees, so confirm each one in a written fee schedule. The home page guide notes first-year fee waivers for qualifying accounts, which makes the year-two costs the numbers to ask about.

• The one-time setup fee.
• The annual custodian fee, and whether a first-year waiver renews.
• The annual storage and insurance fee, and whether segregated or commingled storage is priced.
• The spread between buy and sell price over spot for each product you consider.
• Wire, shipping and account closing fees.
• The buyback terms: how the price is set and how long payment takes.

What to Ask Before You Rely on the Silver Promotion

The silver promotion worth up to $15,000 is the most prominent feature in our data for American Hartford Gold, and the same data says the terms vary. Treat it as a list of questions, not as a number to plan around.

1. Ask for the promotion terms in writing, including the account size needed to qualify.
2. Ask whether the promotion arrives as metal, as a credit or as a discount, and when you receive it.
3. Ask whether the promotional metal can be sold back and at what price basis.
4. Ask for two quotes for the same purchase, one with the promotion and one without, so you can see whether the price per ounce changes.