It's always important to think about your finances and how you're preparing for retirement. After all, it's getting harder and harder to rely on nine-to-five jobs to pay the bills, and everyone isn't in a position to take on multiple jobs to stay afloat.
That is why so many people are looking to the world of investing as a way to help secure their futures. For some, the choice to invest in precious metals is the best way to make sure that they can stay solvent even when the economy is shaky.
Precious metals are sound investments, but that does not mean that they are without risks. Every type of investment has the potential for a downside. Many would-be moguls have found themselves out a substantial amount of money simply because they didn't perform the proper research to find out if they were working with the right investment companies.
One company that was founded because of this particular problem is American Hartford Gold. This company is meant to help investors by providing a solid bedrock for their financial goals.
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About American Hartford Gold Group
Based in Los Angeles, American Hartford Gold is still family-owned and focused on helping consumers make the most out of their precious metals investments.
The company provides its investors with different types of precious metal options that range from bullion and bars to coins, with the potential for investing precious metals IRAs for those looking to focus more on their retirement plans. These investments are all meant to give consumers a way to diversify their portfolios so that they don't put all of their faith in the stock market.
The company does put a premium on customer service, something that any investor should appreciate. The company not only provides a host of different account options, but it also provides a host of different assets in which a customer can invest.
Perhaps more important, though, is that the company has spent quite some time building up an excellent reputation to make sure that their customers feel comfortable working with them.
It's also worth mentioning that the company does seem to have a real dedication to ensuring that all of its prices are fair. This, together with the fact that the company is quite experienced, makes American Hartford Gold one of those companies that seems much safer to work with than some fly-by-night organizations that might be a bit more flashy in their advertising.
So, what does the business world think of American Hartford Gold? They have an A rating on BBB, while various other review platforms like Trustpilot and Google have given the company a five-star rating.
Perhaps most impressive, though, the company was listed as number forty-seven on Inc. 5000's list of the fastest-growing financial companies in the nation.
What Services Do They Offer?
It's always a solid idea to start your research by figuring out the services offered by a company. American Hartford gold focuses almost exclusively on precious metals, but that doesn't mean that consumers are just directed to buy coins.
Instead, the company offers investors the chance to invest in IRAs and various assets that they can keep in their own homes. Precious metals might be the key here, but the company seems to understand that every investor has priorities.
One of the essential things that American Hartford Gold provides is a level of excellent customer service on par with some of the leaders in the industry. Investing in precious metals does require specialized knowledge, so having personnel around who can help individuals learn more is a great bonus.
The company is also generous with guiding those who want to research independently, with plenty of research materials available through the company.
In addition to all of that research material, the company also has a twenty-five-page gold guide that can catch up with new investors quite quickly. This document has everything an investor needs to know to have a reasonable understanding of how precious metals investing works.
Fees and Investing Options
If you're going to invest, you need to know your options upfront. Luckily, American Hartford Gold is very transparent with its investment opportunities. Suppose you are interested in investing in coins, for example.
In that case, you can buy coins like the American Buffalo gold coin, the American Silver Eagle coin, the American Gold Eagle coin, or the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin. If you're more interested in bars, you can invest in one-ounce gold bars or even gold or silver Valcambi CombiBars.
The company gives a good overview of what items can be bought through them and how these items can be used. Somewhat uniquely, American Hartford Gold does have a section on its website that describes how valuable precious metals could be in survival situations since these metals are recognized for their value around the world.
Investing Minimums
Like other investment companies, American Hartford Gold expects its clients to invest a minimum amount of money with them. In this case, the company expects that anyone who uses cash for their investments will invest a minimum of twenty-five hundred dollars.
Anyone using a 401(k) or IRA will invest a minimum of ten thousand dollars. There are fees associated with either type of transaction, of course, but they come not through American Hartford Gold but rather through the IRA or 401(k) company with which you work.
The company pays for all of your various fees during your first year of investing, an offer that can extend for up to three years depending on how much money you invest. Finding out how long your fee coverage will last is as easy as talking to one of the company's investment specialists.
How Does Their Process Work?
One of the things that make this company stand out is the way that it onboards its customers. The company does a solid job of helping those who want to set up precious metals IRAs in a few simple steps.
Every customer who wants an IRA starts by filling out a form on the company's website. Once that's done, the customer will be contacted by a member of the company's team to help the customer figure out what kind of account is the best fit for their needs.
From there, the customer can figure out how much they wish to invest. Some might choose to roll over an existing IRA into an account with American Hartford Gold, while others might feel more comfortable simply investing cash. Once that's done, customers can start figuring out which kinds of precious metals they want to invest in.
Doing so requires a good bit of research, but the company does provide account specialists who can help customers look at all of their options and figure out which kind of investments are best for their needs.
The key to executing this is the American Hartford Gold's excellent team. These specialists are outstanding at explaining how everything works and what options are out there, focusing on IRAs that simplify the whole process.
It's important to remember that IRAs do follow precise rules. If you want to get the account's tax benefits, you have to start taking disbursements at 59.5 years old. If you choose to liquidate your account earlier than that, you'll face specific financial penalties. Fortunately, the company's team is great at explaining exactly how this works.
Clients also need to know that they aren't charged for setting up precious metal IRA accounts or rolling over previous IRA providers' funds. Clients get their precious metals shipped for free to the depository location. This covers both tracking and insurance.
One thing to note about the company is that they do not provide a list of precious metals prices online. If you are going to invest through them, you'll have to call the company to get accurate prices. You can always check the updated chart of precious metals prices on the site's list, but the only correct numbers you'll get are over the phone.
What Makes Them Stand Out
There are more companies in the investment world than you might know. So what makes American Hartford Gold stand out?
One main thing is they put a premium on training their employees well and on making sure that it's easy to invest with them. This makes them a stand-out choice for anyone who has never really dabbled in the world of investing before and needs a bit more help than average.
This company does guarantee all of their customer's top-tier service. The company's leadership has more than twenty years of experience in the precious metals industry, which means that they tend to understand the customer's needs better than most. This kind of expertise is quite helpful if you're looking to ensure that your investments remain profitable.
American Hartford Gold also stands out because they do not offer their clients the choice to liquidate their investments. The company's always looking to make sure that they provide a safe and profitable way for their customers to invest, so they have a price match guarantee to ensure that customers always feel safe buying and selling with them.
They do offer a convenience level that is hard to match in the industry. It seems like everything the company does is designed to be as painless and straightforward as possible, intending to walk the customer through the entire investment process to make the customer feel safe and prioritize the value of their time.
The company also helps its customers ensure that they take advantage of every tax-deductible or break when investing. It doesn't cost anything to invest in precious metals through a self-directed IRA, of course, but the firm works hard to ensure their customers know about the penalties that come with withdrawing early. This means that more of a customer's wealth stays in their control.
Pros and Cons
It's important to think about the benefits and drawbacks that come from working with a company like American Hartford Gold when you want to get involved in the world of precious metals. Given that it can be very tough to invest, it makes sense that you would want to leverage the backgrounds of those who actually work in the field.
Taking the time to work with a good company is almost certainly going to give you better results than if you work alone, but you should always give yourself at least some time to look at how a company stands out.
Pros
Cons
Complaints
It's always good to look online to see if there are any complaints against a company. Like most investment companies, American Hartford Gold does have some complaints against them. Most of these have to do with shipping or with the general prices of the metal market, but there have been a few issues related to IRA accounts that are worth noting.
Is This Company a Scam or Legit?
Unfortunately, the precious metals world is filled with many companies that can take advantage of their customers unknowingly. The great news is that American Hartford Gold is not one of the companies. The company is legitimate and has all of the relevant information being easy to find and adequately recorded. With an excellent reputation and solid consumer ratings, it's a company to consider.
Final Verdict
It's always a good idea to stop and think about the companies you will work with when you choose to invest. You should always spend some time researching those companies to understand what they offer and why the companies might have certain reputations. This will help you figure out if a company is worth both your time and your money.
American Hartford Gold is undoubtedly a good company, but there are thousands of gold companies, and you want to invest with the absolute best there is. They are a solid option to consider but did they make the top 5 gold dealers this year?
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