Augusta Precious Metals Review: Should You Invest in 2024?
Founded in 2012, Augusta Precious Metals is one of the more prominent gold and silver companies in the United States. The precious metals dealer has served thousands of customers across the country from their main headquarters in Casper, Wyoming.
In this Augusta Precious Metals review, we’ll dive into the company’s history, executive team, products, pricing, fees, and more. Let’s get started!
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Augusta Precious Metals Executive Summary
Augusta Precious Metals is one of the top gold IRA companies in the U.S. We recommend Augusta as 2023’s top gold IRA company for the following reasons:
- A+ with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- 4.9/5 stars rating with the BBB, based on 111 customer reviews
- Zero complaints filed with the BBB
- AAA rating with the Business Consumer Alliance (BCA)
- 5-star average BCA rating based on 96 verified customer reviews
- 5-star average Trustlink rating based on 283 trusted reviews
Augusta Precious Metals has a flawless online reputation and is the only gold IRA company we’ve reviewed that can claim zero complaints with the BBB.
They’re also the only gold IRA company we’ve reviewed that offers each potential customer a one-on-one web conference with a member of their team. This personal webinar is a no-pressure opportunity to ask any (and all) questions about the economy, precious metals, and the gold IRA process.
Even if you don’t end up working with Augusta Precious Metals, you may want to schedule your one-on-one webinar to learn about the industry and gold investment process.
Augusta Precious Metals has established relationships with the top gold IRA custodians and storage providers. Augusta works with all of the top mints and the dealer is able to source any IRA-eligible bars or coins for your purchase.
Important to note: Augusta will cover up to 10 years of IRA fees for qualifying accounts. Make sure to ask about this.
This is an excellent company with high ratings, low fees, low premiums on your bullion purchases, and an excellent buyback program.
Visit Augusta Precious Metals here and request your free investor kit
Our only Augusta Precious Metals complaint?
Augusta has an account minimum of $50,000. If this threshold is too high, there are several gold IRA companies with lower account minimums. Scroll down to our “Augusta Precious Metals Alternatives” for a list of companies along with their account minimums.
It’s important to note that Augusta Precious Metals is not a volume shop trying to churn out as many new customer accounts as possible. Higher account minimums allow them to deliver a more personal experience to a smaller customer base.
While they process billions in customer transactions, they have a small business feel. When you work with Augusta Precious Metals, you may at some point even speak directly with the company’s CEO or Director of Education.
Augusta puts a focus on compliance and customer service that you may not find with some of their competitors. They’re able to do this by working with a smaller number of customers.
About the Company
Headquartered in Casper, Wyoming, Augusta Precious Metals has been in business serving U.S. customers for more than a decade. Today, Money magazine ranked Augusta the “best gold IRA company overall” for 2022.
Investopedia ranks them the best gold IRA company “for transparent pricing,” and the gold company has received two Stevie Awards for their “customer service success.” The company is a recognized PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and holds 5-star reviews from customers on all of the major watchdog websites.
Isaac Nuriani, CEO
At the helm of Augusta Precious Metals is Isaac Nuriani, the company’s founder and CEO. Nuriani has an economics degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He’s a member of both Ethics.net and the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA). Nuriani launched Augusta Precious Metals with the goal of making the gold and silver buying process simple, easy, and personal.
Devlyn Steele: Director of Education
A member of Harvard’s analytics program, Devlyn Steele has a 30+ year career in finance and economics. In 2008, Steele accurately predicted the market crash as well as the subsequent surge in the price of precious metals. As Director of Education for Augusta Precious Metals, Steele leads the educational team in designing and presenting their no-pressure, one-on-one web conferences for potential customers.
If you reach out to Augusta for more information, you may even ‘meet’ Devlyn Steele through a personal webinar and get the chance to discuss and review his insights on today’s economic climate. Whether you meet with Devlyn Steele or a member of his team, it’s a great opportunity to ask questions about current events, economic concerns, or the gold IRA process.
Interesting fact: Years ago, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana anonymously signed up for an Augusta web conference. After participating in the webinar, Joe decided to invest with Augusta Precious Metals.
At the time of the webinar, Devlyn Steele had no idea that he was presenting to the legendary quarterback. This was the beginning of Augusta’s long-term relationship with Joe Montana. Today, Montana is a celebrity spokesperson for the company and appears in their tv and Internet ads and other promotional material.
Request your Augusta Precious Metals gold IRA investor kit here
Check this Joe Montana exclusive interview with Augusta Precious Metals:
Augusta Complaints and Reviews
As we briefly touched on with our executive summary above, it’s very difficult to find any complaints against Augusta Precious Metals. The gold dealer has an almost flawless track record.
A quick rundown of watchdog groups and verified online reviews reveals:
- A+ BBB rating with a 4.9/5 star average review based on 111 reviews
- Zero complaints on the BBB (most gold IRA companies have several)
- AAA rating on BCA with a 5-star average rating
- 5-star Trustlink rating based on 283 reviews
- 4.9/5-star review on GoldIRASecrets.com
- Rated #1 gold IRA company on AdamEnfroy.com
- Rated the #1 gold IRA company on GoldIRAGuide.org
- 4.9 rating on Google My Business, based on 300 Google reviews
- 4.8 rating on Facebook, based on 123 reviews
Money Magazine ranks Augusta Precious Metals as the #1 overall best gold IRA company for 2022 and Investopedia ranks them best for “transparent pricing.” IncomeInsider ranks them the top gold IRA company for 2023 and Business Insider ranks them #1 for “Expert Support.” Perform your own due diligence and you’ll find Augusta’s commitment to premier customer service. The gold IRA company has facilitated billions of dollars in customer transactions and managed to keep each of these customers happy.
Augusta’s Gold and Silver Products
Investors contact Augusta Precious Metals for one of two reasons. They want to:
- Open a precious metals IRA, or
- Purchase gold and silver for their personal collection
If you’re interested in buying gold and silver, Augusta can facilitate your request. While the majority of their customers are looking for gold IRAs, a growing percentage of their overall business is also in direct ‘cash’ sales of precious metals to U.S. investors.
For cash investors, Augusta has a wide selection of both bullion and premium bars and coins for customers to choose from. Just a small sample of Augusta’s catalog includes:
- Gold American Eagles
- Gold American Eagle Proofs
- Gold American Buffalos
- Gold Australian Striped Marlins
- Gold Austrian Philharmonics
- Gold Canadian Arctic Fox coins
- Gold Canadian Maple Leafs
- Gold South African Krugerrand
- Gold bars (various)
- Silver American Eagles
- Silver American Eagle Proofs
- Silver America the Beautiful coins
- Silver Canadian Maple Leafs
- Silver Canadian Soaring Eagles
- Pamp Suisse Silver Bars
- Johnson Matthey Silver Bars
This is just an example of the bullion and premium coins and bars that you can purchase through Augusta Precious Metals. Some coins, such as the Gold American Eagles are available in a variety of sizes from .1 oz to 1 oz. It’s important to note that not all of the coins listed above are eligible for inclusion in an IRA.
Except for the American Eagles, gold bars and coins must meet 99.5% purity requirements. Silver bars and coins must be 99.9% pure in order to be included in an IRA.
Rest assured, your Augusta Precious Metals representative at the order desk can walk you through investment options and help you choose gold, silver, or a combination of both metals in order to best fill your investment goals.
Note: You’ll notice that Augusta’s inventory makes no mention of platinum and palladium products. If you review other gold IRA companies, you’ll notice many push all four metals (gold, silver, platinum, and palladium). We reached out to Augusta for their perspective on this.
The company has built relationships with all of the private and government mints. They can source any metal a customer requests, but instead of listing every option on their website, the company has narrowed its online catalog to the most popular gold and silver products their customers typically request.
New investors may be overwhelmed with an endless variety of choices across all four metals. It’s a decision by Augusta to narrow the list and make the selection process easier for the customer.
Contact Augusta Precious Metals to learn more
Augusta Pricing and IRA Fees
Augusta offers some of the best promotions when it comes to your IRA fees. The gold dealer will cover 100% of your IRA fees for your first year and depending on your account size, may cover all fees for up to 10 years. Of course, confirm this with your account representative, and make sure to ask about any other ongoing promotions for new customers.
Augusta has the flexibility to work with any self-directed IRA custodian and third-party vault storage provider of your choice. If you don’t know which companies to work with, Augusta has you covered. The gold and silver dealer has developed relationships with the best custodians and vault storage partners across the U.S. and can make recommendations.
Gold IRA Custodian Fees
Augusta will likely cover all of your fees for more than just the first year. But know that if you are paying custodial fees, this will vary depending on the gold IRA custodian you choose.
To give you a general idea of costs, Augusta highly recommends Equity Trust Company. Equity Trust has been in business serving American investors for decades and the company offers excellent service for roughly $100 annually.
Gold IRA Storage Fees
For storage, customers can again work with any private, non-bank precious metal depository of their choice. Typically, your Augusta rep will work with you to find a vault depository that’s closest to your home or location of choice.
Some usual suspects for gold IRA storage include:
- Delaware Depository
- Brinks
- International Depository Services
Storage fees will typically run between $100-$150 annually. It’s on the higher end if you choose segregated vault storage for your metals. Whether you choose segregated on non-segregated storage, your precious metals are held in a highly secure facility and all metals are fully insured.
Make sure to ask your account rep about this. Again, if your account qualifies, Augusta will cover 100% of your gold IRA fees for up to ten years.
Augusta Precious Metals Review: Pros and Cons
The precious metals company does many things well, making it easy for us to recommend Augusta Precious Metals to our readers.
Pros: Where Augusta “Shines” Most
- Augusta is a 5-star rated precious metals IRA company with thousands of happy customers and billions of dollars in transactions with over ten years of business.
- They’re the only gold IRA company we’ve found with zero BBB complaints and they’re the only company to offer a free no-pressure personal web conference with a senior member of their educational team.
- They’ve streamlined the gold or silver IRA process and can open and fund your precious metals IRA in as little as a week.
- They’ve made the product selection easy by focusing on the most popular gold and silver products available for your IRA.
- On the flip side, they’ve also recently boosted their selection of premium gold and silver collector coins for their non-IRA customers.
If your goal is to buy physical gold and silver coins or bars for your home storage, Augusta Precious Metals has sourced a unique selection of coins. If your goal is to open a precious metals IRA, they have bullion products at low markup. You can’t really go wrong with Augusta Precious Metals.
Cons: In What Areas Are They Lackluster?
No gold IRA company is perfect, right? As briefly mentioned earlier in this Augusta Precious Metals review, the company has one of the higher account minimums we’ve seen in the industry. At $50,000, some potential customers may be forced to work with an alternative provider. If you’re priced out of working with Augusta for your precious metals IRA, there are a few other gold IRA companies to consider.
Augusta Precious Metals Alternatives
All of the companies listed below also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and overwhelmingly positive reviews on watchdog sites like Trustlink and TrustPilot.
- Advantage Gold: $10,000 minimum
- American Hartford Gold: $10,000 minimum
- Birch Gold Group: $10,000 minimum
- Goldco: $25,000 minimum
While Augusta Precious Metals is our top choice for precious metals IRAs, you may consider working with any of these top-rated gold IRA companies. In fact, it’s always a good idea to contact more than one company and compare prices and fees before buying physical gold and making any investment decision.
Augusta’s Buy Back Program
When it’s time to sell your metals, you don’t want to have to search to find a person or dealer to buy back your metals. When it comes to liquidation, distributions, RMDs, etc… you can call your Augusta agent and make the sale.
According to Augusta Precious Metals, they cannot guarantee that they will buy your metals back. However, in over ten years, the company has never denied a buyback request. Based on customer reviews, Augusta’s buyback program is fair and customers receive decent pricing for their gold and silver bars and coins.
Augusta Precious Metals Review: Verdict
Opening a gold IRA is a big financial move. It’s not every day that you move a portion of your retirement into a physical gold and silver IRA. You want to make sure you’re working with a reputable company with fair prices, low fees, and a long track record of customers walking away happy with their experience.
You won’t find a gold company with higher customer satisfaction ratings than Augusta Precious Metals. The company has been around for over a decade. Their CEO and executive staff have been in this industry for even longer.
In our Augusta Precious Metals review, we believe they’re a top precious metals company for your gold or silver IRA investment needs.
Contact them and request your gold IRA investor kit today
Gold IRA FAQS
Is Augusta Precious Metals a Reputable Company?
Yes, Augusta Precious Metals is a reputable company. They have been serving U.S. investors for over a decade. In that time, Augusta has earned thousands of 5-star online reviews from their customers. The company’s one-on-one web conference makes them stand out in a crowded industry.
Is Gold a Smart Investment?
Every investment carries risk and precious metals are no different. Gold is often seen as a safe-haven asset and hedge against inflation. Many customers are turning to gold in 2023 because of record-breaking inflation, geopolitical instability, and a looming recession on the horizon.
It’s best to review your investment portfolio with a trusted financial advisor and determine if diversification in gold and silver makes sense for your long-term investment goals. If you decide to move forward, it might make sense to call a company like Augusta Precious Metals.
What Should I Look For in a Gold IRA Company?
There are several factors to consider when reviewing a precious metals dealer. A few things to look for include:
- How long have they been in business? Are they a recognized industry leader or did they just open their doors yesterday? We prefer companies that are established (ideally) for 10+ years.
- What do their customers say? If you check the Better Business Bureau and you find a large number of complaints in the last twelve months, run the other direction! There’s no need to work with a company providing poor customer service. Find a company with raving repeat customers! They’re out there. Augusta Precious Metals for example has zero complaints filed against them with the BBB.
- What promotions are they offering? In your research, you may find 3-4 highly rated gold IRA companies. Your decision may come down to taking advantage of the best promotion. Augusta Precious Metals, for example, will cover 100% of your IRA fees for up to 10 years. Request more information from Augusta Precious Metals to learn more.
