Augusta Precious Metals

Company Overview

Augusta Precious Metals was founded in 2012 and sells IRS-approved gold and silver for self-directed IRAs. Its listed features are a price-match guarantee, free educational resources and a no-hidden-fees claim, and it requires a $50,000 minimum.

Key Features

Pros and Cons

Company Details

Who Augusta Precious Metals Fits

Augusta Precious Metals lists a $50,000 minimum, the highest of the five companies on this site. That one number decides who should read further. If you hold at least that much in a 401(k), 403(b), TSP or traditional IRA and can move it by direct rollover, Augusta is worth a written quote. If your balance is smaller, Birch Gold Group lists $5,000, American Hartford Gold lists $10,000, Noble Gold lists $20,000 and Goldco lists $25,000, so those reviews are the better starting point.

Augusta can fit if you:

• hold $50,000 or more that you can move by direct rollover,
• want fees, storage and buyback terms explained before you sign anything (the comparison table lists free educational resources, and the summary above describes a one-on-one web conference),
• plan to keep the metals for years, because a self-directed IRA carries recurring custodian and storage costs.

Look elsewhere if you:

• have less than $50,000 to move,
• want to keep the metals at home, because IRS rules do not allow home storage for metals held inside an IRA,
• want to buy quickly without an education step.

How the Augusta Process Works, Step by Step

The steps below describe how any gold IRA is set up. Ask Augusta to confirm each one, and to name the custodian and depository it uses.

1. Request information and book the web conference. This is the first contact point described in the summary at the top of this page. Ask for the fee schedule before the call, not after it.
2. Open a self-directed IRA. A custodian, not the metals dealer, administers the account and reports to the IRS. Ask which custodian Augusta works with and read that custodian's own fee sheet.
3. Fund the account. A direct rollover (trustee-to-trustee transfer) moves money between institutions without you touching it. An indirect rollover gives you 60 days to redeposit the funds, and an employer plan withholds 20% on it.
4. Choose the metals. Gold must be at least 99.5% pure, silver 99.9% and platinum or palladium 99.95%. The American Gold Eagle qualifies through a separate statutory exception.
5. Confirm storage. The metals go to an IRS-approved depository. Ask whether your storage is segregated (your bars and coins kept apart) or commingled (pooled with other investors' metals) and what each option costs.

Fee Questions to Put to Augusta in Writing

The comparison table lists "No hidden fees" next to Augusta. The way to test that claim is to ask for every charge on one page, then compare it with the same page from another company.

• What is the one-time account setup fee?
• What is the annual custodian fee, and is it flat or based on account value?
• What does storage cost per year, and does the figure change for segregated storage?
• Is insurance on the stored metals included in the storage fee?
• What is the premium over spot on the exact coin or bar I would buy, and how does the premium differ for coins and bars?
• What exactly does the price-match guarantee match, under what conditions, and where is it written down?
• What price formula applies if I sell the metals back, and what fees apply to a sale or to a transfer out?

How Augusta Compares With the Other Four Companies

On the facts listed on this site, Augusta was founded in 2012, which puts it between Birch Gold Group (2003) and Goldco (2006) on one side and American Hartford Gold (2015) and Noble Gold (2016) on the other. Its listed rating of 4.8 matches Goldco and American Hartford Gold, sits above Birch at 4.5 and below Noble at 5.0. The difference that matters most is the minimum: $50,000 against $5,000 to $25,000 elsewhere.

Goldco is the only company on this site whose listed features include a buyback guarantee, while Birch lists the lack of one among its cons. If a written buyback policy matters to you, compare Augusta's policy with Goldco's side by side.

Disclosure and How to Verify Augusta Yourself

Every Get Free Kit button on this site, including the ones on this page, links to Augusta through our partner link, and we earn a referral fee if you request the kit. That relationship is the reason Augusta is listed first. Treat the ranking as a starting point, not as a test result.

Before you send money, check the following:

• Look up the company's Better Business Bureau profile and read the complaints, not only the letter grade.
• Check your state regulator or attorney general's office for complaints or actions.
• Read the custodian's fee schedule and the depository agreement, not just the sales material.
• Get two written quotes from different companies for the same product and compare the total cost.

Red flags with any gold IRA company

• pressure to decide the same day,
• a refusal to put fees or buyback terms in writing,
• any promise of a specific return,
• steering you toward collectible or numismatic coins, which do not qualify for an IRA and usually carry a higher premium,
• any suggestion that you can keep IRA metals at home.

Augusta Precious Metals FAQ

What is Augusta's minimum investment?

This site lists $50,000. Minimums change, so confirm the current figure with the company before you plan around it.

Who stores the metals in an Augusta gold IRA?

An IRS-approved depository stores them, and a separate custodian administers the account. Ask Augusta which depository and custodian it uses and what each one charges.

Can I roll over my 401(k) while I still work for the employer?

That depends on the plan. Many plans limit withdrawals or rollovers while you are employed, so ask your plan administrator before you start paperwork.