There are two main routes you can take with American Hartford Gold. You can buy physical gold and silver and you can also set up a precious metals retirement savings account. The steps are a bit different for whichever option you go for.
Buying Physical Precious Metals
Buying gold or silver through American Hartford Gold is straightforward, requiring only three main steps. You initially need to fill out the contact form on the website or call one of the American Hartford Gold account executives to discuss precious metals.
Once you decide which option best fits your needs, you can create your cash account, add funds, sign a standard delivery document through DocuSign, and confirm your order.
Just make the payment within two business days via wire transfer or bank check, and the company will organize delivery so you can physically hold the gold or silver. After verifying that the payment was successful, American Hartford Gold usually takes up to 28 business days to deliver the precious metals.
IRA Account
If you’re looking to invest in a Gold or Silver IRA, the steps are slightly different. You simply fund or transfer and rollover funds from an existing retirement account into the Gold IRA, tax-free.
When you speak with an American Hartford Gold specialist, they will walk you through the Gold IRA funding process. It can take as little as three business days for the funds to be transferred to the new IRA, and from that point, you can choose to invest and fund your precious metals IRA in gold and/or silver.
You can choose from a selection of IRS-approved bars and coins and store the physical bullion at approved vaults across the US.
American Hartford Gold only works with IRS-approved facilities. You will have insurance that guarantees the safety of your precious metals, with regular audits to maintain proper protection. Depending on the amount in your retirement account, there might be fees.
The current limit on contributions to these IRAs is $7,000 annually; if you’re at least 50 years old, it rises to $8,000. Distributions work the same way as other types of IRAs or retirement accounts.
Terms & Requirements
American Hartford Gold ensures that pricing is always transparent. Customers can view the latest pricing directly through the website or by calling the team. They don’t charge any hidden fees.
The fee structure involves a $230 application fee for any account type and a $200 annual storage, custodian, and insurance charge. These charges are slightly higher than those of many competitors but not excessively high.
A cash account requires a minimum investment of $5,000, and an IRA requires a minimum investment of $10,000, which are on the lower end of the industry’s minimum deposit requirements.
One option to create a Gold or Silver IRA is to roll over funds from a 401(k), retirement account, thrift savings plan (TSP), 457, Roth IRA, 403(b), or IRA.
If you want to liquidate your holdings, American Hartford Gold has a buyback program that does not charge additional liquidation fees. They will also organize your shipment.
Sign-Up Bonus
American Hartford Gold is currently running special promotions that can get up to $5,000 in free silver and no IRA fees for up to three years when they make a qualifying payment.