Frequently Asked Questions

Owning tangible, physical, inflation-hedging gold and silver can help diversify your savings because the value of your metals is often-uncorrelated with other assets. Buying your metals inside of a self-directed IRA allows their value to grow on a tax-deferred or even tax-free (Roth IRA) basis. A gold IRA also makes it possible for you to make your own purchases and bypass portfolio management fees.

Gold is known as an asset that through history often has provided a diversifying factor during periods of economic and geopolitical stress. Gold and silver both have performed well during some economic upheavals. One example is from 2001 to 2011 (leading up to and away from the famous 2008 financial crisis). During that time, as the value of other assets fell, gold prices rose 600% and silver went up 950%. This happens because gold and silver are in an asset class often uncorrelated with other assets. For that reason, they can sometimes provide diversification. And they have never been worth zero, because physical metals have intrinsic value. Silver’s value is enhanced because of its industrial uses. You should purchase any Augusta products only after consulting your own legal, financial and tax professionals.

Augusta Precious Metals is committed to providing thorough, actionable information Americans need to diversify retirement savings using physical gold and silver. You will find a great deal of information on Augusta’s website, in our IRA information kit, and by calling 800-700-1008 to speak with an Augusta customer success agent who can book you into one of our unique one-on-one educational web conferences. In addition, take time to research gold, silver and precious metals in general on the web. And this web page includes useful information from the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.

Although gold has historically increased in price by leaps and bounds over some periods of time, you should not expect to get rich by purchasing gold. Often, buyers of gold and silver use it as a diversifying factor in their portfolios. Precious metals have historically risen in value during some periods when other assets have fallen in price, which means metals can provide diversification in your portfolio. Gold and silver should be held for longer terms to gain their diversifying benefits. As with any asset, the price of gold and silver will go up and down. Look to your metals’ long-term benefits as an asset with intrinsic value, unlike fiat currency. Gold and silver have never been worth zero. Before purchasing precious metals from Augusta, be sure to consult with your personal legal, financial and tax professionals.

You can call Augusta toll-free at 800-700-1008 anytime during business hours or fill out the form to request a gold IRA information kit here. Once you make contact with Augusta, you’ll be assigned to your own personal customer success agent, who will be your liaison to other Augusta departments, such as the education team, the IRA processing team, our order desk, and the confirmation department. When you become an Augusta customer, you have access to the customer success agents and the other departments for the life of your account – that’s one of the great things about Augusta!

Augusta Precious Metals is 100% reputable!

• We have an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau (highest rating)
• TrustLink has given us a 5-star rating (highest rating)
• We hold a 4.9 rating on Google My Business (very high rating)
• Our rating with the BCA is AAA (highest rating)
• We have a 4.8 rating on Facebook (very high rating)
• We are members of Ethics.net
• We’ve been named “Most Trusted Gold IRA Company” by IRA Gold Advisor.
• We have been an award-winning company six years in a row with Trustlink
• We have hundreds and hundreds of positive reviews from customers on independent third-party websites – see sites linked above to read reviews on each site
• To view customer reviews and video testimonials on Augusta’s Reviews page, click here

Augusta Precious Metals was formed in January 2012 by founder and CEO Isaac Nuriani, whose personal vision is to educate and empower Americans to diversify their retirement savings.

Yes. Augusta Precious Metals has always had the same name.

Augusta prides itself on being professional in our service to customers. We value your trust and will never take it for granted. Please view our Risk Disclosures page. To view the entire Augusta Transaction Agreement that you would need to sign to become a customer, please click here.

Each customer is assigned a personal Augusta agent who is readily available during business hours. If your agent is assisting another Augusta customer when you call, they will call you back as soon as possible – or you can call our customer engagement line: 855-909-0082. Augusta team members are renowned for outstanding service, as you’ll see in our hundreds of excellent customer reviews on independent review sites.

Your precious metals normally will be shipped 7 to 10 business days after your order is confirmed. Please note that extra wait times are expected when the supply is disrupted due to unique circumstances (i.e., COVID-19).

Professionals recommend that precious metals make up 5% to 10% of a well-diversified portfolio (see examples here and here). Others may recommend different percentages. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how much physical gold and/or silver makes sense for your own portfolio. You should purchase any Augusta products only after consulting your own legal, financial and tax professionals. Augusta does not recommend a specific portfolio percentage for any particular person.

We do have a minimum order of $50,000 for cash (non-IRA) purchases and $50,000 for IRA purchases. The minimums may be met by purchasing any combination of items you choose. We do not limit the maximum size of your order. Even if you want to purchase a large quantity of physical precious metals, Augusta can fulfill your needs.

Discuss the precious metals buying process with an Augusta customer success agent at 800-700-1008. He or she can book an appointment with our education team so they can explain what’s happening with gold and silver accounts (including fees), the economy, inflation, and even red flags to avoid that some gold IRA companies use to pressure buyers. Before purchasing precious metals from Augusta, be sure to consult with your personal legal, financial and tax professionals.

We offer a variety of gold and silver products ranging from bullion coins and bars to premium coins. Please see our Product web pages for some of the products we offer, including pieces eligible for purchase in an IRA.

Our customers are private individuals, collectors and speculators over 18 years old.

You are buying physical, non-paper gold or silver coins or bars. Augusta does not sell precious metals certificates.

As with any purchase, buying precious metals carries certain risks and you should be aware of these before purchasing gold and silver from Augusta Precious Metals. Please review our Risk Disclosures (click here) to get a better understanding of some of the risks involved. To view the entire Augusta Transaction Agreement that you would need to sign if you become an Augusta customer, please click here. Always consult with your own legal, financial and tax professionals before purchasing precious metals.

Yes. However, Augusta does not guarantee that it will purchase metals you own or repurchase metals it sells.

A gold and silver IRA allows you to buy IRS-approved physical gold and silver within a tax-advantaged Individual Retirement Account. Your metals are stored in a highly secure, fully insured depository for safekeeping. Augusta Precious Metals walks you through the few, easy steps required to open the account. We help you go through required forms and help you initiate the simple process to fund your new gold and silver IRA. Here’s how it works (see more information about our process here):

1. You call and get the information you need from an Augusta customer success agent assigned specifically to you. Your agent acts as your liaison to other departments and makes sure your needs are met.
2. Your agent will book an appointment for you with a member of Augusta’s education team. The company’s director of education is Devlyn Steele, who has many years of experience and is a member of the Harvard Business School analytics program. During your appointment, the team explains gold and silver accounts (including fees), the economy, inflation, and even red flags to avoid that some gold IRA companies use to pressure buyers. Click here for more details and to register for an appointment.
3. When you’re ready to open an account, your agent connects you with Augusta’s IRA processing team. This department does 95% of the legwork with you: applications and transfer & rollover forms. They guide the transfer of funds & communicate with your new custodian.
4. Finally, you work with the order desk. We show you the products we offer and you decide which metals you would like to buy. We make sure your metals get to the storage facility you choose.
5. At any time during the life of your account, you can contact your Augusta team members to ask for their help.
6. When you reach the age of 72, you’ll be required by the IRS to begin taking distributions from your precious metals IRA account. You can either take possession of physical metals that carry an appropriate value, or you can liquidate part of your account by selling the metals. Although Augusta has historically bought back our customers’ gold and silver, the law prohibits us from guaranteeing we will repurchase the products we sell. Augusta’s buyback policy is subject to change without notice.

Physical gold and silver do not produce interest or dividends. Instead, buyers of precious metals coins and bars buy them for the value of the metals in them. Premium coins, because of their limited runs, scarcity and other collectable qualities, may be worth more than bullion products.

Your precious metals are delivered, with free shipping and insurance, to the depository storage facility you select. You can make arrangements to visit your purchased metals by contacting the custodian directly.

You can choose a depository convenient for you from several locations in U.S. cities. At the time of this writing, storage facilities are available in Los Angeles, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Nampa, ID; Las Vegas, NV; Shiner, TX; Dallas, TX; South Fargo, ND; Wilmington, DE, Bridgewater, MA; New Castle, DE; and New York, NY. Please ask us for a current list.

Not at all. It’s easy to arrange a full or partial distribution – in either metals or cash – from your gold IRA. We can withdraw the metals on your behalf and wire the cash to your custodian and they will transfer funds to you. You can request shipment of your metals directly to you through your custodian. You can coordinate with your custodian to pick up the metals at the storage facility for distribution. Remember, any early IRA distribution may result in taxes and penalties unless rolled over to another qualified account. Consult with your tax advisor before making any withdrawals from a gold IRA.

The gold IRA is a self-directed IRA, which means YOU direct and manage your own physical precious metals within this IRA. You do not pay someone to manage it, which means you have control over your purchases and sales decisions. You are only responsible for modest custodian account setup and depository storage fees.

With a qualifying purchase, Augusta Precious Metals covers shipping and liability insurance costs for your metals until they are delivered to your IRA storage location.

Yes. The same rules and tax benefits that apply to other IRAs also apply to gold IRAs.

Yes. Your metals are insured against covered losses by the depository storage facility while stored there. In addition to the substantial physical security depositories provide, they typically use a London underwriter.

Yes, you can roll over a portion of funds from your traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) to your gold and silver IRA. That’s commonly how gold IRAs are funded. Augusta provides you with information and assistance you’ll need to help the rollover process go smoothly and worry-free.

Generally, IRS rules allow you to purchase coins minted by the U.S. government as legal tender, such as American Gold Eagles (1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz) and American Silver Eagles. Certain coins minted by other nations as legal tender also are IRS-approved. To learn more about IRA-eligible coins, click here.

Your precious metals are stored fully allocated and off-balance-sheet at the depository. This means your gold and silver remains entirely separate from assets and liabilities of the depository. In the highly unlikely event a depository declares bankruptcy, creditors would have no claim to your metals.

You can rest assured that the fortified depository facility where your precious metals are stored is secure. Among the physical security features of each depository are rigid access-control protocols and state-of-the-art security systems. Click here to learn about the depository we recommend, the Delaware Depository (scroll down to the section titled "How will your silver and gold be stored?").

Owning tangible, physical, inflation-hedging gold and silver can help diversify your savings because the value of your metals is often-uncorrelated with other assets. Buying your metals inside of a self-directed IRA allows their value to grow on a tax-deferred or even tax-free (Roth IRA) basis. A gold IRA also makes it possible for you to make your own purchases and bypass portfolio management fees.

We accept payment by bank wire and personal check. Bank wires may be for any amount. Checks can be for any amount up to $50,000.

No additional commission is added to listed prices. Prices quoted to you by the Augusta order desk are the prices you will pay. Prices are subject to change and are locked in during your recorded confirmation call. To get more pricing information, please review Augusta's transaction agreement.

Both bullion and premium prices are locked in once your order is confirmed via phone and payment is received. For premium products, you have a one-time option to revise your order to a lower price within seven days, as guaranteed by our 7-Day Price Protection Program.

Our prices need to be confirmed on a recorded phone line by the Augusta confirmation department. They will confirm products you want to purchase, the price of the products, the risks of buying gold and silver, and your shipping address.

Absolutely! Our mission is to help educate and empower Americans to diversify their retirement savings with gold and silver. Being here to help is at the foundation of our mission. We look forward to talking with you – we’ll learn a bit about your situation and help you book an appointment with our education team. The company’s director of education is Devlyn Steele, who has years of experience and is a member of the Harvard Business School analytics program. During your appointment, the team explains what’s happening with the economy and gold & silver markets. Appointments are conducted by phone or web chat. Click here for more details and to register for an appointment. If you are more comfortable reading, we invite you to order our free guide. When you’re ready, just give us a call at 800-700-1008.

For first-time customers, Augusta extends the cancellation period for premium gold and silver coin transactions for up to seven calendar days after the date your transaction is confirmed. Subsequent premium product orders are final upon completion of the recorded confirmation call, unless laws of your state of residence provide for a longer cancellation period, in which case the longer cancellation period will be honored.

Our packages are carefully wrapped in a discreet box that gives no indication of its contents. Not even the delivery person will know what’s inside.

We ship USPS Express Mail, Registered Insured or Federal Express. Large orders are shipped via Brinks Armored.

Orders are normally shipped 7 to 10 business days after your order is confirmed. Please note that extra wait times are expected when the supply is disrupted due to unique circumstances (i.e., COVID-19).

Each package is shipped fully insured and requires a signature upon delivery. You take responsibility for your precious metals only after you receive them or they are delivered to a secure depository.

We ship IRA metals to secure depositories in the United States. Cash purchases can be shipped anywhere in the U.S.

Augusta does not give tax advice. Please consult your personal tax professional regarding any tax liabilities.

Gains from the sale of an asset must be reported to the IRS and are subject to capital gains taxes. Sales of assets inside of IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts usually are not subject to capital gains taxes. However, withdrawal of assets from such accounts potentially can generate various other tax liabilities. Always direct any questions about tax consequences to your personal tax professional.