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Investing in today's financial markets can be tricky. Consumers want growth but with as little risk as possible. No one wants to lose significant funds as they save for the future.
For this reason, many investors seek out financial experts who can guide them toward a comfortable retirement. Take a look at a familiar name in the industry right now. John Hancock's signature logo is known across the globe.
Keep reading to find out if the John Hancock gold IRA is a good fit for your investing needs.
Before we get started with this review:
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Getting to Know John Hancock
John Hancock has been in business for nearly 200 years. They offer standard financial products, which include insurance, investments, and retirement accounts.
Thousands of customers have worked with John Hancock over the years, which makes them a safe option for most financial moves.
Although John Hancock is a reputable company, it has limited retirement account choices. Investors may be excited to open an IRA or Individual Retirement Account, for example. They look for traditional or Roth types in many cases.
Seeking out a gold IRA may take some research outside of John Hancock's offerings, however. Only gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical precious metals in a secure facility.
John Hancock simply doesn't offer this investing option.
Looking elsewhere for a gold IRA is the solution, which is why many investors look for online options. Ideally, get to know why a gold IRA is so important for a retirement portfolio and which companies offer the best services.
Benefiting From a Precious Metals IRA
Investors gain a lot of security when it comes to investing in a gold IRA. Precious metals don't depend on face value like paper assets.
Gold and silver have tangible value, which can be traded in the marketplace at almost any time. In addition, precious metals are a great way to hedge against inflation. Their value tends to increase regardless of the economic conditions.
Benefiting from a precious metals IRA requires a proper account. Financial experts ask investors to fund a self-directed IRA with money from a 401(k) or other IRA, for example. Investors can then purchase precious metals within the IRA.
A custodian or account manager facilitates these purchases and directs them to a secure facility called a depository. Investors never take possession of the precious metals until they withdraw them in retirement.
In the meantime, the precious metals remain safe as they grow a strong return across the decades.
Selecting From the Top 3 Companies Offering Gold IRAs
Investors want a company that has experience in the precious metals industry. Searching online brings up many different choices. Take a closer look at these top 3 gold IRA companies in the industry.
They all have various advantages and disadvantages for every investment goal.
#1 Goldco - Our Top Recommendation
Goldco is a precious metals dealer that's been in business for over a decade. It's been recognized by several celebrities and featured across many news platforms.
Because of its outstanding customer service, with the most 5-star reviews out of any gold company in the country, many investors select Goldco as their precious metals dealer.
Investors should note that Goldco sells precious metals and specializes in helping customers with self-directed IRAs that can hold physical gold and silver. They don't actually offer custodial services or house the precious metals in their own depository.
However, they're happy to assist customers with starting an account with one of their customer service representatives.
Their website also offers plenty of solid information about the precious metals industry. Reading about smart investments only empowers the investor. As a result, the investor can diversify their portfolios even more.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Goldco makes account setups as simple as possible for the average investor. Call their hotline, create an account, and choose precious metals. They clearly outline their step-by-step process on the site.
Although a single phone call to customer service may be an advantage to some investors, it ends up as a disadvantage to others.
The only pricing that can be found in the current spot pricing for precious metals in the marketplace. The lack of transparency may be frustrating to some buyers.
This company does have a physical address, however, which allows the investor to visit if they're in the region. Although it's unclear if Goldco has an actual showroom, this company's location is still a dependable sign that they're a legitimate player in the precious metals industry.
Overall Outlook
Goldco is popular with precious metals investors for a reason. Read through hundreds of reviews on the Better Business Bureau website alone, for example. There are mixed reviews about this company, but investors continue to flock to its services.
This company's overall outlook is a positive one. Investors who appreciate a hands-off approach to their investments may be pleased with Goldco's customer service.
Additional information regarding products and pricing can be a helpful addition to the website in the future. Offering information about various self-directed IRA custodians and depositories is another section that would be valuable on the site as well.
#2 American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold is a precious metals dealer that's been in business since 2016 and specializes in gold bullion. In fact, it's a company that's been featured on several news platforms.
As investors browse through their website, they'll find many investment articles and videos.
American Hartford Gold wants to empower its customers with a lot of precious metals information. For this reason, the website is easy to understand as investors move between tabs.
This company consults with customers and sells precious metals. In addition, they partner with several well-known custodians and depositories. They describe a setup process for a gold IRA that's similar to both Goldco and Augusta.
Advantages and Disadvantages
American Hartford Gold's product pages may lack pricing, but the items are laid out with easy-to-read labels. Investors can click on these items to see further descriptions of them. The only real disadvantage to the product pages is the lack of pricing.
It appears that American Hartford Gold doesn't have real-time pricing capabilities so rough costs can be seen on each item. This company also stresses phone calls as their main communication pathway. However, not all investors are looking for a conversation.
They may still be researching precious metals. As an alternative, American Hartford Gold appears to be active on social media. Investors might follow these accounts so that they can see how the business operates. It's a clever way to research a precious metals company by reading daily posts.
Overall Outlook
Although American Hartford Gold has several complaints on the BBB website, their reviews are largely positive. In fact, the BBB gives this company an A+ rating. Their business outlook is strong as they continue to advertise their gold IRA services and highlight current deals.
It's encouraging to see a thorough "About Us" page too, which puts names and faces to the company. They appear to have pride in their work. With a free guide available for all investors, AHG continues to assist its customers so that they can invest with confidence.
#3 Augusta Precious Metals
Augusta Precious Metals is a company that specializes in gold and silver. Visiting their website gives investors a great view of the products and services available today.
In fact, there are many pages devoted to precious metals information, current trends, and helpful advice.
Although there are several tabs to browse through, Augusta's site is relatively easy to maneuver as investors gain more knowledge about the latest investment news.
Contacting Augusta through its hotline is typical, but investors can also use the live chat feature or contact form as an alternative. Augusta has several physical addresses too, which tells investors that this company is an established and legitimate business.
Advantages and Disadvantages
As investors browse through Augusta's products, they'll discover more than just the commonplace American Gold Eagle and Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins. There are unique coins from across the globe, including Great Britain's Year of the Monkey coins.
Additionally, Augusta divides out IRA-eligible products from the rest of its inventory. This feature streamlines the investing process so that investors know exactly which items can be used in an IRA.
There are only a select few that the IRS approves of in the precious metals industry.
A main disadvantage to Augusta's site is the "call for pricing" labels. It appears that all products require a call to the company if pricing is desired. A range of prices on each product would help investors with their research in the future.
Overall Outlook
With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, Augusta has a strong future ahead of it. The precious metals industry has some risks to it, which can create companies with short lifespans.
However, Augusta stands out with many reviews leaning towards a positive experience with the staff. They've been in business since 2015, and they appear to have many loyal customers.
Understanding the Fine Details
Every precious metals dealer will have a minimum order amount to set up an account. Ideally, use an established retirement account to fund the gold IRA.
As a result, the gold IRA will have a strong balance without any contributions counted toward its creation. Investors can then contribute up to the yearly maximum as dictated by the federal government.
Ideally, sign up with the custodian and depository that's supported by the precious metals dealer. There may be fee discounts or a bundle option based on those business relationships.
Place only a portion of your savings into a gold IRA. Diversify a portfolio by using several accounts, including 401(k), pensions, and other IRAs, to build a comfortable retirement.
Conclusion
Precious metals have been historically steady resources in the financial markets. It's time that investors branch out from paper assets and into gold and silver.
An experienced, gold IRA company can help investors from account setup to yearly evaluations. As a result, a comfortable retirement is a simpler goal to achieve.
You can get a Free Gold Investors Guide from our top gold and precious metals company recommendation by clicking the link above or you can read our article of the top companies we reviewed this year:
>> CLICK HERE to read our list of the Top Gold IRA Companies. <<
I started BMOGAM Viewpoints as a way to compile all my views on investing in one place. I own my home, have some real estate, and own a few stocks like most people, but what really drives my interest in investing is I have a strong love of precious metals, especially gold.