American Hartford Gold Review: Is This Gold and Silver Dealer Worth Trusting?

Home » Blog » Top 10 Best Gold IRA Companies (2023) » American Hartford Gold Review: Is This Gold and Silver Dealer Worth Trusting?

Disclosure: Our content does not constitute financial advice. Speak to your financial advisor. We may earn money from companies reviewed.  Learn more

Last Updated on: 10th April 2023, 08:46 pm

American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold - bySarah Bauder, April 1, 2011
5/ 5stars
on
American Hartford Gold
Review Summary :

American Hartford Gold is a precious metals investment firm founded in 2015. In addition, the company provides retirement investors with a seamless process of opening a Precious Metals IRA. American Hartford Gold has an excellent selection of popular IRA-eligible gold and silver products. Plus, they currently offer a promotion offering $15,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases. Unfortunately, at this time no platinum and palladium products are offered. No product prices are available on the website. Customers are encouraged to contact a representative via a toll-free number to discuss pricing which, in our books, is a bit of a no-no. 

GET FREE KIT

Pros:

  • Great customer reviews
  • Low minimum investment ($5-10k)
  • First year storage and admin fees are free (only $180 thereafter)
  • Offers price match guarantee
  • Buyback program

Cons:

  • Higher premium on exclusive coins
  • No pricing data available on company website
  • No offerings in platinum or palladium
Quick Facts about American Hartford Gold
Year Founded:2015
Company Headquarters:Los Angeles, California
Annual Fees:$180 (1st Year Free)
Supports 401(k)?:Yes
Supports Roth IRA?:Yes
Crypto Offered?:No
Assets Offered:Gold and Silver
Offers Other Assets?:No
Custodian:Equity Trust Company
Current Promotion:FREE Storage, Maintenance, and Insurance for 3 Years
Supports Home Storage?:No
International Storage?:No
Segregated Storage?:Yes
Preferred Storage Location:Texas, Delaware, Salt Lake City, New York City, and Los Angeles
Preferred Storage Vault:Delaware Depository, International Depository Services (IDS), or Brinks Inc
Opening Hours:6am to 5pm PST (M-F); 6am to 4pm PST (Saturday)
Reviewed By:Sarah Bauder
Have you purchased products from American Hartford Gold? Leave a review!

Leave your rating

Field is Required

Field is Required

Field is Required

Field is Required

Leave a rating:



American Hartford Gold Company Info and Background

American Hartford Gold (www.americanhartfordgold.com) is a precious metals investment company. Established in 2015, it is based in Los Angeles, California. The company has a wide array of IRA-eligible bullion, in addition to collectible coins. Gold and silver products are available in the catalog.

American Hartford Gold makes it easy to have precious metals delivered straight to your door, or to opt for IRA or 401(k) investing options if you would prefer to invest within a tax-advantaged account.  American Hartford Gold helps retirement savers establish a gold IRA in a straightforward three-step process. Additionally, customers have a choice of three different depository companies for secure storage of metals holdings. 

The company has an excellent focus on educating its clientele. It offers a free Gold & Silver Information Guide, in addition to an entire section dedicated to “Market News and Charts”. The aforementioned section provides a wealth of articles covering a plethora of topics – all ultimately informing the reader about precious metals investment.

Following a period of rapid growth in 2023, in which the company saw a “400% increase in sales”, the company relocated their headquarters to a new state-of-the-art office building at 11755 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The new office is equipt to accommodate an expanded team of over 200 employees. According to Alex Lin, the company is endorsed by Bill O'Reilly, Rick Harrison, and various other celebrities.

(Note: As of Q2 2023, American Hartford Gold is offering $15,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases).

American Hartford Gold Management Team

Founder and CEO – Sanford Mann

The founder and CEO of American Harford Gold is Sanford Mann. Mann graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He later worked in New York City, in senior management positions for several companies.

In 2015, Mann founded American Harford Gold. In the subsequent years with him at the helm, the company has become one of the more popular precious metals investment companies in the gold industry.

The official American Hartford Gold LinkedIn account lists numerous other key personnel, such as:

  • Paul Stone (Senior Managing Director)
  • Sheila J. Becker (Head of Recruitment)
  • Taylor Nelson (Senior Account Executive)
  • Scott Gerlis (President)

The company also has a Datanyze listing profile that mentions that the company employs 61 staff members and brings in $34.7M in annual gross revenue. However, these figures appear to be unofficial estimates.

American Hartford Gold Custodian and Storage

Custodial services are provided by industry leader,  Equity Trust Company.

Clients of American Hartford Gold have a choice of three different depository companies for secure storage of their precious metals: Brinks Inc.,  International Depository Services (IDS), and Delaware Depository. The Brinks Inc. vault facilities offer segregated and non-segregated storage options. There are facilities located in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and  New York City. Facilities operated by International Depository Services (IDS) are located in Dallas, Texas and New Castle, Delaware. Segregated storage is the only option at both vaults. Lastly, the  Delaware Depository vault is found in Wilmington, Delaware. This facility offers segregated or non-segregated storage of precious metals.

American Hartford Gold Products and Pricing

American Hartford Gold has an array of gold, silver, platinum coins, and bars. For gold, options include the Gold American Buffalo, Gold American Eagle, and  Gold Canadian Buffalo. Silver options include the Silver Canadian Gyrfalcon, and the Silver American Eagle. Available platinum coins include the Platinum American Eagle, the Platinum Austrian Philharmonic, and the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf. 

As mentioned, no palladium coins or bars are offered by American Hartford Gold. Likewise, clients are encouraged to contact a representative via a toll-free number to discuss product pricing.  According to company representative Alex Lin, the top-selling American Hartford Gold coin products are the American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and the St. Helena Sovereign.

Unfortunately, American Hartford Gold requires customers to call for pricing. In our books, this is a misstep and it certainly doesn't inspire trust among prospective customers.

For more detailed and up to date pricing data, you can view more American Hartford Gold products here.

Premium Coins vs Standard Bullion Coins – Understanding the Difference

There is a wide array of available IRA-approved coins that you can include in your gold IRA. However, given the amount of choice, making a decision as to which types of coins to include in your retirement account can seem difficult. Before making any selection, first, understand the distinction between premium and standard bullion coins.

Premium Coins

Premium coins are considered IRA-compatible because they have the same level of purity as standard coins. However, premium coins have limited circulation because they are part of a collectible series issued by mints. This makes them semi-numismatic. Because of this fact, many companies sell these types of coins at higher markups.

Standard Bullion Coins

Standard bullion coins such as the Austrian Philharmonic, the American Eagle, and the Canadian Maple Leaf ultimately provide a better investment choice for investors simply wanting to add gold to their gold IRA. This is because these types of coins have purity levels of 99.99%, but are sold at a much lower price than premium coins because they do not have a limited circulation at mints. 

Below is a comparison chart to give you a better understanding of the available types of coins.

BullionProof & Uncirculated coinsCollectibles/Numismatics
IRA Eligible?YesSomeNo
Highest Purity Level?YesYesNo
Limited Edition and/or Scarcity Factor?NoYesYes
High Finishing Quality & Detail?*NoYesSome
Easy to Sell/Liquidate AnywhereYesNoNo
Premium Over Spot When Buying?LowMediumHigh
What you can expect to sell them for?Close to spot price. Usually no or little premium.Spot price + premium based on rarity/age/demand for your coinsSpot price (if they contain some precious metals) + premium based on rarity/age/demand and other factors
Where can you sell them?Anywhere, since these bullion coins are recognized and trusted worldwide. However they'll probably only give you spot price. Anywhere, but original dealer would likely be the best place if you want to recoup premium. Others might only give you spot price. Ebay is also a good option if you have rare and highly sought after coins.Antique stores, coin shops, collectors' markets, eBay.

American Hartford Gold Precious Metals IRA Info

CompanyAmerican Hartford Gold
Annual CostVariable
Scaled or Flat Fees?Flat Fees
Partnered Storage Vaults Delaware Depository, International Depository Services (IDS), and Brinks Inc
Partnered Custodian Equity Trust Company
Metals Available Gold and Silver
Years in Business 6 years (2015)

American Hartford Gold Reviews, Ratings, and Complaints

  • BBB Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (A+) (Details)
  • BBB Complaints: 19 complaints closed in last 3 years (Details)
  • BCA Rating: AA (Details)
  • BCA Complaints: 3 complaints closed in last 3 years (Details)
  • Trustpilot: Profile (Details)
  • Yelp: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 from 35 reviews (Details)
  • Facebook: Profile (Details) 

American Hartford Gold Contact Information

  • Phone: (855) 484-7752
  • Address: 11900 W Olympic Blvd #750, Los Angeles, CA 90064-1059
  • Email: info@hgoldgroup.com
  • Website: www.americanhartfordgold.com

Do We Recommend American Hartford Gold?

Overall, we were displeased with American Hartford Gold's lack of transparency regarding their pricing. We believe that the most trustworthy gold companies are those that publicly display their price data online. Although the firm is well-reputed, we cannot recommend a company that isn't fully transparent.

It is essential to carefully consider the different precious metals companies available, prior to making any purchases as part of your IRA investment strategy. In addition to its overall reputation, be mindful of a company’s bullion prices, policies, practices, and most importantly, storage fees for precious metals.

American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold - bySarah Bauder, April 1, 2011
5/ 5stars
on
American Hartford Gold
Review Summary :

American Hartford Gold is a precious metals investment firm founded in 2015. In addition, the company provides retirement investors with a seamless process of opening a Precious Metals IRA. American Hartford Gold has an excellent selection of popular IRA-eligible gold and silver products. Plus, they currently offer a promotion offering $15,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases. Unfortunately, at this time no platinum and palladium products are offered. No product prices are available on the website. Customers are encouraged to contact a representative via a toll-free number to discuss pricing which, in our books, is a bit of a no-no. 

GET FREE KIT
Have you purchased products from American Hartford Gold? Leave a review!

Leave your rating

Field is Required

Field is Required

Field is Required

Field is Required

Leave a rating:


Sarah Bauder
Sarah Bauder

Sarah Bauder has a decade of experience at numerous publications, writing about finance, politics, economy and more.

Articles: 114
×