- A+ BBB rating
- Over 15 years in business
- Industry competitive fees
- Excellent customer service
- No formal buy back policy
- Only can invest within U.S.
If you are looking to open a precious metals IRA, this American Bullion review will help you to determine if this well-regarded precious metals dealer is the right place to get started.
American Bullion is a provider of gold IRA services, helping investors seeking to secure their retirement by offering a retirement investment vehicle that allows diversification with physical precious metals.
American Bullion offers the full range of IRA eligible gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion coins, as well as numismatic coins for direct purchase.
For investors seeking to diversify their retirement portfolios with precious metals, American Bullion is considered an attractive option due to its wide product selection and expertise in the gold IRA industry.
However, investors should be aware that the company does not have a specific buyback policy.
American Bullion Review: My Verdict
I’ve given them a rating of 8 out of 10.
Category | Rating (out of 10) |
---|---|
Product & Service Offerings | 7 |
Fees & Minimum | 7 |
Guarantees | 5 |
Customer Experience | 9.5 |
Storage & Security | 9.5 |
Account Setup & Maintenance | 9 |
Reputation & Reviews | 9 |
Overall Rating | 9.7 |
In this review of American Bullion, I’ve followed CEP’s detailed criteria for evaluating the precious metals IRA company.
About American Bullion
American Bullion is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and began business operations in 2009.
The company is widely recognized as a legitimate company and a trusted leader in the gold IRA industry, known for its professionalism, transparency, and commitment to customer satisfaction.
The company is a precious metals dealer offering gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in both bar and coin form, as well as a wide variety of numismatic coins.
The comprehensive services the company offers to clients, including retirement investors, cover a full range of precious metals investment options, secure storage solutions, and expert guidance throughout the process.
Bullion coins and bars can be purchased and held in a precious metals IRA, though you can also purchase coins and bars to be delivered to you personally outside of an IRA account.
American Bullion enjoys high ratings from customers on popular third-party rating platforms, such as the Better Business Bureau, Google, TrustLink, and Trustpilot.
Many clients have praised the company for its professionalism, knowledgeable support, and seamless transaction process.
Product & Service Offerings
American Bullion gives investors the option to buy precious metals for a retirement account (precious metals IRA) or for direct ownership outside of an IRA.
Coins and Bars
The company offers a wide range of IRS-approved coins and bars in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
Some of the most common IRA-eligible coins include:
- American Eagle coins (Bullion and Proof)
- Canadian Maple Leaf coins
- American Gold Buffalo coins
- Austrian Philharmonic coins
These coins come in sizes like 1 ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce, and 1/10 ounce, making it easier to invest at different levels.
In addition to gold and silver IRAs, you can also add platinum and palladium bars or coins for broader diversification.
Buying outside of an IRA
If you prefer, you can also buy coins, bars, or even collectible coins directly (outside of retirement accounts).
In this case, you can take delivery at home or office, or arrange for secure storage through the company.
The website doesn’t list numismatic coin options, so you’ll need to call to ask about availability and pricing.
American Bullion makes it easy to add physical gold, silver, platinum, or palladium to your retirement portfolio through an IRA—or buy directly if you’d rather hold metals yourself.
Just keep in mind the IRS rules for IRA-approved metals and storage.
Fees & Minimum
Setup fee for IRA | $25 (one-time, only for IRA account set-up, not cash purchases) |
Wire transfer fee | $35 |
Custodian administration fee | $160 annually |
Storage fees | $100 for non-segregated or $175 for segregated per year |
The minimum investment required to open a gold IRA with American Bullion is $50,000.
American Bullion’s Shipping and Transaction Agreement quotes the markup or spread for “most common bullion products” at 4% for cash purchases and 7% for IRA inclusion.
For numismatic coins, which are not held in an IRA, the markup is 20%. However, the specific amount of the markup will be based on the type of metals purchased (coins or bars) and the volume of metal you purchase.
Since the specific markup is unique to each purchase, you must call American Bullion to get a quote on a purchase.
The company provides extensive information about its fees and pricing structure to ensure transparency.
Guarantees
American Bullion’s Shipping and Transaction Agreement indicates “Repurchase Not Guaranteed”.
This does not mean that the company will not repurchase precious metals sold to you at some point, only that they don’t guarantee repurchases.
While American Bullion does not have a formal buyback program, it has historically offered to repurchase metals at fair market value.
However, they do provide the following offer if an order is determined to be incorrect:
“In the event we discover an error in pricing or a material error in the description or availability of a product that affects your outstanding order with American, we will notify you of the corrected price or description; you may then choose to accept the corrected price or description, or cancel the order. If you choose to cancel the order, American will give you a full refund.”
The company provides clear information to help customers make informed decisions throughout the entire process, including the buyback procedure, and values customer feedback on buyback experiences.
The company indicates an order for precious metals will be filled in no more than 28 days after verification that purchase funds provided have been processed and cleared the company bank account.
Customer Experience
American Bullion customer contact is available by phone at 1(800)465-3472, Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific time.
You can also contact the company by email at [email protected], which can also be accomplished through the website email channel.
The company can also be contacted through its social media channels at Facebook, X, Youtube, and Instagram.
The website does offer FAQs and an adequate amount of educational resources to help investors better understand the risks, rewards, and intricacies of investing in precious metals.
American Bullion demonstrates a strong commitment to customer education by providing valuable insights for both new and experienced investors, helping them make informed decisions.
The online experience is further enhanced by American Bullion’s website, which offers accessible information and resources to support customer satisfaction and ensure a seamless digital journey.
Storage & Security
When you open a gold IRA with American Bullion, your metals are stored safely at the Delaware Depository in Wilmington, Delaware.
Storage options
You can choose between segregated storage (your metals are kept separate) or non-segregated storage (your metals are stored with others but fully accounted for).
Both options meet IRS rules for precious metals IRAs.
Security measures
The depository is a fortified, high-security facility built with 21-inch thick concrete walls reinforced with steel.
Entry is strictly controlled, and the vaults follow the Bank Protection Act standards.
Security systems run 24/7 monitoring and regular audits to ensure accuracy and safety.
Insurance coverage
All metals are fully insured against theft, loss, or damage.
Coverage is provided through a $1 billion policy with Lloyd’s of London, one of the world’s most trusted insurers.
With American Bullion, your precious metals are stored in one of the most secure and highly regulated depositories in the country, with full insurance coverage for peace of mind.
Account Setup & Maintenance
To set up an American Bullion precious metals IRA you’ll need to open a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) with STRATA Trust Company, who acts as IRA trustee and custodian.
The IRA custodian is responsible for managing your account, handling all administrative tasks, and arranging secure storage of your precious metals.
The process is as follows:
- Visit the STRATA Open an Account page. IRA fees and the precious metal storage fee are due upon account set up. You can pay using a check or credit card, then set up Auto-Pay for recurring expenses.
- Fund your IRA, which can be done using a direct transfer from another qualified retirement plan, a rollover from the retirement plan of a former employer, or by mailing a check or sending a wire (if you are doing an IRA contribution).
- Choose American Bullion as your precious metals dealer. You can work out the specific precious metal assets that will be purchased and transferred into your IRA through American Bullion.
- Complete and sign STRATA’s Investment Direction and Disclosures – Precious Metals form and submit it with your order ticket. The order ticket will show the type, quantity, and price of the precious metals to be purchased for your account.
- STRATA will remit payment to American Bullion and provide the dealer with instructions for delivery to the depository, which will be Delaware Depository. For this reason, all funds must be received by STRATA before any metal’s purchases can be made.
Throughout the entire process, American Bullion provides support to help clients make informed investment decisions, ensuring their retirement savings are protected and positioned for long-term growth.
Reviews & Reputation
American Bullion enjoys highly favorable ratings among various third-party sources:
- Better Business Bureau: A+, the highest rating given by the agency.
- Trustpilot: 4.9 out of five stars among 210 reviews.
- Google listing: 3.8 out of five stars among 49 reviews.
- TrustLink: 5.0 out of five stars among 57 reviews.
American Bullion reviews consistently highlight strong customer feedback and high customer satisfaction across multiple platforms, including Yellow Pages, where the company is highly rated.
These positive reviews and average ratings reflect American Bullion’s excellent reputation and trustworthiness among clients.
American Bullion is a United States Mint listed dealer, a Royal Canadian Mint Registered Bullion DNA Dealer, and a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA), and a member and authorized dealer of both the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and the National Guaranty Corporation (NGC).
American Bullion Alternatives & Competitors
There are several reputable gold IRA companies and precious metals companies that investors seeking alternatives to American Bullion should consider.
If American Bullion isn’t the right bullion dealer for you, check out the following competitors:
Our Rating:
4.8
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Our Rating:
4.5
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Our Rating:
4.2
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Minimum for IRA transfers:
$0
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Minimum for IRA transfers:
$2,000
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Minimum for IRA transfers:
$10,000
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Goldco
Goldco is another precious metals dealer with top ratings from third-party rating services, including the BBB.
It also offers its Highest BuyBack Guarantee, as well as a silver bonus of up to 10% of the amount of limited mintage coins purchased for a precious metals IRA.
Request Goldco’s free gold & silver kit
Noble Gold Investments
Noble Gold Investments provides gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion for your precious metals IRA.
Though it has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, consumers should be aware it has more limited gold and silver options than its major competitors.
Request Noble’s free gold guide
Birch Gold Group
Birch Gold Group offers numismatic coins for non-retirement accounts, as well as bullion coins and bars for IRAs.
The company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been in business since 2003.
Request Birch’s free gold info kit
Is American Bullion a reputable company?
Based on highly favorable customer reviews on popular review sites, as well as an absence of legal actions against the company, American Bullion looks to be a reasonable choice for the purchase of precious metals for your precious metals IRA.
American Bullion is also considered a reliable option for investors due to its quality assurance, broad product selection, and IRS approval.
Just be sure you fully understand the transaction and what you are purchasing, because the company is under no obligation to buy back any products it has sold to you in the past.
For those seeking to diversify their retirement accounts with precious metals, we recommend American Bullion.
FAQs
Who owns American Bullion?
American Bullion is co-owned by Orkan Ozkan and Nevtan Akcora, who co-founded the company in 2009. They currently serve as CEO and president, respectively.
Does American Bullion have any pending lawsuits or complaints?
The company enjoys excellent ratings from four third-party rating agencies, including the Better Business Bureau.
Where is American Bullion located?
American Bullion is located at the following address:
American Bullion, Inc.
12301 Wilshire Blvd #305
Los Angeles, CA 90025-1022
American Bullion
American Bullion is a precious metals brokerage specializing in selling gold and silver bullion for IRAs or direct delivery.
Product Brand: American Bullion
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