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American Bullion Review 2023 (With Ratings & Complaints): Is It Legit?

Thank you for visiting our American Bullion review (2023). In this review, we’ve looked into Amerian Bullion’s BBB ratings, reviews and complaints, product assortment, fees, gold IRA opening process, and more to see whether the company is legit.

Important Notice!
Before we go more in-depth on this American Bullion review, we know that choosing a precious metals IRA company is an important financial decision that can impact your financial future for years to come.

Our goal is to provide you with the most accurate and reliable information to help you identify the best option to grow and protect your wealth today.

With careful and extensive research, we have reviewed and rated the 6 best precious metals IRA companies of 2023 to help make your decision easier!

>>See our list of the top 6 precious metals IRA companies (cash sales also available).

Also, check out a time-limited special promotion from our #1 recommended company!
 

For a limited time, they are offering up to 10% of your order in FREE silver! Meaning that if you purchase metals for $100,000, you get $10,000 in FREE silver!

>>Learn more about this special promotion here!<<
Rating Overview From The Same Company:

  • Free Storage for Non-IRA Precious Metals
  • Biggest Promotions in the Industry
  • Unmatched Customer Service
  • No High-Pressure Sales Tactics
  • Outstanding Ratings & Customer Reviews
  • FREE and Easy IRA & 401(k) Rollovers
  • A+ BBB Rating and AAA BCA Rating
  • Highest Buy-Back Guarantee
  • 2021 Company Of The Year Award

With that being said, let us now look at how Amerian Bullion measures up! Please feel free to use the quick links in the TOC list to jump straight to any section:

Introduction American Bullion Review (2023)


American Bullion, yet another company in the bullion industry that specializes in precious metals IRAs. We’ve gone over why this is a good thing: when you’re opening a gold IRA, you want to work with someone who’s as close to a specialist as possible.

American Bullion fits that bill pretty well, with a very retirement-oriented website. If they’re using a website theme, we’d imagine it’s called “Savings”. Indeed, left and right, they inform visitors of the importance of sound long-term investment, especially pertaining to retirement.

There are quite a few things we like about the company and there’s not much to dislike. But first, let’s delve into what we know in terms of the company’s background.

What Is American Bullion?


American BullionWith a foundation date of 2009, American Bullion is among the more experienced companies of this kind, with over a decade in business. There’s not a whole lot available about the team, but American Bullion was started by Orkan Ozkan and Nevtan Akcora, two commodity brokers.

They’ve notched a prominent celebrity endorsement in the form of Rhett Jeppson, who was director of the US Mint and is now the company’s spokesperson. That probably goes a long way toward getting your customers to place their trust in you.

One of the earliest companies in this sector to have cryptocurrency payments available, American Bullion also stands out due to being a registered dealer of both the US Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint.

They are also affiliated with the American Numismatic Association (ANA), the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA), the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), and the National Guaranty Corporation (NGC) to varying degrees.

Since there are gold IRA companies that have been in business for longer than 2009, we aren’t so sure about their claim of creating the precious metal IRA opening process. Still, their tenure is lengthy enough to give them plenty of clout among competitors.

If you are ready to take action, >>>>see our list of the top 6 precious metals IRA companies (cash sales also available).

American Bullion Products


Although they also serve as a regular bullion dealer, their gold IRA is the main product, so much so that it has its own section on the website. From there, the bullion listed has no prices, which is pretty common for IRA dealers.

Each of the four precious metals is well-represented, and we imagine most investors will find something to their liking there. Let’s start with the obvious one.

Gold

  • American Eagle, bullion and proof, 1oz, 1/2oz, 1/4oz and 1/10oz
  • Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, no denominations listed
  • American Buffalo, 1oz
  • Austrian Philharmonic Gold, no denominations
  • Credit Suisse gold bars, 1oz and 10oz
  • UBS gold bars, 1oz and 10oz
  • Pamp Suisse gold bars, 10oz

American Bullion Gold Coins and Gold Bars

Silver

  • American Silver Eagle, bullion and proof, 1oz
  • Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, 1oz
  • Austrian Silver Philharmonic, 1oz
  • Johnson Matthey silver bars, 1oz, 10oz and 100oz
  • PAMP Suisse silver bars, 1oz
  • Various “junk silver” coins

American Bullion Silver Coins

Platinum

  • American Platinum Eagle, bullion and proof, 1oz
  • Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf, 1oz
  • Pamp Suisse platinum Bars, 10oz

American Bullion Palladium Coins

Palladium

  • Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf, 1oz
  • PAMP Suisse palladium bars, 10oz

American Bullion Palladium Coins

Buyback Program


The only buybacks mentioned on their website, which have their own “Sell My Gold” section, are those from an IRA you already own. It’s not clear whether the company buys precious metals from those willing to sell as many dealers do.

A little digging told us that this is the case, yet the website only mentions the IRA process and details it out. If they really do buy bullion from website visitors, it would be nice to have a section that clarifies it to greater extent.

Opening An American Bullion Gold IRA


American Bullion Review 2023 (With BBB Ratings & Complaints): Scam Or Legit?As you probably know, most gold IRA companies follow the same streamlined process: they work with one or more custodians, which manage the accounts, and one or more depositories that hold the bullion. American Bullion is no different.

It seems Sterling Trust Company is their main custodian, though they mention working with many others.

In regards to storage, only the Delaware Depository is listed. While a very reputable facility, a lot of gold IRA investors like to have more storage options to choose from so that their bullion can be “closer to home”.

Everything on the website is a kind of instruction manual on how IRAs work, how you can open one, what coins and bars are about, and so on. We like to see this kind of transparency, as merely visiting the website and going through its various sections will probably tell you most of what you need to know about opening a self-directed IRA.

Fees & Investment Minimums


Here’s what you can expect in regard to fees:

  • $50,000 investment minimum
  • $90 to $290 annual account maintenance fee based on the value of your account: the more metals, the larger the fee
  • The first year of fees waived on all accounts
  • $150 fee when closing an account
Annual Fees Custodial Fees Investment Minimums
$90-$290 All fees waived on all accounts for the first year Precious Metals IRA $50,000

There is an obvious lack of a clear markup, and in the absence of prices, one wonders what the products might cost. It’s also not really explained if the annual account maintenance fee covers only custody or storage as well. Still, it’s a pretty attractive fee structure overall.

If you are ready to take action, >>>>see our list of the top 6 precious metals IRA companies (cash sales also available).

American Bullion Reviews & BBB Ratings


5 star customer ratings

The company’s reviews are, as stated, mostly good.

The Better Business Bureau page has some funny, or not-so-funny business that we’ll address separately. The BBB has accredited them with an A, just short of the highest mark, and they have a 3.67/5 rating based on 3 reviews.

American Bullion BBB Rating

Things look better on the Business Consumer Alliance website, where they have the highest rating of AAA and 5 out of 5 stars based on 8 reviews, with no complaints.

TrustPilot gives them 4.4 stars with 83% 5-star reviews and 11% 4-star ones based on 193 reviews.

American Bullion TrustPilot Reviews

On TrustLink, things are practically spotless with a 5 out of 5 star rating based on 57 reviews.

American Bullion TrustLink Reviews

Plus, on Google they hold a 3.9 5 star rating based on 41 reviews.

Overall, positive reviews say pretty much everything you’d like to hear about a gold IRA company. Satisfied customers who praise the customer representatives’ technical know-how, low maintenance fees, and a generally friendly approach.

Not much is said about product prices, however.

American Bullion Complaints


Though complaints aren’t numerous, there is one interesting back-and-forth and a few to go over.

The sole complaint on their BBB page gives us something to read if nothing else. It’s a year-long affair where someone’s son states that his elderly father purchased too many coins above fair value.

However, we like American Bullion’s response here. They point out that the coins have appreciated to the purchased price in the meantime and offer to buy them back for the same amount. The person who filed the complaint says things were resolved well, so maybe someone was too hasty in dishing out judgment. You be the judge.

Not that much in terms of negative feedback, as we said. Generally, the four-star and below reviews date back to 2014 and earlier, and a lot of them seem to do with customers not understanding that spot prices are lower than what you can actually purchase bullion for.

Pros And Cons Of American Bullion


To give you a quick overview, here are some pros and cons of American Bullion:

  • Very good selection of IRA-oriented bullion
  • Experts in IRA investments
  • General focus on gold IRA investment as opposed to dealership
  • Responsive and knowledgeable customer support
  • All fees for the first year are waived
  • Good, if not great feedback
  • All purchases of gold, platinum, palladium and silver are delivered within 7 days
  • No bullion prices on the website
  • Only one depository available
  • A few complaints are present
  • Limited selection of bullion outside of what might appeal to IRA investors

If you are ready to take action, >>>>see our list of the top 6 precious metals IRA companies (cash sales also available).

American Bullion Review 2023: Verdict


American BullionThe verdict of our American Bullion review (2023) is that more than anything else, what stands out to us about American Bullion is their time in the sector.

Approaching 15 years is a lot: it’s the kind of background that many competitors undoubtedly hope to have. And in those 15 years, if they’ve garnered negative feedback, they managed to hide it pretty well.

American Bullion seems like a pretty straightforward company, and not one you’re likely to go wrong with if you choose them for your IRA investments.

One of the things we like most is the way their representatives sound when replying to negative feedback: it’s fairly straight to the point and doesn’t have the kind of artificial or condescending tone that can sometimes pop up in instances such as these.

Because the company is as geared towards retirement investment as it is, you might find yourself wanting if you’d like some of the more exotic product varieties.

One could argue that even some top IRA choices are missing, and while denominations on some products are clearly listed, others are absent altogether.

In general, with all four precious metals being well-represented in terms of bars, we’d say that their bar selection is stronger than the coin one relative to competitors.

If you’re really itching for negative reviews, you can always try and dig them up and see what they have to say. But as mentioned, the feedback is nowhere near the “you ruined my life” type of stuff that is sometimes seen among even reputable companies in this sector.

Plus, the former director of the U.S. Mint recommends this company. Who are we to argue?

If you are ready to take action, >>>>see our list of the top 6 precious metals IRA companies (cash sales also available).

Or, you can go straight to their website here.

American Bullion Alternatives


If you want to look around a bit more before making a final decision on what gold IRA provider to choose, we have reviewed and rated the best gold IRA companies of 2023. You can request their gold IRA kits directly from the reviews table below:

>

Company Reviews Annual Fees Investment Minimums (IRA) Preferred Custodian Free Gold Kit
Goldco: Best Overall Gold IRA Company Reviews $180 $25,000 Equity Trust
Reviews $0 $50,000 Equity Trust
Red Rock Secured: Best ROI Gold IRA Reviews $0 $10,000 Equity Trust
Reviews $100 $10,000 Equity Trust
Reviews $180 $10,000 Equity Trust
Reviews $80 $2,000 Equity Trust

About the Author

Stina is an entrepreneur who's passionate about personal finance, investing, and digital marketing. She's been a writer in this space for over a decade.

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Why is gold considered a safe haven investment?

Because gold serves as a hedge against inflation, deflation, currency risk, stock market volatility, etc. Gold is a store of value and should be seen as financial insurance. Historically, gold moves in the opposite direction of traditional securities like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. When the stock market goes down, the price of gold and silver tends to rise. So, if you are looking to minimize risk, diversify your portfolio, and safeguard your wealth during times of heightened volatility, you should hold physical gold.

Why should you invest in a gold IRA?

You should invest in a gold IRA to protect your retirement savings account and make sure your assets are safe and secure, while also ensuring that your wealth will appreciate. By investing in gold and other precious metals through a gold IRA, you do not have to worry about a possible stock market crash or inflation, where your paper assets would lose their value. It also allows you to take advantage of a simple and easy IRS loophole that allows you to hold physical gold and silver with the money you already have saved in your retirement accounts, completely tax and penalty-free.

Is a gold IRA a safe investment?

Yes. Your precious metals investments are stored with a custodian, just like any other IRA asset. An IRA custodian is a financial institution that holds your account’s investments for safekeeping and sees to it that all IRS and government regulations are adhered to at all times. The custodian could be a bank, credit union, trust, or another company called a non-bank custodian.

Can I store my precious metals at home?

Non-IRA precious metals, yes. Not metals in an actual gold IRA. IRS rules forbid keeping your IRA precious metals at home or in a standard safety security box. They must be held by an approved non-bank trustee or a bank within IRS guidelines that restricts access and keeps all precious metals segregated by the customer. This ensures exact metals purchased by a specific customer are returned to that same customer once legal distribution requirements are met.

In other words, just like a Traditional IRA, the access to the precious metals in your Precious Metals IRA must be restricted in specific ways to ensure deposit and disbursement laws are followed.

Is the value of the precious metals I buy for my IRA guaranteed?

No. Like all investments, the future value of precious metals is not guaranteed and can rise or fall based on a variety of market influences. This is why it is good to diversify your portfolio with other asset classes such as cryptocurrencies, real estate, etc.

Should I invest in physical gold, future options (ETFs), gold mining stocks, or gold funds?

Indirect forms of investing in gold are much riskier than physical metal. You are relying on any third party individual or company to look after your wealth for you, and depending on the company’s success or failure, you risk losing your investment. With physical gold, you are in control of your wealth. Physical gold offers you that layer of protection and security which Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), gold mining stocks and funds do not.

Should I buy gold coins or gold bars?

It depends on your individual investment goals and situation. Gold bars are the largest and most efficient way to purchase and store large amounts of gold. They are usually also the most cost-efficient because they have the smallest premium over the gold spot price and the lowest markups for design and transportation. They are also easier to stack and more difficult to counterfeit.

Gold coins are smaller and more convenient than gold bars, but they are also harder to store because they are easier to lose. Gold coins are less efficient than bars for holding large amounts of metal and some of them may come with a higher premium over spot since they can be marked-up for design or rarity. Although, gold coins are more useful for people who intend to use their gold as money.

When it comes to gold IRAs, only certain coins are IRS approved for inclusion in IRAs. In fact, not all bars or bullion are IRS approved. The IRS or your gold IRA company maintains a list of acceptable forms of precious metals for IRAs.

When will I be eligible for distributions from gold IRA?

At age 59½, you or the beneficiary of your gold IRA can start taking penalty-free distributions from the account, according to the IRS.

Extended Gold IRA FAQ

See more frequently asked questions and answers about Gold IRAs
About How To Invest Gold

Our Mission

For over a decade, our mission has been to provide investors and retirees with all the information they need when it comes to precious metals and cryptocurrency investing.

Gold backed IRA - Goldco, Regal AssetsNot only do we provide a complete guide on the best ways to invest in precious metals, but we have also carefully vetted the best precious metals companies in the US to help you choose the best provider for your investment needs.

We believe that investing in precious metals and cryptocurrencies through your 401(k)/IRA is one of the best ways to invest in this asset class, due to the tax-saving component. A gold IRA or crypto IRA is the best way to protect your retirement account against an unstable market.

Disclaimer: The owner of this website is not licensed as an investment advisor and, accordingly, does not make any recommendations regarding clients’ personal investment portfolios. It is recommended that you carefully evaluate and research the risks and rewards associated with investing in alternative assets such as physical precious metals and cryptocurrencies before you make a purchase. Learn more in our Terms of Service.

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