Advantage Gold Company Review: Everything about Fess, Custodians, Depositories and their Buyback Program

Company Overview

Advantage Gold is an industry leader precious metal dealing company located in Los Angles, California. They are experienced in converting existing individual retirement accounts (IRA) or 401-k accounts into precious metals IRAs such as gold, silver, palladium, and platinum.

The company is founded by Kirill Zagalsky and Adam Barrata. Zagalsky worked as a senior account executive at United States Mint before establishing AG and is specialized in precious metal IRA accounts. He has been featured in several media outlets on gold and IRAs.

Baratta also worked as a senior account executive in the precious metal IRA field and has helped many individuals roll their retirement funds over into precious metal IRAs. Baratta is a successful entrepreneur specializing in creating, organizing, and financing a handful of ventures in the entertainment industry. He is also an award-winning producer, writer, and director partnered with NBC Universal and NHL.

Advantage Gold’s primary missions are to educate its clients on their available precious metal IRA options, set up their accounts, and make the process of precious metal IRA accounts rolling over and funding, smooth and straightforward. They are committed to providing the highest level of customer satisfaction and ensuring each client is thoroughly served throughout their customer journey.

What do the Clients say About Their Experience with Advantage Gold Company?

Advantage gold has numerous positive reviews and high ratings on reputable review acquisition platforms such as Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustlink, and Trustpilot.

On BBB, they have earned an A+ rating with 4.82 stars out of 5 from 68 customer reviews. Interestingly, they had only 1 complaint in the last 3 years, with a 100% response rate to the reviews. In one of their recement reviews on November 2022, Carol F from the United States mentioned, “I have never encountered a company like Advantage Gold. Brad helped me with the process and made me feel great about it. He took the time to educate me on a level that made it easy to choose his company. It was almost like he wanted me to know as much as he does any questions I have, Brad calls me that day usually, within a few hours, I would sum it up as this Advantage didn’t ask for my business they more than earned it. They still do 4 years later. Brad is almost like a family member I have never met. Wait until you see the customer website best on the internet.” Read more similar positive reviews from this link.

On Trustpilot, they have earned an excellent badge with 4.9 stars out of 5 from over 1,400 reviews. In above 98% of these reviews, their customers rated them 5 stars and admired them for their professionalism and the pleasant customer journey they had with AG. In one of their latest reviews on December 2022, Lina Haimsky from the United States talked about her excellent experience with Advantage Gold and mentioned, “Andrew is very knowledgeable, nice, and prompt. He really cares about his customers and explained everything time and again until we understood the process very well. Honest estimate and quick process. Really a pleasure to deal with.” You can read more reviews on Advantage Gold by clicking on this link.

On Trustlink, they have earned an excellent 5-star rating from more than 470 happy customers. Again, the customers talked about their great experience with Advantage Gold and appreciated the company for its superb customer service and the time they spent educating their clients about their precious metal IRA options. In one of these reviews, Gary P. from the United States talked about their outstanding service and mentioned, “I have made multiple purchases from Advantage Gold - each time working with Mitch, the process was very simple, and I will continue to use them in the future.” You can find similar positive reviews from this link.

What Are the Steps for Investing in Precious Metal IRAs with Advantage Gold?

Gold equals money! What is money for you, a new TV, a new car? What about your future? the future looks more uncertain these days after the pandemic, so you want to save, but where do you put your money? a retirement account is a start, but is it the best option? Some 401k accounts have hidden fees, and most people are unaware of when and where they take your money.

Why not take control of your money with a self-directed IRA? This way, you are not paying financial advisors and institutions to manage your money and have complete control. After all, it is your money! With a self-directed IRA, you can own traditional investments like stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and physical assets such as gold and silver.

The stock market’s future is uncertain. In the crashes of 2001 and 2008, many lost halves of their value, and mutual funds got hit the hardest! So, why put your entire hard-earned retirement savings in one basket?

With Advantage Gold, you can diversify your retirement account by investing in precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in simple steps. After opening a precious metal IRA account with AG, your account will be funded via your existing retirement account. After selecting the products that fit your criteria, they will be shipped to your designated depository. You can request a distribution at any point, and all your metals are sent directly to you for possession or seeing.

Physical ownership of gold helps you in times of crisis and insulates you from inflation and irresponsible government spending habits.  Gold has been used for its value for over 6,000 years. It’s precious to us, just like our future. So, when you’re ready to hang up that tie, and the stock market drops, your retirement account won’t! Don’t retire with a loss! With precious metals in your portfolio, you are protected with tangible assets. Starting your investing journey with Advantage Gold only takes 15 minutes, and their experienced customer service will help you every step of the way.

Advantage Gold’s IRS-approved Precious Metal Products, Bullion Coins, and Coins

With a traditional IRA, you are able to invest in diverse assets, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and annuities. A conventional IRA also provides the opportunity for more innovative investments like money market accounts or real estate.

Before 1997, investors were prohibited from investing and holding precious metal products in their IRA accounts. However, in 1997, the Taxpayer Relief Act ushered in a new era for individual investors – one where they could diversify their retirement portfolio with IRS-approved gold bullion, coins, and bars through an IRA account. More significant opportunities to protect your financial future come with this newfound freedom to invest in precious metals.

The IRS approves only a handful of precious metals for holding in your precious metal IRA account, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, in bullion, coins, rounds, and bars. They also should meet IRA requirements for purity and fineness (You can read more here for the IRS rules about investing in collectibles through an IRA account). Fortunately, Advantage Gold offers its clients a complete basket of IRS-approved gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion coins, which are briefly listed below.

IRS-approved Gold Products

• American Gold Eagle bullion - coin is America’s most popular and recognized gold coin. This coin meets the standards set by IRS, and is guaranteed by the US government for authenticity, purity, and gold content. American Gold Eagle is the first gold coin authorized by the United States Congress and is made of 1 troy ounce of 22-karat gold. By law, it can only be minted by the gold produced inside the United States, and because of that, it does not require an assay to determine its purity, making it the most liquid gold coin in the global market.
• American Gold Eagle proof coins are the collectible version of American Gold Eagle bullion coins. They come in a velvet box and a proof of authenticity in 1-ounce, ½-ounce, ¼-ounce, and 1/10-ounce coins. The United States government guarantees this collection for the gold weight, purity, and authenticity. These coins are issued in limited quantities, which gives them collectivity value.
• Canadian Wild Horse Gold Bullion Coins are made of 0.9999 pure gold and are a perfect addition to any portfolio.
• Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins have been produced for over 30 years from 0.9999 pure gold. The Royal Canadian Mint guarantees these coins for gold content and purity. They have a great design and unique features, making them one of the most popular gold coins in the market. They are equipped with “bullion DNA anti-counterfeiting” engraved into the coins, which makes every coin unique and impossible to counterfeit. Every coin also has a distinctive micro-engraved laser mark, making them registerable in a secured database. The bullion DNA technology can later be used to authenticate the coins in 3 simple steps. First, the engraved laser mark on the coin will be scanned, the data will securely be sent to the Royal Canadian Mint database, and the coin will be verified for authenticity.
• Austrian Gold Philharmonic coins, first minted in 1989 and according to the World Gold Council, were the most popular gold coins in the world in 1992, 1995, and 1996.
• American Gold Buffalo coins are an inexpensive option to diversify your precious metal IRA portfolio.
• Canadian Gold PolarBear and Cub coins are minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, known as the world’s finest mint. These coins are made from ¼ ounces of 0.9999 pure gold and are guaranteed for their gold content and purity by the Royal Canadian Mint.
• Bighorn Sheep Gold Bullion coins are manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint, representing a bighorn sheep on the face.
• Wolverine Gold Bullion coins are also minted by Royal Canadian Mint.
• Canadian Wild Horse Bullion Coins were produced in 2019 from 0.9999 purity gold by Royal Canadian Mint.
• Woodland Caribou Gold Bullion.

The silver, platinum, and palladium coins offered by Advantage Gold are as follow:

IRS-approved Silver Products

• American Silver Eagle bullion coins

• American Silver Eagle proof coins

• Canadian Silver Wildlife Portrait Series bullion coins

• Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins

• Austrian Silver Philharmonic coins

• Australian Silver Kookaburra coins

• Chinese Silver Panda coins

• Mexican Libertad coins

IRS-approved Platinum Products

• American Platinum Eagle coins

• American Platinum Eagle proof coins

• Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf coins

• Isle of Man Noble coins

• Australian Platinum Koala coins

• Australian Platinum Emperor Penguin coins

IRS-approved Palladium Products

• Canadian Palladium Maple leaf Coins.

Advantage Gold Buy Back Program and Policy

Advantage Gold’s buyback process is straightforward and is one thing that differentiates this company from other precious metal dealers.

At any time you decide to sell back any of your precious metal products, they will pay you the fair market value of the metal. At a minimum, Advantage Gold will pay you the spot price of the metal at the time of liquidation, which is above the wholesale price in the market for most coins.

To initiate the process, you need to feel up a liquidation request form sent to you by AG via fax or email. As soon as the form is filled up, signed, and received by Advantage Gold, they will lock the buyback price for the particular product(s), remove the metals from your vault, and immediately issue a refund by wire transfer. Usually, the entire process won’t take longer than 1 business day.

Who Are the Advantage Gold’s Recommended Custodians?

Advantage Gold preferred custodians are STRATA Trust company and Equity Trust company. STRATA was established in 2008 in Texas as a subsidiary of Horizon Bank. This company was formerly known as Self Directed IRA Services, Inc., and was initially formed to support investors in growing their SDIRA assets and investments.

Equity Trust is the #1 custodian for real estate investors and is privately owned by the Desich family. They are known for their excellent services, and more than 200,000 properties are bought, sold, or funded under their supervision and leadership.

Who Are the Depository Companies Working with Advantage Gold?

Brink Global Services and Delaware Depository are two reputable and well-known depositories that work with AG.

• Brinks Global has been in the security business for more than 160 years and is known for its security innovations and excellent services worldwide. You can store your precious metal holdings in their Los Angles or Salt Lake City locations in California or Utah.

• Delaware Depository is also a brand in security technology, offering many layers of electronic and physical security to its clients. They will protect your precious metals assets in their highly secured vault in Willmington, Delaware.

How Much Does Advantage Gold Charge You for Their Services, and What Is the Minimum Investment Requirement with Advantage Gold?

A minimum amount of $25,000 is required to start investing with Advantage Gold. The fees associated with setting up and running a precious metals IRA account with Advantage Gold are not represented on their website. However, we could get an estimate of their service fees after contact with their customer services, which are listed below.

• They charge you between $50 to $150 for account activation with STRATA or Equity Trust companies.

• You also have to pay $50 to $75 for account termination.

• If you invest more than $50,000, your first year’s maintenance is free.

• The annual maintenance fee is around $95 with STRATA and around $250 with Equity Trust.

• The segregated storage fee is $150, and the non-segregated fee is $100 per year for both STRATA and Equity Trust.

Is Advantage Gold a Legit Company for Precious Metal IRA Investment?

The answer is yes! Based on our research and Advantage Gold’s impeccable ratings on BBB, Trustpilot, and TrustLink, we can say that they are excelling in the field. Unsurprisingly customers are delighted with their services, which is another testament to the quality of the services offered at AG.

Although there is no clear information about the costs and fees regularly associated with this type of investment, the customer journey through Advantage Gold’s website is straightforward, helping you to find the required information about investment in precious metals and the range of products offered by AG. You may need to contact AG’s customer service for more information on the questions not answered on their website, including fees and costs associated with their services.