American Hartford Gold fits an investor who wants a lower-cost, longer-established dealer and is willing to push back on a sales call. Preserve Gold fits an investor who wants platinum or palladium, or a thinner complaint file, provided the minimum, every fee and the custodian's name arrive in writing before funding. The real difference is evidence: American Hartford Gold has a long track record and 111 BBB complaints to read, while Preserve Gold has two complaints and a younger history. Neither publishes its IRA fee schedule on the pages we checked.
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you open an account through one of them, at no extra cost to you. It does not change the figures below or who we say each company suits.
American Hartford Gold vs Preserve Gold at a Glance
Minimum Investment and Fee Promotions Compared
The pages of American Hartford Gold's own site that we checked on 2 October 2026 state no IRA minimum and no fee schedule. The figures above come from schedules reported by CNBC Select: a $10,000 minimum, no setup fee, $75 a year in administration on accounts up to $100,000 ($125 above that) and about $100 a year for storage. That is roughly $175 a year, about $1,750 over ten years, and 1.75 percent of a $10,000 account every year. Our American Hartford Gold review works through that arithmetic.
Preserve Gold publishes no minimum and no fees at all. Third-party sites commonly report a $10,000 IRA minimum, and one account of a direct call cites $25,000, but neither number comes from the company. That makes a ten-year cost impossible to calculate, which is the main handicap in this comparison. See the minimum comparison by company for where every published figure sits.
Both lead with promotions. American Hartford Gold's home page offers up to $15,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases, and CNBC Select reports first-year fees may be waived. Preserve Gold says it will waive IRA storage and custodian fees for up to five years depending on starting investment size, adds a $200 account credit, and lists free insured shipping and a free home safe for new clients on a qualified purchase. Neither publishes the purchase size that unlocks the top tier.
What this means for you: a waiver moves cost into later years, and free silver is priced into the spread you pay on the rest. Ask Preserve Gold what the annual fee becomes in year six, and ask American Hartford Gold what purchase size earns the silver. Our note on what free silver promotions really cost you shows the math.
Complaint Record and Track Record
Both hold an A+ from the Better Business Bureau. American Hartford Gold has been accredited since 2016 and showed 111 complaints closed in the preceding three years on 16 September 2026, 53 of them marked Resolved. Third-party reviewers describe recurring themes: markups on proprietary coins, buyback offers below what customers expected, delivery delays and fee disclosure disputes. A TCPA telemarketing case filed in 2023 appears to have ended in a stipulated dismissal in 2024, and it is a contact-rules dispute, not a finding of fraud.
Preserve Gold has been accredited since 6 September 2022 and has two complaints on file, one Resolved and one Answered. The published one, from February 2024, disputed an $816.14 shipping charge, a $10,200 price gap against a competitor despite a stated price-match promise, and delivery 36 days after the order. Claims that Preserve Gold has zero complaints are wrong.
Read the gap with care. American Hartford Gold serves far more customers, including the most price-sensitive and least experienced ones, so volume explains part of its count. Preserve Gold's clean file partly reflects a smaller, younger business. Our explainer on what a BBB A+ actually measures covers why the grade alone settles little.
Buyback Guarantees Compared
American Hartford Gold shows a Buyback Commitment and a Price Protection Guarantee badge on its pages, but the pages we checked give no wording and no spread. Preserve Gold states in its own words that it will repurchase metals at the highest price available on the market without fees, and publishes no spread either. One reviewer's account of a call with Preserve Gold mentions a $30,000 threshold for buyback eligibility, which we could not confirm.
Either promise is only as good as a quote on your exact products. A low buyback offer is usually a high purchase price in disguise, so get the premium over spot and a current buyback figure in writing before you wire anything.
On metals, Preserve Gold lists gold, silver, platinum and palladium. American Hartford Gold's catalogue covers gold and silver, with select platinum bars on request and no palladium product. On storage, Preserve Gold names three depositories (Texas Precious Metals, Delaware Depository and International Depository Services) but not its custodian.
Which Company Fits Your Rollover
American Hartford Gold fits a rollover of $25,000 to $75,000 from someone who wants an established name, will hold the line on standard bullion rather than a proprietary coin, and will ask for the spread in writing. Preserve Gold fits a smaller or metal-diverse rollover where you want platinum or palladium, provided you get six things in writing before funding: the minimum, setup fee, annual administration fee, storage fee, the fee after any waiver ends, and the custodian's name. Our questions to ask a gold IRA company before you sign works as a call script, and the full comparison by minimum and fees shows the rest of the field. For a full profile of the lesser-known company, read our Preserve Gold review.
On the commercial side: we have an affiliate relationship with American Hartford Gold and may earn a commission if you open an account through the links on this page. We have none with Preserve Gold and earn nothing if you choose it.
Common Questions
Is American Hartford Gold better than Preserve Gold?
On track record and reported fees, yes. On complaint volume and metal choice, Preserve Gold looks better. Neither publishes a full fee schedule on the pages we checked, so confirm both in writing.
What is Preserve Gold's minimum investment?
Not published. Reviews commonly report $10,000 and one direct-call account says $25,000. Confirm it yourself.
Does American Hartford Gold have a price match guarantee?
It displays a Price Protection Guarantee badge, but the pages we checked give no terms. Ask whether it is a price match, what proof it requires and whether it covers IRA purchases, and get the answer in writing.
Is Preserve Gold BBB accredited?
Yes, with an A+ rating and accreditation since September 2022.
Which company has lower fees?
American Hartford Gold's reported fees come to about $175 a year at the lower tier. Preserve Gold's fees are unpublished, so no fair comparison is possible until it gives you a written schedule.
What complaints have been filed against American Hartford Gold?
The BBB showed 111 closed complaints in three years as of 16 September 2026, mostly about proprietary coin markups, buyback values, delivery delays and fee disclosure. The A+ rating reflects that it responds to complaints.
Figures were checked against each company's own pages, CNBC Select and BBB profiles on 2 October 2026, with BBB counts dated 16 September 2026. Dealers change terms without notice, so confirm them before you fund an account. This article is educational and is not tax, legal or investment advice.
