APMEX vs Swiss America: Critical Comparison
In today’s world, precious metals are not just a symbol of wealth but also a viable investment option. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or a beginner in the market, companies like APMEX and Swiss America offer a comprehensive range of precious metals products, making the investment process straightforward and secure. So, let’s delve into the APMEX vs Swiss America debate and discover what these two giants of the precious metals industry bring to the table for prospective investors.
Key Takeaways
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APMEX and Swiss America are major players in the precious metals industry, offering a broad selection of products including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, with APMEX being distinguished for its extensive range and Swiss America for its focus on coins and long-standing reputation.
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Both companies ensure transparent pricing based on the market value of precious metals and provide real-time spot price information, with APMEX offering inclusive spot price charts and Swiss America updating precious metal prices influenced by various economic factors.
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APMEX offers secure storage through Citadel Global Depository Services and insured delivery options, while Swiss America provides bank-independent storage solutions with Swiss Gold Safe and insured deliveries, alongside robust customer service and reliable customer service and reputation built over the years.
APMEX and Swiss America: Company Overview
APMEX and Swiss America, established in the early 2000s and 1980s respectively, have both created substantial niches in the precious metals market. Known for its diverse product range and competitive prices, APMEX is the younger of the two firms. From spinner white decorative items to a wide array of precious metals, APMEX has something for every investor.
Swiss America, leveraging its decades of experience, focuses strongly on gold and silver coins, offering high-quality investment products for discerning investors.
APMEX Background
Founded in 2000 by Scott Thomas, APMEX quickly rose to prominence in the precious metals industry. With its headquarters in Oklahoma City, APMEX operates with a clear mission in mind: to enhance accessibility, liquidity, and transparency in the precious metals industry. This focus on innovation is mirrored in their diverse product range, which includes:
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Gold bars and coins
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Silver bars and coins
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Platinum bars and coins
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Palladium bars and coins
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Collectible coins
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IRA eligible products
APMEX’s offerings include:
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Gold and silver coins
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Bars
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Rounds
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A selection of vintage items
Especially during promotional events such as Black Friday, APMEX’s product range is truly a sight to behold.
Swiss America Background
Founded by Craig Smith in 1982, Swiss America commands a well-respected presence in the precious metals industry. The company’s primary focus lies in:
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Building precious metal portfolios for its clients
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Facilitating the acquisition of gold coins and bullion
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Providing a comprehensive service for investors looking to diversify their assets.
Swiss America’s long-standing reputation is a testament to their dedication and expertise in the field.
Precious Metals Offerings: APMEX vs Swiss America
A vast array of precious metals is offered to customers by both APMEX and Swiss America. From gold and silver bullion to platinum and palladium products, these companies cater to a wide array of investor preferences. APMEX’s product range includes bullion, coins, and even coin jewelry.
Swiss America’s offerings, on the other hand, encompass a diverse range of precious metals, primarily focusing on gold coins and bullion.
Gold Products
In terms of gold products, APMEX and Swiss America both have a lot to offer. APMEX provides a wide array of gold coins, including those from renowned mints around the world and unique designs such as concave shapes. Exclusive gold bullion bars, rounds, and coins minted by various renowned mints around the world are also part of APMEX’s repertoire.
In contrast, Swiss America offers a selection of limited edition and commemorative gold coins in their catalog. Additionally, Swiss America provides a range of gold rounds, such as Mint-State U.S. $20 Gold Pieces and various U.S. and foreign bullion coins.
Silver Products
APMEX and Swiss America also excel in their offerings of silver products. APMEX offers meticulously crafted silver products that adhere to the industry standard of 99.9% purity. Their range includes a variety of silver bars in different sizes and designs.
Conversely, Swiss America offers a variety of U.S. and foreign silver bullion coins, including silver American Eagles. Both companies ensure that their silver products are of high purity, and APMEX takes additional measures to ensure their safe delivery.
Platinum and Palladium Products
APMEX and Swiss America both offer a plethora of options to investors seeking to diversify their portfolios with platinum and palladium. APMEX’s product range includes platinum bars from reputable companies like Credit Suisse, Valcambi, and Johnson Matthey, as well as coins from various countries. Swiss America’s offerings include a range of U.S. and foreign platinum bullion coins, in addition to a limited assortment of platinum bars and rounds.
Both companies also offer a variety of palladium products, including bars and rounds in different sizes.
Bullion Coins: APMEX vs Swiss America
Bullion coins, issued by national governments and struck at official mints, are another investment option offered by both APMEX and Swiss America. They offer:
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a sense of assurance and security regarding their origin
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portability
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standard weight
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accepted standardization of purity
These factors make bullion coins appealing to investors.
Offering a variety of government-issued bullion coins, both companies present themselves as attractive options for investors.
Government-issued Bullion Coins
APMEX provides a variety of government-issued bullion coins from the U.S. Mint, including commemorative Gold coins and exclusive Gold and Silver bullion coins.
Swiss America offers a diverse selection of government-issued bullion coins from the United States and various other countries. This includes a variety of U.S. and foreign gold, silver, and platinum bullion coins, making it easy for investors to find a coin that suits their preferences.
Collectible Coins
For those interested in numismatics, both APMEX and Swiss America offer a range of collectible coins. These coins often hold historical or numismatic value and can be more valuable than bullion coins.
Swiss America provides a range of collectible coins in silver, gold, and platinum catered to investors and collectors. APMEX also offers a variety of collectible coins that are known to surpass the value of bullion coins due to their historical or numismatic significance.
Pricing and Spot Price Transparency
For any investor, transparent pricing and spot price information are of paramount importance. Both APMEX and Swiss America ensure pricing transparency by competitively pricing their products based on the current market value. They are upfront about any associated fees, providing customers with confidence in their pricing strategy.
To further assist their customers, both companies offer tools to present live spot price information and real-time updated historical data for Gold, Silver, Platinum, and Palladium.
APMEX Pricing and Spot Price
APMEX’s pricing and spot price information are transparent and easily accessible. They update their spot prices for precious metals from Sunday through Friday and offer a historical spot price chart. APMEX establishes its prices for:
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gold
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silver
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platinum
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palladium
Products can be strategically chosen for purchase by considering market conditions, supply and demand, geopolitical events, and economic indicators to effectively sell in the market.
Any additional charges applied to the spot price, which customers need to pay, are clearly stated.
Swiss America Pricing and Spot Price
Swiss America provides the following services:
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Transparent pricing and spot price information
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Real-time spot price information on their website for gold, silver, and platinum
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Regular updates of spot prices for precious metals to provide investors with the most up-to-date market information.
The pricing of precious metals at Swiss America is influenced by a variety of factors, including central bank gold purchases, interest rates, inflation, market conditions, and much more.
Storage and Delivery Options
When investing in precious metals, secure storage and reliable delivery options are paramount. Storage options for their precious metals products are offered by both APMEX and Swiss America. APMEX ensures the safe storage of precious metals through Citadel Global Depository Services, while Swiss America offers bank-independent storage through Swiss Gold Safe.
Both companies also provide insured and secure delivery services for their products.
APMEX Storage and Delivery
APMEX offers secure storage options through a private storage facility managed by Citadel Global Depository Services. They implement measures to protect against physical loss, theft, or damage, providing peace of mind to their customers.
In addition, APMEX provides reliable delivery services. They offer:
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Dispatch of orders through Registered/Insured U.S. Mail and UPS
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Full insurance coverage for all shipments
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Delivery timeframes ranging from 1 to 10 business days on average.
Swiss America Storage and Delivery
Swiss America provides the following services for storing gold and silver:
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Bank-independent storage through Swiss Gold Safe
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Collaboration with Swiss private banks for storing gold and silver bars
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Insured, regulated depository storage for gold or silver acquired within an existing IRA.
When it comes to delivery, Swiss America provides fully insured delivery services through the U.S. Postal Service, including international delivery. They offer immediate shipping options, ensuring that their customers receive their precious metals in a timely manner.
Customer Service and Reputation
In any industry, especially the precious metals market, good customer service and a solid reputation are indispensable. APMEX and Swiss America both boast strong customer service and reputations. APMEX has received a Top Workplace award, showing its favorable reputation in the industry.
Swiss America, on the other hand, has a high rating on Trust Pilot and is accredited by BBB, indicating their outstanding customer service reputation.
APMEX Customer Service and Reputation
APMEX offers:
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A+ rating on Better Business Bureau
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98% customer satisfaction rating on Trustpilot
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Personalized attention and suitable resolutions to customer complaints or issues
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Prioritizing prompt resolution
This robust reputation, combined with their wide-ranging product selection, 7-day return policy, and reputable online presence, sets them apart from other precious metal dealers.
Swiss America Customer Service and Reputation
Swiss America’s customer service is available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday. They can be reached at 1 (800) 289-2646. Their customer service team is dedicated to delivering prompt support to their clients and typically responds to inquiries within minutes.
This dedication to customer service, combined with their strong reputation in the precious metals industry, makes Swiss America a reliable choice for investors.
Precious Metals IRA Options
For investors seeking to include precious metals in their retirement portfolios, both APMEX and Swiss America offer precious metals IRA options. A Precious Metals IRA allows the inclusion of:
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gold
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palladium
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silver
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other valuable metals
as retirement investments. This type of IRA offers diversification from conventional assets, potential tax benefits, and the ability to possess physical precious metals.
APMEX Precious Metals IRA
APMEX provides IRA investment options in both Gold and Silver. The gold products must adhere to a minimum fineness of 99.5% or .995 fine, and the platinum products must be at least .9995 fine for IRA eligibility. They offer a simple setup process, a diverse range of IRA-eligible precious metals, and facilitate the diversification of a retirement portfolio.
Swiss America Precious Metals IRA
Swiss America’s Precious Metals IRA enables individuals to transform regular IRAs, Roth IRAs, and 401(k) plans into a retirement plan that encompasses precious metals like gold. This offers a means to safeguard and broaden one’s investment portfolio for retirement purposes. Swiss America’s Precious Metals IRA comprises U.S. American Eagle Gold, Silver, and Platinum coins.
To initiate a Precious Metals IRA with Swiss America, individuals can directly contact the company by reaching out to their representative at 1-800-289-2646.
Summary
In conclusion, both APMEX and Swiss America offer a wide range of products and services to precious metals investors. From gold and silver to platinum and palladium, these companies provide diverse options for every investor. With transparent pricing, secure storage and delivery options, excellent customer service, and the opportunity to invest in a Precious Metals IRA, both APMEX and Swiss America stand out as strong contenders in the precious metals industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does APMEX sell fake gold?
No, APMEX does not sell fake gold. They thoroughly test and verify the authenticity of every gold and silver bar or coin purchased on the secondary market.
What is the most reputable place to buy gold?
I recommend purchasing gold from reputable dealers such as JM Bullion, American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX), and American Hartford Gold. These are well-known and trustworthy options for buying gold.
Where is the best place to buy precious metals online?
The best place to buy precious metals online includes well-known dealers such as JM Bullion, American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX), and American Hartford Gold, known for their transparency and wide range of metal products.
What is a Precious Metals IRA?
A Precious Metals IRA allows the inclusion of gold, palladium, silver, and other valuable metals for retirement investment. It is a type of individual retirement account that can provide diversification and security for your retirement savings.
What are the storage options provided by APMEX and Swiss America?
APMEX offers secure storage through Citadel Global Depository Services, while Swiss America provides bank-independent storage through Swiss Gold Safe. Both companies offer reliable storage options for precious metals.
