APMEX vs Money Metals Exchange

Navigating the precious metals market? APMEX vs. Money Metals Exchange is a key comparison.

Investors eyeing gold IRAs or bullion buys often compare them.

Trusted dealers like JM Bullion, American Hartford Gold, Priority Gold, Preserve Gold, SD Bullion, APMEX, and Money Metals Exchange offer vast inventories of gold, silver, and platinum.

This guide breaks down their pricing, service, and policies. It helps you pick the best precious metals exchange for secure, value-driven investing.

Key Takeaways:

• APMEX offers a broader inventory of precious metals, including rare coins and bullion.
• Money Metals Exchange focuses on competitive pricing for standard gold, silver, and platinum products.
• It caters to value-driven investors.
• Both companies provide strong customer service. APMEX excels in educational resources and faster shipping options. Money Metals emphasizes transparent fees and secure storage solutions.
• APMEX has a higher overall reputation with more reviews. It suits beginners. Money Metals stands out for lower premiums and advocacy in the precious metals industry. It appeals to informed buyers.

Company Background

Let's dive into the backgrounds of APMEX and Money Metals Exchange. These companies have shaped the precious metals world.

They have shaped investor access to bullion since the early 2000s. Their combined annual sales exceed $5 billion.

APMEX Overview

APMEX stands for American Precious Metals Exchange.

Michael Stater founded it in 2000 in Oklahoma City with Kenneth Lewis and Scott Thomas. It now serves over one million customers.

The company earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Its score is 4.8 out of 5. This strong performance compares favorably to other prominent online bullion dealers, as explored in our JM Bullion Review.

APMEX pioneered online bullion trading.

Under CEO Michael Stater until 2015, APMEX hit key milestones.

• In 2010, it expanded into numismatic coins. This added options beyond basic bullion.
• In 2022, it acquired assets that boosted inventory by 30%. This improved product variety.

Today, APMEX employs over 300 professionals.

Its e-commerce platform handles millions in daily transactions.

Early on, it launched a vault direct storage service. Customers can store buys in insured facilities for easy access or delivery.

A 2023 Deloitte study shows precious metals e-commerce grew 25%.

Leaders like APMEX drove this with secure, user-friendly innovations.

Money Metals Exchange Overview

Stefan Gleason founded Money Metals Exchange in 2010.

It quickly built a strong reputation with secure storage and educational resources.

The company has served over 500,000 clients. It commits to transparency in all transactions.

The company started after the 2008 financial crisis. It focuses on investor control and privacy.

Key achievements include:

• Auto Invest program in 2015 for monthly buys. It uses dollar-cost averaging for gold and silver.
• Gold loan options and a buyback program.
• 2023 partnerships with Delaware Depository, Brinks, Texas Precious Metal Depository, and International Depository Services.

These ties with Citadel and Sprott expand secure storage in U.S. vaults.

Investor education is at the heart of Money Metals Exchange.

It offers weekly market blogs and podcasts. A team of over 50 experts supports this.

In 2022, Consumer Reports endorsed its reliability.

This sets it apart from rivals like APMEX. The company promotes sound money ideas and pushes for lower taxes on precious metals.

Product Offerings

Check out the products from APMEX and Money Metals Exchange. You'll see their strengths in bullion and beyond.

Both APMEX and Money Metals Exchange offer a comprehensive selection of bullion products. This includes gold and silver bars, numismatic coins, and bars in silver, platinum, and palladium.

These options suit coin collectors and investors building retirement portfolios. They help with wealth preservation, inflation protection, and guarding against financial risks. To further diversify your portfolio with unique bullion offerings, explore options from specialized providers like Golden State Mint.

APMEX Inventory

APMEX offers over 15,000 bullion products. This includes digital platforms like OneGold, an online service for buying and storing precious metals.

It also has collectible coins like the 2023 American Silver Eagle. These work well for collectors and diversifying Gold IRAs, which are individual retirement accounts holding gold.

Dive into APMEX's easy-to-navigate categories. They sort products into main groups to make browsing simple and help you find what you need.

1. Gold and Silver Bars: Choose from over 500 types, like the 1 oz PAMP Suisse bar with its famous Fortuna design (a symbol of good luck from the mint). They keep 99% in stock with low premiums for buying in bulk, called stacking. Start with a 10 oz Engelhard silver bar for great value on larger buys.
2. Coins: Including more than 2,000 numismatic items, such as Morgan Dollars (e.g., the 1889-CC graded MS-65 by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation to verify authenticity). Limited editions, like the 2023-W Proof American Eagle, provide enhanced collectible value.
3. Platinum and Palladium: Try Johnson Matthey bars, including 1 oz platinum rounds. These help diversify your investments with special releases. Check NGC grading (a service that certifies coin quality and purity) to meet IRA rules and keep things easy to sell.

Money Metals Inventory

Money Metals Exchange curates over 5,000 bullion items. They focus on silver, platinum rounds, and palladium bars perfect for retirement savings and long-term plans.

Build a strong investment portfolio by focusing on these three main categories:

1. IRA-eligible precious metals, such as the 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin, which ensure compliance with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations for tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Eligibility can be confirmed through Form 5305-RA.
2. Bars and rounds, which offer diverse options including the Valcambi CombiBar in platinum (available in denominations from 1g to 50g, with more than 300 variations in total). These are particularly advantageous for stacking due to their modular design, facilitating straightforward liquidation.
3. Secondary market generics, which deliver approximately 20% cost savings on pre-owned items while maintaining full purity standards.

Look for Perth Mint products for top Australian purity. A 2023 Kitco report shows their stocks up 15%, making them a smart global hedge.

Pricing and Fees

Both APMEX and Money Metals keep prices sharp.

APMEX starts at just 2% over spot price (the current market price) for 1-oz gold coins. Money Metals buys back at 98% of market value to make cashing in easy.

For a detailed comparison, the following table outlines premiums for select popular 1-ounce gold products, based on an approximate spot price of $2,300 per ounce as of the third quarter of 2024:

Pay easily with bank wire (no fees), credit cards (3% extra), or cryptocurrency. Get free shipping on big orders and help with shipping worldwide.

LBMA data shows a $10,000 gold investment returned 15% in 2023. Watch out for hidden storage fees that cut profits; pick allocated storage to avoid them.

Customer Service

Both dealers offer great customer support and strong BBB ratings.

Money Metals Exchange earns a 4.9 out of 5 rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). They provide personal advice on Gold IRAs with help from third-party services.

APMEX handles over 50,000 customer questions each month. They use phone and live chat for quick help.

These key areas show their dedication to real help:

1. Response time: APMEX offers 24/7 live chat. It responds in under two minutes, based on Zendesk data, for fast fixes to your questions.
2. Educational resources: Money Metals Exchange, run by Stefan Gleason, hosts weekly webinars. Experts like Scott Thomas and Henry Stater cover market trends to help you track gold and silver prices.
3. Dispute resolution: Both dealers score 95% satisfaction in the BBB's 2023 review. This shows their quick ways to fix customer issues.
4. Personalization: Big accounts over $50,000 get a dedicated advisor like those led by Kenneth Lewis. They offer tailored advice just for you.

One customer fixed a late order via APMEX chat. They got free shipping as a bonus, following FTC rules for quick fixes (16 CFR Part 435).

Shipping and Policies

APMEX gives free shipping on orders over $199 via UPS.

Money Metals Exchange takes crypto like Bitcoin. This makes shipping to over 50 countries smooth.

Follow these steps for safe shipping of your precious metals:

1. Order Placement: Pick insured shipping at checkout. Finish in about five minutes using Stripe for faster service.
2. Packaging: Use double-boxing for protection. For orders over $50,000, get Brinks or Citadel escorts to avoid tampering.
3. Tracking: Choose FedEx for live updates. Expect delivery in 1-3 days, following USPS rules (39 CFR 111.1).
4. Returns: Take advantage of the 30-day policy. Check IRA rules first to avoid issues.

Plan for customs fees on international orders. For example, the EU adds a 5% tariff on bullion.

Use free bank wires, done in 1-2 days. Credit cards cost an extra 3% fee.

A 2022 GAO report shows that insured shipping cuts theft by 40%. Stick to secure carriers for peace of mind.

Reputation and Reviews

APMEX holds an A+ BBB rating. It scores 4.7 out of 5 from over 10,000 Trustpilot reviews, beating rivals like SD Bullion in outside checks.

Money Metals Exchange gets a 4.9 out of 5 rating. People praise its clear and honest deals.

Compare these dealers by checking these key stats in the overview below:

Start with small buys to test the dealer's reliability. Check out this Consumer Affairs story: an investor pocketed $20,000 with OneGold amid 2022's wild markets, hitting a 20% return via small gold shares.

Related insight: Is It Safe to Buy Gold Coins and Bars Online?