Photo from Pexels
Originally Posted On: https://investingin.gold/swiss-america-review/
Swiss America Trading Corporation is a precious metal brokerage firm. Craig R. Smith founded the company back in 1982 out of his bedroom in Phoenix, Arizona. He is an expert in many types of tangible assets such as precious metals, oil, and U.S. numismatic coins and the author of three popular books. Swiss America has since grown to be one of the most respected companies that deal with tangible asset investments.
The private company is still based in Phoenix but has a network of clients that spans the entire globe. Swiss America has provided tangible financial alternatives and portfolio diversification strategies to thousands of Americans for almost three decades. Here is a comprehensive Swiss America review that takes a look at everything you need to know about this company.
What Swiss America Offers
The Swiss America Trading Corporation provides two primary services. The first is setting up and establishing precious metal IRA accounts on behalf of its customers. The second is the direct retail of precious metals.
According to SwissAmerica.com, the firm states that their main goal is to help educate and guide their clients toward the best investment possibilities for precious metal coins. They help clients plan and assemble portfolios that are designed to protect their wealth from currency devaluation.
Swiss America Products
Swiss America provides both gold and silver IRAs and clients can purchase on a direct retail basis (all in the form of coins). The company also deals in an array of the United States and foreign gold, silver, platinum bullion coins.
Popular United States coins include new gold American Buffalo coins as well as gold and silver American Eagles. These coins are minted annually by the millions and are typically available in tenth, quarter, half and one-ounce weights. Bullion coins provide instant liquidity worldwide and are a solid hedge from financial uncertainty.
Swiss America also offers generic and rare numismatic coins. Generic numismatic coins are poplar common-date investment worthy coins such as
- Morgan Silver Dollars
- $20 Liberty Gold
- Saint Gaudens gold coins
These coins are traded worldwide on the basis of scarcity, market demand, and independently certified condition. They meet all the major qualifications for investors and collectors. Rare numismatic coins are true treasures as they are highly sought all over the world. Very few coins from the 18th, 19th and early 20th century survive in such pristine condition.
The other Swiss America specialties include:
- Modern coins
- Commemoratives
- Early copper
- Small cents
- Patterns
- Tokens/medals
- World coins
- Ancient coins
Their services include:
- Wholesale
- Retail
- Auctions
- Appraisals
- Buying
- Estate liquidation
The Unique Selling Points of Swiss America
What makes Swiss America stand out is the fact they focus on actively educating their customers and provide top notch customer care services. Their customer service motto, “If we have made a mistake, we will correct it promptly and properly,” summarizes the firm’s attitude toward client care. Swiss America avails a direct email address and phone number of one of the company’s Vice Presidents.
Clients can contact the VP at any time to forward any complaints or inquire about company services. In addition, Swiss America offers support with issues arising from other gold dealers. They contact the Numismatic Consumer Alliance (NCA) of a client’s behalf. The NCA is tasked with ensuring legal and fair transactions for the precious metals investors.
The Swiss America website highly emphasizes client education. Crag R. Smith takes the initiative on this aspect and has authored nine books covering gold and the current financial and economic system. Mr. Smith also makes regular appearances in the interview scene. The website features many videos of his interviews on leading news programs.
The other educational resources that Swiss America offers include informational blog posts, videos on the state of the economy, articles on the value and history of precious metals, articles on fraud detection, newsletters, reports, DVDs and CDs. The company also owns a YouTube channel, which features updates and informational video for clients and the public.
The Swiss America Website
Swiss America’s website does not have a modern look and seems rather bland at first glance. However, it makes up for this by being simple and straightforward. Navigation, the website, is quite easy, as you do not have to scroll down continuously to access the navigation links. The site doe not have any flashing advertisement banners or pop-ups that are often distracting.
It features a sidebar with links to the company’s social media profiles as well as charts and data for the current gold and silver spot prices. Swiss America’s website is neatly categorized despite the dated look. All the extensive educational resources are conveniently placed under the “News & Views” or “Knowledge” headers.
Clients can use the Swiss America Website in a number of ways. They can use it to acquire knowledge about the value of precious metals in the market today and basic investment information. Clients already familiar with precious metals can utilize the website as an online retailer.
Customers can also use the website to contact a representative who will offer advice on their current portfolio and investment options. The Swiss America representatives provide specific guidelines on how clients can include precious metal investments in their financial plan.
Swiss America Customer Reviews and Ratings
| Consumer Protection Agency | Rating | Reviews | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better Business Bureau (BBB) | A+ | 118 | View Page |
| Business Consumer Alliance | AAA | 1 | View Page |
| TrustLink | 0 Stars | 0 | View Page |
| TrustPilot | 4 Stars | 1 | View Page |
Swiss America is very respected in its niche of retail investors. The company currently has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which is the highest possible rating. There have been a total of 12 total complaints within the last three years.
The bulk of the complaints are regarding sales/advertising issues and product/service cost issues. Swiss America has a triple rating with the Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) and is a PCGS authorized dealer. The firm has a four-star rating on TrustPilot. However, the company does not have a Trustlink rating.
This is because the company rarely engages with TrustLink’s consumer advocacy site. There is no single review on the site despite having a Trustlink page. The positive Swiss America reviews focus on the firm’s customer care, experience, professionalism, trustworthiness, and knowledge.
The bottom line
Overall, Swiss America is a well-established and reputable precious metals brokerage firm. The company does not have a large product range but stands out in its retail investor niche by offering top quality customer care service and consumer education. With decades of experience helping clients develop investment portfolios, the firm ensures that its clientele is well informed before making any investment decisions.