Stress piles up from all corners these days, and figuring out where to park your cash is definitely a biggie. On paper, it seems like a breeze because the options to grow your cash are endless.
However, many investors have found out over the past few years, putting your money into stocks or bonds is a risk that comes with a big price tag.
You just need to look for other options like precious metals instead of widely-traded securities like stocks and bonds.
Lear Capital is one such company that offers gold and silver investments through its platform. It provides both safety and growth potential for your investment portfolio.
Hence keeping you relaxed about not losing all the hard-earned cash on risky speculation schemes or market crashes. This review will explain to you more about this company.
Lear Capital has a lot to offer, making investing with them a great decision. This article will go through all of the brand’s offerings, as well as its user ratings, so you can understand it better.
Table of Contents
- 1 What Is Lear Capital?
- 2 What Does Lear Capital Offer?
- 3 Lear Capital Offers Advantages For IRA
- 4 Lear Capital Smart Tools Suite
- 5 Customer Reviews
- 6 Ratings From Independent Companies
- 7 Lear Capital Lawsuit
- 8 Fee Structure Of Lear Capital
- 9 How To Sign Up With Lear Capital
- 10 Frequently Asked Questions
- 11 Final Verdict
What Is Lear Capital?
Lear Capital has been a coin dealer in the market since 1997. They specialize in premium rare coins and gold and silver bullion. Their main goal is to make it easy for you to complete transactions without hassle, which is why they have made their platform very user-friendly.
It also offers spot pricing on all the products, which lets you keep updated with the latest pricing of your investments at any given time.
The company’s website boasts that it is authorized by the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service). It also has received an AAA rating from the BCA (Business Computer Alliance).
What Does Lear Capital Offer?
Choosing Lear Capital as your precious metals dealer will bring you a whole lot of advantages:
Personal Account Representative
Lear Capital offers a personal account representative to each of its clients. This is an excellent way to ensure that you have access to the best possible services from a financial advisor and are not just another number in the system.
Secure Ordering
You can order your precious metals from Lear Capital securely through their website, which provides several additional security measures such as encrypted credit card data transmission and fraud protection.
Real-Time Investment Relationship
You do not have to wait for long periods before receiving updates about your investments with this company. They provide real-time information about these assets on their website.
Therefore, even if you’re not actively paying attention or monitoring them yourself at all times, you won’t miss out on anything important that is happening with your portfolio.
These benefits of having an account with Lear Capital mean that your hard-earned money has a close to zero chance of going down the drain.
Lear Capital Offers Advantages For IRA
A self-directed IRA is an Individual Retirement Account that lets you invest in things like precious metals and real estate without going through a bank or broker.
You would qualify for the IRA if you were an American citizen over 18 and under 70, earning income from work, such as a salary or wages.
- A free setup of an IRA is one of the most attractive advantages of using Lear Capital. This means they will set up your account with no fee or commission, so you can start immediately after signing up.
- They also offer several guides on investing in gold and silver with IRAs and other wealth-building strategies so that your money will grow quickly based on their experienced advice. All of this is free too, which is pretty impressive.
- Another positive feature is their price match guarantee, where they promise to beat any price quote within 24 hours and do this without charging you anything extra! If the company cannot match it, you will also be reimbursed the complete amount! This risk-free guarantee ensures customer satisfaction.
- Lear Capital also offers real-time pricing, which means you’ll always know exactly where your metals are trading at any given moment throughout each day, making it easier!
Lear Capital Smart Tools Suite
Lear Capital Smart Tools Suite is a comprehensive collection of tools designed to help your investment portfolio yield the maximum profit. This collection of tools has been carefully designed to be both easy to use and intuitive.
1. Premium Coins Analyzer
The Premium Coin Analyzer is a tool that will help you make the best choices regarding your investments.
You can use this tool to find coins that have the potential for high returns, or you can use it to predict which coins will lose value in the future because their real-world value does not match their market value.
Moreover, it takes and displays data from 1970 onwards and analyzes it to give you an idea of what kind of returns you could expect from investing in any given metal, not just coins.
In addition, it will tell you how much risk there is in investing in one so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not it’s worth taking that risk.
It is a professionally built tool and displays everything neatly in graphs. This will allow you to make informed decisions about when to buy and sell metals. Suppose you choose to purchase it. Lear Capital also calls it the Precious Metal Analyzer.
2. Historical Chart Center
Historical Chart Center could be a reliable resource for finding and analyzing historical gold prices. Users can view a live chart of current gold prices and historical price data going back to 1992.
The chart also provides users an interactive feature that allows them to filter the data by date and custom date ranges.
The live gold prices chart shows you the current price of one ounce of gold per US dollar (USD). This price is updated constantly, so you can keep up-to-date with the latest metal rates.
3. Precious Metals Encyclopedia
The Precious Metals Encyclopedia provides information on a vast array of gold coins. The site provides information on Eagles, double eagles, four-dollar gold, and much more. It is a great tool for those interested in adding to their collection of coins.
Moreover, it provides information such as issue date, composition, and even each coin’s dimensions in its database. This can be very helpful when trying to determine if you have an authentic coin or not.
4. Inflation Calculator
This calculator is a great tool if you’re looking for a better idea of how inflation affects your money. Simply enter the amount of money you invested and the year you invested it, and the tool will calculate the value of that money today.
This is especially helpful if you have an old account and would like to know how much it would be worth today.
The fact that this tool has nothing to do with buying gold bullion and yet is available on the company’s website while also being free tells one thing: they do care about people and their investments, whether they are their clients or not.
5. Portfolio Comparison Calculator
The Portfolio Comparison Calculator, a tool that can be used by both experienced and inexperienced investors alike. It may allow users to compare the performance of a portfolio against a benchmark.
You can select an investment you made at any point in history and then pick out the correct portions of gold, silver, and Dow Jones Industrial to see how they compare.
However, you can also select 100% Dow Jones Industrial shares to see a graph of how that portfolio has performed over time.
Both investments will be shown on a single graph, which helps in a quick conclusion of whether diversifying the portfolio instead of buying just Dow Jones shares is worth making.
6. RMD Estimator
The RMD Estimator is designed to help determine how much money you’ll have to withdraw from your retirement accounts every year.
The minimum required distribution (RMD) is calculated according to IRS rules, and amendments are made to the Secure Act every few years.
The amount not taken out is hit by a 50% tax. That is a lot! You could be hit with a hefty tax bill if you don’t pay the proper amount each year.
Furthermore, the RMD Estimator asks for basic information about your age and current balance. Based on this information, it will tell you what percentage of your account balance should be withdrawn each year and how much that will be in dollars.
Customer Reviews
At Lear Capital, they pride themselves on offering their customers the best service.
They are dedicated to providing a high-quality product and superior service to every single one of their clients and work hard to ensure you have the best experience possible when doing business with them.
To put this into perspective, I have compiled some ratings of Lear Capital itself, which will alleviate the trust issues, if there are any:
Aaron
The products I ordered were delivered promptly, although the final delivery was delayed because I paid with a card. The customer service and quality of the products made up for it.
Adam, a representative at Lear capital was friendly and helpful, going out of his way to ensure that I received the best possible service. I don’t see myself buying from anywhere else in the future.
Phil
My representative at Lear Capital is friendly, knowledgeable, and always helpful. He has made investing in precious metals easy for me by explaining every step of the process.
I would be more than happy to refer him to my family and friends, knowing that he will provide them with the same level of service that I have received from him—he is truly a top-notch member of the company.
Ellis
I found Daniel easy to work with. He didn’t push me into making a decision immediately; he asked about my family’s investment philosophy and took the time to understand my situation. He provided me with a good, fair silver and gold purchase.
I enjoyed working with him and look forward to doing more business. Lear Capital has been named one of the top 45 companies in the Financial Consultant category.
This is out of 270, which is a decent position. In addition to that recognition, they were named among the top 8 companies, out of 16, in the Gold And Silver Trading Company category.
Ratings From Independent Companies
Lear Capital has been rated with 4.9 stars from 1000+ reviews on Trustpilot, an AAA rating from BCA, and even a 4.7 rating from Consumer Affairs. It is authorized by the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service).
Lear Capital was established in 1997, and it has earned its reputation by providing its clients with honest advice and great service.
The reviews mentioned above have been completely independent and were not influenced by the company in any way, which is why you can trust them.
Lear Capital Lawsuit
Since 1997, Lear Capital has established itself as a leader in America’s Precious Metals market. The company has gained a reputation for providing excellent service.
Their main goal is to ensure the long-term financial security of their customers. However, they have been involved in a significant lawsuit, which might make you question their trustworthiness.
Lear Capital’s Deceptive Business Practices & Lawsuit
This is a huge lawsuit that got a lot of government bodies involved against Lear Capital. This was a significant legal development. The New York Attorney General initiated legal proceedings against the company. This was also against its founder, Kevin DeMeritt.
This action stemmed from allegations that Lear Capital engaged in deceptive practices. It would end up resulting in nearly 1,000 New Yorkers being defrauded. They would lose approximately $10 million in total. The lawsuit mentioned how the company persuaded investors to secure their retirement savings.
- They were getting investments in precious metals. This was while also charging commissions of up to 33 percent on sales exceeding $43 million. They stood accused of imposing these hidden commissions. Their unlawful profits amounted to roughly $10 million.
- The lawsuit goes on to allege that they targeted IRA accounts and other savings. By charging concealed commissions, they eroded the value of these investments. They ended up violating the trust placed in them by investors who wanted to protect their funds.
- Further issues arose when the firm was further charged while failing to register. They were not registered as a broker-dealer. They were not even registered when it came to investment advisory or telemarketing. This is, overall, a serious violation.
- On top of all of this, Lear is alleged to have employed deceptive tactics to gain the trust of investors. It is claimed that the company charged exorbitant commissions. They did so in complex language during recorded confirmations. This made it difficult for beginners to understand what was happening.
- The last was that they were accused of coaching investors on responses. They went on inventing nonstandard financial terms. They then issued invoices that omitted or obscured commission information.
This was a deliberate clouding of information. It ended up making it challenging for investors to understand the actual fees. Overall, these acts were very unprofessional and downright shady.
Luckily for the innocents who were caught up in the company’s scheme, there is a happy ending. After a year, when the lawsuit was filed, a legal resolution was reached. Lear Capital had agreed to a roughly $6 million settlement. This would be to address the allegations and compensate customers.
Besides the financial settlement, Lear Capital is mandated to modify its business practices. It must do so in line with the state of New York. These changes aim to fix the issues raised in the lawsuit and prevent more shady acts by the company in the future.
The goal was to install safeguards that enhance transparency. They should also protect investors from hidden fees. In the end, it was a huge win for the public.
Fee Structure Of Lear Capital
Lear Capital has a simple fee structure, which we have broken down for you below:
- There is a one-time $280 setup fee for opening an account with Lear Capital. In addition to this one-time fee, annual fees are also associated with maintaining your investment account.
- If you invest less than $75,000, there is an annual fee of $200 per year. If you invest more than $75,000, there are no annual fees for the first three years.
- The fee includes insurance, 24/7 account access, and other perks associated with holding an account with the company.
- There are no hidden charges, and Lear Capital is completely transparent about that. You will not have to worry about those pesky charges adding up. If that were the case, then it would not have gotten those thousands of reviews that had nothing to say but positive things about them.
How To Sign Up With Lear Capital
The process of signing up with Lear Capital is not complicated. You will need to call their helpline, 800-576-9355, and ask questions about how the company works and what it can offer you.
If you feel they are the right company for you, you can begin transferring your 401(k) or 403B over to an IRA account with them.
Once everything is set up and ready to go, you will be able to buy the required metals with the help of your representative, who can be called at any time so you can get your questions answered or have them assist with anything else.
Another way is to fill in the company’s IRA account form if this is more convenient for you than talking over the phone. Lear Capital will contact you, and you can continue from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is It Risky To Invest With Lear Capital?
Investing in gold is no different than investing in any other asset. It’s possible to lose money, but the chances are low. When you invest in gold through Lear Capital, your investment will be completely free of spam and other annoyances that might come with investing online.
The platform is designed for people looking for a safe place to spend their money and see it grow over time. Lear Capital ensures that its customers understand what they’re investing in so they can make informed decisions about where they put their money.
Q2: Are There Any Restrictions When It Comes To Investing With Lear Capital?
Lear Capital does not have any limitations when it comes to how much you can invest with them.
The only thing that matters is that if you spend more than $75000 within one year, then there will be no annual fee of $200 per year until the three years are up. But investing that much is your choice, and the company cannot force you to do so.
Q3: What Is Lear Capital’s Price Advantage Guarantee?
Lear Capital’s Price Advantage Guarantee promises they will give you the best price on precious metals. If you find a better price on the same product within 24 hours of your purchase, they will match that.
You will also be assured that your metals are stored in vault that the IRS approves, and the Delaware Depository has provided. An insurance policy also protects the metals from Lloyd’s of London. All of this is included in the brand’s Price Advantage Guarantee.
Final Verdict
This Lear Capital review is about to end and I can tell it is one of the best gold IRA companies to work with when looking to invest in precious metals.
Their services are transparent and easy to understand, and their customer service is second to none. Their prices are competitive, but they also offer excellent value for money.
Lastly, Lear Capital will act as your partner throughout the entire process, helping you through each step of your investment journey.
It can be concluded that the company can be trusted to help you diversify your investment portfolio while risking very little during the process.
PORS:
- Given an A+ rating by the BBB
- Reliable and trustworthy representatives
- Bonuses for new clients
- Setting up an account is efficient
- Account support and access via multiple devices
CONS:
- The minimum IRA investment is $25,000