Asset Strategies International (ASI) is a Rockville, Maryland precious metals dealer that has been selling gold, silver, platinum, and palladium since 1982.
The company also brokers rare coins, foreign currency, and offshore storage arrangements through partners like the Perth Mint in Australia. This review looks at what ASI actually offers, how it prices its products, what past customers say, and where the company falls short on transparency.
Key Takeaways
- ASI has operated since 1982 and holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, though it is not BBB accredited.
- The company does not post fees or minimum order sizes on its website, so pricing details require a phone call.
- Online reviews are thin (fewer than a dozen across major platforms), and at least one former customer has complained about buyback difficulties.
Company Background
Michael Checkan and Glen O. Kirsch started the business in 1982 under the name International Financial Consultants, later renamed Asset Strategies International. Both men came from Deak-Perera, at the time the largest precious metals brokerage in the country, and brought that background into the firm’s early focus on foreign currency exchange and metals certificates.
Kirsch died in 2010. Michael Checkan now serves as Chairman and CEO, and his son Rich Checkan runs day-to-day operations as President and COO. Rich is a West Point graduate and former Army infantry officer who joined the company in 1996.
In 1997 the founding team built a Precious Metals Certificate Program with the Perth Mint, becoming one of eight dealers worldwide authorized to sell those certificates.
That relationship still anchors a chunk of ASI’s storage and certificate business today. The company’s tagline, “Keep What’s Yours,” reflects its pitch as a wealth protection shop rather than a pure bullion retailer, and its marketing leans heavily on diversification across currencies and countries.
What ASI Sells
The product lineup covers the four major precious metals in coin and bar form, plus a rare coin division that includes pre-1933 U.S. gold pieces. Here’s how the offering breaks down.
| Category | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bullion coins | American Gold Eagle, Platinum Eagle | Priced individually, call for quote on most items |
| Bullion bars | 1 oz Perth Mint gold bar, 100 oz RCM silver bar | Sourced from major mints |
| Junk silver | Pre-1965 90% silver quarters | Sold in $100 and $1,000 face-value bags |
| Rare coins | Double Eagles, other pre-1933 U.S. gold | Numismatic premium applies |
| Storage/certificates | Perth Mint Certificate Program, depository storage | Allocated and unallocated options |
A lot of the site runs on “call for pricing” rather than posted numbers, which is common in this industry but still means you can’t comparison shop from the homepage. Gold American Eagles were listed around $4,269 per coin at the time this review was written, which tracks with a spot gold price that’s been sitting near record highs through much of 2026.
Storage and Perth Mint Relationship
ASI’s storage setup is worth a closer look because it’s genuinely different from a lot of competitors. Through the Perth Mint Certificate Program, clients can hold metal in Australia with a government guarantee behind it, either allocated (specific bars set aside) or unallocated (a claim on the mint’s pooled inventory).
The company also lists custodial partners for IRA accounts, including Equity Institutional, Millennium Trust, GoldStar Trust, and The Entrust Group, along with depository options like International Depository Services and Strategic Wealth Preservation in the Cayman Islands.
That’s a genuinely broad menu of storage jurisdictions. Most single-location bullion dealers can’t say that. Whether the average buyer needs offshore storage is a separate question, and depends a lot on individual circumstances, but the option is real and backed by an established relationship rather than a marketing bullet point.
Reputation and Reviews
This is where things get uneven. ASI carries an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, but it is not a BBB-accredited business, and the BBB profile shows no customer reviews on file. Google Reviews puts the company at roughly 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on a handful of ratings, not hundreds.
Bullion.Directory has given ASI an A rating in the past, but its own user review section shows a single one-star complaint alleging the company won’t buy back what it sells.
That complaint doesn’t match ASI’s own claims about client relations reps working without commission, a structure meant to reduce pressure sales. It’s hard to know how representative one negative review is against a company that’s been in business for over four decades.
What’s clear is that ASI simply doesn’t have the review volume of some larger competitors like Goldco or Augusta Precious Metals, so anyone judging the company on Google stars alone is working with a small sample.
Pricing Transparency
Here’s the part that would concern a careful buyer. ASI does not publish storage fees, IRA setup costs, or minimum purchase amounts anywhere on its public site. You have to call the 1-800 number and talk to a Preferred Client Relations representative to get real numbers.
That’s standard practice for older-school bullion dealers who built their business on phone relationships rather than e-commerce, but it’s a meaningful gap compared to newer competitors that post fee schedules directly.
To be fair, product prices for bullion items that are listed (like the gold Eagles and gold bars) update with the market and appear reasonably close to spot plus a standard dealer premium. It’s the account-level costs, storage, and IRA administration fees, that stay behind the phone call.
Who ASI Fits
ASI seems built for a specific kind of buyer: someone who wants a phone relationship with a rep, values decades of operating history over flashy web tools, and has interest in international storage options beyond a standard U.S. depository. It’s less suited to someone who wants to see every fee up front and complete a purchase without a phone call, since the website doesn’t support that kind of self-serve shopping.
Investors comparing ASI against larger Gold IRA marketers should also weigh company size. ASI runs lean, with a small staff and one office location, which cuts both ways.
It can mean more personal attention on a phone call. It can also mean less capacity if demand spikes, and a thinner public review trail to lean on when you’re deciding whether to trust a company with a five- or six-figure purchase.
Conclusion
Asset Strategies International is a genuine 1982-founded dealer with an unusual depth of international storage options, particularly through its Perth Mint relationship, but its lack of published fees and thin review base mean prospective buyers should call for specifics and read the available complaints before committing.
