American Century Investments Reviews
by Jack,
1/20/2025
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Review: I’ve been with American Century for over 25 years and appreciate their quality investments and low fees. However, whenever I request a check to access my funds, it usually takes 10 days to two weeks to arrive. This time, the check never showed up, and they said the post office likely lost it. I’ve never had mail within the lower 48 states take more than five days. They offer overnight delivery for an excessive fee and suggest linking my account to my bank, but I prefer to keep my money and accounts separate for security. I’m not typically suspicious, but this situation has made me question American Century.
by KEITH R,
4/25/2024
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Review: Im an experienced investor but foolishly let an American Century rep help me make a bad decision.-- I got an error message on the ** website while trying to do an **H transfer to a bank for $112,000. When I called the rep told me that American Century has a limit of $25,000 for online **H transfers.-- Ive done countless bank transfers over the years and none have taken more than two business days. But the representative made it sound like this **H transfer could take longer than two business days.-- He talked about a possibility of sending a check overnight and my bank putting a hold on the deposit. But he also talked about my bank calling ** to verify the funds and possibly releasing the funds early.-- I wouldnt have even considered this if he hadnt talked about the transfer taking longer than normal. But it sounded like a better option until I called my bank afterwards and found out that it was wrong.-- Now we have to wait four or five business days after tomorrow (more than a week) to use the funds. We are going to use this money to pay off a loan so the unnecessary delay will cost us extra interest.-- I ******** been able to do the transfer online or the rep ******** done it without the commentary!
by Augustine l.,
2/15/2024
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Review: Horrible and super frustrating. I have an old 401k with them that I am trying to move and they make it almost impossible to move. All the customer support and forms try to get you to give them more funds, and impossible to get funds out.
by David,
11/15/2023
Pros: Management
Cons: None
Review: I started with American Century in 1989 along with several other companies so I could evaluate each over time. In 2000, I settled on AC as the lone survivor of the competition for my IRA dollars. I choose another company for my non-IRA account simply to not have all my eggs in one basket as it were. Fast forward to 2020 and I moved all non-IRA dollars into AC.
Why? Competitive fees, competitive returns and ease of dealing with the company.
It has been my experience over the past 34 years...every financial company produces shiny brochures touting strengths and accolades. Once I looked past the chaff...over time successful styles and trends are copied (passive index funds for example) and most recently ETF's which lead to a homogenized industry.
Which leaves corporate structure, management and customer service. Personally, I appreciate the fact some of the profits generated by American Century go towards the Stowers Cancer Research Center. I have confidence in the corporate structure and the management teams of American Century.
This year I moved most of the dollars into the Private Client Group. The PCG offers a hands off approach with a unique and competitive cost structure.
Everyone has their own story. Mine has been positive.
by Andrew,
8/2/2023
Pros:
Cons: Very high fees
Review: Ridiculous fees on both investments and when I withdrew due to new employer. Paid $125 just for them to cut me a check. Their mutual funds have caretaker fees of over 1%. Stay far away unless you are getting an employer match and absolutely are forced to put up with their greedy bs.
by Eric c.,
5/31/2023
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Review: Underperforming funds.. seems the customer is not the best interest. Getting close to pulling my money out
by bobbitt mary,
12/20/2022
Pros: beware
Cons: lack of proper security. My id was stolen and they gave away my retirement money..
Review: beware beware! easy target for identity thieves.
by Jenn,
11/1/2022
Pros:
Cons: Little Info, No Tools
Review: Disappointed that the only information available is balance and allocation, and there are no tools whatsoever.
by Charles,
10/3/2022
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Review: I started investing with a money market account, then an IRA, a college fund for my son (no student debt), and my wife's IRA. Now my family's net worth with them is well over $700,000. Thanks for all the help American Century!
by Liz,
1/10/2022
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Review: Nearly impossible to get them on the phone!
by Dissatisfied customer,
5/6/2021
Pros:
Cons: Terrible customer service
Review: Have an account with these guys for nearly twenty five year for my daughter and when it comes time to take out the money they failed. She needed the money to close on her new house. Lost check in the mail, locked out of her account and multiple phone calls with no results and still no money. Bad Bad Bad!
by Mark,
4/30/2021
Pros: None
Cons: Terrible customer service!!
Review: Don't ever use these people. Worst firm EVER!
by Charles,
6/22/2020
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Review: I started investing with a money market account, then an IRA, college fund for my son (no student debt), my wife's IRA. Now my family's net worth with them is over $700,000. Thanks for all the help American Century!
by Gina S.,
4/27/2020
Pros:
Cons: Even the CEO got it wrong!
Review: IN 2008, we got a letter form the CEO (then Twentieth Century Investments) telling us that there was NO HOUSING BUBBLE. Everyone else was talking about it from analysts on TV to Real Estate Agents. Well, I said to myself, they have all of our IRA money and it is not FDIC insured. Took everything out (about $330K) and put it into CD's with a bank. Only lost about 5% since I took it out in October instead of September. What an idiot. Never take advice form someone who has a vested interest!
by Corinna,
1/28/2020
Pros: None
Cons: Lack of fiduciary responsibility
Review: I have been working with ACI for nearly a year after my mother died. After hours on the phone, they put me in touch with an estate rep. Within a month of her death, I had provided them all the necessary paperwork to transfer everything into the proper names. Almost a year later, I find out there is STILL an account sitting in limbo because there is yet another application to fill out and no one from ACI was ever going to contact me about this unless I contacted them. Instead they had smoke and mirrors by sending me statements on the account to appear that everything had been handled and completed. I will be withdrawing every last cent of money from them. The reps take no ownership of anything. I urge you to think twice about this firm. They have no integrity as a fiduciary to your hard-earned money. If you have designated beneficiaries, THIS is how they will treat your loved ones during their time of grief. Beware!!!!!!
by cdg,
4/21/2018
Pros: The CPFXX fund is unique. No one else offers the equivalent.
Cons: Time-wasting, inaccurate, inadequate and insulting.
Review: ACI’s "customer service" is unable to provide simple information, and wastes hours of client time providing misinformation, because their agents can’t understand simple English and/or don't understand basic investment terminology. There is no longer any way of contacting "customer service" without wasting hours navigating their "FAQ" responses, only to be told to "telephone us". Their telephone system was designed by an idiot, and ensures an irate customer when/if a live agent ever comes on the line. Their website is riddled with inaccuracies in data and information, as well as the gross misuse of the English language. Their "statements" are inaccurate and incomplete. Their CEO's response to valid feedback and/or complaints about the website and/or customer service, is inaccurate, inadequate and insulting rhetoric, followed by "please take your business elsewhere".