Gold is a much better investment than traditional options like stocks and bonds for several reasons. Gold is a safe place to keep money, but it doesn’t make money alone. Some people see gold as a way to protect against inflation because the Federal Reserve’s interest rates are close to zero, and the government spends a lot of money. Think about these ways to store gold and the risks of each.
Bullion
Deciding to buy gold bullion or bars can be an excellent investment opportunity. If you have a lot of things, it can hurt you in a big way. It is essential to keep physical gold safe and insured. Those who invest in actual gold bars might only make money if gold prices go up. On the other hand, gold miners and other business owners can make more money by making more gold.
Pawn shops have a market for gold. Before you buy, make sure you know how much an ounce of gold is worth on the spot market. Since you’ll pay more for a coin’s collector value than the gold it contains, bars might be a better choice for your business transactions than coins. Check out this list of the nine coins that cost the most.
Futures contracts for gold
If you think the price of gold will go up, you can bet on it with gold futures (or falling). Not being able to take physical delivery of gold is not what drives gold speculators. When you invest in gold futures, you can use a lot more leverage. You can get a lot of gold futures for a small amount of money. If your prediction about gold’s price on the futures market comes true, you could make a lot of money very quickly. Futures traders use leverage in both directions. If gold prices go against you, your broker may force you to sell your position or ask for more collateral (called margin).
Gold-holding exchange-traded funds
Instead of buying physical gold or trying to keep up with the high volume and high margin requirements of the futures market, investors can buy a gold-tracking ETF. ETFs trade like stocks, while it can be hard to turn bullion into cash at the market price. The fund can be bought and sold anytime during trading hours, just like stocks. Since gold ETFs are more liquid than actual gold, you can trade them without leaving your home. Since ETFs track the price of gold, they should go up or down with the price of gold (minus the fund’s expense ratio). Gold prices go up and down like stock prices. Keeping physical gold safe and getting the most out of it are two of the biggest problems with owning gold. You can avoid these problems by investing in gold exchange-traded funds instead.
Mining stocks
Investing in mining firms is another way to make money from rising gold prices. People who put their money into gold can make money in two ways. First, as gold prices go up, miners can expect to make more money. The miner can also raise production over time, like killing two birds with one stone. Do your homework if you want to make money by buying stocks. There are a lot of shady miners out there, so choose carefully. Avoid small-time miners and those who don’t have any mines that can make money. In the end, mining stocks are usually risky.
