The #1 Advantage Of Owning Physical Metal
There are many pros to owning physical metals, but this is probably the greatest.
- Physical gold and silver have no counterparty risk.
Physical metals are no one elses liability. If you hold real metal, there is no paper contract to make you whole, no middleman needed to make you good. Gold and silver are the only financial assets that are not simultaneously some other entitys liability. They dont require the backing of any bank or government.
This further means that gold and silver wont go to zero. Its never happened in their 3,000+ year history. Thats a powerful feature, especially if you talk to former shareholders of companies like Bear Stearns, Enron, or Lehman Brothers.
Physical metals cant go bankrupt or broke. Bullion will never default, and is not subject to promises or obligations.
You could say it this way: if you hold it, you own it.
Ready to start investing in precious metals?
Key Challenges With Precious Metals Investing
Learning how to invest in gold and silver is challenging because directly investing in any commodity is filled with headwinds against you.
First of all, commodities, including precious metals, dont produce any cash flows like a profitable business or even an interest-paying bond does. Instead, they just sit there, as you hope they go up in price. Gold and silver are good at holding their value over the long-term against inflation, but apart from that, dont do a lot for you by themselves.
Warren Buffett perhaps said it the best:
The problem with commodities is that you are betting on what someone else would pay for them in six months. The commodity itself isnt going to do anything for you.it is an entirely different game to buy a lump of something and hope that somebody else pays you more for that lump two years from now than it is to buy something that you expect to produce income for you over time.
Secondly, there are transaction costs associated with precious metals investing. If you buy physical gold, theres a company in the middle making a profit. They buy it at wholesale prices, turn it into fine investment-grade gold, and sell it at retail prices. There are potentially shipping costs, and there is a cost associated with security and storage, along with a risk of theft or loss. If you instead invest in an ETF that holds precious metals, they have an expense ratio, which covers security and all the administrative costs of managing the fund and their hoard of metal.
Want To Buy Gold Heres What You Should Know
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What do Scrooge McDuck and King Midas have in common? Hint: Its not a well-diversified portfolio. While owning gold sounds cool, and may even be considered responsible during a stock market downturn, investing in gold comes with some unique challenges and doesnt always pan out the way you might expect.
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Causes Of Price Fluctuations
Before making any investment, its important to get a detailed understanding of what makes the price of the asset youre investing in move. This will help you make your decision as to when to buy what assets, and what to expect as a potential result of your investment.
Silver Catalysts
There are several catalysts that have the potential to move the price of silver either up or down. Some of the most significant fundamental signals to look for include:
Gold Catalysts
Gold has many significant catalysts that fall in line perfectly with those of silver. However, there are some unique differences. Here are the factors that tend to lead to movement in the price of gold:
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Find The Right Gold Dealer
Durrett advises gold bullion buyers to buy from online companies and to sell locally, explaining that local retailers cant compete with online stores and typically charge customers more. But because you will always be selling your gold at the spot price, it doesnt matter where you sell.
Take some time to research reputable gold dealers to find a fair price on gold coins. In general, avoid buying gold online through bidding sites, as you can end up in a bidding war and pay more for a gold coin than it is worth. Here are a few things to consider when youre looking for a gold dealer:
- Dealer buyback policies: Before buying from a gold dealer, investigate its buyback policies. Some dealers charge a premium for you to sell back your gold, while others will not add any additional charge. Get the buyback policy in writing, and keep it in a safe place for the future.
- Reputation: Buying anything online poses risks, so be sure to do thorough research before deciding on a dealer. The U.S. Mints listing of gold dealers is a good place to start. While these dealers are not affiliated with the U.S. Mint, it has done some research to ensure the dealers are trustworthy. Reading reviews on ConsumerAffairs is a helpful way to figure out which gold dealer is right for you.
Different Forms Of Physical Gold For Investment
Several different types of physical gold exist when it comes to investing in gold. One of the most common types of physical gold is bullion. Most bullion takes the form of a slip of gold. A miniature bar that is made up of .999 purity gold.
Gold coins can also be considered bullion. A bullion coin is a standard piece of gold that is commonly trade. In general the purity is the same as a slip of bullion.
On the other hand there are numismatic coins that can also be invest in. These coins have more value than just the precious metal that they contain. That is because these are the type of coins that collectors trade in. While they may be a great option for when the financial world is doing well, if you want to be safeguarded, they are not a good option.
If the financial world isnt doing well, buyers are looking to pay for the precious metal, not the collectors piece. This can make it hard to get the full value of a numismatic coin.
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How To Buy Silver Ira In 2022
Investors will look for a more secure way to invest when the money market is prone to economic swings, inflation, and economic disasters.
Investing in gold, silver, and other precious metals is an excellent long-term investment choice for retirees.
Apart from other metals, investing in gold and silver has become the most popular option for people seeking a constant income after retirement due to their high and consistent value in the face of inflation. Due to these reasons, gold and silver are regarded as the finest to have in your retirement portfolio.
Investors may purchase silver from various sources, including coin dealers and bullion brokers. Silver coins, rounds, and bars are sold by these individuals and organizations both in-person and online, making it straightforward to get the precious metal regardless of the manner.
You can buy a silver IRA with these easy steps:
- Opening an IRA with one of the numerous approved Trustee/Custodians.
- Funding your IRA Trustee/Custodian account
- Purchasing a silver IRA using your account.
- Receiving the metal.
Whats The Silver Outlook In 2022
The silver market has been making large moves recently. Theres the possibility that silver could do more than $30 per ounce at the end of 2022.
Although one certain thing is that theres bound to be an increase in the price of silver before the end of the year, especially with inflation rates that are bound to increase and ongoing global economic tension.
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Buying Gold & Silver Online Vs Locally
In principal, making a purchase from both of these establishments is very similar. You browse their selection until you find some merchandise that appeals to you and then you pay for your purchase. However, there are significant differences between the practices of these stores that can greatly affect both the shopping and the overall customer experience.
The most obvious difference between these two establishments is convenience. With local coin shops, customers are bound to a specific location, which they must physically visit in order to make their purchase. In addition, customers who decide to make their purchases locally will find their shopping restricted to the prescribed business hours of that particular store. In contrast, online dealers are available 24 hours a day and can be accessed from anywhere, which means that customers are free to shop and make their purchases without any location and time constraints.
Customers who have done their research will notice that online dealers can typically offer more competitive prices than their local coin shop establishments. This price reduction is due to the fact that online dealers have fewer expenses to cover. Virtual storefronts usually do not incur the same overhead costs that brick and mortar stores do, such as rent or utilities. As a result, virtual dealers are able to pass these savings to their customers and offer lower product premiums.
Silver And Gold Bullion And Certificates
Precious metals investors tend to fall into one of two categories.
The hedgers dont treat gold and silver differently than any other financial asset. Theyre investing in precious metals as a hedge against inflation or financial volatility. Hedgers dont need physical access to their metals. Ultimately, they plan to sell them for money or other assets in a time of financial stability.
Then there are the preppers doomsday preppers, that is. These people invest in precious metals as a hedge against war, major political instability, natural disasters, or other total breakdown of society scenarios that would render money and other assets worthless. Preppers intend to use their silver and gold holdings as currency after the apocalypse. So they need it to be in their physical possession.
For the most part, it only makes sense to invest in silver and gold bullion that is, actual metal pieces if youre a prepper. For one thing, physical items can be lost or stolen. A burglar cant break into your house and take your stocks. There are also maintenance concerns with silver and gold both can tarnish unless you keep them clean and protected from the elements.
And perhaps most importantly, precious metal bullion tends to underperform precious metal securities on the market. More on that in a moment.
However, if you want to buy precious metals as part of a balanced and successful portfolio, then you will probably prefer the methods listed below.
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Why Buy Silver Instead Of Gold
One of the main reasons why investors should buy silver instead of gold is because of the tight link silver has with the industry. From the jewelry making industry to diverse pieces of machinery.
Silver is also cheaper than gold making it easy for investors to add it to their portfolios.
Another reason why investors should consider silver over gold is that silver is way easier to liquify. So investors can easily exchange their silver for cash.
Adding Gold And Silver To Your Portfolio
As you can see, there are a number of ways to add gold and silver to your portfolio. Consider the pros and the cons of each investment strategy. With some gold and silver, you can have a properly diversified portfolio. For more information on how to protect your financial portfolio, make sure to call us at Allegiance Gold. For many years we have helped retirees and investors protect their hard-earned savings. When you call, make sure to ask about receiving your FREE Gold IRA Guide or simply fill out the form below and we will send it to you.
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Keep An Eye On Your Investment
An important note is that you should always keep an eye on your portfolio. Investments grow and shrink over time and you may come to a point where your gold investments are a higher percentage of your portfolio than you want it to be. If this point ever arrives it is time to decide whether you want to sell a small portion of your gold or you want to keep it as a continued investment.
Say gold is having a really good year and it is up to 14% of your portfolio and your original goal was to keep it at 10%. You may want to consider selling off around 4% of your gold investment so that gold isnt overwhelming your portfolio. You can always invest the profits elsewhere in your investment portfolio.
Investing in gold is a choice that has to be made by each investor individually. It is a great way to hold money in case of a recession or depression in the financial world but it doesnt come without its risks. You also want to ensure that you have enough money to make your starting investment. Consider all of the factors before making a decision.
It doesnt hurt to go see a financial consultant if you are unsure of how to work gold into your current investment portfolio. They can help you to find a way to diversify your savings with precious metals while not putting too much at risk. Plenty of content on the internet is also available when it comes to investing in gold and other precious metals. Remember, an educated investor is a good investor.
Gold Has Been Money For Thousands Of Years
Nations, kingdoms, and empires have come and gone over the past 5,000 years, and their currencies have disappeared with them. But gold has continued to function as a medium of exchange and a store of wealth through it all. Along the way, silver has functioned as a parallel precious metal, achieving the title of the poor mans gold due to its much lower price.
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Why Buy Silver 10 Reasons To Invest In Silver
Jeff Clark, Senior Analyst, GoldSilver
Is silver a good investment? Why should someone buy it?
Its natural and even prudent for an investor to wonder if a particular asset is a good investment or not. Thats especially true for silver, since its such a small market and doesnt carry the same gravitas as gold.
But at this point in history, there are very compelling reasons to add physical silver to your portfolio . Here the top 10 reasons why every investor should buy some silver bullion
The Role Of Gold And Silver In A Portfolio
Put simply, precious metals serve as a hedge against market volatility, political instability, currency weakness, and economic collapse.
Because they are chemically unique, physically rare, and easily malleable, gold and silver have been used as money across much of the world for thousands of years. While they can be quite volatile, they historically store wealth very well over the long-term.
Benefits: Precious metals have no credit risk, maintain their global purchasing power over the long-term in the face of inflation or currency devaluation, and arent very tightly correlated with stocks, bonds, or real estate.
Downsides: Commodities including precious metals produce no cash flows themselves and can be quite volatile. Most precious metal miners are historically poorly-managed companies that lose a lot of money.
Due to all this, whether investors should own gold and silver is surprisingly controversial.
On one hand there are people who distrust the global economic system and invest almost entirely in precious metals. On the other hand, many mainstream portfolios have zero exposure to precious metals, with some investors believing that no respectable portfolio should have any gold or silver allocation at all.
I think investors in certain countries like the United States get too complacent. They think a lot of the bad things that happen to other markets cant happen to their own, even if it has happened multiple times to the U.S. in the past.
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