Adding Value To Investments
One distinct reason why many choose to invest in gold bullion is that investing is VAT free in the U.K, which is not the case for gold throughout the world. Silver also attracts a VAT rate of 20% in the United Kingdom.
The background as to why this is the case is interesting for those learning about buying bullion for the first time. Before 1st January 2000, sales of gold in the UK were subject to VAT. This changed because of the disparity between rules in the European Union. For example, some countries in the EU didnt charge VAT on gold at all or charged it at a very low rate. This meant that the UK was at a disadvantage compared with other EU member states. The introduction of the exemption meant that for VAT purposes, gold would be treated the same as other investments, such as stocks and shares. Silver is of course different, which is mainly due to the fact that as well as being used for investments, silver has many industrial and practical uses.
Gold Is A Safe Haven Asset
Gold is a historically proven safe-haven investment. This means, over periods of economic uncertainty or bouts of market volatility investors can rely on gold to act as a portfolio stabilizer since it’s an uncorrelated asset to other conventional assets in an investment portfolio like stocks and bonds.
For the same reason, gold is a portfolio diversifier. Gold is an uncorrelated asset to traditional asset classes like stock and bonds. This means that when stocks perform poorly, gold acts as a portfolio stabilizer. This makes it an ideal safe investment during a stock market downturn
Gold Is More Rare Than Silver
What makes gold more valuable than silver and why is silver so cheap? It comes down to limited supply and rising demand. The total supply of silver each year is more than gold. Since gold is more of a rare and scarce precious metal compared to silver, along with having high demand, its value increases. All these characteristics are reflected in goldâs current price.
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Potential And Risks Of Investing In Gold And Silver
Lets go ahead and directly compare gold and silver to one another.
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Gold
Gold has traditionally been a safe haven for investors who do not believe in the strength of the current economy. This was proven once again during the COVID-19 crisis, as gold gained more than 16% during the first half of 2020.
Due to its low volatility, high demand , and history as the primary store hold of wealth for centuries, gold has always been a part of mainstream finance.
The Federal Reserve printed more than $3 Trillion to counteract the negative consequences of COVID-19. This has led to many investors being wary of extreme inflation in the next few years. Gold has limited supply and it usually rises as the cost of living increases.
As such, it is seen as an excellent hedge against inflation. Not only that, there seems to be an almost exact positive correlation between the price of gold in USD and the total debt limit of the US.
Gold seems to rise in near-perfect correlation to the US debt ceiling.
That said, gold has its own risks. Perhaps the biggest one is that other investment classes usually tend to outperform gold by quite a bit during bullish market conditions. If the worst is behind us, then gold will probably not fare well over the next few years.
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Silver
How To Buy Gold In 2021
For thousands of years humans have coveted gold and todays investors are no exception. Whether you plan to buy the metal in the form of coins, bars or gold-backed securities, there are plenty of reasons to add it to your portfolio.
Gold is considered a safe haven asset because when prices for other investments, like stocks or real estate, drop sharply, gold doesnt lose its value it may even gain value as scared investors rush to buy it.
Whats more, some experts also see gold as the ultimate way to protect your savings against rising prices since its held value for hundreds of years.
But when does it really make sense to invest in gold? And whats the best method? Heres everything you need to know about how to buy gold in 2021.
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Gold Vs Silver Investment: The Key Differences
Due to recent volatility in stock and bond markets, many investors have turned their attention to precious metals as a hedge against that volatility. With memories of the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath still fresh in many investors minds, their thoughts naturally turn to gold and silver, two assets that protected investors assets during the crisis. While stock markets lost over 50% of their value during the crisis, gold increased in value by over 25% and continued to gain value over the next few years.
Precious metals have always been sought after by investors, and particularly during financial downturns. Their ability to keep gaining value while financial markets come crashing down around them is unparalleled. And while there are numerous precious metals to invest in, gold and silver stand head and shoulders above the rest in their ability to offer investors solid returns during tough financial times.
As with any other asset, investing in gold or silver can lead to both gains and losses. But for investors who are looking for long-term wealth appreciation and asset protection, precious metals investing is tough to beat. So, what are the differences in gold vs. silver investment between investing in gold versus silver? Read on to find out.
Dollar Supply And Demand
We think it means that the Feds massive asset-buying program has had its intended effect . The Fed has bought about $2.5 trillion worth of bonds, which has grown its balance sheet by 60%. This is the stuff of madness. See the graph of the Feds assets below.
The change is greater than the Feds then-crazy buying frenzy in the wake of the last crisis, though smaller as a percentage of growth.
The intended effect is to take the pressure off the banks. Reduced contractionary pressures on bank balance sheets frees up the banks for profit-making and risk-free activities such as carrying gold.
The Fed will be able to get away with this for so long as gold bids on the dollar. And the high basis is proof that this bid is very strong for now.
We can think of two primary gold bidders on the dollar. One, likely short-lived, is the leveraged player who buys dollars in order to meet margin calls. Each drop in asset prices, whether in stocks, real estate, or elsewhere, forces some of them to liquidate whatever they can to raise dollar cashwhich is often gold. The other, is a much larger group of people worldwide who are forced by economic circumstances to sell gold to buy food.
So long as these dynamics continue, there will be a robust gold bid on the dollar.
NB: This is not to say that the price of gold need go down, the dynamics we described could occur with a dramatically rising gold price reaching new record highs over many years.
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Coins Command A Higher Premium
Coins have a higher premium, partly because more labor goes into producing them, and partly because they might have intrinsic value based on design and age. Popular bullion coins with consistent premiums include the 1-ounce Silver American Eagle from the U.S. Mint and the 1-ounce Canadian Maple Leaf from the Royal Canadian Mint.
Gold Is An Inflation Hedge
The reason to invest in gold is not because itâs an asset that outperforms and provides outsized returns. Rather, gold is considered an inflation hedge or an asset that offers investors wealth preservation. Over time, the value of fiat currencies wither away due to inflation. As a result, the U.S. dollar and other fiat currencies depreciate in value over time. In order to reduce or eliminate the risk of inflation, investors allocate toward gold to maintain their moneyâs purchasing power. This is what makes gold such an important asset, especially in times of crisis.
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Gold And Silver Imports To Us Soar During Pandemic
The British pound , shillings and pence were all based on the quantity of gold that it represented. Ultimately, gold symbolized wealth throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
needed to be backed by either gold or silver. For instance, one U.S. dollar was the equivalent of 24. 75 grains of gold. In other words, the coins that were utilized as cash merely represented the gold that was currently transferred at the bank. But this gold requirement did not last permanently.
that might be redeemed in gold on need.
The U.S. deserted the gold requirement in 1971 when its currency stopped to be backed by gold. Gold in the Modern Economy Although gold no longer backs the U.S. dollar , it still brings significance in today’s society. It is still crucial to the global economy.
Silver As An Inflation Hedge
One of the major reasons people purchase gold is as a hedge against inflation. Gold is a real asset with limited supply, in contrast to fiat currency, which can theoretically be printed infinitely. This became a point of major interest as the Federal Reserve enacted its quantitative easing policy, which escalated many fears of runaway inflation.
But silver also has all of the characteristics that make gold an effective hedge against inflation.
- Silver is of course a real asset.
- And though it is more abundant than gold, its supply is still limited.
- And silver has just as rich a history as gold as a store of value.
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Should You Invest In Silver Bullion
What are the pros and cons of investing in silver bullion? Read on to learn why now may be the time for investors to enter the market.
As with anything in the market, investing in silver bullion has both pros and cons, and whats appealing to one investor may not be a good choice for another.
Whenever the silver price rises, investors interest in the silver market grows, with many wondering if it is the right time to buy physical silver and make it part of their investment portfolio.
While silver can be volatile, the precious metal is also seen as a safety net, similar to its sister metal gold as safe haven assets, they can protect investors in times of uncertainty. With tensions running high, they could be a good choice for those looking to preserve their wealth in these difficult times.
With those factors in mind, lets look at the pros and cons of buying physical bullion in the form of silver.
When Is The Best Time To Invest In Gold & Silver
Much like investing in stocks, its generally not possible to time purchases and sales of gold and silver with any precision. But as a general rule, the best time to buy any asset is when its either undervalued or in a prolonged holding pattern.
There doesnt seem to be much evidence that either gold or silver are currently undervalued. But the markets for both metals have been quiet for the past few years, particularly since gold hit an all-time peak price of $1,900+ in August 2011.
It has since eased back, but has been hovering around $1,500 during much of that time. With metals prices trading in a tight range in recent years, now seems to be as good a time as any to buy in.
While we seem to be in the late stages of the current economic and financial market upturns, storm clouds are certainly gathering on the horizon.
Since precious metals tend to react to instability, theres plenty to be found. Examples include:
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How To Invest In Precious Metals
There are two main ways to invest in precious metals:
When you buy the precious metal outright, you might feel like youve struck gold . Just like when you hold a dollar bill in your hand, you have the security of being able to actually have your investment in the form of gold bars or silver coins in your hand .
With ETFs, you buy stock in the precious metal of your choice. That stock is tied to the current value of the gold, platinum or silver that you invested in. Just like the stock market, investing in ETFs is a digital game, allowing you to move things around with the click of your mouse.
I dont buy precious metals at all because I like my moneyI dont want to lose it. That simple. Dave Ramsey
Should I Invest In Precious Metals
Unless you want to get into the jewelry-making game, investing your hard-earned dollars into precious metals like gold, silver and platinum is not the best use of your money. And if you dont believe us, just look at history.
Anytime youre analyzing an investment , you should look at its track record of what its done in the past over a long period of time. Thatll give you an idea of what itll do in the future. And if you look at gold prices, its value is all based off of emotion. When people are afraid that the economy might crash, they run to invest in gold, believing theyll be safe financially. But thats a mythbecause when an economy crashes, people go back to the bartering system. And like Dave says, At no time has gold been used as a medium of exchange of a crashed economy since the Roman Empire.
There arent many times you can take a bag of gold chains to the gas station and exchange it for a tank of gas. The only reason the dollar is worth something is because its a worldwide accepted form of trade. Its a transaction based on trust. These precious metals are just a just a commodity like a bushel of wheat or a barrel of oil or, in more recent times, toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
In times of uncertainty, people run to gold out of the false assumption that its going to be a safe investment. But when people make decisions based on fear , they make poor investment decisions.
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Difference #: Silver Is More Affordable
This seems like an obvious statement, but the reason its important is because silver has many similarities with gold
If you buy physical silvernot ETFs, certificates or futures contracts, which are paper investmentsyou can capture the same benefits that gold offers. Advantages that virtually no other asset provides.
Like gold, physical silver
- Is a hard asset. Of all the investments you own, how many can you hold in your hand? In a world of paper profits, digital trading, and currency creation, physical silver is a tangible asset that cant be hacked .
- Is money, just like gold. It cant be created out of thin air like paper currency or digital entries. Look through monetary history and youll find that silver has been used in coinage more often than gold.
- Has no counterparty risk. If you hold physical silver, you dont need another party to make good on a contract or promise.
- Has never been defaulted on. If you own physical silver, you have no default risk. Not so for almost any other investment you make.
- Can be as private and confidential. You must report any gain on your income tax return, but if youd like some privacy or confidentiality with a portion of your investments, physical silver can provide it.
Silvers advantage over gold is that you can capture all these same benefits but at a much lower cost. Your financial insurance just got more affordable. Its why silver is called the poor mans gold.
Theres another advantage to silvers lower price: Selling
Is Gold Better Than Silver
Historically, both silver and gold have been used as excellent hedging tools in the face of black swan events, market crashes, and currency depreciation. In fact, they are also considered an effective inflationary tool.
But like most assets, both these metals have their boom and bust cycles. Regardless of any time period, it is important to consider the following while thinking about investing in gold or silver.
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Silver Is More Affordable Than Gold
Silver is more affordable is an obvious statement. Buying silver is much cheaper than gold. Suppose you buy silver in physical form . In that case, you get the same benefits that buying gold offers. But the amount of investment to be made is much lower.
Physical silver is a tangible asset, something which cannot be hacked. And in a digital world, it cannot disappear in thin air just like that. This is a great relief. If you hold the silver in the physical form, you dont require a third party or do any paperwork. If you want to keep some of your investment confidential, physical silver allows you to keep the information discreet.
All these benefits are provided by gold as well. According to the data supplied by www.indiatimes.com, gold trades at 1400 dollars per ounce while silver trades at just 25 dollars per ounce, making your financial insurance much more affordable than gold. Thats the reason silver is known as poor mans gold.
Since silver price is much lower than gold, you can buy much more silver with a given amount. Silver is a good idea for gifting your loved ones something which is both precious and affordable.
Not just that, in case you have a small requirement of cash, you may sell a part of the silver and meet your needs. This would save you from the problem of liquidating your gold. This is the main reason why every investor should consider having some silver in their portfolio.
