If you want to build significant wealth for yourself and your family, you probably concentrate on areas such as building a business, investing in shares, and avoiding accumulating too much debt. While these are all worthwhile strategies, they’re not the only ones. You might like to think about branching out a little with your investing ideas.
In particular, consider putting some of your money into buying gold. This area is one you need to properly understand first, though, so read on for a brief lowdown on the topic.
Why Gold is a Good Investment
Humans have valued gold for centuries as it’s hard to dig out of the ground (or sea) and thus is more treasured. It’s malleable and lustrous and has long been used to create coins and jewelry. These days, though, it’s a powerful investment option because it enables you to spread risk around via an additional financial vehicle and, when you buy the tangible asset, you know your investment is real.
The value of gold tends to retain itself over the years or, as is typically the case, grow. This means it can be helpful to have some money parked in this area when other investment types, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, property, currencies, and the like, fluctuate quite a bit.
Historically, gold prices tend to remain stable in times of economic turbulence and recession. With the ups and downs the global marketplace has seen in the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, this is a big plus. Furthermore, gold assets tend to be reasonably liquid, so you can sell them quickly and easily when you need to, which is an added benefit of this type of investment.
The Different Gold Products You Can Invest In
If you’re interested in putting some of your money into gold, you’ll need to figure out precisely what type of product to do this with. The first key option is physical gold. You can invest in buying a stash of gold bar products from a mint, bank, or specialist reseller, etc. The main product is gold bars, but coins or jewelry are also available.
You might prefer to avoid having to store and keep physical gold safe. If so, you could invest in gold via exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These products track the price of a “basket” of gold assets. ETFs can be backed by physical gold and track gold’s spot price (the current price at which the commodity is exchanged) or get backed by gold miners’ stocks, based on a selection of prominent mining companies. Another way ETFs work can be by being backed by gold futures. These products track the prices of contracts speculating gold’s future prices.
If you enjoy investing in the stock market, you might be more comfortable buying shares in gold-based companies. This category covers stocks for firms involved in the mining, exploration, development, and production of physical gold reserves. Note, though, that as with stocks in other listed businesses, gold shares get exposed to stock market fluctuations. You need to weigh listed firms’ financial and fundamental company information before investing.
You might also consider gold derivatives. These provide an indirect way to put money into gold,but they’re riskier than the options above. Derivatives involve gold options and gold futures contracts based on speculation around possiblefuture prices. This option is best for seasoned traders who are comfortable with a higher level of risk.
Tips for Investing in Gold
If you’re ready to invest in gold, work out which type suits your budget, goals, and level of risk you’re comfortable with. If you want lower risk, stick with physical gold and gold-backed EFTs as these are more straightforward and safer. Don’t buy physical gold unless you’ve thought about where and how you’ll securely store it, though. If keeping it at home, you’ll most likely need comprehensive home insurance of some type.
It’s also best to keep gold-based investments at less than ten percent of your overall financial portfolio. This cap enables you to enjoy the diversification that comes from this type of investment without going overboard in this specific area. Keep timing in mind when you go to buy gold, too. Many people suggest buying small amounts over time rather than one big investment all at once. When you take it slowly, you can dollar-cost average into your gold position and better ride price variations and enjoy long-term gains.
As with any financial investment, there’s no single right way or time to invest in gold. Arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can on how the industry works and what each product type offers and entails so you’re more likely to make the most appropriate decision for you.
