How to Buy Gold and Silver

Precious metals, such as gold and silver, are alternative investments that can help diversify a portfolio away from traditional markets. These assets tend to perform differently from traditional markets, providing a hedge against the risk of traditional stocks. Plus, they can be tangible assets that give investors more control over their wealth.

At their core, silver and gold are physical commodities. However, investors can get exposure to the precious metals market in many ways through their portfolios. Learn how to buy gold and silver and the potential risks and benefits it could bring to your investments.

How to Buy Gold and Silver

There are several ways to invest in gold and silver, whether purchasing the physical metal or investing in mining stocks. These are a few of the most popular precious metal investment vehicles.

Physical Gold and Silver

Some investors like to go straight to the source and purchase physical gold and silver as bars, coins, and jewelry. The price of physical gold and silver varies based on weight and purity. The purest gold will be 24 karats and fine silver will be 99.9% silver. 

Gold and silver bars and coins also come in a variety of sizes. Coins can be purchased for as little as one-tenth ounce, and gold bars come as large as one kilo. Their purity and weight, as well as the fluctuating gold market, determine their value.

When purchasing gold or silver, it is crucial to go through a reputable dealer. There are many scams investors should be wary of while shopping for precious metals. An authentic dealer will be able to verify the purity of the metal and may offer complimentary services like storage and insurance to protect your wealth. Gold and silver dealers can be found online and in brick-and-mortar locations. No matter the dealer you choose, verify their reputation by reading reviews and checking for common signs of fraud.

Gold and Silver IRAs

Another option is to use precious metal investments to save for retirement. Gold and silver IRAs are a unique type of self-directed IRA, designed to allow investors to save for retirement using precious metals. Investors choose a designated precious metal custodian, fund their account, and decide which metals they want to hold. The custodian will execute the purchase and store the bullion in a secure depository. Investors cannot keep precious metals in an IRA at their house.

Gold and silver IRAs can be traditional or Roth accounts like other retirement accounts. A Roth account taxes the investment as investors contribute to the IRA, allowing their investments to grow tax-free. In a traditional self-directed IRA, taxes won’t be charged until the investor begins to take distributions. Roth IRAs can be advantageous if you expect a higher tax bracket during retirement.

Gold and Silver ETFs

There are also several indirect ways to get exposure to gold and silver in your portfolio, such as a gold and silver, or precious metals, ETF. These ETFs will hold actual gold and silver bullion, precious metal futures, shares in companies related to the precious metal markets, or a mixture of these. Investors purchase shares of these portfolios and hope their money grows as the ETF grows. Gold and silver ETFs do not give investors ownership over precious metals.

Gold and silver ETFs may be a good option for investors who want to invest in the precious metals market but don’t want to arrange for the storage of bullion or jewelry. ETFs are also much easier to access, very liquid, and allow investors to trade shares throughout the day.

Gold and Silver Mining Stocks

Investing in gold and silver mining stocks is another way to get indirect exposure to precious metals. Instead of investing in the metal, these stocks allow investors to invest in the companies that mine for these materials. The mining industry has two major sectors: the majors and the juniors. 

The majors are well-established mining companies that have been around for years, have worldwide operations, and produce a slow, but steady cash flow. This includes companies like BHP, Glencore, and Rio Tinto. Investing in these companies may not result in huge returns, but they are a more secure option due to the company’s reliability.

Junior mining companies are smaller, newer operations with little capital. They often hope to develop a natural resource deposit, but success is not guaranteed. If these companies do succeed, they can provide a very large payout. But if they don’t, investors could take a massive loss.

Investors can purchase individual stocks from a mining company or an ETF that holds shares in several companies. The price of mining stocks often correlates with the price of precious metals. In other words, mining stocks perform well when metal prices are up.

Gold and Silver Futures and Options

Futures and options trading can help investors hedge against risk and speculate on the market. Investors can use gold and silver as the underlying asset in these contracts, and buy these metals at a lower price than market value. 

Options are contracts between a buyer and seller that give the buyer the right to purchase an asset at a set price on a certain date. However, the buyer is not obligated to complete the transaction. Futures contracts are similar to the set price, asset, and date; however, sellers must complete the transaction. 

For example, an investor could enter into an options contract to buy gold at the current market price in three weeks. If the price of gold has risen in three weeks, that investor would buy gold for less than market value, thus potentially resulting in a significant profit. 

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is one of the largest exchanges for commodity options contracts, including gold and silver futures. The options market is open 24/7, allowing investors to trade anytime. 

Why Buy Gold and Silver?

Holding alternatives, such as gold and silver, can provide many advantages in your portfolio. It can mitigate risk through diversification and hedge against economic factors like inflation.

Diversification

If you put all of your capital in one asset class or market, and that market crashes, you could face huge losses. Financial professionals recommend holding assets across industries, markets, and asset classes. 

Historically, gold markets had a low correlation to traditional markets. So as stock prices dropped, gold remained steady or even rose. Diversification aims to prevent losses, and holding assets in opposite markets can be extremely beneficial. If your stocks aren’t performing well, but your gold is rising in value, your overall portfolio will be much more successful and stable.

Capital Appreciation

Precious metal markets are notorious for constantly fluctuating in prices. However, gold prices have historically increased significantly over the long term. In fact, gold has had an average annual return of 11.2% over the past 20 years. As demand for gold increases due to its value and use in technology, it is on track to continue growing. 

Protection Against Inflation

Inflation has an indirect effect on gold and silver markets. However, as prices begin to rise, many people turn to buying precious metals to preserve the purchasing power of their dollars. The sudden spike in demand has historically caused gold and silver to perform very well during inflation. 

Preservation of Wealth

Gold and silver are universally recognized as having value, which can help safeguard capital against risks posed by fiat currencies. Political instability, inflation, and currency devaluation can affect the value of currencies backed by a government. Precious metals can provide wealth preservation since they don’t face many risks that fiat currencies do.

Pros and Cons of Buying Gold and Silver

Gold and silver can help diversify your portfolio, hedge against inflation, and protect your wealth. However, there are also disadvantages, such as the need for storage, lack of liquidity, and short-term volatility.

Compare Top Gold Brokers

To protect your investments, you need to be sure you’re purchasing gold and silver from a reputable broker. These are some of the best gold brokers with a history of selling authentic bullion.

Golden Investment Opportunities

Gold and silver can bring many advantages to your portfolio, such as diversification, long-term capital appreciation, and a safeguard to preserve your wealth. There are several ways to purchase precious metals, from physical bullion to a gold and silver ETF. However, investing in gold and silver isn’t without risk, and investors should be aware of the commodities’ short-term volatility and need for storage. If you’re considering diversifying into this alternative, consult your financial advisor to see how much of your portfolio you can safely place in gold and silver investments.

Frequently Asked Questions