How Much Gold and Silver Should I Keep at Home?
Once you own physical gold and silver bullion, it is crucial that it is stored somewhere secure. While keeping it at home may be tempting, doing so could pose significant risks.
Standard homeowners’ policies do not cover gold and silver purchases, making additional coverage essential.
Home storage options range from hidden spots in your neighborhood to safe deposit boxes at banks.
1. How much do you need?
There’s no simple answer when it comes to keeping precious metals at home. Most buyers use bullion as an insurance against financial and economic disaster rather than as an opportunity for profit-making investments.
However, many investors agree that setting aside 10-15% of your assets in gold and silver investments is sufficient to protect from inflation without severely impeding other investments or meeting immediate needs. Having such an amount in your portfolio also can act as a cushion against global or regional crises without disrupting short-term plans or short-term needs.
Silver can also be an attractive investment choice, given its cost advantage of 85 times less than gold per ounce. But this precious metal’s volatility requires careful consideration when creating precious metals portfolios.
2. How much do you want?
Once again, it’s essential that you decide how much bullion to keep at home. Silver tends to be less costly than its gold counterpart and may offer greater returns in case the economy takes a turn for the worse.
Keep in mind, though, that precious metals shouldn’t be seen as the central piece of your financial portfolio – rather, they should serve as “portfolio insurance” to offset losses in other asset classes.
If you plan to store any substantial amount of silver or gold at home, be sure to store it in an appropriately designed safe. Keep in mind that the more people who know about your precious metals hoard, the higher its risk of theft – high net-worth individuals often become targets, while thieves scour social media looking for images showing valuables.
3. What form do you want?
Gold and silver should comprise 10-15% of your savings as an insurance against inflation or major financial crises. Doing this can provide a financial cushion against future inflationary trends or an economic meltdown.
If you keep gold and silver at home, it is wise to be prepared for their possible theft. Standard homeowners policies do not cover precious metals’ value and it could be hard to file a claim should anything occur.
Depository storage offers another alternative. These facilities typically feature private vaults with security guards and around-the-clock surveillance and alarm systems; unlike home storage options, depositories offer insurance against theft and natural disasters as well as enhanced protection, with features like combination locks, biometric scanners, and bulletproof doors to help safeguard their precious metals.
4. How do you want to store it?
Some individuals prefer storing their precious metals at home in a secure container such as a safe. This method provides convenience by keeping bullion readily accessible while often being cheaper than professional storage solutions.
However, storing gold at home exposes it to theft and other risks, even with the best safes. Many standard homeowners policies don’t cover precious metals.
Another option is storing gold and silver at a bank in a safe deposit box; however, this can be costly, require you to reveal its contents to others, and could prove challenging in times of bank runs; an alternative could be to utilize private storage facilities that specialize in bullion.
5. Where do you want to store it?
At home, it is vitally important that you choose an ideal storage solution for silver and gold. Precious metals need to be kept out of reach of prying eyes so as to be protected from tampering or theft.
If you choose to store precious metals at home, it is crucial that you purchase a high-quality safe that can be locked and protect from fires and floods. Furthermore, make sure as few people as possible know about your plan for in-home storage.
Another option for protecting your precious metals is purchasing a safe deposit box at a bank, however this comes with risks; such as items not being insured by them and only being accessible during business hours.
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