How to Protect Your Gold Bars From Government Consolidation
If you’re buying gold bullion, you may be wary about its possible confiscation by the government. But fear not! By taking a few simple steps to safeguard your assets you can protect your investments from these threats.
Though confiscation remains a threat, any government would likely use it only as an extreme last resort in times of distress and would likely face tremendous legal ramifications for doing so.
What is a gold bar?
Many investors invest in gold coins and bars as a hedge against an uncertain economy, yet government confiscation concerns have some investors nervous. There has been some historical precedent for government confiscation of gold, one notable instance occurring during President Franklin Roosevelt’s use of his executive powers to restrict private ownership during the Great Depression as part of a plan to prevent printing more money by the Federal Reserve, further worsening economic conditions at that time.
Although it is true that governments may seize private property, this typically only happens in extreme situations and rarely happens. A prime example was the 1933 gold seizure (more accurately termed nationalization due to compensation provided for confiscated assets). To reduce risk of confiscation investors should buy gold stored offshore in jurisdictions that have a strong history of protecting property rights.
Legality of gold bars
Gold can be an effective hedge against currency volatility, but it comes with some risk. Gold has been confiscated by governments before, including during the Great Depression when Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102 which prohibited citizens from owning gold bullion and coins – this practice is commonly known as confiscation; however, more accurately it should be termed nationalization as citizens were compensated for their assets.
While it is technically possible for the government to seize your gold, for this to occur would require very severe circumstances. The most recent confiscation occurred during COVID-19 pandemic which wasn’t severe enough to warrant such drastic measures; yet some investors remain concerned their gold could be confiscated at some point in the future – this should be taken into consideration when making investment decisions; historically though, confiscations has only ever happened during severe economic crises and haven’t lasted long-term.
Storage of gold bars
There is much speculation on the web regarding what should happen if governments confiscate gold, but most of it doesn’t stand up under scrutiny. For instance, many dealers claim that purchasing rare coins is the best way to protect against confiscation; this may not always be true though; when President Roosevelt made owning gold illegal in 1933 he exempted certain collectors items but not all types.
Many experts advise storing gold bars outside the banking system. Banks have been known to hypothecate gold and sell it off to governments; keeping your precious metals at home may prevent this from occurring. Though gold confiscations is unlikely in today’s globalized environment, all investors must remain cognizant of this risk when investing. Researching options available will allow you to find an optimal storage location for gold bars or any other precious metals you own.
Storage of gold coins
Gold confiscation is a concern of many bullion investors. Unfortunately, the myth persists for decades and often gets perpetuated by less-than-reputable dealers or firms selling bullion. But in truth, our government has not confiscated private gold since 1933 when the U.S. was on the gold standard and needed backing up against currency deficits through confiscating private gold holdings; today however, no longer on a gold standard and thus our government no longer needs your bullion as currency support.
Most gold confiscations attempts in history were undertaken to prevent bank runs and capital flight during times of economic crises, though usually this measure was used only as a last resort and people were compensated. Even so, it’s important to remain mindful of potential confiscations threats by storing your gold somewhere that won’t easily accessible – one way of protecting against this possibility would be keeping it locked away safely in a safe vault.
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