Is it Better to Buy Physical Gold Or Gold Stocks?
When considering investing in gold, it is essential that you understand the differences between physical gold and gold stocks so as to make an informed decision that best suits your individual requirements.
Physical gold requires storage at an official custodian or your own home, which can incur significant expenses. Furthermore, unlike gold stocks which take advantage of market trends, physical gold cannot appreciate in value over time.
Costs
Gold can bring diversification, inflation protection, and risk reduction benefits; however, you must remember its associated costs; for instance, physical gold storage may be expensive – you may require purchasing or renting a bank safe deposit box; it is also expensive to insure against potential theft – plus when selling, capital gains tax must be paid upon sale.
Gold stocks are easier to purchase and trade, without being dependent upon external influences; however, their liquidity may decrease quickly if any companies they invest in fail to perform well.
For an affordable way to invest in gold without owning physical bullion, gold mining stocks could be a good solution. Like regular stocks, but more closely aligned to gold’s price, these investments often show less correlation with markets than their counterparts; by selecting an ethical mining company your investment could still prove worthwhile even when gold prices decline.
Accessibility
Gold bullion can be readily purchased through various online and physical stores, with storage costs, insurance premiums and fees and markups associated with owning physical gold also being substantial factors in its acquisition and selling prices.
Attracting many investors, gold’s appeal lies in its potential as an inflation hedge – helping preserve purchasing power over time – but this benefit cannot be realized with paper investments like gold stocks or funds.
Instead of investing directly in gold itself, another way is through purchasing shares in companies that mine or manufacture it. You can buy and sell these gold stocks using any brokerage account used for investing other assets such as stocks, mutual funds and ETFs; however, their performance could still be affected by factors that don’t directly relate to price of gold such as personnel changes, legal issues or market fluctuations.
Growth potential
Physical gold may be an attractive investment option for those seeking to diversify their portfolios and hedge against inflation, yet it’s wise to carefully consider its total costs of ownership before making a decision. These costs include dealer commissions, sales tax in some states, storage expenses and security considerations – not forgetting it doesn’t generate passive income and requires more capital than assets like stocks for purchasing purposes.
However, gold-backed securities offer you an alternative investment solution and increase returns without physical ownership risks. These securities are backed by assets belonging to gold mining companies or other firms producing or using precious metal. Furthermore, they’re easier to buy and sell and make an ideal replacement for traditional stock market investments.
However, these securities don’t provide complete protection from inflation or bear markets; before making any gold investment decision it is essential to carefully consider both your financial goals and risk tolerance before investing either form of gold.
Liquidity
Gold offers security as a tangible asset you can hold and trade for goods with. However, buying physical gold may also be costly and less liquid compared to other options; you could face dealer markups, sales taxes, storage costs, as well as finding buyers during times of economic instability.
An alternative way of investing is through gold stocks, which are investments in companies that mine and refine gold. Gold stock prices tend to follow its price, although they can fluctuate depending on market trends and other factors (for instance a company’s stock may decline due to losing an important contract or its workers going on strike). Therefore, it is essential that you carefully consider these considerations when determining which gold investment best meets your needs; no more than 10% of your portfolio should contain gold stocks as this helps diversify investments while controlling risk levels.
Categorised in: Blog