What is the Best Silver and Gold ETF?
Gold and silver investments can be an attractive way to diversify a portfolio. But owning physical metals carries its own set of risks, including storage fees.
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provide exposure to precious metals without all of the hassles involved in directly owning them.
PICK
REMX follows the MVIS Global Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Index and offers investors looking for diversification a solid choice with a relatively low expense ratio of only 0.53%.
iShares Gold Trust is the top ETF in this space and an ideal option for individuals seeking physical gold bullion without incurring storage and insurance costs. Plus, its daily price fluctuations offer direct exposure.
SIL is more top-heavy than its gold sibling, yet 26 basis points cheaper at its current expense ratio. Its top holding is silver miner Wheaton Precious Metals which holds royalty and streaming interests in 20 operating and development-stage projects; additionally it also owns 30 other mining companies.
REMX
Are you seeking an easy way to diversify their portfolio with precious metals? Look no further – this new combined gold and silver ETF could provide just that. Designed to offer both the resilience of gold and the potential upside potential of silver, the fund tracks the Solactive Global Silver Miners Total Return Index at just 0.65% fee per trade.
Precious metals have long been considered an invaluable diversifier of portfolios, and have performed admirably over the last month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that precious metals should only serve as diversifiers and not the core component of your investment plan; prior to investing in precious metal ETFs it would be prudent to consult your financial adviser.
RING
Physical gold and silver investments can be costly. But if you have enough funds, investing in physical bullion may provide a safe way to diversify your portfolio.
While investing in precious metals ETFs offers an economical alternative to physical bullion, it is still important to evaluate their expense structure carefully and find funds with lower expenses that provide access to gold and silver mining companies. The top precious metals ETFs provide low expenses while offering exposure to these industries.
While RING offers an industry-low 0.39% expense ratio, it’s worthwhile evaluating its competitors as well. For instance, GDX’s ownership weightings and operating expenses are slightly higher than RING; thus resulting in lower long-term returns than its rival. Still, long-term investors would likely benefit from investing with this fund.
SLV
SLVP is an ideal option for investors who prioritize low expenses, with an expense ratio 26 basis points lower than Global X’s fund and more liquid market activity (19 million shares are traded daily vs just over one million with Abrdn ETF).
Silver and gold prices exhibit a strong relationship, though silver tends to be more volatile short term. Both metals may not be affected as significantly by economic slowdowns as other stocks or oil commodities may.
A well-diversified portfolio should contain precious metals as one of the assets it contains; however, they should not be the primary focus. Consult your financial advisor about how much exposure to precious metals you should have; generally speaking, investing more than 10 percent of total assets into them should not be excessive.
GLD
GLD is one of the largest silver ETFs on the market and its assets are backed by physical gold. Its shares trade like stocks and can be held tax-advantageously in accounts like an IRA.
Note, however, that commodity ETFs backed by physical metals such as GLD are treated as collectibles for tax purposes and those holding for more than one year may be subject to the collectibles capital gains rate, which tops out at 20%.
This fund tracks the LBMA Silver Price Index, which measures physical silver. With reasonable fees and strong year-to-date returns, investors can use this product to diversify their portfolio or hedge against equity market volatility, dollar weakness, and inflation. As always it is wise to consult a financial advisor to identify which investment option best aligns with their personal financial goals.
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