Although gold prices are extremely volatile, the price of gold has always trended upward. When it comes to something like gold, there’s always a huge market out there. In difficult financial times, the value often rises to new heights. Read this article to figure out the best way to profit from this metal and the market.
Steer clear of any “act now” offers. The gold industry is filled with less than reputable types that want you to take immediate action. Why? Because typically, they’ll get the better end of the deal because you didn’t read through the fine print. Instead, walk away from these types of deals and be patient in how you approach the market.
Understanding how gold is weighed can ensure that you don’t get ripped off when selling your gold to a dealer. Gold can be weighed in Troy ounces, pennyweight, or grams. The most important thing is to make sure that whatever system the buyer is using to weigh your gold is the same one they’re calculating the payment with.
When selling your gold, realize that jewelers use a different scale system than others. For example, one ounce of gold will weigh 31.1 grams. Some businesses weigh by the pennyweight, which is 1.555 grams. Then, they purchase by the gram instead of the pennyweight, which can result in them underpaying you.
If you are thinking about becoming a buyer or seller of gold, make sure you are legal! In the United States, you must have a license to purchase, sell or trade gold in any quantities on a regular basis. Check with your city or town about how to become licensed, and then enjoy your new entitlement to dealing in gold.
Make a commitment to yourself to get educated on gold. Know going in: only you are on your side. The buyers, no matter how reputable, want to get the best deal for themselves as possible. If you can’t speak the language, there’s a very good chance that you’ll lose in any sort of negotiation.
Talk to the BBB before selling your gold to a jewelry store, dealer or gold buyer. You should easily find basic facts concerning the specific business, as well as complaints and reviews from previous clients. Look at any past complaints customers may have had and how they were resolved. If you see many complaints, then you need to find another business.
Before you sell your scrap gold to a dealer at rock-bottom prices, make sure that it isn’t worth more to you the way it is. Some things that lay people think aren’t good enough for anything other than scrap can turn out to be very valuable. See an appraiser to be sure.
Understand fees and commissions when buying investment gold pieces. Most reputable dealers will charge between five and seven percent. You need to realize this cost incurred to make sure you are still getting a good deal on the pieces you are buying, based on their true value at the time of purchase.
If you are selling gold of different karats, have them weighed separately. This is because 24 karat gold has a higher value than 18 or 14 karat gold. By having them all weighed separately you will get a fair price. If they are all weighed together, you will be given the total value of the lowest karat.
To benefit from the upside potential in gold, consider gold index funds. They are easily traded on the exchanges. For instance, the CBOE Gold Index roughly tracks the price of gold, both up and down, by trading gold mining companies. There exchange traded funds that trade on gold futures contracts, but those tend to be quite volatile.
Investing in gold adds a degree of stability to your investment portfolio not available from most other assets. While the price of gold has fluctuated over the years, it has stood the test of time through economic crises and inflation. Gold’s intrinsic value provides a solid basis for any portfolio.
Any sound investment strategy recognizes the necessity of diversifying your portfolio. Most financial advisers recommended that investments in gold should represent no more than 10 to 30 percent of your total assets. This amount leaves plenty of room in your portfolio for other types of products to round out your portfolio.
Always deal with a reputable dealer. There are many unscrupulous people out there who are in business one day and then gone the next. Ask your friends and family who they deal with and also do an online search to find out about a dealer’s reputation. This can help you avoid making a costly mistake.
If you’d like to buy gold without putting a lot of cash down upfront, that’s alright. You can start off small. Purchase gold coins and jewelry when you have disposable cash, on an “as you can afford it” basis. Your collection will grow bigger over time and you’ll soon have a good amount of gold.
While you can invest in the actual precious metal itself, you can also look into buying gold in other ways. There are gold mining stocks and mutual funds even centered around gold as well. Look into your options thoroughly, and ask questions before making a decision. You want to make the right investment for you.
There are many places where you can sell your gold. This includes pawn shops specializing in the purchase of gold, coin collectors and gold dealers. When selling your gold or gold coins, visit several locations and ask for a written offer. Then, comparison shop to find the best deal.
Gold is always a stable investment in our economy. For this reason, this commodity is a wonderful way to secure your future financial goals. Remember the tips you learned here when you are dealing with gold.
