Who do you call to convert your cash to gold or silver? Which is a safer investment?
Question
Gold and silver have been recognized as valuable metals and have been coveted for a long time. Even today, precious metals have their place in a savvy investor’s portfolio. But which precious metal is best for investment purposes? And why are they so volatile?
Answer ( 1 )
Gold and silver have been recognized as valuable metals and have been coveted for a long time. Even today, precious metals have their place in a savvy investor’s portfolio. But which precious metal is best for investment purposes? And why are they so volatile?
Why Silver Is A Better Investment Than Gold
There are many ways to buy into precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum, and a host of good reasons why you should give in to the treasure hunt. So if you’re just getting started out in precious metals, read on to learn more about how they work and how you can invest in them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Precious metals are thought to be a good portfolio diversifier and hedge against inflation – but gold, perhaps the most well-known such metal, is not the only one out there for investors.
Silver, platinum, and palladium are all commodities that can be added to your precious metals portfolio, and each has its own unique risks and opportunities.
In addition to owning physical metal, investors can gain access through the derivatives market, metal ETFs and mutual funds, and mining company stocks.
Gold
We’ll start with the grand-daddy of them all: gold. Gold is unique for its durability (it doesn’t rust or corrode), malleability, and ability to conduct both heat and electricity. It has some industrial applications in dentistry and electronics, but we know it principally as a base for jewelry and as a form of currency.
The value of gold is determined by the market 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Gold trades predominantly as a function of sentiment—its price is less affected by the laws of supply and demand. This is because the new mine supply is vastly outweighed by the sheer size of above-ground, hoarded gold. To put it simply, when hoarders feel like selling, the price drops. When they want to buy, a new supply is quickly absorbed and gold prices are driven higher.