How Much of My Portfolio Should Be in Gold and Silver?
Gold and silver offer investors an effective means of diversifying their investment portfolio, with their value often remaining unaffected by market instability, as well as low correlations to stocks, bonds, or other assets classes.
Physical bullion investment is the oldest and simplest way to gain exposure to precious metals, but what amount should be invested?
How Much Should I Buy?
No single answer exists here as each investor’s needs and financial goals vary, however most experts recommend allocating 5-10% of a portfolio towards precious metals.
Gold and silver offer numerous advantages for investors. First, they serve as a hedge against inflation; as paper money declines over time, its purchasing power decreases, but gold and silver hold their value; this explains why central banks across the globe invest so heavily in it.
Gold and silver assets are considered safe haven assets during times of political or economic unrest or economic uncertainty, due to their decreased volatility when compared with stocks or bonds; helping reduce risk in times of market instability.
Precious metals are liquid investments, providing investors with the flexibility to diversify their portfolio or purchase other assets when opportunities arise – helping to reduce risk by not missing out on potentially lucrative investments.
Should I Buy Physical Gold or Silver?
While some extreme investors distrust the global economic system and devote most of their assets to precious metals, most mainstream portfolios do not feature physical gold and silver investments due to storage fees that eat away at returns while providing no income stream compared to stocks or bonds.
Another method for investing in gold and silver is through mining companies. Mining provides an inexpensive option and also gives you leverage over their price fluctuations.
As mining stocks can be more volatile than bullion and require additional time to research, purchase and trade, this investment option should only be pursued if you can tolerate taking on some extra risk with your portfolio. You could invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) which track gold and silver miners.
Should I Buy ETFs?
Investors looking for precious metal investments without the hassle of physical coins, bars and jewellery may benefit from exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These ETFs track gold or silver bullion prices while still remaining accessible through traditional brokerage accounts, with no concerns regarding purity or storage needs.
Keep a few key things in mind before investing in ETFs that track specific metal prices, however. Not all ETFs that follow metals’ prices hold physical assets but may instead hold futures contracts instead. Furthermore, any ETF held within a taxable account is subject to the 28% capital-gains tax rate associated with collectibles despite not physically possessing those they track.
Now there are combined gold and silver ETFs which help overcome these difficulties by offering exposure to both precious metals simultaneously in one product. We still recommend allocating more to gold than to silver.
Should I Buy Stocks in Gold or Silver Companies?
Physical metals can be an attractive investment option, but their theft makes them vulnerable and requires special storage systems. ETFs and mining stocks offer an easy solution to diversify your portfolio without the complications of owning and storing physical metals directly.
Silver has numerous commercial and industrial uses compared to gold, and its price tends to move more closely with economic activity than that of its more well-known competitor – making it an effective diversifier. Furthermore, per ounce prices are typically less costly for silver than they are for gold.
While I personally prefer owning physical precious metals, most investors should focus on diversifying their portfolio with precious metals through mining stocks or ETFs. Precious metals do not generate cash flows and are highly volatile; however, they offer valuable countercyclical diversification that should help buffer against economic downturn. It’s essential that when investing in any commodity you find an agent that offers transparent pricing and risk disclosure before proceeding with investment decisions.
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