Some analysts recommend allocating 5–10% of your portfolio toward gold and silver. Others suggest allocating up to 25%. So you may be wondering, “How much gold and silver should I own?” It depends on your situation and needs. The allocation will differ for every individual. To help you decide how much gold and silver you may want to...
In addition to having an adequate amount of insurance coverage (home, health, auto, life, etc.) and a hearty emergency fund, being financially prepared for retirement may be one of the most important things you can do to protect your savings. Some people, especially those who may be averse to stock market volatility, prefer to prepare...
Physical gold can play an important role in a well-diversified retirement portfolio; however, certain rules must be considered if you want to take advantage of the full benefits a gold or other precious metals individual retirement account (IRA) can offer. IRA-eligible gold can’t be added to just any retirement account. It often needs...
You want to buy gold to help diversify your portfolio, but you’re not sure whether you should buy gold stocks or physical gold. You may be asking yourself: Are they essentially the same thing? Does your portfolio experience the same benefits if you buy physical gold as it would if you buy gold stocks? The answer to both of those...
If you’ve got your eye on precious metals or already have some in your portfolio, you may be curious to know how interest rate hikes like those we’ve recently experienced may impact these assets. How is a tangible asset like gold affected by interest rate fluctuations or factors associated with interest rate fluctuations, like yields on...
When you hear "gold bars," visions of underground bank vaults sealed tight and stacked high with glimmering gold bricks may come to mind. While vaults like this do exist, gold bars are much more accessible than the everyday gold owner may imagine. Gold bars are portable, private and liquid, and in some ways, more straightforward to buy...
You may have heard the term “peak gold” and wondered what it meant. Simply put, peak gold is the maximum rate of global gold extraction, after which mining will slowly decline until gold can no longer be extracted at a profit. For a more complete understanding of peak gold, we examine the concept’s importance to the precious metals...
When it comes to selecting assets for your portfolio, having a long-term outlook is key. Gold is no exception: It has risen significantly over the long run. But as with any commodity, the price of gold can increase or decrease for any number of reasons in the short term. You might hear a market commentator refer to a temporary slip in...
When we think of commodities, our minds might immediately drift to products like crude oil, coal, corn, and sugar. We might call these the “dictionary definition” of commodities. Gold, too, is a longstanding commodity, though I hold that gold is not a “traditional” commodity—and it could be a beneficial addition to your portfolio...
Liquidity is a prized benefit of holding physical gold. But if you’re not familiar with the term “liquidity,” you might be a little confused. Gold itself is solid, but gold is also considered a liquid asset. How can it be both solid and liquid? What Is a Liquid Asset? A liquid asset is any asset that you can quickly convert to cash....
The U.S. government is a money-making machine. For the 2020 budget year, the U.S. government ordered the printing of nearly $146 billion in paper currency—a total of 5.2 billion notes ranging from $1 to $100 each. By contrast, the U.S. government stashes tons of gold and produces gold coins. In 2020 alone, the U.S. Mint generated nearly...
California experienced a gold rush in the mid-1800s. But these days you won’t find much gold in California. To witness a modern-day gold rush, you’ll need to head to Asia. In 2020, China ranked as the number-one country for gold production. According to the World Gold Council (WGC), China accounted for about 11% of global gold...
