- 07 Apr 2022
- Greg Morrison
- Precious Metals
- Comments: 0
Gold is a valuable investment for the long term. Whether you're looking to purchase jewelry or coins, gold is a good choice for your money. Gold offers investors a way to diversify their portfolio with a solid and stable asset that can keep its value regardless of economic conditions. Gold is one of the most durable assets available due to its unique properties.
Because it is rare and very tough, gold can be used in many ways, such as jewelry, coinage, dentistry, aerospace engineering, electronics, and the medical industry. There are thousands of uses for gold, but for an investor to ensure they get all the benefits from this precious metal. As an investor, it gives you more control over how future expenses are handled, which is another reason why investing in gold can be a great option. If you are planning for a long term investment in gold, here is what you should know.
1. Gold Is an Excellent Investment for Long-term Security
Gold's stability can be attributed to several factors. First, gold does not corrode easily, unlike other metals, silver or copper. However, despite this fact, there are still some methods for making gold jewelry rust-proof (such as polishing), making it harder to steal. In addition, because gold is so versatile, most people are willing to pay high prices for gold when purchasing it as an investment. This makes gold an attractive choice compared to other investments, where demand may greatly decline after purchasing them.
2. Gold Has Had Amazing Returns Throughout History
The price of gold has skyrocketed during the past centuries. It's safe to say that the first recorded instance of gold being traded was about 5,000 BCGold. The price of gold has skyrocketed during the past centuries. It's safe to say that the first recorded instance of gold being traded was about 5,000 BC in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) between Sumerians and Semitic tribes.
Later on, around 1,500 BC, Phoenicians used gold trade with Egypt by using ships laden with cargoes of the metal. This continued until 500 AD, when Arab armies conquered much of the world, including trading centers like Venice. During this period, the price of gold surged from 4 ounces for every dollar of bronze to $20 per ounce. The next spike occurred in 1717 with the start of the French Revolution, when the price jumped from $6 per oz to $35 per oz. Since then, the price of gold has increased by more than 20 times.
3. Gold Can Act as Protection Against Inflation
Because of its durability, gold tends to hold its value. If inflation occurs, the amount of gold you would own will increase in value over time. Because of this property, gold has proven itself as a reliable store of wealth throughout history since ancient civilizations. Also, since physical gold is relatively scarce, it cannot be printed at the government's whim, making it immune to inflation. Inflation will only affect paper currencies. Therefore, storing wealth in gold is the best hedge against the risk of inflation.
4. Gold Is a Form of Currency
As mentioned above, gold has been historically considered a form of currency. Historically speaking, the first true forms of currency were based upon commodity ownership, mostly cattle. Though currency wasn't coined as we know it today within our culture, many early civilizations discovered that trading goods could bring great prosperity. By creating a medium of exchange and legal tender cheap enough to produce, almost any civilization became susceptible to monetary competition until a centralized authority decided to regulate the money supply.
Afterwards, these governments would print money that represented the value of the land they controlled, using their military might to ensure compliance within their country. These fiat currencies would slowly become inflated, causing the value of money to decrease significantly over time. Paper currencies do not have inherent value; they're worth whatever power the central bank assigns.
This devalues the currency when inflation occurs because there is less actual wealth backing up each currency unit. Gold still serves as a viable and valuable store of value thanks to its scarcity and resistance to inflation. It is also possible to use the ETF symbol GLD to invest directly in the SPDR S&P Gold Trust ETF.
5. Gold isn't affected by economic fluctuations
When investing in stocks, one must consider both good and bad market conditions. If investors invest too heavily in the stock market when the economy is doing well, they may get caught up in the euphoria of continuous growth. However, it is important to be aware that even small downturns within the economy can quickly lead to dramatic drops in the stock market.
Conversely, investors should always protect themselves from major economic problems such as recessions and depressions. When considering how to invest one's money in stocks, it is important to understand which part of the economy provides the most exposure to different sectors and industries. Stocks related to technology are typically more volatile and prone to large swings in performance when compared to other investments.
6. Gold Is Safe to Invest In
Investing in gold does not involve much risk because it's so stable. Most countries worldwide use gold for their official currency, which shows just how popular the metal is. Many people believe that the U.S. dollar will eventually lose its dominance as the leading global reserve currency due to the increasing debt owed by foreign nations.
This will allow other competitors like gold to enter the game and continue holding the title as the top investment. This implies that investors can rest easy knowing that their money is safe when kept in something that doesn't fluctuate in value gold. Another great advantage is that you don't have to own any gold to reap the benefits physically! With this kind of flexibility, it can be hard to find anything better than precious metals.
7. There Is a Growing Demand for Gold Investment
The amount of money being printed by multiple government agencies daily is steadily rising, and it seems that these actions aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Because of this, the prices of commodities, including gold, continue to rise consistently. When looking at historical data, you'll notice that gold tends to increase during periods of high inflation as people seek to preserve the purchasing power of their assets.
So while it's true that people often think of gold as an "old man's" asset class that belongs in a retirement account, it turns out that this couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, younger investors tend to see gold as a way to provide reliable returns without taking on unnecessary risks. Gold is seeing continued success from millennials today who want to help safeguard their wealth without jeopardizing their future.
8. Gold Has a History of Storing Wealth
Throughout time, gold has been used as currency, become popularly regarded as a storehouse of value, and was relied on as legal tender under certain circumstances. Today, it remains significantly valuable due to its stability. But here's where it gets really interesting and worth noting, especially since we live in an era of record-setting debt.
Just about every country in the world continues to accumulate massive amounts of debt. Still, many experts point out that none of them possesses enough gold reserves to cover their liabilities. Why? It's simple. Gold owners are reluctant to sell their holdings unless they have to. And therein lies the beauty of gold. It isn't easily manipulated by central banks, making it virtually impossible to devalue through quantitative easing.
The Fed could create billions in new money each day and still not cause price fluctuations in gold. Physical gold is a tangible asset; there's no need to trust someone else to hold your physical property. Even if a crisis did occur, gold would still retain its value, whereas many other financial instruments would suffer severe declines. These facts make gold one of the best investments available today.
9. Gold Is Good Protection Against Deflation
Deflation is typically defined as a sustained period of falling prices, which causes consumers' income to fall short of their expenses, thus reducing consumption over the long term. Deflation also results in low business activity and decreased employment. So what exactly happens if there is deflation in our economy? Historically speaking, deflation is associated with hyperinflation. This means that the value of our money falls at such a rapid rate that our dollars don't even buy half of what they once were worth.
Deflation is generally considered a bad thing, but most people don't realize that it doesn't necessarily have to happen all at once. Rather than experiencing a constant decline in real estate values and stock portfolios, we can experience small declines throughout the year or even just a single day. This makes gold quite attractive because it provides a natural hedge against deflation.
10. Gold Is Beneficial to Governments
During times of economic growth, national governments obtain more revenue. However, when there is less economic growth, they spend more money. With a finite supply of currencies, central bank policy is critical to managing such a problem. While the U.S. dollar is viewed as the primary reserve currency, nations like China and Japan rely heavily on foreign exchange reserves to protect themselves from potential crises.
As countries around the globe use these reserve currencies for international transactions, they can either build cash reserves or purchase the precious metals needed to maintain monetary equilibrium in the global system. Understanding how different economies function is important to finding effective options when looking toward investing. Exposure to domestic and foreign markets can benefit anyone interested in precious metals.
11. Gold Serves as a Hedge Against Inflation
Central bankers play a big role in promoting overall market health. If a government decides to inflate their way out of economic problems, investors quickly wake up and begin selling off assets as prices increase. Eventually, this leads to higher living costs across the board (think rent or car insurance) which creates a domino effect. Although such actions temporarily solve a problem, they often set up even bigger issues later.
Because inflation erodes wealth, the common practice in the past few decades has been to issue paper cash (like the U.S. Federal Reserve) instead of actual goods. This allows politicians to spend beyond their means while keeping the true cost of production relatively unchanged. There are benefits to inflation as well, though. Higher prices, in general, mean increased economic activity.
By providing an incentive to produce new products, inflation helps stimulate demand. Of course, inflation also increases the value of existing items since the purchasing power remains the same. In other words, it's good for your investments! Investors who want to preserve their savings should look into owning precious physical metals. It's best to avoid paper currencies as you get absolutely no return on them.
12. Gold Is Beneficial to Individuals
When it comes time to invest for retirement, a traditional investment strategy might be too risky. Many retirees invest in a mix of stocks and bonds, but those who hold only one type of asset risk losing everything during a recession or bear market. Investing in gold eliminates many of these risks by offering diversification. The idea behind gold ownership is to have a financial portfolio that combines stability with some form of protection.
Gold offers a reliable storehouse for saving value long term. Because gold holds its value better than most paper currencies, it assures that you will receive some real value back at the end of the day. Even if paper currencies lose value over time, gold prices remain stable because they are limited in number. These traits make gold an attractive choice for people seeking to guarantee long-term wealth preservation.
13. Gold Is Valuable Due to Scarcity
In economics, scarcity refers to a lack of available resources within a certain region. Since gold typically isn't found in large quantities until after industrialization, mining has become the main driver behind price discovery for the metal. Prices rise whenever supplies drop below expectations. In short, gold's value depends upon its availability for extraction. Unfortunately, since gold is usually found in small amounts, extracting enough to meet world demand would require the destruction of natural habitats.
Not surprisingly, activists and environmental groups have expressed concern about this process. Since precious metals were initially discovered underground (and not in rivers), environmentalists believe that losing life-giving soil would harm life on Earth. This debate could create major political obstacles for any country wanting to mine precious metals.
Environmentalists agree that protecting our natural habitat is important, but they worry more about negative consequences from activities like mining. They argue that pollution can cause serious damage to ecosystems and human health. Regardless, all sides agree that there won't be enough gold left in nature for future generations. As demand grows, finding enough to satisfy global consumption becomes increasingly difficult. This drives up the price per ounce of gold, making it a sound investment option for anyone looking to secure their future.
14. There Is a Growing Demand for Gold Investment
The demand for physical gold as an investment tool increased dramatically following World War II. Today, gold represents 10 percent of total net worth around the globe. According to recent data, average American investors own at least $12,000 worth of gold. That figure includes individuals who have bullion stored away inside their homes and those who purchase jewelry.
Most buyers purchase gold as a hedge against inflation or a potential currency crisis. Investors seek out gold as an alternative investment vehicle when economic growth seems unpredictable. It's easy to understand why so many people want to own gold as an insurance policy.
By buying gold bars, coins, and other bullion products, an investor gets a tangible way to store value and avoid losses from devaluation. Plus, owning gold doesn't carry the risks associated with the stock market. For example, if you invest in an index fund, you're betting your money on the success of companies from Silicon Valley to Wall Street. If one company fails to perform, it could affect the entire industry.
Buying gold gives you a haven that no one can touch. The only problem with holding gold is how expensive it is compared to alternatives. One ounce costs roughly 20 times what a dollar bill does today. Many experts recommend purchasing bullion through reputable dealers to offset those steep prices. Doing so ensures safety and quality while providing customers with plenty of buying options.
Conclusion
For the above reasons, gold remains a great asset to own. Get started investing in gold by learning more about precious metals and how to profit from them. There are numerous ways to make money by selling gold and acquiring more bullion. Whether you plan to use them immediately or sell later on, knowing these methods helps determine which option works best.
Father, Husband, Investor, Entrepreneur.