Nowadays, you can buy allocated physical gold, including storage cost, at the same conditions than an ETF (total price, liquidity…) with a redeemable ingot as collateral. So, if you think about buying an ETF, buy gold: you have the same advantages as the ETF plus the real asset.
Buy gold bars with us, and you will enjoy some of the lowest premiums available on the market. All our gold assortments are brand new, pure and come with a Certificate of Authenticity from an LBMA (London bullion market association) approved refiner.
1. Try to Buy LBMA Gold Bars
The world leading authority in regulating the precious metals market is the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA). This organization certifies the most serious and diligent gold refineries in the world. Buying bars from LBMA-certified refineries mainly ensures the quality, purity and the fungibility of the bars. Thus, you will be able to sell the bar on the international market easier than a bar from a non-certified refinery.
2. Try to Buy Fresh Gold Bars
Fresh bars are new and come directly from the refinery to you as customer and they are not pre-owned. Often, bullion dealers/banks buy bullion from non-certified sellers (individuals, traders.) and re-sell these bars to new clients without making a proper purity test (smelting…). You should avoid buying these gold bars as the risk of counterfeit is higher. Although it is difficult to determine fresh gold bars, you can clarify with the bullion dealer if the bar has undergone the chain of integrity process.
3. Try to Check the Spot Price
Sometimes the price you see in the shop is not the real one. The real price called spot price is the current live market price for a product. Each has its specific name: XAUUSD for Gold, XAGUSD for Silver and XPTUSD for Platinum.
Here are some websites that provide close spot prices for precious metals:
4. Try to Ask for the Spread
The spread is the gap between the price that your bullion dealer will buy (back) the gold from you and the price he will sell the gold to you. It can give you an idea of the real margin made by your bullion dealer and give you a better negotiation.
5. Try NOT to Buy at More than 0.7%
If you are investing more than USD 5000 (around 100g), do not pay more than 0.7% of the price. So, check the market price of your bar and if the bullion dealer is selling it with a margin above 0.7%...look for another bullion dealer.