Typically, investing in a variety of investments can be a great way to diversify your portfolio and receive a greater rate of return. But among the different types of investment vehicles, precious metals have been a popular choice for those who are new to the world of investing.
By definition, precious metals are considered a commodity or a type of goods that can be bought and sold easily in the market. Due to their beauty and the fact that they’re associated with wealth and power, people around the world value these metals and treat them as great reserve assets. This can also be the reason why first-time investors want to invest in precious metals.
So, to get started with investing in the best metals, here’s a first-time investor’s guide to consider from the get-go.
Get To Know The Different Precious Metals
Before you start investing, it’s important that you know the different types of precious metals you can use as an investment vehicle. Typically, there are four precious metals dominating the market. Each of them comes with advantages in terms of investing, which is why it’s best to have good knowledge about them.
The four leading players in the precious metals market include gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. As you can see, there are many precious metals to choose from for your investments. All you need to do is determine which one can help attain your financial goals within a certain period of time.
In case you want to convert your IRA (Individual Retirement Account) to precious metals, working with industry leaders like the Oxford Gold Group can be a good idea.
Here are brief descriptions of the precious metals:
- Gold: It’s one of the most popular metals due to its durability and malleability and being a good conductor of electricity. It’s also used in a variety of ways, including electronic and dental applications. Moreover, the good thing about investing in gold is the fact that it serves as a hedge against inflation and a good store of value.
- Silver: Another popular precious metal for investing in silver. People value this metal due to its wide applications in hardware and electronics. Since it has many industrial uses, silver can be a great metal to store and can provide investors significant returns in the future.
- Platinum: Just like silver, platinum is a precious metal that also has plenty of industrial applications, such as in the automobile industry and the manufacturing of dental and medical instruments and equipment. Because of this, many people are interested in trading it as it can potentially provide high returns during stable economic situations.
- Palladium: Although it’s a rare precious metal, it comes with a variety of applications in the dentistry, electronics, and jewelry industries. As such, its price has skyrocketed, making it an excellent investment in the precious metal market.
Choose The Best Way Of Investing In Precious Metals
Now that you’re familiar with the four popular precious metals in the world of active or passive investing, it’s time to know and understand the different ways of adding them to your diversified investment portfolio. These can include:
- Bullions
The most common way of investing in precious metals is through bullions. When you invest in bullions, you’ll have physical ownership of these properties, thereby giving you the ability to control them. Generally, bullions can be bought in the form of coins, bars, rounds, and bullets. So, if you’re looking for something you can hold, that’s easy to transfer, and can be purchased in any amount, then bullions as an investment can be a perfect idea.
- IRA
Another way of investing in precious metals is through your IRA. These self-directed retirement accounts allow first-time investors like you, to invest their money in metals like gold. With this kind of investment, you can receive some tax advantages. For instance, you can put off taxes in your IRA or get rid of tax payments on investment gains when you decide to withdraw.
- Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
ETFs can also be an excellent method of putting up an investment in precious metals like gold. They’re a venture wherein a certain company allows investors to place some money and use it to buy gold physically. They’re also a convenient way of gaining high returns from precious metals since they’re asset-backed investments that rely on the expertise of the ETF company. In short, ETFs are similar to placing your money on an online brokerage. Also, although the ETF company acquires precious metals physically, investors like you don’t have physical access to them.
- Futures And Options
If you’re the kind of first-time investor who likes to take risks, then you may want to invest in valuable metals using futures and options. Under this investment type, you can purchase precious metals like gold and have them delivered later on. Also, the good thing about futures and options is that they have a high potential for huge gains due to their volatility.
The Bottom Line
Indeed, precious metals can be an effective option for portfolio diversification. Not only that, but they can also help protect your wealth against a volatile market. Therefore, if you consider investing in gold, silver, palladium, platinum, or other valuable metals for the first time, keep this beginner’s guide in mind and you’ll be in the right direction in terms of your investment efforts.