Precious metals have high value because they are rare, and they are scarce. These metals are used in industrial operations and for consumer goods. The metals hold their value, so they are a good option for investments. Popular precious metals include silver, gold, palladium, and platinum.

A common strategy in investing is diversification. You have to balance the rate of return that you desire against the level of risk that you are willing to take. It is different for each investor based on the individual’s tolerance. Regardless of what that level of risk tolerance is, true diversification means including assets that are not just stocks and bonds. You need variety, which can include precious metals.

Many investors turn to precious metals because they want to limit their exposure to the instability of the stock market. Gold and silver are scarce, they have unique properties that are useful in various industrial processes, and they are used in luxury consumer goods. They can retain their value for the long term.

Gold

The most well-known precious metal in which you can invest is gold. It is very durable and does not corrode, it is easy to shape, and it is a good conductor of electricity and heat. It is often used in electronics and dentistry, but it is mostly used as a form of currency or in jewelry making. Through the centuries, people have held it as a way to store value. Because of its stability, investors hold gold assets as a hedge against inflation and to protect their worth during times of political and economic upheaval.

You can invest in gold in several ways. You can buy physical gold in the form of coins, bars, or jewelry. You can buy stocks in gold. These are shares in gold mines, gold streaming, or royalty companies. You can invest in ETFs (exchange-traded funds) or mutual funds with a focus on gold. Each investment option has advantages and disadvantages. Disadvantages might include the cost of storing and ensuring physical gold and the possibility of gold stocks and gold ETFs underperforming against the gold price. The advantages are the possibility of gold stocks and ETFs outperforming other types of investments, and how physical gold can track the price of the precious metal.

Silver

After gold, the next most common precious metal is silver. It is often used in the manufacturing of electronics and electrical components, and photography. Silver is essential in the making of solar panels. It is popular in making silverware, jewelry, bars, and coins.

Silver prices are less stable than gold because silver is widely used both as an industrial metal and a way to store value. This makes silver prices more volatile, which can affect silver-stock prices. When there is a high demand for silver from industrial manufacturing and investors, it is possible that silver can outperform gold.  You can learn more about the industrial uses of silver here.

Precious Metals Can Be Directly Delivered to You

One of the advantages of precious metals investing is that you can have direct delivery of the metal. When you choose direct delivery of your precious metal, it is shipped to you directly. This lets you store your precious metals wherever you want. You can store them at home, lock them in a safe, put them in a bank deposit box, and more. You have access to them whenever you want, and you have complete control over them. For most other types of investments, you do not get this level of control. You can choose where you keep your metals, and you do not have to report your purchase.

There are three steps to purchasing precious metals for direct delivery:

– Buy the precious metals that fit your goals. Work with a reputable dealer in precious metals and review the options presented to you. Precious metals can include gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. Options usually come in the form of coins or bars.

– Pay for your purchase. You can pay with a check or with a wire transfer from your bank.

– Have the metals shipped to you. Your purchase is usually shipped within five to seven days after your payment is received. Your dealer will insure your purchase against damage or loss. For safety and discretion reasons, the content is never listed on any external labels on the package.

Precious Metal IRAs

You can invest in gold, silver, palladium, and platinum through a precious metals individual retirement account. The assets are held by a custodian on behalf of the account holder that is authorized by the IRS. The rules of a precious metals IRA are similar to that of a traditional IRA. The main difference is that traditional IRAs only allow paper assets while precious metal IRAs let you purchase and hold physical bullion coins and bars.

Because of all the economic uncertainty in the world more and more investors are looking to protect their wealth with investments like the Augusta gold IRA.  One of the key benefits of a precious metal IRA is that it allows you to own precious metals and get the tax benefit of a retirement account approved by the government. IRA-approved assets include a range of coins and bars from different countries around the world.

In a precious metals IRA, the assets are kept in a precious metals depository that is approved by the IRS. The metals remain there until you want to take a distribution from them. You can add other types of investments to your precious metals IRA including real estate, mutual funds, stocks, and more.

Is a Precious Metals Investment Right For You?

Precious metals have an intrinsic value that is not reliant on the economy. They are protected from inflation. They do not come with credit risk. You cannot just make more of it. They are insurance during times of financial or political turbulence.

Precious metals offset negative behaviors from other assets like stocks and bonds. Just holding a fraction of your investments in precious metals can reduce risk and volatility in your investment portfolio.

Risks of Precious Metals

No investment is immune to risks, even for investments that bring a certain level of security, like precious metals. If there is a change of balance in supply in demand, like more sellers than buyers, precious metal prices can fall. Geopolitical issues can present some risks. In general, when the economy is unstable, the price of precious metals goes up, and sellers benefit.

What Advantages Do Precious Metal Investments Have Over Stocks?

A key advantage that precious metals have over stocks is that they are a hedge against inflation. Other advantages include ease of purchase, intrinsic value, liquidity, zero credit risk, and investment diversification.

In Summary

Investing in precious metals is an effective approach to portfolio diversification. Before you dive in, you should be clear on what your goals are and your risk tolerance so you will have the best chance of success. You can look to precious metals to accumulate wealth, but you need to understand how it works and how to manage them to maximize their benefits.