Preparing for economic collapse or protecting your investments? Buying gold continues to be one of the best future-proof investment options available. But how do you actually purchase physical gold bars and hold it in your hands instead of buying ETFs?
Let’s talk about how to (quite literally) get your hands on it, if it’s a practical choice, and how you can make it happen.
By using a trusted online source, you can purchase physical gold bars with security and ease. With accredited sites trusted by the Better Business Bureau or Ripoff Report and time-tested reliability from consumer reports, you can purchase physical gold bars as simply as you purchase anything online.
However, simply spending money to purchase gold isn’t enough to secure long-term financial independence and protection against failing global markets. You have to know how to strategize gold quantities, quality, when to buy, and what to expect for long-term growth.
Let’s talk about strategy, how to ensure you’re making a strong decision, and how to deal with investment taxes effectively.
The Process of Buying Gold Online
The actual purchase process is simple: choose a trusted online seller, purchase your gold privately, and receive it in a protective package. You can use cashier’s checks or credit cards to purchase gold online.
Some marketplaces/suppliers may have discounts depending on which payment method you use. You can purchase one ounce or more if you wish. Choosing larger quantities may result in discounts, again depending on which supplier you choose.
Before you commit to how much gold you plan on buying, you should inspect different supplier benefits, such as short shipping times and guarantees on package quality when you5r gold arrives.
If you don’t want an institution like Noble Gold Investments to have access to your information regarding a sale (we all have our preferences), you can choose to purchase your gold bars through an online marketplace like Ebay.
Just be sure to check the seller, their responsiveness, ratings, and fulfillment before committing to a purchase.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Gold Coins
Collectible items aren’t always straightforward. While gold bars and bullion are regarded as collectors items in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service, gold coins are actual collector’s items.
Nobody is going to say, “Oh, this gold bar is from that mint? It’s less valuable.” At the end of the day, it’s still .995 gold—the value is unchanged.
With collector’s coins, some are only 91% gold or more, and feature an alloy throughout the center to give the gold something to hang onto. This is because they don’t simply stamp it for approval like mints do with gold bars.
Instead, these coins are commemorative. They feature specific historical figures, periods of time, and have different editions. There’s an exclusivity to it, so if one specific 91% gold coin is worth $1,000, for example, that doesn’t mean every single coin is valued at the same price.
The exclusivity is in the design and historical significance more than anything else. It’s actually a collector’s item, something that people will only want if that’s their interest or niche.
Gold bars maintain their value (and accrue more value) without relying on collectible imagery. In short, gold coins may diversify your investment portfolio and offer potential short-term gains, but they can actually depreciate in value.
You’ll have an easier time selling gold bars over gold coins in the event of economic collapse.
Only Buy Pure Gold
When we talk about buying gold coins vs. gold bars, percentages come into play. You shouldn’t buy anything that isn’t pure gold (99.995%), accounting for the small amount of required alloy for smelting.
There are mints that are completely time-tested and proven to provide the exact 99.99% gold that they claim in their stamps. Some of these include Perth Mint, Valcambi, and the Royal Canadian Mint, to name a few.
You can shop around for the best gold bar prices online. As the price can fluctuate, so do mint production prices, and gold retailers will shift their costs almost daily with what the mints are doing.
This keeps their cost and revenue the same. Flat rates for gold aren’t something you should trust. Pure gold is easy to damage, which is why when you receive your gold bars in packages, you should store them as is.
Where to Buy Physical Gold Bars
To purchase precious metals, you have to go through the right channels. Certified, time-tested businesses are the only way to go. You can use online purchase platforms such as Noble Gold Investments or Birch Gold.
Typically speaking, you will pay less for larger orders. Buying ten ounces of gold may be cheaper (per ounce) than buying a single ounce at a time, but there’s a catch to it.
You don’t want to buy the largest piece of gold bullion that you can. The entire point behind purchasing gold bullion to be future-proof against collapsing currencies and markets is to be able to actually sell them as you need them.
Ten 1.0 oz gold bullions are technically worth more than one 10.0 oz gold bullion, because you increase the odds of an individual being able to actually afford its worth instead of low-balling you.
How to Store Your Gold Bars
We know that gold bars need to be protected and stored properly to avoid damage and devaluation. Safety deposit boxes and other stronghold areas with little to no moisture are prime storage spots.
While you may find some common practice about storing pure gold in water, this isn’t practical for the average gold buyer. It also makes it difficult to grab your gold and go when an economic disaster strikes.
Bottom Line
Gold bars accrue in value with more stability than gold coins. We can see this one-hundred year chart outline the ups and downs, but we end with gold continuing to accrue in value from March, 2001, to today’s date.
Gold bars are a sound investment. They’re something you can hold onto and have value in, or sell as time goes on if gold prices rise, giving you a greater ROI in a healthy economy.
Buy bullion in smaller individual quantities of one ounce pieces, and avoid gold coins if you can.
Gold Bar FAQ's
100% pure gold cannot be smelted properly. 0.5% of gold bullion is an alloy metal, such as steel or aluminum, which allows for proper smelting. The highest possible form of pure gold is .999, which is to say it’s only .001 alloy, however this isn’t stable to use for gold bullion.
There is no limit. In 1975, it became legal for private citizens of the United States to own gold bullion with no limit, and in the last 45+ years, that law hasn’t been changed or altered. There is no restriction to how much gold you can own as of right now.
Gold bullion is treated as a collectible according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). When you sell gold, it is treated differently than selling stocks, bonds, or other long-term investments.
You pay an average of 28% capital gains tax instead of the 15% on stocks. This is for long-term gains on gold or other collectibles. Short-term gains are taxed at the normal rate.
Noble Gold Investments
Noble Gold Investments is the first and only company to offer a private, secure gold depository in Texas to keep your wealth safe.
