So Dahl placed an order and was told the physical gold coins would be sent to a depository in Utah. Before investing, he searched online and found good reviews for Oxford. And the company was very convincing, sending out a sophisticated printed investment guide. Silver, platinum, and palladium bars also are available in a wide range of sizes and weights.
- They’re valuable because they’re scarce, useful for industrial processes, or have investment properties that make them a good store of value.
- Many dealers and banks advertise on the internet offering physical metals for the retail market.
- In chemistry, metals that oxidize or corrode easily are referred to as base metals.
- It has returned 283.9% over the last five years and 45.7% over the last year.
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Other popular methods include buying futures contracts for a particular metal or purchasing shares in publicly traded companies engaged in the exploration or production of precious metals. Mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) also offer a variety of strategies, including funds backed by bullion, portfolios of mining companies, and leveraged exposure. In addition to some of the disadvantages of investing in precious metals, there are other risks investors should consider. Several factors can drive precious metals prices, including changes in the economy, Federal Reserve policy, investor demand, mining supply, and inflation. Precious metals exchange-traded funds (ETFs) hold assets like gold, silver, and platinum and sell shares in their portfolios.