GMX Media

The global economy has never been more uncertain and unstable. Every day on the news there is talk about the Euro collapsing, bailouts, and unemployment. People are taking to the street in protest of the situation, many feel helpless as they watch economies continue to spin. Even as the U.S. economy began to gain ground, it was impacted by European economies that have continued to fail. There are too many factors at play and too many uncertainties. People all over the globe are searching for ways to protect themselves financially, in the long term. There is no room for quick fixes any longer and many people are scared.

What is there to invest in, which isn’t drastically influenced by crooked CEOs and unaccountable corporations? Many people have turned to gold in the past few years. Gold has many unique traits that make it ideal for investment and a safe investment. Because of its value and the way we treat gold, it is rarely destroyed. What this means, is that after gold enters the market and is sold, there is potential for it to return to the market at any given moment. As compared to, say, oil. Once the oil burns, it is gone. A gold ring might be sold to a young woman, and at some point, that gold ring can easily be sold again.

Consider also, that gold is valuable because we make it so. The price of gold per ounce has never depended on crazes, like the Dot Com craze. Gold has always been valuable to man. The supply of gold will not change, and demand for gold has always been present. This is not to say that gold is immune to price fluctuations. In the late 1980s, the gold market hit a high of about US$1417. It was unable to reach this point again until August of 2011 when it broke that record for a new high of US$1908. This demonstrates the ability of gold stocks to continually recover and grow.

There are many ways one can invest in gold. Two particularly popular options are to purchase either gold coins or gold bars. These provide the investor with a sense of security as their finances have a physical presence. However, there are more typical stocks and markets to invest in as well. Gold can provide that secure long-term investment.

China and gold price have been in the news as of late, because of certain political moves that have decreased the overall price of gold. What has China done exactly and why does it affect gold—a supposedly market-free commodity?

Gold is independent of the market, but some of China’s recent actions have impacted the supply and demand aspects of gold and other metals. Many financial and commodity experts are predicting that China will raise interest rates any day now, which is affecting the gold price. The country also moved up the release of important macroeconomic data, which many believe to be a sign of an interest-rate hike, based on history.

China’s exporting and importing have been doing well beyond expectations, which increases the need for metals in general. News of this is expected to make China raise its interest rates, and perhaps allow its currency to appreciate—something the Obama administration has been aiming for quite a while. The fact that gold price has decreased slightly may be the result of China’s delay, not to mention the threat of interest rate increase. China is battling against inflation and its official bank even raised bank reserve requirements by 50 basis points, which is the sixth increase for 2010.

Another reason why prices have dropped is because of short-term American dollar increases. All of these factors cause the gold value to slightly decrease. However, China’s actions notwithstanding, gold price remains a stable buy. Gold is still a hedge against inflation and a universally traded commodity. The fact that gold increases during recession and depression are perhaps its greatest advantage.

Gold will win and lose a few battles before 2011 comes to a close. This precious element has quite the task, of taking on multiple world economies and also dealing with supply and demand issues. One thing is for sure: you can’t afford to be empty-handed when the economy collapses. Now is the time to start investing in gold.

China is increasing its gold supply substantially. Everyone concedes that gold investment is the only sound strategy to counteract the fall of the world economy. The question is, how soon should you start investing more? For the time being, keep a balanced perspective. Having ten percent of your assets in gold and other precious metals is a start. Talk to a coin dealer today about the price of gold and your investment plans!

If you are going to make any kind of investment, even in precious metals such as silver, you will want to make sure that you have a solid investment plan in place before you buy anything. You always want to buy at the right time and with the way silver has been performing in the past couple of months, it is the right time to start buying.

You might be thinking that since the silver price has risen, you should wait, but that is not the case. The current price is much higher than it was at this time last year that much is true. However, many investors and experts believe that the price of this metal will keep rising, and that means you need to buy now instead of waiting. If the price per ounce goes up by another few dollars in the next six months and you haven’t yet invested, you will be kicking yourself!

You have quite a few options when you are starting to buy your silver. You will be able to find coins and bars available, and because this is the most affordable of the metals, just about everyone will be able to afford an investment. The bars are available in different sizes, and you can choose bullion coins from around the world.

Don’t worry if you see some fluctuations in the silver price each day. It rises and falls here and there, but the overall trend is positive. The important thing is that you hold onto your silver until it is the right time to sell. Most people are keeping their silver for three to five years, but this varies with each investor’s plan. Only sell when you are going to be able to make a profit on your investment.

Before you buy your silver, make sure that you check the silver price that day. You need to find a company that can offer you the silver goods you need for a reasonable price. The best way to find a good company is through research. Check to see how long the company has been in business, and only do business with those companies that have been selling for at least a decade. You will find that they often have the fairest prices and that they have better customer relations simply because they’ve been doing it for so long.

As of June 17, 2011, silver has hit $35.88 per troy ounce. That means a single one-ounce silver coin would be worth this price or even more with the commission. With the price of silver on the rise, you would be smart to think of ways to protect your investments. What could befall your precious coins? Plenty of threats, if you are not prepared!

First, let’s talk about your fingers. One way to ruin a valuable coin is to handle it often, whether holding the coin by the center or handling it roughly (especially if you have dirty hands!). Eating and drinking around your coins can also be detrimental to keeping them in tip-top shape. All it takes is one tiny bit of saliva, food, or beverage to compromise the integrity of the coin, which will then lose its value.

Time is another culprit. If your coins are not stored properly, time and the elements can turn a valuable coin into a junk coin. If you have your coins piled in a heap in a drawer somewhere, you certainly aren’t protecting them from this danger. Corrosion, spotting, and even color changes can result from an improperly stored silver coin. Think display holders and flip and slab holders, all in acid-free material.

Keeping coins safe also requires storing them in a safe place. Some collectors choose to store them in a bank. With the shaky economy, however, many people are turning to home safes. Natural disasters may be a concern in home storage. Be sure you have a safe that is fireproof as well as waterproof. Your silver coin may still be valuable if it melts, but as silver bullion only and not as historical coins!

Theft is the biggest concern most people have when storing coins at home. A hidden safe is a good idea, as is having the safe bolted to the floor. Another precaution is to have your safe hidden and locked in a private room. If you have a large closet that can be locked, this would be ideal. You may wish to get creative and come up with hiding places of your own. Spreading your coins to different locations may also be a good idea so that in the unlikely event of a robbery, you won’t lose all of your coins at the same time.

Now that you know how to keep your collection safe, contact a coin dealer to start adding to your silver coin collection today!

There was a time when gold coins were part of America’s money supply. Gold coins were in circulation until 1933. It was during the Great Depression when the government removed gold coins from circulation. Citizens were ordered to trade their gold coins for dollars. While most folks obeyed the order, some hid their gold because they knew gold was worth more than paper money.

Today, gold is still worth much more than paper money. All nations in the world have long ago given up the gold standard. Today, we are left with fiat money which is backed by nothing of substance. Yet, it is these same flat currencies that have contributed to the current financial difficulties we all struggle with daily, as many nations are mired in debt. High food and energy prices and the high cost of living have eroded the mighty dollar. Yet, you can protect against these financial woes when you buy a gold coin. To be more precise, gold bullion coins.

Gold bullion coins are minted by governments and offer a handy way to invest in gold. The American Gold Eagle and the American Buffalo are both fine examples of gold bullion coins. While these coins do have a nominal face value, their real worth is based on the gold contained in the coin and the gold’s spot price. Since the gold spot price is high, over $1600 per ounce, and expected to peak at $2000 per ounce gold is an excellent investment and haven.

Simply acquiring more flat dollars does not create true wealth. This is because flat currencies can lose value fast. Gold always has worth, and typically the worse financial conditions are the higher gold’s spot price is. Considering that Europe is in economic turmoil, and Spain and Greece might be going into depression helps keep gold high. Gold bullion coins are highly liquid, so if dollars are needed in a pinch you can easily sell your gold.

The gold standard is not coming back, however, you can back your assets with gold. There is enough economic turmoil in the world to keep gold going strong for the foreseeable future. It is advisable to buy gold now before the price shoots up to $2000 per ounce. The choice is this; you can invest in paper money which is uncertain at best, or buy gold bullion coins which have a long history as a hedge.