3 Reasons You Should Buy Gold (And 3 Reasons You Shouldn’t)

Recently someone asked me “Should I Buy Gold”?

I promised I would answer that question, so here goes:

It depends.  

Please be patient with me as I explain.

No investment should be made without considering your overall portfolio, objectives, asset allocation, and how any new investment “fits” in the overall plan.

I’d suggest you start with a more basic review of your portfolio and objectives before making this decision.  

For now, I’ll focus on gold (and, precious metals in general).

Is there a place for gold today?

Absolutely, and I’d urge it to be an intentionally targeted allocation withing your retirement investment portfolio.

Some would argue Platinum or Silver would be a better choice at the current price relationship to gold (if you’re not familiar with these price relationships and ratios, I suggest you study them before purchasing any gold).

So, let’s change “Gold” to “Precious Metals”.

Are there downsides/risks of Precious Metals?

Absolutely.

Here, then, are the basic arguments for and against Precious Metals.

I won’t attempt to support or refute these arguments, as I believe each reader should form their own opinion.

Also, to keep this post to a manageable length, I won’t get into the various means one could pursue to “own precious metals”.

Suffice it to say; you can either buy physical (e.g., coins), Electronically Traded Funds (ETF’s), or equity/stock in companies that mine precious metals.

I will draw some basic conclusions at the close of the following summary:

Arguments for Precious Metals: Why to Buy Gold?

1) Diversification

Every portfolio should attempt to diversify exposure among asset classes that are not “correlated” (meaning, they move to different rhythms and should offer some protection of a price decline across your entire portfolio at the same time).

The following chart shows gold prices vs the S&P 500 over the last five years, and you can see they do tend to move independently of each other.  (Some would argue the chart supports the position that equities are overvalued, and precious metals are due for a “bounce”, I’ll let you draw your own conclusion):

(Chart Source:  Yahoo Finance)

2) Currency & Inflation Hedge

If you believe the US Dollar is headed for decline, precious metals offer one means of “hedging” this risk.

As a currency weakens, precious metals should increase.

Regarding inflation, some argue that precious metals will rise in a period of high inflation, protecting purchasing power.

It should be noted that some dispute this claim.

3) Economic Collapse Hedge

Media has had fun highlighting “Preppers”, or those that believe “TEOTWAWKI” (The End Of The World As We Know It) is at hand.

True, precious metals could be a means of barter in the end times.

As a Christian, I do believe there will ultimately be a dramatic change to life on our humble little planet.

However, precious metals will not be your salvation if/when such an event does occur.

Arguments Against Precious Metals: Why Not to Buy Gold?

1) No Dividend Revenue

Warren Buffett (one of the greatest investors of all time) is firmly against precious metals as an investment, and one of his most persuasive arguments is that it doesn’t provide an income (such as dividends or interest).

In the low-interest rate such as we’re facing now, this is a smaller factor since the money you’d be investing in precious metals would have a lower “opportunity cost” (e.g., if you had it in a bank savings account it would earn a historically low-interest rate anyway).

2) Low Long Term Returns

Relative to equities (stocks), precious metals have historically been a poor investment choice over the long term.

3) It’s Only Worth What the Next Person Will Pay

There’s no intrinsic value in precious metal, and it’s worth could decline if folks reduce the amount of money they invest in this commodity.  

Also, some would argue it’s potentially a poor “bartering” item in an economic collapse if folks decide true consumables (e.g., toilet paper) are worth more than a metal coin which doesn’t cover real physical needs (e.g., food).

Conclusions

Every investor must make their own decision on precious metals.  

I’d recommend that if you do decide to invest, recognize the pricing at the moment is different than it’s been in the recent past.

Consider precious metals versus your other investment options, which are now trading at prices higher than historical averages.

Many argue that stocks/equities are overvalued and due for a correction, and bonds have risk if interest rates rise (bonds fall in value when interest rates rise).

Regardless of your view, precious metals should not make up a significant percentage of your portfolio.  

When thinking “should I invest in gold”, it is my opinion that a 5-10% allocation is a reasonable allocation.

Personally, I invest in silver and gold (in all three forms: bullion, ETF’s, and stocks of miners), and I’ve recently added a bit to my position.  

I’ve determined various target price levels, and when precious metals fall below a target, I add positions, taking the funds out of equities or bonds (“rebalancing”).  

Our total allocation is ~5% of our portfolio, and I’m considering increasing my position slightly based on the target price strategy (e.g., another move lower will increase the allocation).  

10% will be my largest allocation to precious metals, and I’ll only achieve that level if there is a 10% reduction in prices from current levels.  

Similarly, if prices rise, I will sell increments that I already own as specific price targets are realized.

Originally posted by: https://richtopia.com/smart-investing/spot-gold-everything-club/