Many believe that gold is the best precious metal to invest in; however, several aspects consider that say otherwise. To begin with, gold is very expensive; the price of an ounce is around € 1,155; In addition, it must be taken into account that the demand for jewelry in China and India has fallen, and many analysts currently predict that the price of gold will fall in the near future.

Best precious metals to invest

Therefore, before committing to an investment in another, it is advisable to consider other price metals in the portfolio. Next, we will talk to you precisely about four precious metals that are a better option to invest instead of gold.

Silver

Silver, which is selling for $ 17.02, is mostly used for jewelry. Investing in silver could offer profit potential should demand in this sector increase. It is worth mentioning that the silver market was not experiencing its best moments during the first decade of the century. However, in recent years silver growth has stalled.

The price of silver peaked in April 2011 when an ounce of silver cost $ 48.64 but has been trading lower ever since. Silver investors face the challenge that all precious metal investors face: finding a way to take advantage of price changes in silver.

What is recommended is that before buying metal prices, it is essential to understand what will cause silver prices to move. Silver must be said, it is a challenge to understand, as it has characteristics of both precious and industrial metals. While the price of silver is less than 2% of the price of gold, it is also a fact that it is approximately 100 times more expensive than copper.

Despite these characteristics as a precious metal, silver also has many industrial uses. Its applications in the industry relate this metal to fluctuations in the global economic cycle. Consequently, will investing in silver be profitable in the future? Proponents of silver believe that the industrial uses of this metal will increase its price.

Suffice it to say that the United States president has a strong intention to expand the infrastructure of the American Union, which could see the plant experience greater demand. On the downside, as interest rates rise, it could also increase the cost of holding silver bullion. 

Platinum

Platinum is another of the best precious metal investments today. Like silver, platinum is also widely used in different industries. 

Not long ago, specialists recommended investing in platinum due to a shortfall in supply and a near recent lows price. However, if electric cars reduce the demand for catalytic converters, the demand for platinum could decline, along with the price of your EFT. A platinum investment could round out portfolio diversification as precious metal stocks and mutual funds usually operate independently of the stock market.

Steel

Steel is an industrial metal that is used primarily in the construction of buildings. The price of steel is driven by supply and demand, as is the price of many precious metals. 

China is one of the main steel-consuming countries globally, so steel prices are significantly affected by the use of this metal by this country. It must also be said that there are many steel companies in which you can invest. The largest of them in the world is ArcelorMittal, which has a market cap of 31.552 billion. For active investors, specialists suggest exchanging their gold stocks for steel as this metal tends to rise in price.

Aluminum

Finally, aluminum is one of the most abundant metals on earth and is available in various products thanks to its malleability and high capacity to resist corrosion. Aluminum can be found in the automotive industry, aerospace, power lines, kitchen items, etc.

There are versions found among specialists regarding aluminum prices; however, futures and options are routes to invest in aluminum. You can simply buy an exchange-traded note that tracks an index of futures contracts of aluminum. There are also shares related to this metal and an ETF that includes mining and aluminum production companies.

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The investment world never stops, despite volatility or episodes that can harm our assets. And while many dares with the stock market or bonds, others seek traditional havens such as gold or other metals. How to invest in them?

The physical purchase, in the case of precious metals

Indeed, not all metals are the same. In the case of precious metals, one of the possibilities is the physical purchase of bullion: This is valid for gold, silver, platinum, or palladium, for example. 

How can it be done? It is necessary to resort to companies specializing in making transactions with bullion, coins, or jewelry. Above all, in the investor field, it is necessary to know that the company is legally registered, with all the guarantees, and has the lowest possible commissions. 

In the case of ingots, three fundamental factors must be taken into account: The purity of the ingot, which must be 99.9% when possible; who has an international certificate in the metal; and that they issue a purchase invoice for possible claims that we may make in the future, along with the purchase certificate. 

Invest through mutual funds

There are some categories of mutual funds exclusively dedicated to investing in metals: both precious and industrial. It is a good option from an investment point of view. 

Some of them are geared towards gold assets, while other products are focused on more commodities. The normal thing is that these vehicles are focused on mining companies, producers, and a long etcetera. To do this, all you need is to have an investment account with your bank or with an online broker.

For those who are less seasoned who want to deposit their money in metals, the possibility of funds is an option to consider. Of course, it is convenient to read the product brochure well to see how it is positioned and the commissions that will apply to us as clients. 

Opt for other alternatives such as futures or ETFs

Among the most advanced products through which you can invest in metals of all kinds are futures contracts, contracts for difference (CFDs), and investments through ETFs. All of them directly invest in these raw materials.

To access these types of products, you need to have an account with an online broker. There are many possibilities in the market and you have to focus on the range of products and the commissions that apply. The nuance that experts focus on is that they are recommended options for more experienced investors.

For their part, CFDs carry a class of risks that only a professional trader or investor can handle: They have to do with the multiplication of values ​​and the leverage in which it operates, because the capital that we have used can end up disappearing.

Finally, the alternative of ETFs is a good possibility. This vehicle is an investment fund listed on the markets and generally replicates a series of assets or indices.…

Although, of course, the answer to that question depends on many variables and, ultimately, on the investor’s will, in this post, we will clarify some questions regarding investing in this precious metal.

Among the main reasons that attract small investors to silver are the following:

• Investing in silver is very simple: You do not have to use stockbrokers or understand how the financial markets work or trust third parties to carry out the investment on your behalf. It is as simple as approaching a trusted and duly accredited dealer or dealer and purchasing physical silver in the form of small bars or coins that are also highly collectible, which can provide added interest when investing.

• Silver is cheaper than other precious metals: At the time of this writing, the price of silver is around $ 25 an ounce. This means that, for a price lower than 30 bucks, it is possible to buy an ounce of this metal. From there, the limit is set by each investor, but the entry price is not a deterrent, as in the case of gold (an ounce of this metal, right now, is trading at more than $ 1,730).

• It is a very versatile metal: The world’s largest investors do not stop investing in silver, even if it is a small portion of their investment portfolio. The reason is that it is an essential metal for many markets: according to Statista, two-thirds of the demand for silver in 2019 and 2020 went to industrial sectors such as photography, photovoltaic applications, and medicine, in addition to jewelry, silverware, and physical investment, in bullion and coins.

• It can be the gateway to other investments: Many small investors feel intimidated when investing in tangible assets. Silver can be one of the best inputs to investing in physical commodities . You can enter at a very low price and see how it goes. If the experience is positive, the investor may be inclined to invest in more valuable metals, such as gold, platinum, or palladium.

Investing in physical gold has become an increasingly common activity for specialized investors and people starting out in this activity. For which we have selected basic terms with which those who take their first steps in this type of investment should be familiarized:

• Investment physical gold. The regulations grant the category of physical investment gold to ingots or bars of 2 or more grams with a purity equal to or greater than 995 thousandths and coins with a purity greater than 900 thousandths, minted after 1800. They are usually traded for a price not exceeding 80% of the market value of the gold contained therein.
• Popularly, gold bullion is any piece of this material that has been melted and molded. They come in a wide variety of weights and shapes. However, adhering to a strict definition, the term ingot refers to pieces with specific dimensions and weight, 12.4 kilograms (400 standard troy ounces, although they can range between 350 and 430 ounces), and a triangle shape without a tip. 
• Bar. Gold pieces of different weights and sizes smaller than standard bars are called a bar, making them more affordable for different types of investors. In addition, their divisibility gives them greater liquidity when making exchanges.
• Currency. Physical investment gold coins, apart from the characteristics outlined above, are minted by the mints of each country, have a different face value than their weight in gold, and, among other data, are usually engraved with their weight in ounces, and the year they were minted.
• Law of purity. The law of purity refers to the amount of pure gold that each piece of this metal contains. For physical investment gold, it is usually measured in thousandths and for jewels in carats.
• Good Delivery. It is the standardization of the large bars so that they have to be verified every time a transaction is made. It is the de facto standard of trust throughout the world, it is a reliable gold investment.
• Certified. It is advisable that whoever invests in physical gold do so in a reputable company. The acquired bars must be engraved with five stamps or marks: name of the manufacturer or distributor, type of metal, purity, weight, and stamp of the minter. Depending on the manufacturers, some also carry the serial number.
• Numismatics. The term numismatics refers to the study and collecting of coins. Physical investment gold coins, those minted after 1800 that meet the characteristics detailed above, have a higher value for their weight in gold than for their numismatic characteristics, except in some instances or with certain coins due to their rarity or unique characteristics.

Fungibility

What is fungibility (you can read the definition here: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fungible)?  Well, it is an adjective of the word fungible.  Fungible means that a good one part or quantity of which can be substituted for another of equal value in satisfying an obligation.  In plain English it means that one thing is exactly the same, and worth the same as the other.

Money has to be fungible.  One single ounce bar of pure gold, is the exact same as another single ounce bar of pure gold.  They are also worth the same amount of money.  And you could switch one for the other and no one would care because they are the same.

This is one of the beautiful things about gold.  This why gold is one of the best forms of money.  A gold bar is the same as another gold bar, and because of this sameness, they can not be tracked, because they are the same and there is nothing to track because there is nothing to differentiate one bar from another.

Cash is almost fungible.  Technically there are serial numbers on every dollar bill.  I am not sure how the government keeps track of all those numbers as there are trillions of dollar bills in circulation, but I am assuming because it is the government that they can track those serial numbers somehow.

Aside from the serial number issue on cash, it is pretty much fungible.  As long as a dollar bill is not counterfeit, one dollar bill is the same as another dollar bill.  A cash dollar bill meets the definition of fungible because it “can be substituted for another of equal value in satisfying an obligation”.

Cash, like gold, is also private.  If you go to your friend’s house and hand them a $100 bill, no one will know, and the transaction will not be recorded.

The same is true of gold.  If you go to your friend’s house and hand him an ounce of gold for painting your garage or whatever, it is a private transaction.  There is no recording of the transaction, your friend simply accepts your ounce of gold, because it is fungible, and a trusted store of value.

Gold is one of the very few things that has value that does not need to be verified by a third party like a dollar bill, a check, a credit card, etc.  If you posses an ounce of gold, then you posses the value and you can trade it as you like.

There are many benefits to gold and to investing in gold.  In times of trouble people will always turn to gold.  Humanity has used gold as money for 5,000 years, and is likely to keep using gold as money for many more years to come.…

In Cooperation with the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Gold Mining and Production (ACM Gold)

Conference Co-Chairs: Bob Anderson (The New School), Carol Shelby (Sesame Workshop), and Pablo Montoya (University of Birmingham)

IDC is the premiere annual international conference for the top minds in academia and industry to share the latest research findings, innovative methodologies and new technologies in the areas of inclusive child-centered design, learning and interaction.

After recent venues such as Bern, Germany and Upper Peninsula, Michigan, we are excited to announce that the 12th Gold & Precious Metals Investing Conference will take place in Little Town City, held jointly at The New School and Sesame Workshop from June 24-27, 2013 in-cooperation with the ACM.

Gold & Precious Metals Investing Conference will offer a wide-ranging program, supporting and facilitating the exchange of ideas within and between various communities committed to creating better interactive experiences for children. Participants often come from a variety of fields, including computer science, communication, child development, engineering, digital media, game design, educational psychology and learning sciences. The conference incorporates panels, workshops and exhibits organized around papers, presentations, speakers, and discussions.

This year’s conference will also offer a special emphasis on supporting DIY/maker culture among children and global inclusion, particularly for marginalized children worldwide.

While Gold & Precious Metals Investing Conference builds on the strong and dedicated community that has developed around this annual conference for the past 12 years, we invite academics and industry professionals, professors and students, pre-K-12 practitioners in formal and informal learning settings, and NYC and non-NYC based scholars alike to join us and to submit proposals.…