Gold is a great investment to help balance your portfolio. You need to know what to do and weigh all options. Keep reading to learn more about how to make good investment choices when it comes to gold.
Separate jewelry by their karat values before getting an offer. A lot of times, gold buyers will try to give you a price for the lowest karat and lump everything together. Think of that and make a point of separating your pieces according to karat, so you’ll get a better price.
When you are thinking about buying gold, consider the person you are buying it from since there is a big difference. Making a purchase from a telemarketer is something that should be avoided at all costs. This is because the high commission they charge makes the transaction not worth it.
Know that all gold investment come with risks. If you’re buying gold bullion coins to invest in, take time to learn about the coins before you buy them. Buyers who are uninformed tend to make hasty purchases, which they often overpay for. Like other investments, you don’t have guarantees. No one can predict that gold prices will stay the same or that they will remain popular later on.
Sort your jewelry before heading in to sell it, putting all the 10 karat pieces together, all the 14 karat pieces together and so on. This will help ensure that your jewelry is weighed separately. There are dealers that will simply throw everything in together and only pay you as if it is all 10 karats.
Know that the price of gold fluctuates on a daily basis, just like any other precious metal. What you think you may be getting could be quite different than what you actually get if you waited an extended period between price look up and selling. When selling gold, watch the market for a few days to see how it’s performing. This will help you choose the best day to sell.
Understanding how gold alloy works is important when both buying and selling your gold. Since gold is too soft to be used by itself, it is combined with other metals to form an alloy. The karat system will tell you how much gold is in the alloy. In the United States, jewelry must be at least 10 karats for it be legally allowed to be called “gold jewelry”.
Get your jewelry appraised. This will cost a little money up front, but it’s important to know what you have. Look for an independent appraiser who is properly accredited if you want the most accurate value. When selling gold jewelry, you will receive only a percentage of the appraised value.
Now, you should be able to find a place for gold inside your investment portfolio. Gold is a good bridge in your portfolio between liquid assets and mutual funds, bonds and equities. Get a firm understanding of the risks and benefits involved in the excellent investment choice – gold.
