Gold has been known to mankind since ancient times. Gold items have been repeatedly found in ancient burials. Since ancient times, this metal was a symbol of wealth and power, so it became the cause of quarrels, robberies, murders and even wars.
For a very long time, gold was the basis of the world financial system and to this day it remains one of the hardest world currencies. Despite the fact that many years have passed since the gold rush, gold continues to be an attractive instrument for investors along with other precious metals.
Currently, elite precious metals include: silver, gold, platinum and palladium. They are also commonly called “noble”, mainly for their high chemical resistance and beautiful appearance. Various jewelry items are made from them. In addition, these metals and alloys containing them are used in the modern electronics industry in the production of high-tech devices, in mobile phones and computer technology.
Of course, you are wondering why these particular metals are valued. The main reason is their unique physical and chemical properties and scarcity. The share of “precious” metals production in the total volume of products produced by the global mining industry is only 0.00005%. Obviously, given the high cost of precious metals on the world market, it is profitable to mine them.
However, starting a business for the extraction of precious metals is an expensive and rather complicated undertaking. However, everyone a modern investor can buy some gold or platinum for himself at any time.
In Russia now to commit investments in gold and others precious metals several available various ways: buying bullion, coins, opening a “metal account” in a bank, purchased valuable papers gold mining companies or gold-backed shares.
Let's take a closer look at each method separately.
Many domestic banks offer to buy bullions made of precious metals.
For example, at Sberbank you can buy gold in measured bars of the following weight categories:
On the one hand it may seem that this the simplest and profitable way buy precious metals, but there are a number of pitfalls that an inexperienced person may simply not be aware of.
The problems are mainly related to the current Tax Code. The fact is that gold bars are legally recognized as property, and, therefore, upon sale they are subject to VAT (which is + 18% to the nominal value of the metal). But that's not all.
If you are going to sell your bullion to a bank, you will have to pay another 13% income tax.
Hence, investment in gold bars Taking into account the existing features of domestic tax legislation, they are not very profitable. Just to cover expenses, the bullion needs to increase in price by at least 30%, which is quite difficult to achieve even in a year.
All precious coins currently sold can be divided into two large groups: commemorative (collectible) and investment.
The Bank of Russia is responsible for issuing commemorative coins in our country. Commemorative coins are usually issued in limited editions - from 100 to several thousand units.
A wide variety of series of coins were issued, including: “The Red Book of Russia”, “Outstanding Personalities of Russia”, “Architectural Monuments of Russia”, “Let’s Save Our World”, “ Moon calendar", "Zodiac Signs", etc.
However, it is worth noting that commemorative coins are not of particular interest to investors. There are several reasons: the high cost due to their numismatic value, and VAT (the same +18% on the cost).
Hence, commemorative coins are more popular among experienced collectors. After several years (and sometimes decades), such collectible coins can be sold quite profitably.
The following rule works here: The older the coin, the more expensive it is. True, in order to sell it, you will need to look for a suitable buyer-collector who is ready to pay good money for the coin.
As for investment coins, the purpose of this financial instrument is already defined in its name. Bullion coins are issued in huge circulations exceeding millions of units, therefore they have no value for collectors. Their primary value is determined by the amount of precious metal they contain.
The most famous investment coins are perhaps the “golden chervonets”; the first such coin appeared in 1975. It should be noted that each coin in this series contains 7.742 grams of 900 fine gold.
Other series of investment coins are also offered. For example:
Besides, in Russian banks you can buy some foreign ones investment coins made of precious metals, for example, English “sovereigns”.
Market price investment coins are formed primarily based on the cost of the precious metal they contain, as well as a premium that covers the costs of their minting and sale.
Buying investment coins convenient because many large Russian banks now work with them, although the main seller is probably Sberbank. These coins have been in quite high demand in recent years; the price of some coins has increased several times since their release.
Another advantage is that transactions with investment coins are not subject to VAT in accordance with the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. Although 13% tax on sale will still have to be paid to the state. (This should also be taken into account when choosing an investment instrument).
I also note that all transactions with these coins are carried out at the exchange rate value, which is set by the bank. As a rule, the difference between the purchase price and the sale price reaches 10%.
Metal bills are divided into two types:
An investor, opening a SOX in a bank, transfers credit organization the bullions of precious metals he has for storage. Each ingot has certain characteristics: number, fineness, weight, refinery, etc. In turn, the bank undertakes the obligation to return the ingot to the client upon his first request.
A safekeeping account may also provide the possibility of transferring metal to another account specified by the client, or using it as collateral when obtaining loans.
COX cannot be used as a tool for generating income, it does not involve the accrual of any interest. On the contrary, the client must pay for the bank’s services for storing his precious metal. This instrument is intended, rather, to save the investor’s existing bullion in kind, and the bank simply guarantees their safety.
Anonymized “metal” account (OMS) in essence, it is a classic foreign currency deposit, where the currency is the number of grams of metal. In such an account, bullion is accounted for without specifying any specific characteristics.
You can replenish an impersonal account by making a non-cash transfer from another “metal” account, depositing precious metals into physical fitness, purchasing metal (in impersonal form) for cash at the bank rate.
Compulsory medical insurance sometimes provides for the accrual of interest (in monetary terms or in grams of precious metal). However, interest is not always accrued; you should find out about this when opening an account. The percentages are usually small - from 0.1% to 3-4%.
Obviously, if the compulsory medical insurance does not provide for the accrual of interest, then the investor can make a profit only if the precious metal increases in price.
It should also be noted here that if you want to receive an ingot equivalent to the amount of precious metal in your account in physical form, then upon receipt of the ingot you will have to pay 18% VAT. If you simply close the account and receive the amount in cash, you will not have to pay VAT.
In addition, although compulsory medical insurance is a kind of foreign currency deposit, it is not subject to the law on. So you need to choose a bank very carefully.
This is a relatively new option investing in gold, which not only provides a return on investment, but also does not require paying VAT.
The issuance of shares backed by gold is carried out by the World Gold Council (The World Gold Council - WGC), which was created by the world's largest gold mining companies.
WGC has created a special fund Gold Bullion Securities (GBS) to issue gold securities, which is engaged in their placement on the Australian, London, New York and American markets. stock exchange(in America, “gold” shares are placed on behalf of other funds and under other tickers, but with the direct support of the WGC).
One such paper entitles the investor to receive 3.1 grams of pure gold from the vaults of HSBC Bank in London.
Only privileged owners can redeem existing gold-backed securities early by exchanging them for physical gold bullion. The only option available to other investors is to pay the corresponding amount in dollars, euros or pounds sterling.
As for Russian investors, they can make any transactions with “gold” securities using the services of many brokerage houses, which operate on the exchanges listed above.
This method, in principle, is not related to the direct purchase of precious metal, but is still directly related to the gold mining industry, so we’ll tell you a little about it.
Since this investment option involves the purchase of shares, to purchase them you should contact and use the services of brokers. Among the main gold mining companies whose shares are currently traded on the stock exchange are:
Of course, this option involves making a profit mainly from speculative transactions with securities on the stock exchange. The level of income in this case depends solely on the increase in the cost of purchased goods.
In this case, quotes directly depend on both world gold prices, and from the main financial indicators the companies themselves.
In addition, the purchase of shares involves the payment of dividends, which is also additional income from investing.
To assess the potential profitability of investments in precious metals. metals, consider the statistics of quotations for the period from January 2003 to January 2012. Statistics on prices for gold, platinum, silver and palladium are shown in Table 1 (data taken from the official website of the Bank of Russia as of the first working day of each year).
Table 1. Quotations of precious metals according to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, January 2003 – January 2012, in rubles for 1 year.
Gold price chart according to the Central Bank
Palladium price chart according to the Central Bank
Platinum price chart according to the Central Bank
Silver price chart according to the Central Bank
Now, in order to assess price dynamics, let’s calculate the profitability for each of the metals. The final data showing the profitability in % compared to the previous year are shown in Table 2.
As we see from the table, for Last year all metals except gold lost value. Platinum and palladium fell in price especially noticeably (-11.5% and -15.96%, respectively), which over the previous two years showed good results in price growth. At the end of 2011, silver lost only a little more than 1%.
This cannot be seen as a trend towards further price decline, since in the first month of 2012 silver, platinum and palladium showed stable growth.
As for the minor disadvantages noted in 2005, this reflects only minor market price fluctuations. This is clearly visible on the graph. But the fall in prices for silver, platinum and palladium at the end of 2008 is an indicator of the general market decline under the influence of the global financial crisis. This, in fact, explains the drop in prices recorded at the end of 2011. Since the market was again somewhat tense and unstable last year, most players did not take risks in anticipation of a new wave of the crisis.
As for forecasts, everything depends on whether the crisis will begin or not. There is no clear opinion among experts. However, there will most likely not be a sharp drop in prices for precious metals. Fluctuations are possible, but overall the forecasts are positive.
I note that You should be very careful when purchasing palladium, its price often fluctuates: sometimes positive, sometimes negative. This is noticeable both from Table 2 and from the Bank of Russia quotes chart. The fact is that this metal is most often used for speculation in the market.
If we consider the change in metal prices over 10 years, then silver demonstrates maximum profitability(+661%) and gold (+614.5%). Platinum has risen in price by almost 320% in 10 years. But palladium is only 152%.
This indicator suggests that in the long term all metals provide good returns and their purchase is a very profitable investment.
In conclusion, I would like to say that investing in precious metals has a number of significant advantages compared to others. financial instruments:
The disadvantage is that investments in precious metals cannot provide quick returns; they cannot provide rapid capital growth. Precious metals are instruments designed for long-term investments.
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Gold has always been synonymous with the word wealth, capital is also stability and reliability, at least in the economic interpretation. Thousands of years ago, gold was not only a means of payment, but also a means of accumulating and preserving one’s own wealth.
Thousands of years have passed, but the situation has not changed fundamentally, and today gold is actively used for saving and storing capital. Moreover, a lot of examples can be given from ordinary women in India who buy gold items to create their own “financial parachute”. According to their laws, all the gold on a woman is her property and she leaves her husband’s house with it; it is interesting that a similar practice is widespread in the Muslim world. Without exception, all the central banks of the world that store part of their reserves in gold, not virtual, but physical.
Interestingly, most physical gold EU countries are stored in the USA, and last year there was a fairly big scandal (in narrow circles) when some European countries decided to take their gold from the USA. The process, as far as the press reported, has already begun, but in reality the transportation of gold will take at least 5 years.
If everything is more or less clear with Indians and central banks, then Was it worth investing in gold for an ordinary person?
There is a fairly small set of tools for investing in gold for ordinary citizens; to work with the same sand and nuggets, permission from the Assay Chamber of the Russian Federation will be required. The available list includes the purchase of coins, bank bars, and the purchase of jewelry. A separate line is the opening of special metal accounts - compulsory medical insurance (anonymized metal account).
Each of the options has its own pros and cons, but in all options except bank accounts, investing makes sense only in the long term of 5 years. It is worth noting that in addition to quite large disadvantages, there is also a huge advantage.
The big advantage of investing in physical gold is its high liquidity; gold can be converted into “live” rubles at almost any time. At the same time, the correct selection of instruments allows such conversion to be carried out with minimal losses, of course, compared to most other instruments suitable for investment (more details here).
Bank bars are marked bars with documents containing 999.95 fine gold. Typically sold in hermetically sealed packaging, jars require identification upon purchase.
When purchasing a bank bullion, be sure to check that you have all the documents for the gold, plus keep the receipt.
Disadvantages of Investing in Bullion
Pros of investing in gold bars
The optimal option is to purchase outside Russia; in most countries such a purchase is not taxed, which will save 18%, plus in Russian banks the difference between the market price and the sale price of bank gold differs by 20-25% (this is especially noticeable on small bars). The spread is much lower abroad. True, you can only buy within a certain limit (check with customs before purchasing), everything above is subject to additional customs duty.
The minting of gold coins is mainly carried out by the Central Bank and there are two fundamentally different categories:
Investment coins– they are the ones of greatest interest to the buyer. So, when purchasing them, you do not need to pay 18% VAT; in most cases, the spread between the market price and the sale price is relatively small. And most importantly, such coins are bought with pleasure not only by banks, but also by jewelers.
It is worth noting that transactions with gold (except for jewelry) between individuals are prohibited, but who is stopping you from finding more interesting options than the banal sale of investment gold coins, for example, exchange.
Commemorative coins– these coins have a price much higher than the denomination of the gold equivalent and are valuable for numismatists and collectors. Investing in this instrument is quite risky without knowledge and appropriate contacts.
Gold jewelry has been and will probably remain the main instrument for saving capital in the east for a long time; Arab and Indian women have already been mentioned. The Slavs do not have such a tradition, but this does not prevent our women from investing.
True, configuration
wife - gold - decoration - investment
represents a specific aspect of our life and, by and large, cannot be a standard. In fact, this option of investing in gold is only suitable for the wives of wealthy men, who must be prepared for rapid change in your life, while not having other tools to create a “financial parachute”.
In fact, investing in gold jewelry is only profitable if the jewelry is very old or is a work of art (which is hypothetically capable of increasing in value). In all other cases, such investments are not profitable since the sale of such jewelry is made by weight, and the purchase is made by weight, plus work and store margin. That is, in any case, the conversion of gold back into money will be negative.
Unallocated metal accounts (OMA) are opened in banks and have a more virtual basis; in most cases, we are not talking about physical metal (it can be in gold, platinum, silver). In fact, virtual metal is purchased at the market price, and when withdrawing money, it is sold at the same market price (set by the bank).
This tool is very convenient and here's why:
Advantages of metal accounts in gold and silver
Minuses
Conclusion, OSM is a very convenient and practical tool if you need to “wait it out,” but you won’t be able to make money on it. You also need to choose banks very carefully, my advice or the large state-owned Sberbank of Russia and its gold account or large foreign banks
A more reliable savings tool own money cannot be found, gold exists and will be the main savings instrument for many years to come, but this option will not allow you to earn money and get a big profit. By and large, even after 10 years, having converted gold into money, you will simply receive the nominal value of your capital, taking into account past inflation and the depreciation of paper money.
And now a little video with the opinion of experts on investing in gold.
In this material:
Gold is the world's most liquid asset. Moreover, throughout the history of the market, prices for the precious metal have been steadily rising. As a consequence, an increase in the level of funds invested in it. Let's figure out how to invest money in gold and is it worth investing in it?
Investing in gold is a recognized way to diversify finances. Buying gold allows you to reduce the risk of depreciation during times of high inflation and receive a stable income during severe financial disasters.
Gold, as mentioned above, is the most liquid asset of the capital market. It can be sold at any time by transferring it to any world currency, in the shortest time possible.
Advantages of investing in gold:
Many opponents of investing in gold argue that the precious metal is not capable of providing significant returns when compared to various securities, derivatives and debt instruments that are traded in the financial market. However, as history shows (the 2008 crisis), with accurate calculations and the right timing, profits can reach 90 percent of the initially invested funds.
For obvious reasons, public investment in gold in Russia is not as widespread as abroad. But recently, this earning tool has become more accessible. Banking organizations offer many investment services, including the purchase of precious metals.
Purchasing gold bars is the most famous investment method Money. However, like all other investment instruments, buying a gold bar has its own specific features.
A gold bar is a pure chemical element with a purity of 999.95. Two main types are produced: stamped and cut ingots (from large sheets). In the vast majority of cases, gold bars are round in weight. The most typical values (in grams): one, ten, one hundred, thousand. Not long ago, gold bars the size of regular credit card(ChipGold), weighing from 1-20 grams.
When purchasing a gold bar, you should definitely pay attention to whether there is any contamination in it. It is important to check the documentation (manufacturer’s passport and certificate). The cash receipt must include:
Today there are two types of quality classification: excellent and satisfactory. Each gold bar must comply with GOST R 51572-2000.
Among the advantages of using compulsory medical insurance as an investment instrument is the absence of storage costs. The thing is that when opening an impersonal metal account, the client does not receive precious metal in his hands. All gold is stored in special bank vaults. Also, compulsory medical insurance is not subject to income tax. individuals. There is no need to pay VAT.
Before opening a metal account, the following requirements must be met:
In most cases, opening a compulsory medical insurance is free. The only cost that the investor bears is the spread between the purchase and sale prices (at the time of account cancellation). One of the disadvantages of this method of investing is a small percentage accrual (up to two percent) or its complete absence. An impersonal metal account is perfect for speculative transactions in order to make a profit.
Purchasing investment and commemorative gold coins is one of the effective ways not only to protect your funds from the harmful effects of inflation, but also to earn a considerable amount of money.
Advantages:
Flaws:
Investments in gold coins have specific features, especially in comparison with the purchase of gold bars or the opening of compulsory medical insurance. The price of gold coins is determined not so much by the current quotations of the precious metal on the market, but by the level of demand. In the vast majority of cases, the date of issue of the coin, its circulation and appearance play a big role. Before buying gold coins, it is best to look at the reviews of those who have already worked with similar investment instruments.
In Russia market relations began to actively develop in 1997. Today, there are a significant number of financial operators on the market offering opportunities for investing in gold. In the registry Central Bank Russian Federation registered about two hundred banking organizations holding licenses for operations with precious metals. In this example, we will consider the possibilities of buying gold at Sberbank.
Sberbank offers its clients both standard and measured gold bars. Each one is produced in Russia and weighs from one to a thousand grams. As with any other financial operator, at Sberbank the cost of gold is higher than the current compulsory medical insurance quotes.
The process of buying gold at Sberbank is simple. All that is required from the client is an identification document. On the part of Sberbank employees, all transactions (with precious metals) are carried out only in the presence of the client. Legal issues at the time of purchasing gold are provided by Sberbank.
At Sberbank you can also purchase bullion, unallocated metal accounts (OMA), and investment coins. Special storage lockers are also available at Sberbank, with a low rental cost.
There are two ways to trade gold: hedging risks and buying for profit. As stated above, gold is an ideal defensive asset against the financial turmoil of the world. In the vast majority of cases, investors purchase the precious metal in order to diversify their assets, or to protect themselves from the harmful effects of rising inflation. All these methods involve extracting an extremely low level of profit.
However, despite the seemingly “calm nature” of gold as an investment instrument, it is not possible to make great money. The principle is simple - buy cheaper, sell more expensive.
The main driver of the value of each asset is the volume of transactions concluded. Today the main buyers of the precious metal are:
Before you finally decide to invest in precious metals, it is important to determine the following parameters:
Having determined all of the above components, you can make a purchasing decision.
A striking example profitable investment into gold - financial crisis 2008. At the beginning of the crisis (November 2008), the cost of one troy ounce of gold was $762. Over the next three years, the value of the precious metal increased by more than 100 percent, to 1762 American dollar(August 2011). But what contributed to such a rapid rise in the price of gold?
Financial cataclysm, uncertainty, bankruptcy - a huge number of banks, investment funds and government regulators around the world began to transfer their assets into gold, in fear of losing their capital. The level of demand for the precious metal was several times higher than the available volume on the market. Ideal situation for profitable investment into precious metals.
Similar situations occur in different financial markets with a frequency of four years (according to the established theory of crisis phenomena). However, even in calm times, you can make money by buying and selling precious metals using simple strategy"Corridor trading" Now, due to the crisis, we again see a decrease in gold prices and this good time to invest in it. It is important to catch the moment when the fall ends and growth begins.
When deciding to purchase a precious metal, you should always conduct a thorough and scrupulous analysis, weigh all the risks and opportunities, and always take into account the following:
You should also be wary of purchasing securities of gold mining companies that do not have their own reserves of the precious metal. This may indicate a lack of production results, and as a result, a decrease in the value of shares on the market.
Now that there is economic and political instability all over the world. For people who find themselves in zones of such instability, the question arises: how to protect against possible economic collapse your savings and savings. There are a lot of options: buying currency, real estate, shares, and finally, purchasing things of high artistic and historical value, etc. One of the most reliable options is considered to be investing in gold by physically purchasing it, either by purchasing futures, or by opening an impersonal metal account.
A person who has free financial resources sooner or later faces the question: should he invest money in gold? The answer will depend on the purpose and duration of the investment. If we talk about a short-term investment - up to one year - then it is unlikely to be profitable, but there will be less risk of losing even part of the funds spent on purchasing gold. If the goal is to preserve capital, then even over a short or medium period this is quite possible to do.
If the question is how to get income from funds invested in metal, then it is worth considering this issue from the perspective of medium-term (1-3 years) and long-term prospects. On the other hand, gold at all times, starting from the formation of commodity-money relations, retained its high liquidity. Moreover, year after year the price of the precious metal continues to rise, with the exception of periods economic growth and stability. Therefore, gold is a reliable guarantor of capital safety, unlike currencies, the value of which changes depending on the political and economic situation.
In addition to the question of whether to invest money in gold, the question arises of how safe such an investment of funds will be. From the point of view of reliability and safety of this type of investment, you can be practically calm:
As you can see, the safety of investing in gold is completely guaranteed from any side.
Existing financial and banking systems offer several options reliable investment funds in the form of the purchase of precious metals, including gold. How to invest money in gold with maximum profit? In order to choose the appropriate solution, it is worth carrying out preliminary calculations, observations and consultations that will help determine the most suitable option for each case.
And subsequently, after purchasing the precious metal, you will have to constantly monitor the situation on the market in order to be aware of possible risks.
It turns out that investing in gold is profitable and both simple and difficult at the same time. What do they offer? financial systems represented by banks? There are several options to consider, including:
Each of these options has its own pros and cons: in some places 18% VAT is charged - on gold bars, in others there is a certain degree of risk - paper and electronic money, in others gold will be presented only virtually - if you open a metal account.
The acquisition of gold items of low value in itself is neither short-term nor medium term not interesting, since a significant part of the value of gold products when purchased is created due to the work of the master, and not due to the value of the metal itself. Therefore, when liquidating jewelry, there is a risk of losing more than gaining. If we talk about collectible coins, then purchasing them is more preferable than gold products.
Along with other offers to invest money in gold as profitably as possible, Sberbank offers to purchase measured bars of various weights - from 1 to 1000 grams. Each such bullion has a manufacturer’s certificate, which the purchaser receives after presenting an identity card, drawing up an acceptance certificate and receiving a cash statement. In the presence of the client, bank employees perform an external inspection, measurement and weighing of the purchased bullion. This information is indicated in the act.
Without the issued certificate, the purchaser will not be able to receive the bullion. We must remember that physical gold purchase transactions are subject to a tax of 18%. To avoid such expenses, you can open a metal account with a bank, by closing which the purchaser can receive either money at the exchange rate for the value of gold on the date of payment, or the actual gold bar minus the amount of VAT - 18%. Unlike bullion, the purchase of gold coins is not subject to tax.
While the decision is ripening about whether to invest money in gold, reviews from people who already have such experience will prompt the right decision. For the most part, opinions agree that investing in gold is the most reliable. But there is an opinion that when purchasing measured bullion or opening a metal account in a bank, that is, supposedly investing money in gold, the purchaser will not have the gold itself. Therefore, a significant part of Sberbank clients recommend purchasing collectible coins cast from gold. On the one hand, this is a collection that has both historical and artistic value, on the other hand, gold, expensive and liquid.
No one is better able to take care of personal material security than ourselves. In order to feel confident during the period of economic and political cataclysms and revolutions, it is worth thinking about the safety and strengthening of the material base in the form of investments in gold. This is not only a guarantee of the safety and increase of funds, but also a material base for children and grandchildren.
It is best to store your savings for the long term in gold bars or coins. Russian economic analyst Mikhail Khazin spoke about this in an interview with journalists, the correspondent reports.
"Long-term investments - I have nothing yet better than gold I do not see. Just think about what you can bury in the garden for 20 years, and then dig it up so that it’s worth something. There have never been cases where gold could not be sold or exchanged, and this is exactly gold, not jewelry. Either gold coins with certificates, or gold bars. In general, a person who cares about this can figure it out in two weeks,” Khazin said.
In his opinion, today there is inflation in both the dollar and the euro. Therefore, making long-term investments in these currencies, Khazin believes, is stupid. “If you take 100 euros or a thousand euros, bury them in a glass jar in the garden and dig up this jar 15 years later, then you are unlikely to buy anything with it, you will buy two boxes of matches with it, for example,” he gave an example expert.
"But if we're talking about about saving up before your vacation, then this is absolutely normal. At the same time, in order to secure all these short-term fluctuations, a basket of currencies is needed. That is, yuan, yen, dollars, euros, rubles. The main thing is that there are a lot of them and then mutual fluctuations are damped,” added the Russian analyst.
As for securities, according to Khazin, you need to be able to work with them and be able to understand global processes. Just like that, thoughtlessly investing your money in them can be very reckless, the analyst believes.