GoldInvestingThe guides
Twenty-two guides in four groups for people buying, holding or selling gold. Each one ends with the sources behind its numbers.
Getting started
How to invest, what to buy first and where to buy it.
How to Invest in Gold, and What Each Step Costs You
How to invest in gold by owning the metal itself: bullion coins, bars or a gold IRA. What you pay at each step, and how to start with one small coin.
Is Gold a Good Investment? What It Does and Doesn't Do
Is gold a good investment? You own it outright and its price record runs back decades, but it pays no income and moves both ways. The facts and costs.
How to Buy Gold, and Where Americans Actually Buy It
Buying gold comes down to five choices: the coin or bar, the price over spot, how you pay, insured delivery and where it's kept. We walk through each one.
How to Check a Gold Dealer Before You Buy, Online or Local
A gold dealer worth your money shows its premium, buyback price, shipping terms and complaint record up front. We show you how to check each one yourself.
Costco Gold Bars and the Rules That Come With Them
Costco gold bars are mostly PAMP Suisse, sold to members with tight limits and no returns. What's on sale, what the rules are, and how to judge the price.
Coins and bars
Every major coin and bar, with weights, purity and what one is worth today.
What Gold Coins Are Worth, and How to Buy Them
Gold coins are worth their gold content times the spot price, plus a premium. We compare the Eagle, Buffalo, Maple Leaf and Krugerrand before you buy.
American Gold Eagle Specs, and What One Is Worth Today
The American Gold Eagle holds 1 troy ounce of gold in a 22-karat coin that weighs 33.931 g. Specs for all four sizes, the 2021 redesign and what it's worth.
What an American Gold Buffalo Is Worth, and Where It Came From
The American Gold Buffalo is a one-ounce, 99.99% pure gold U.S. Mint coin with a $50 face value. What it's worth, specs, Fraser's 1913 design and IRA status.
Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Specs, and What One Is Worth
The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is 99.99% pure gold, and the 1 oz coin weighs 31.11 g with a $50 face value. Specs, sizes, anti-counterfeiting marks and value.
What a Krugerrand Is Worth, and What's Inside One
A one-ounce Krugerrand holds exactly 1 troy ounce of gold in a 22-karat coin weighing 33.930 g. What it's worth, its specs, its history and its IRA status.
What a Gold Bar Is Worth, From 1 Gram to 400 Ounces
A gold bar is worth its fine gold weight times the spot price, plus the dealer's premium. Every gold bar size in grams and troy ounces, and how to price one.
PAMP Suisse Gold Bars and the Lady Fortuna Bar Explained
PAMP Suisse gold bars are 999.9 fine Swiss bars from 1 gram to 1 kilo, sealed in CertiPAMP cards. The sizes, how VERISCAN checks them, and what one is worth.
Gold IRAs
Owning physical gold with retirement money: the rules, the costs and the companies.
How a Gold IRA Works, and Which Gold You Can Put in One
A gold IRA is an IRA that owns IRS-approved gold coins and bars, held at a depository. Which gold qualifies, who holds it, how rollovers work and what it costs.
Gold IRA Companies Compared on What They Actually Publish
Gold IRA companies compared on their own published numbers: minimums, fees, custodians, depositories, buyback terms and BBB ratings, plus a checklist to use.
Holding Gold in a Self-Directed IRA, and Why It Can't Go Home
A self-directed IRA can own physical gold as long as a qualified custodian holds it. What custodians do, Roth versus traditional, and why home storage fails.
Owning and selling
Storage, taxes, purity, spotting fakes and getting a fair price when you sell.
Gold Storage at Home, in a Bank Box or in a Depository
Gold storage comes down to a home safe, a bank safe deposit box or a private depository. We cover what each costs, who insures it and where IRA gold must sit.
How to Sell Gold for a Fair Price, and Where to Sell It
Selling gold starts with its melt value. Then get written quotes from two or three buyers on the same day, and know when a dealer files Form 1099-B.
How to Tell if Gold Is Real, and Why a Magnet Isn't Enough
To tell if gold is real, check its weight and size against mint specs, try a magnet, read the assay card, then have a dealer run an XRF or conductivity test.
How Gold Is Taxed When You Sell, and What Gets Reported
Gold taxes: the IRS treats gold as a collectible, so long-term gains face a 28% maximum rate. How basis works, when dealers report, Form 8300 and sales tax.
What Gold Karats Mean, and How Much Gold Is in 22K or 14K
Gold karats count parts in 24, so 24k is pure gold and 22k is 91.67% gold. A karat to fineness table, what 916 and 750 mean, and how to work out gold content.
How Many Grams in a Troy Ounce, and Why Gold Uses It
A troy ounce of gold is exactly 31.1034768 grams, about 9.7% heavier than a kitchen-scale ounce. Troy vs regular ounces, pennyweights, kilos and tolas.
Gold and Silver Side by Side, and How to Buy Silver
Owning gold and silver: how to buy silver coins and bars, how a Silver Eagle sits next to a Gold Eagle, what the gold/silver ratio means, and silver IRAs.