A practical guide to investing in gold online

Written by
Fact checked by
Adam N.
Updated
Apr 2024

Investing in gold has been a widespread practice since ancient times. This precious metal has fabulously retained its value and serves as a great insurance against risk in times of crisis and economic upheaval. Most people invest in gold in order to balance their investment portfolio. Investing in gold mining companies, buying gold bullion or gold ETFs offers exposure to the industry, and because gold prices often move independently of the stock market, it can help you increase the diversification of your investments. Of course, if you only invest in gold, your portfolio won’t be diversified at all. There are many ways you can get exposure to this commodity, ranging from purchasing physical gold in the form of gold bullion, gold coins and gold jewelry, to buying into gold mutual funds or holding gold futures. Check out this comprehensive overview of the various alternatives for buying gold. Keep in mind that each option carries its own set of risks and rewards, and that doing proper research before investing is essential.

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Investing in gold online

Gold stocks, gold ETFs, gold futures and mutual funds are often the best way to get exposure to gold in your portfolio. The easiest way to buy one of these assets is to open an account at an online broker, which you can easily do with a few clicks on your computer or smartphone. Once your account is up and running, you’ll need to transfer funds to it before you start picking and choosing among various gold-related assets.

For many tech-savvy investors, owning physical gold is a thing of the past. If you don't want to buy physical gold and hold gold bars in vaults and safe deposit boxes, your best bet is to open an online brokerage account and buy into gold stocks, gold funds or other gold-related financial instruments. 

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author
Edith Balázs
Author of this article
I bring 20+ years of experience as a correspondent having worked for Bloomberg, Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal covering macroeconomics, stock, currency and fixed-income markets. I hold a Master's degree in American Studies and Journalism.
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