The Complete Guide to Investing in Gold and Precious Metals: How to Earn High Rates of Return Safely

by Alan Northcott

Overview

As the U.S. economy struggles to recover from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, citizens across the country are searching for alternative investment vehicles. Many are finding solace in a precious metal that has been a universal measure of wealth since early civilization: gold. Investment brokers and novices alike are reaping the benefits that come with diversifying their investments. In 1910, gold was worth $20 an ounce; a century later, in 2010, the value of gold reached nearly $1,120 an ounce.

This book discusses where the value of these metals first originated and how they have evolved over the course of human history. You will learn how practical uses of precious metals have directly affected their value over time and how metals like gold and silver are direct indicators of the current state of the economy. Most importantly, you will learn to recognize market trends that pinpoint the risk of inflation and the exodus from stock to precious metals that will often occur as a result. You will learn how to use mutual funds and futures to diversify your port- folio without spreading yourself too thin. With advice from dozens of financial experts and commodities traders, you will learn how to maximize your return and minimize your risk. If you are looking to diversify your portfolio and protect your investments, The Complete Guide to Investing in Gold and Precious Metals is your handbook for making the most from your investment.

Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president’s garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.

This Atlantic Publishing eBook was professionally written, edited, fact checked, proofed and designed. You receive exactly the same content as the print version of this book. Over the years our books have won dozens of book awards for content, cover design and interior design including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for excellence in publishing. We are proud of the high quality of our books and hope you will enjoy this eBook version.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781601386823
Publisher:	Atlantic Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/15/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	2 MB

Table of Contents

Introduction 15

Chapter 1 Why Invest in Gold? 19

The Risks 26

Chapter 2 Gold's Record 29

Ancient Times 29

The early twentieth century 33

World War II 39

The Vietnam era 41

Recent history 46

The future outlook 47

Supply and demand 49

Chapter 3 Where it Comes From 55

Mining - the start 55

Refining 59

Chapter 4 The Shape of Gold 65

Bulk Gold 65

Coinage 68

Jewelry 80

Physical storage 81

Digital Gold 87

Chapter 5 The Stock Market 97

Mining Stocks 98

Major producing companies 98

Intermediate mining 98

Exploratory mines 99

Investing in Mining Stocks 100

Funds and Derivatives 105

Mutual funds 105

Exchange-traded funds 109

Futures 112

Managed futures accounts 118

Options 120

Chapter 6 Trading for Profit 127

Going Short 130

Technical Analysis 133

Charts 135

Price trends 139

Chart patterns 143

Candlestick charting 146

Technical indicators 148

Chapter 7 Finding a Broker 157

Stockbrokers 158

Opening an Account 160

Placing your trade 161

The Internet advantage 168

Account margins 168

Gold Broker 169

Commodity Brokers 170

Beware of Scams and Pitfalls 171

Chapter 8 The Other One 181

Why Buy Silver? 182

Silver Mining & Extraction 186

Reviewing the Past 190

The Future for Silver 197

What Can You Buy? 198

Coinage 199

"Junk silver" bags 201

Silver bars and ingots 203

Futures 203

Chapter 9 Other Metals 205

Precious Metals 205

Platinum 206

Palladium 208

Uranium 209

Other Precious Metals 214

Base Metals 216

Chapter 10 Tax Matters 221

Reporting Requirements 221

Tax Efficiency 224

Regular account 225

IRA account 228

Capital Gains and Losses 230

Chapter 11 But is it for You? 233

Gold Bullion and Bullion Coins 240

Numismatic and collectible coins 241

Mutual Funds 243

Exchange-Traded Funds 245

Futures Contracts 246

Gold Mining Shares 247

Gold Funds 250

Conclusion 253

Appendix A Just the Facts 259

Appendix B Frequently Asked Questions 261

Appendix C Additional Resources 263

Web sites 263

Gold 263

Silver 264

Platinum and palladium 264

Uranium 264

Base metals 265

Additional Web sources 265

Newsletters 267

Glossary of Terms 269

Bibliography 279

Author Biography 283

Index 285